Posted on July 2nd, 2009 – 3:27 PM By James Shiffer
Whistleblower reader Lewis Strong wanted to know what happened to all of the stuff that state revenue agents seized last week from a Burnsville car audio business to satisfy a whopping tax debt. Strong’s question was well timed, because the Minnesota Department of Revenue has been eager to discuss its crackdown on Bass Zone Inc., the closed Minneapolis car audio business that was the state’s top sales tax scofflaw.
Contrary to earlier reports that described them as separate businesses, the revenue department established through subpoenaed documents that BZ3 in Burnsville is liable for Bass Zone Inc.’s tax debts, said Terri Steenblock, director of the agency’s collections division.
“We did seize all the inventory from that location,” Steenblock told me, including the “personal property” of Bun Chhein Om and his businesses, Bass Zone Inc. of 420 E. Lake St. and BZ3 of 2613 W. Hwy. 13 in Burnsville. It was the biggest seizure in Steenblock’s five years in her position, and possibly longer. The state’s still figuring out the value of the rims, speakers, amplifiers, installation accessories, under-the-vehicle lights, video-equipped headrests and other merchandise, as well as a 2003 Lexus.
Helen Pratt knows that the cottonwood tree towering over her Fridley home has been there since at least 1955, when her parents bought the property on Fourth Street N.E. What she doesn’t know is who owns the tree. That question is becoming an increasing worry for her. About five years ago, Pratt noticed that the tree seemed to be “tilting” in an alarming way toward her house.
“If another storm came through, that tree would fall down and it would take my house,” she said.
A few years ago, Pratt talked to city and state employees because the land is adjacent to the entrance ramp for Interstate 694 at University Avenue. Fridley said it belonged to the state of Minnesota. The state of Minnesota said it belonged to Fridley.
Posted on June 30th, 2009 – 12:12 PM By James Shiffer
In light of the colossal failure of regulators to stop the rampant fraud and incompetence that put us in our economic mess, this busy new administration is applying the Washington solution - proposing a new federal agency to bring some law and order to the wild world of financial products. In his weekly address on June 20, President Obama described the Consumer Financial Protection Agency this way:
It will have the power to set tough new rules so that companies compete by offering innovative products that consumers actually want – and actually understand. Those ridiculous contracts – pages of fine print that no one can figure out – will be a thing of the past. You’ll be able to compare products – with descriptions in plain language – to see what is best for you. The most unfair practices will be banned. The rules will be enforced.
Posted on June 29th, 2009 – 2:45 PM By James Shiffer
Nobody’s gotten sick, as far as food safety folks know. But the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s discovery of salmonella in a 100-gram pouch of “Dairyshake” powder (not for retail sale) prompted a search for the source of the contamination. That led to the identification of a key supplier, Plainview Milk Products Cooperative in southeastern Minnesota, where inspectors discovered equipment contaminated with the harmful pathogen, according to a news release from the Food and Drug Administration.
The recall includes two years’ worth of “instant nonfat dried milk, whey protein, fruit stabilizers, and gums (thickening agents)” none of which were sold directly to the public. No products have yet been pulled from store shelves, but a raft of federal and state agencies are looking into the situation. It’s clear that they’re eager to show an aggressive response, following the widespread criticism of the nation’s food safety and response network prompted by the peanut contamination earlier this year. “This recall is an appropriate precaution to protect public health,” said David W.K. Acheson, M.D., associate commissioner for foods in the Food and Drug Administration, in the FDA news release.
James Eli Shiffer started the Whistleblower blog and column in 2008. A reporter and editor for 20 years, Shiffer is fascinated with the stories of regular people and believes in the power of journalism to make their lives better.
Whistleblower reader Lewis Strong wanted to know what happened to all of the stuff that state revenue agents seized last week from a Burnsville car audio business to satisfy a whopping tax debt. Strong’s question was well timed, because the Minnesota Department of Revenue has been eager to discuss its crackdown on Bass Zone Inc., the closed Minneapolis car audio business that was the state’s top sales tax scofflaw. 
