Public shame to force people to behave is a time-honored American tradition. From the early colonists putting people in the stocks for every minor offense they could think of — one Captain Kemble spent time in them for the horrid crime as kissing his wife on the Sabbath — we have tried to embarrass and humiliate people to get them to conform.
In Wisconsin, that has included paying taxes. The state’s Department of Revenue listed the 100 top delinquent taxpayers in the state… and wouldn’t you know who showed up at the top of the list (via The Big Lead).No. 1 is Milwaukee native Latrell Sprewell, who the government claims owes them $3.53 million in taxes.
No. 3 is something of a surprise: Anthony Mason, the former Milwaukee Bucks’ power forward. The government says Mason owes them $2.07 million in back taxes.Sprewell has a long history of financial issues and had his house foreclosed on a few years back. Sprewell made $97 million over the course of his career, by the way. Mason made an estimated $45 million and played four years for the Bucks.
