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Over the past week, most of our readers still wanted to talk about people leaving Portland. Fortunately, we gave them another former Oregonian to talk about: Mark Hemstreet, the founder of Shilo Inns (“Battle of Shilo,” WW, Feb. 8). Two decades after he lamented that his fellow citizens weren’t ready for “a wise, benevolent monarch,” Hemstreet owes the feds more than $20 million for unpaid personal income taxes and employee withholdings. Readers with long memories chuckled at the comeuppance of an employer who picked fights with organized labor and used his Portland airport hotel as a gathering place for the Oregon Republican Party. One reader pointed us to a website that claims the Seaside Shilo Inn—the one with Mo’s Chowder downstairs—is haunted, although that’s not really germane to the tax issue. Here’s what else our readers had to say:
Christina Buck, via wweek.com: “The IRS aggressively audits poor people and people like this OWE TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS? “This is something that should not even be allowed to happen.”
Kurt Chapman, via wweek.com: “Was not aware Shilo Inns still existed. Whenever going by the old ones in Eugene or Bend, they appeared empty. Either way, give this guy 90 to 120 days to pay what he owes or start criminal proceedings.”
Phalsleyconvicted, via Twitter: “Maybe we can get some houseless inside with a plea deal on this thief.”
Mid County, via wweek.com: “I see karma came around and bit Hemstreet. Maybe he should’ve spent more time and money on his properties than trying (unsuccessfully) to bust unions. Like many of his ‘run the government like a business’ contemporaries, he’s run his business straight into the ground.
“And the IRS ‘issue’? The ‘thousands’ of new agents they want to hire? It’s not for nefarious reasons. A study done about 10 years ago noted that at that time, the U.S. was denied over $200 billion annually in unpaid taxes by people like Hemstreet. I’m certain it’s much higher now.
“I am no fan of the IRS by any measure, but it’s hard to fault them for failing to collect when the playing field is so tilted completely against them. Over successive administrations (both sides) the IRS has been made to be the government boogeyman, defunded and downsized to the point they’re completely ineffective in going after big-money, high-profile and politically connected tax cheats.
“[And] the IRS is facing the same manpower crunch all other public safety is dealing with. The ‘new hires’ aren’t to massively swell the ranks, it’s to replace those retiring and fill current vacancies.”
bryanrmorris, via wweek.com: “Guess Oregonians still aren’t ready for that ‘benevolent monarch’ yet. Kind of like Americans were tired of that vindictive tyrant that we fired in November of 2020.”
@GrandmaDorisC, via Twitter: “The Newport Shilo looks dumpy from the outside. Wonder what the inside looks like. No Shilos for me….I remember.”
Harold Metzger, via Facebook: “But doesn’t he deserve a pass for putting up such great Christmas lights?”
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to: P.O. Box 10770, Portland OR, 97296 Email: mzusman@wweek.com