Questions Concerning Phil Copeland

After reading the above linked Toledo Blade article I started to wonder, especially about this portion of the article:

Local 500 paid Mr. Thomas and Mr. Copeland higher salaries than any other union officers in Toledo in 2004, according federal filings.

Mr. Thomas' salary, set by a membership vote, was $130,638 in 2004. Mr. Copeland's was $113,675, a 69 percent increase from 2000.

(Copeland) He said he did not take member-approved raises when "work was down" from November, 2002, to July, 2004, and instead took the money as a lump sum at the end of 2005 - a move Mr. Allotta said he explained to federal investigators when they questioned the payment to Mr. Copeland.

Then I remembered reading in the Blade information on Phil Copeland's tax return's being released to the Blade. So using the wonderful services available thru the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library's news archive database:

On October 27, 2005 Author: TOM TROY BLADE STAFF WRITER

City Council candidates also were asked for their tax returns for the years 2002, 2003, and 2004. Mr. Copeland provided all three years, and Mr. McCloskey provided his returns for 2002 and 2004. Mr. Copeland's return for 2004 shows adjusted gross income of $113,823, primarily his salary as secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 500. He had an Internal Revenue Service tax bill of $19,919. His returns showed adjusted gross income of $92,156 in 2003 and $90,754 in 2002.

Given that, I don't see how Phil Copeland's statement that he took a reduction in salary until July of 2004 can be true. It's possible it was done in 2002 and 2003, but questions really come to mind for 2004. Not having seen the detailed information, all I can do is speculate. Since the Blade has it, it would have been nice if they would have answered that, perhaps they will. It would also be nice of one of our local media sources would make the same demand of this information from all of the Lucas County Commissioner Candidates. It would easily answer this question, since if there was a lump sum salary payment made in 2005 it would be reflected as to the amount on his 2005 Income Tax Return.

Then the credit card questions with the union, according to todays article:

Mr. Copeland, (has) a union-provided Cadillac DeVille. Both of their expense accounts, which include gasoline purchases, exceeded $30,000 in 2004.

Does Phil Copeland have and use one of these Union Credit cards? The article today implies it but that would be contradictory to what Phil Copeland said in the October 14, 2005 Author: VANESSA WINANS BLADE STAFF WRITER that was about candidates credit scores when it was discovered Phil didn't have enough of a credit history to have a rating:

"I haven't tried getting anything since I got the liens," said Mr. Copeland, who explained that he maintains a checking account and pays for everything with cash.

Hopefully if these questions aren't answered I'll get the opportunity to ask them before the primary.

UPDDATE 3/13/06: Toledo Blade confirms there was a lump sum payment made of the deferred salary. So the only question that remains is the credit card use statement.