Remember the old adage that nothing is certain except death and taxes? Apparently, Democrats are trying to reverse the surety of paying taxes, at least for some of them.
The new president’s latest picks for cabinet members have been found wanting; that is, they have been found to have not paid their taxes when due. In fact, they have only paid them when prompted by the possibility of a high government post. First it was Tim Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury, former head of the New York Treasury. He allegedly owed almost $43,000 to the IRS. Just a little mix-up. He did a mea culpa and paid the overdue taxes and was confirmed….really fast.
Now it has been reported that Tom Daschle owed considerably more in taxes. He didn’t seem too concerned until he knew he was in the running for the post of Health and Human Services. He then forked over to the IRS $140,167, as reported by ABC News. He seemed to have overlooked the taxes for some years before the call came from President Obama. Do we presume that in his many years in Congress Daschle never saw the tax rules that pertain? At any rate, ignorance of the law just doesn’t cut it with the IRS. He was either too dense, or too devious to obey the tax laws. Neither possibility is comforting.
Also, the thought occurs: why does anybody, especially one who obviously loves the rich life, take a cabinet job? Comparatively speaking, it doesn’t pay that well. However, the perks are considerable. A lobbying afterlife beckons, with lots of money to be made if you know the workings of Washington and maybe even where the bodies are buried, so to speak.
Daschle’s wife is a lobbyist. Does President Obama not think that Tom Daschle will be influenced by his wife? Perhaps that doesn’t worry him, because, after promising there would be no lobbyists in his administration, he has hired over a dozen.
Let’s see, two tax cheats in two weeks. No wonder the president has been in such a hurry. Get them confirmed before anybody catches on. Geithner….swoosh! Have the MSM release the Daschle story on a Friday afternoon, when readership is usually light, and hope not many notice.
The president’s first choice for U.S. Commerce Secretary, Governor Bill Richardson, withdrew after there were rumblings of his participation in a “pay-to-play” scheme; it is now reportedly being investigated.
The thought always comes when bad choices are made by the president: is there nobody else in the whole country who can do this job……and pay his taxes?
There are Americans sitting in jail right now for not paying their taxes. Daschle had enough money to pay his back taxes. Ordinary Americans often do not. If President Obama is intent on giving amnesty, (as he hopes to give illegal aliens), it would be a good gesture for him to give a tax holiday, an amnesty, to those who did not pay their taxes. It seems only fair.
Somehow, the phrase “the most ethical administration in history” keeps ringing in the ears. Oh, yes, that was promised by Nancy Pelosi. We also were promised “change”. Instead, we have seen a plethora of Clinton retreads selected by the new president. We have also seen other Democrats with tax problems in the news. Names such as Rep. Charlie Rangel, Caroline Kennedy, Tim Geithner and now, Tom Daschle. The Democrat congressman who allegedly secreted upwards of $100,000 in his freezer has not been heard from in months. Wonder how much he was hiding from the IRS in taxes due on this amount?
“Blago”, as he has been nicknamed, went on the offensive when he faced being thrown out of office for allegedly trying to sell the office of Senator in Illinois. He was all over TV earnestly assuring his hosts that he was innocent. He adopted the talking points of Democrats, that he was getting all the benefits for the people of Illinois, that it was for the children……blah, blah, blah. Having been caught on tape doing what he said he didn’t do, there was not enough incense in the state of Illinois to cover up the stench. Democrats sensed that this was out front of the voting public and was something they could understand. Blago……swoosh!
The much despised Leona Helmsley said that “only the little people pay taxes“. Leona ended up in jail for tax fraud on the government. Now, Leona’s motto could be adopted by the Democrat Party, led by the oh-so-ethical Nancy Pelosi.
Veep Joe Biden has reminded us that it is patriotic to pay our taxes. What does that say about his fellow Democrats?
Also, the president has lectured us about the need to spread the wealth around.In an exchange with “Joe the Plumber”, President Obama assured him that ….”when you spread wealth around it’s good for everybody”. Democrats like to spread it around, they just don’t want to have to pay for it, themselves. That includes special FOO (friends of Obama), who do not seem to have to fear the sanctions of the IRS.
Well, maybe if we didn’t have to pay so many taxes, we could spread a lot more around. The idea of a flat tax has been simmering for years. Tax cheats would find it a lot harder to get out of paying taxes, and the playing field would be leveled for the “little people“, aka the average American taxpayer.
Is it only a matter of time before the simmer becomes a red hot boil?
Barbara regularly writes for CapitolHillCoffeeHouse. She also appears in California Chronicle, Border Patrol, and Citizens Caucus. Her primary interest is illegal immigration, but she writes about other subjects as well.
Barbara lives in a large city on the West Coast. Her loyalties are with God, family, country, heritage and borders.
She enjoys music, painting, poetry and song writing.
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