Barbecue, a parade and taxes
Unless you're running for office, you're probably not up on IRS forms for campaign funds.
State Rep. Cary Allred, R-Alamance, knows the laws and has a bug up his you-know-what over a federal section that favors congressmen and senators, but does not give the same deal to state and local politicians. See the IRS form here and scroll to page 6 to see the math.
Allred said he's been trying to speak to Republican U.S. Rep. Howard Coble on the problem for five years.
On Dec. 3, Allred finally got a callback. Maybe it was the last message he left for Coble.
"Would you tell that a**hole to call me?" he told state Rep. John Blust during Liberty's town parade that previous weekend.
Allred drove his Packard car in the parade and saw Blust in the crowd. Blust had ridden there with Coble, who was also in the parade.
Allred has not been bashful about his frustration with Coble.
"All he does is go around and pat people on the back and tell jokes and eat barbeque," Allred said Tuesday.
That afternoon, Coble had his say.
He said that he sent Allred's complaint to the Committee on Ways and Means in the House of Representatives. The chairman said any bill altering that rule for Congress members likely wouldn't pass, Coble said.
"He's annoyed with me that I have not taken steps to correct what he said is an error," Coble said of Allred. "I don't sit on the ways and means committee, and I'm not going to introduce a bill that goes nowhere."
And as for the beef between them? Coble said he's OK with Allred.
"He's been badmouthing me a lot, and that comes with the job," Coble said. "I'm not overly concerned with it, and I don't dislike him. If he dislikes me that's his problem."
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