dstraito
TB Fanatic
At a time when the country needs healing the most, at a time when transparency is promised by the new administration, examples are being set that are contrary to what this nation needs. Two appointees, Tom Daschle (1) and Timothy Geithner (2)are in privileged positions as public servants and quite well off. They should know the tax laws and probably have people doing their taxes so there is no excuse in their failure to pay. (3)
What kind of example does that set to oppressed masses, the under-privileged whom the current administration has pandered to? If these had been Republican candidates the past divisiveness would have the Democrats issuing calls for investigations and criminal charges.
It seems the double standard is very much in play in a number of areas. White people can be accused of being racist not only by almost everything they say but the tone in which they say it. People of race can say anything they want.
The current President can issue statements declaring an end to the past political ways of Lobbyists making much stricter rules for them but then he turns around and asks for an exemption so he can appoint one. (4)
Rich politicians with an ever increasing agenda to create larger government and increase taxes can conveniently eschew their tax obligations and when someone calls them on it simply write it off to “a regrettable” tax error. Come on, we’re not stupid. Had this been a Republican there would have been a witch hunt ending in a burning but the current administration is going to be successful in placing these people in important positions.
I would say the goal for increased transparency has worked, albeit, not to your advantage Mr. President.
(1) from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=abSA7CqkMhCk&refer=us
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the panel that must approve Thomas A. Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary, said he was satisfied that Daschle’s failure to pay more than $120,000 in back taxes wasn’t intentional and he would vote in favor of the nomination at next week’s hearing.
Baucus, talking to reporters after Daschle appeared at a closed-door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, said the “regrettable” tax errors didn’t make Daschle, a former Senate Democratic leader who has written a book on revamping the U.S. health system, less qualified for the position. Other Democratic senators also expressed their support for the nomination.
Daschle’s nomination to the post faced delays after he amended three years of returns on Jan. 2 for unreported income, including personal use of a car and driver provided by Leo Hindery Jr., founder of the private-equity firm InterMedia Advisors. Daschle, who sat on the firm’s board, repaid $140,000 in back taxes and interest. President Barack Obama said yesterday he “absolutely” backed Daschle.
(2) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_F._Geithner
Tax problems
At the Senate confirmation hearings, it was revealed through documentary evidence that Geithner had not paid $35,000 self-employment taxes for several years,[25] even though he had acknowledged his obligation to do so, and had filed a request for, and received, a payment for half the taxes owed. The failure to pay self-employment taxes was noted during a 2006 audit by the Internal Revenue Service, in which Geithner was assessed additional taxes of $14,847 for the 2003 and 2004 tax years. Geithner failed to pay, or to admit his failure to pay, the self-employment taxes for the 2001 and 2002 tax years until after President-elect Obama expressed his intent to nominate Geithner to be Secretary of Treasury.[26] He also deducted the cost of his children's sleep-away camp as a dependent care expense, when only expenses for day care are eligible for the deduction.[27] Geithner subsequently paid the IRS the additional taxes owed,[28] and was charged interest of $15,000, but was not fined for late payment.[29] In addition, his housekeeper's work authorization lapsed during the last three months she worked for him.[30]
(3) from http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/campbell.brown.transparency/index.html
The story
All this week, we're taking aim at one word and one theme. It is something the president has promised and we're holding him to it: transparency. If it's more than an updated campaign slogan, the president might start by looking at his own Cabinet picks.
Both Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Health and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle were delinquent in paying tens of thousands of dollars each in back taxes. That's more than some people earn in a year, let alone owe in back taxes. Neither man paid up in full until after they were approached to join the Obama administration.
I wonder how many Americans would avoid paying a six-figure tax bill until they were up for a new job? For that matter, how many people have owed more than $100,000 dollars without the IRS coming to haul off anything that wasn't bolted down -- like the car and driver Daschle forgot to pay for.
(4) from http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/12/obama_softens_ban_on_hiring_lobbyists/
Obama softens ban on hiring lobbyists
WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama, who vowed during his campaign that lobbyists "won't find a job in my White House," said through a spokesman yesterday that he would allow lobbyists on his transition team as long as they work on issues unrelated to their earlier jobs.
Obama's transition chief laid out ethics rules - which also bar transition staff from lobbying the administration for one year if they become lobbyists later - and portrayed them as the strictest ever for a transfer of presidential power.
But independent analysts said yesterday that the move is less than the wholesale removal of lobbyists that he suggested during the campaign - and shows how difficult it will be to lessen the pervasive influence of more than 40,000 registered lobbyists.
"That is a step back and there is no other way of seeing it," said Craig Holman, who lobbies on governmental affairs for the watchdog group Public Citizen. Nonetheless, he said, Obama is still making "a very concrete effort to avoid what I consider a potentially corrupting situation."
Obama, who promised to change how business gets done in Washington, railed against lobbyists in the upper ranks of rival John McCain's campaign.
What kind of example does that set to oppressed masses, the under-privileged whom the current administration has pandered to? If these had been Republican candidates the past divisiveness would have the Democrats issuing calls for investigations and criminal charges.
It seems the double standard is very much in play in a number of areas. White people can be accused of being racist not only by almost everything they say but the tone in which they say it. People of race can say anything they want.
The current President can issue statements declaring an end to the past political ways of Lobbyists making much stricter rules for them but then he turns around and asks for an exemption so he can appoint one. (4)
Rich politicians with an ever increasing agenda to create larger government and increase taxes can conveniently eschew their tax obligations and when someone calls them on it simply write it off to “a regrettable” tax error. Come on, we’re not stupid. Had this been a Republican there would have been a witch hunt ending in a burning but the current administration is going to be successful in placing these people in important positions.
I would say the goal for increased transparency has worked, albeit, not to your advantage Mr. President.
(1) from http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=abSA7CqkMhCk&refer=us
Feb. 3 (Bloomberg) -- Senator Max Baucus, chairman of the panel that must approve Thomas A. Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary, said he was satisfied that Daschle’s failure to pay more than $120,000 in back taxes wasn’t intentional and he would vote in favor of the nomination at next week’s hearing.
Baucus, talking to reporters after Daschle appeared at a closed-door meeting of the Senate Finance Committee, said the “regrettable” tax errors didn’t make Daschle, a former Senate Democratic leader who has written a book on revamping the U.S. health system, less qualified for the position. Other Democratic senators also expressed their support for the nomination.
Daschle’s nomination to the post faced delays after he amended three years of returns on Jan. 2 for unreported income, including personal use of a car and driver provided by Leo Hindery Jr., founder of the private-equity firm InterMedia Advisors. Daschle, who sat on the firm’s board, repaid $140,000 in back taxes and interest. President Barack Obama said yesterday he “absolutely” backed Daschle.
(2) from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_F._Geithner
Tax problems
At the Senate confirmation hearings, it was revealed through documentary evidence that Geithner had not paid $35,000 self-employment taxes for several years,[25] even though he had acknowledged his obligation to do so, and had filed a request for, and received, a payment for half the taxes owed. The failure to pay self-employment taxes was noted during a 2006 audit by the Internal Revenue Service, in which Geithner was assessed additional taxes of $14,847 for the 2003 and 2004 tax years. Geithner failed to pay, or to admit his failure to pay, the self-employment taxes for the 2001 and 2002 tax years until after President-elect Obama expressed his intent to nominate Geithner to be Secretary of Treasury.[26] He also deducted the cost of his children's sleep-away camp as a dependent care expense, when only expenses for day care are eligible for the deduction.[27] Geithner subsequently paid the IRS the additional taxes owed,[28] and was charged interest of $15,000, but was not fined for late payment.[29] In addition, his housekeeper's work authorization lapsed during the last three months she worked for him.[30]
(3) from http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/02/campbell.brown.transparency/index.html
The story
All this week, we're taking aim at one word and one theme. It is something the president has promised and we're holding him to it: transparency. If it's more than an updated campaign slogan, the president might start by looking at his own Cabinet picks.
Both Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner and Health and Human Services nominee Tom Daschle were delinquent in paying tens of thousands of dollars each in back taxes. That's more than some people earn in a year, let alone owe in back taxes. Neither man paid up in full until after they were approached to join the Obama administration.
I wonder how many Americans would avoid paying a six-figure tax bill until they were up for a new job? For that matter, how many people have owed more than $100,000 dollars without the IRS coming to haul off anything that wasn't bolted down -- like the car and driver Daschle forgot to pay for.
(4) from http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/11/12/obama_softens_ban_on_hiring_lobbyists/
Obama softens ban on hiring lobbyists
WASHINGTON - President-elect Barack Obama, who vowed during his campaign that lobbyists "won't find a job in my White House," said through a spokesman yesterday that he would allow lobbyists on his transition team as long as they work on issues unrelated to their earlier jobs.
Obama's transition chief laid out ethics rules - which also bar transition staff from lobbying the administration for one year if they become lobbyists later - and portrayed them as the strictest ever for a transfer of presidential power.
But independent analysts said yesterday that the move is less than the wholesale removal of lobbyists that he suggested during the campaign - and shows how difficult it will be to lessen the pervasive influence of more than 40,000 registered lobbyists.
"That is a step back and there is no other way of seeing it," said Craig Holman, who lobbies on governmental affairs for the watchdog group Public Citizen. Nonetheless, he said, Obama is still making "a very concrete effort to avoid what I consider a potentially corrupting situation."
Obama, who promised to change how business gets done in Washington, railed against lobbyists in the upper ranks of rival John McCain's campaign.
Sorry for the O/T, carry on........................