Why is President Obama "okay" with tax-cheaters?

[Mind_your_head]

This sends a 'very bad message' in his first/second week, methinks.

:-(

on edit: unless you are a tax-cheat yourself, that is privileged enough to be allowed to "get away with it"....it's a very 'promising message' indeed!

[ORDagnabbit]

1. cause like most in government they understand its a sham

www.freedomtofascism.com

[ima_sinnic]

2. apparently he is not who many thought he was.

I remember a long time ago saying I thought he was a tool in the making, before the primaries had even really started. I guess I didn't know quite how prescient I was.

[Orrex]

4. So he's in office for two weeks, and you've already sized him up and written him off?

:rofl:

I don't know know if "prescient" is the word I'd use for that...

[ima_sinnic]

10. yeah, I have

sheesh--you haven't noticed his appointments? One, a few, a slew of corporatists, lobbyists, bush boot-lickers and ass-kissers?

here, get a clue: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4967169

[Orrex]

14. I've never encountered anyone who said 'get a clue' who wasn't a blowhard contrarian.

Please prove me wrong.

Give me a list of the nominations that you, in your wisdom, would have made instead. And, for each one, give me the odds that he or she would have been approved.

[Why Syzygy]

29. It was the knuckle crackling

that did it for me. That's like a pissing contest. And our guy didn't piss back.

[EraOfResponsibility]

3. to paraphrase President Obama

if everybody was judged on their past mistakes, I wouldn't be president.

[misanthrope]

6. When were those mistakes?...

...How egregious were they?

I expect a grown man and public servant to know how to pay his taxes.

[Mind_your_head]

9. Ehm, one would expect that the candidate for Secretary of the Treasury

THE TREASURY of the United States of America, would be able to do his taxes properly/correctly.

(and it wasn't a 'mistake'.....he just didn't want to pay his due taxes UNDER THE LAW!....THAT'S the issue here!) This country is now lawless, run by corrupt and lawless men.)

[scarletwoman]

5. Paying taxes is for the little people. (nt)

[stillcool]

7. Obviously Obama is a DLC tool...

We were audited once and had to pay back taxes. I would not call myself a tax-cheat. I would call myself unfortunate. Never again did we do our own taxes. No excuse for Daschle as he is a DLC tool himself. So..the moral to the story is don't worry about it's only going to get worse. Hopefully Obama will be impeached before the year is out, and you'll get someone more to your liking.

[TahitiNut]

8. I hear the sound of someone never audited by the IRS and found 'short.'

:shrug:

[Mind_your_head]

13. Oh, I've had the IRS man (literally) at my door!

I asked him how many high-end 'earners' do they audit. He said, "none that I know of. We never see those files."

[Jack Sprat]

11. I understand. And I agree. It's a mistake.

It sends the wrong message. You can't tell me that Daschle is the only candidate who can understand the President's healthcare plan. If not, it's really sad.

[Hanse]

12. Are you old enough to be paying taxes yet?

Because if you are I'd think you'd be mature enough to figure out that mistakes happen.

[Jack Sprat]

15. That was what the Bushies said, too.

I thought this was about taking responsibility and a change from the past. What?

[Hanse]

16. The Bushies actually committed crimes.

If the IRS doesn't think any crime was committed, who's some random dope on the internet to disagree with them?

[Jack Sprat]

19. baaa...baaaaah....baaaahhh

and the sheep bleateth on. Is your name Daschle?

"random dope" Is that your sig line?

[Mind_your_head]

20. The IRS is "alway" right (and good)

If you believe that, you're a simpleton. (no offense) :eyes:

[Hanse]

22. Gee whiz... tough choices here.

Obama... or you...

Obama... or you...

Hmm.

[Mind_your_head]

17. A better question would be, "Is Daschle old/experienced enough to pay HIS

taxes properly AND is he experienced enough to be the Heath and Human Services Director/Secretary? In light of the fact that he "doesn't know enough/or isn't HONEST enough'/doesn't know enough to HIRE someone" to PROPERLY FILE HIS INCOME TAXES!

Daschle is a tax-cheat! There's no way to spin it! And Obama is "okay" with it.

I'm appallled .... McCain/Palin would have been worse, but I'm still appalled. I hoped (and voted) for something better than this sh*t!

[Why Syzygy]

30. We probably need someone

who knows how to complete a form, or at least hire someone who does. He keeps lying about a "gift". Any gift that results in a $100,000 tax liability is . duh. TAXABLE. How many other "non-taxable" gifts did he receive?

Not just that, but this guy belongs to the Exclusive Senate Club. They WRITE the laws. Did his "gift" exemption get cut from some bill along the way, and he failed to notice?

[vixengrl]

18. Cheat or mistake? Because our tax code is dumb.

It makes a good story to suppose that the errors in personal finance from Geithner & Daschle are deliberate or the result of sitting on the knowledge that they had some tax bill due, but usually? People making these figures have "people". Now, I know that's not an excuse, and I work with people regarding similar issues and know that as far as penalties and interest, etc, goes, they are ultimately responsible for the returns they sign and the monies due. But when your income is such that you can make a tax mistake where the tax you owe over three years averages out to a nice salary for regular people? ($140K for 2005-07, Mr. Daschle? And you just wrote one big check in January without a payment plan or request for abatement of penalty? That is some serious bucks to pay--let alone have us poor mortals try to back-engineer what compensation that kind of tax was paid out on.) Anyway, I kind of see how it happened. No 1099 on a "perk" he got from his friend, and he neglects to have any paper to show to his unfortunate accountant, who just sees this guy and says "whatever, I'll send your extension form and a reasonable payment." And kind of hopes he can sort it all out by the October filing date. His accountant doesn't know, and Daschle doesn't think to add it to "compensation" because he's almost thinking of it like a "gift". (Yeah there's gift tax. Shaddup--he has other stuff he does beside keep track of particulars. This is the problem with that kind of money. We don't have it. See--"More money, More Problems". See also, "I could stand having problems like that myself.")

Anyway, they basically did a voluntary disclosure....paid in full, case closed. It's not exactly a "cheat". It plays like one because *damn, that is money like we don't even know about*, but it still isn't exactly a cheat.

[MrSlayer]

21. Are you a tax cheat if you pay up?

Late or not, both of these guys paid their taxes. They didn't get away with anything.

[Mind_your_head]

23. There are penalties when you pay late....interest/garnished wages and such.

SOMETIMES, when the CHEAT is big enough, you go to jail! Isn't that why the low-wage worker always pays their taxes? Because they don't want to "end up in jail"?

$120,000 in back taxes is a HUGE amount. (how much income does one get when you owe $120,000 in taxes?) When you have a political job and get to set the rules........

Imagine.....like a kid in a candy store........

*oh snap*.....your time is up!

[MrSlayer]

24. Did they not pay these penalties and interest?

I think they did. I think I heard KO say that Daschle paid way more than he owed just to be safe. I just don't see why it's a big deal if you paid up. And I doubt low wage workers always pay their taxes, everyone looks for an edge to pay as little as possible.

[Mind_your_head]

25. Hey, Mr. Slayer.....don't pay your taxes on April 15.......

If you "mess up" on your figures/due date, it'll all be good. Really! ;-)

edit to add: :rofl:

[MrSlayer]

26. Unfortunately I don't make enough money to have these sort of "mistakes" happen.

It's pretty straightforward for me. I just dissemble about how much I give to churches and the like.

[izquierdista]

27. What you fail to realize

People in the running for a Cabinet position do not fill out the 1040-EZ.

Remember Al Franken's little dustup about paying withholding taxes in several states? This is just red meat to get the left baying at one of their own so that they will torpedo his nomination. And when you accept the right-wing's characterization of someone as a "tax-cheat" you have swallowed the bait hook, line, and sinker.

The tax code is structured as a lawyer and accountant full employment act. Even when you get a group of tax lawyers and accountants together, you will see differences of opinion in how much tax is due. And as usual, the politics of the situation favor the Repubs. For a Republican will answer a charge of being a tax-cheat with "nope, nope, nope, I had my accountant look it over three ways from Sunday, I don't owe anything, you'll have to take it up with him", while a Democrat answers the same charges with "Oh, I want to be sure that I paid my fair share of taxes, maybe I should have my accountant take another look at it". :banghead:

[Hannah Bell]

28. everyone's saying "mistake" - my understanding is they had taxes owed they hadn't paid -

i.e. they knew.

not that the "mistake" was just discovered when obama vetted them.

have i misunderstood the situation?

[Mind_your_head]

33. You understand perfectly. n/t

[Why Syzygy]

31. Enough rope..

It started with Lieberman. Cut him some slack. He's just giving the guy enough rope.
On to the republican'ts. Bipartisan. He's just giving them enough rope.

I think it's the voters who've been handed the hangman's noose.

[BlooInBloo]

32. Because he betrayed your mama.