Do democrats pay taxes?

[john5746]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123367405418643627.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

Is it possible to find qualified people without tax issues or illegal houseworker issues?

[waitforufo]

For a party that constantly points to Republicans as money grubbing pigs for not enthusiastically paying their fair contribution to society through taxation, this does seem rather strange.

 

My favorite part of all of this it that when Democrats get caught not paying taxes, its portrayed in the media as an innocent misunderstanding. Of course it must be innocent, democrats love to pay taxes. There is just no way a Democrat would be intentionally trying to pay less than their fair contribution.

[tvp45]

Well, I'm a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, but I gotta say...

 

When we science folks see errors that are sometimes high and sometimes low, we think that's normal (pardon the unintentional pun), but when errors are always on the low side, that's a dead giveaway for systematic error.

 

You'd think anybody making more than a million a year could at least afford the Deluxe version of Turbo-Tax.

[waitforufo]

"Well, I just assumed that nobody was paying taxes on their company provided chauffeured limousine. Do welfare moms pay income taxes to have their children bussed to school? I mean what's the difference?" - Tom Daschle

[D H]

"Well, I just assumed that nobody was paying taxes on their company provided chauffeured limousine. Do welfare moms pay income taxes to have their children bussed to school? I mean what's the difference?" - Tom Daschle

Funny, but (I think) a bit against the rules. Putting words in someone's mouth is not quite kosher. If you can prove Daschle made a faux pas of Kilimanjaro proportion, post it.

 

This thread has been somewhat overtaken by events. Maybe. Daschle has withdrawn his nomination. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/citing-tax-troubles-an-obama-appointee-withdraws/?hp OOPS. That wasn't Daschle who withdrew. That was yet another Obama appointee who withdrew her nomination because of tax problems. This one? http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/03/tom-daschle-withdraws-as-health-nominee/?hp. Yep. That's about ex-nominee Daschle.

[Sayonara]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123367405418643627.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

Is it possible to find qualified people without tax issues or illegal houseworker issues?

By "find" do you mean reading newspaper or online articles with headlines like "Hundreds remain employed after taxes paid in timely fashion" and "Scandal of domestic staff working lawfully"?

 

[john5746]

By "find" do you mean reading newspaper or online articles with headlines like "Hundreds remain employed after taxes paid in timely fashion" and "Scandal of domestic staff working lawfully"?

 

 

LOL, I bet Obama wants those headlines! I know its hyperbole, its just frustrating to see this kind of incompetence or dishonesty. At the very least, it shows the difficulty in the tax code or how easy it is for the wealthy(or anybody?) to avoid paying taxes.

 

Looks like two of the three have withdrawn, so I guess its a dead issue for the Obama administration now.

[Sisyphus]

I just don't understand how a high level politician would not find it prudent to get a good, honest accountant. I mean, it's not like they need the money from failing to pay, and tax returns are a pretty obvious part of any vetting process, even if they're not publicly released. I dunno, maybe the lesson is learned, and Congressmen are all frantically calling their accountants as we speak.

[iNow]

This whole thing is rather ridiculous. I think we should just let the IRS audit all of the Congress critters now and get it done with. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Do Nothingers alike.

 

Obviously the issue is rampant. Let's clean it up and be done with it.

[waitforufo]

Rampant with Democrats. As a tax payer I don't see the issue as rediculous regardless of party.

---

Merged post follows:

Consecutive posts merged

“Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter. ” Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998

 

The above really was tax dodger tom.

[Sisyphus]

Rampant with Democrats. As a tax payer I don't see the issue as rediculous regardless of party.

 

Care to elaborate?

[jackson33]

Maybe I am missing something here, but something really seems wrong to me on this tax issue, at least to what qualifies a person th serve. I have heard this from Tax Attorneys and Accountants, but with 60k pages (or whatever)of IRS regulations, I doubt anyone filing with deductions is free of some kind of error and others miss something that could be classified income. Has making errors on tax forms, whoever prepares, gone to felony levels...

 

Ms. Killefer, for instance didn't pay Unemployment Insurance on household help. Does anybody??? If everyone actually treated household help, as employees there would be none working. Baby Sitters, Lawn Cutters to an occasional maid would all need to be reported and the process to even hire a person be complied with. Daschile, didn't report as income the use of a vehicle or the driver...Well the US Government Motor Pool has 375,000 vehicles, no telling how many drivers and I doubt any person has ever counted the use of one on their tax forms. In fact, you can deduct mileage from you car for using it on business, which seems to me to counter the purpose in the first place. Company Cars are a dime a dozen in the Auto Industry, has been for years and I know of no one that ever claimed that as income. (b4 you ask; worked a few years in GM management and my Dad ran a couple GM plants).

 

I see no reason to start a witch hunt toward politician and I see no reason to disqualify an otherwise qualified person for any job...Make it right and move on.

 

Having had my rant...This sort of nonsense has happened with every new administration, from both parties and at least back to Kennedy, probably back to Washington. Same happens in any nomination, but only lately has so much of so little become more important than QUALIFICATION...

[bascule]

To answer the topic: yes, Democrats pay taxes.

[waitforufo]

Care to elaborate?

 

Tom Daschle served in both houses of congress starting in 1978 and ending in 2004. Sometime during those 26 years I'm sure he had the opportunity to influence the tax code of the United States. I have no sympathy for a person who is in part responsible for our tax code not being able to figure it out. Somehow I doubt our government would be so understanding if I were to make tax filing mistakes to the tune of $140,000. If that were me, my guess is that our government would be talking about a term in prison not a term as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Also, one would think that Democrats would be a little more interested in locking up some rich fat cat lawyer making over $2,000,000 working as a lobbyist representing people trying to take advantage of our country while driving around in a chauffeured limousine.

 

Ms. Killefer, for instance didn't pay Unemployment Insurance on household help. Does anybody??? If everyone actually treated household help, as employees there would be none working. Baby Sitters, Lawn Cutters to an occasional maid would all need to be reported and the process to even hire a person be complied with.

 

Who made these tax laws? Do you really think it Republicans? I can assure you that Democrats insisted that unemployment insurance and Social Security taxes were paid for household help not Republicans. So of all people, Democrats should not make such mistakes. Also, contracted help like plumbers, lawn services and such pay their own taxes so those that contract their services don't have to.

[DrDNA]

Things these 3 individuals have in common:

1. members of the DNC

2. Obama cabinet post nominees

3. Subject to complex, unintelligible tax codes

 

I hope that this reinvigorates the Flat Tax reform movement

[npts2020]

Things these 3 individuals have in common:

1. members of the DNC

2. Obama cabinet post nominees

3. Subject to complex, unintelligible tax codes

 

I hope that this reinvigorates the Flat Tax reform movement

 

or some other method of collecting taxes.....

[Pangloss]

This whole thing is rather ridiculous. I think we should just let the IRS audit all of the Congress critters now and get it done with. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Do Nothingers alike.

 

Obviously the issue is rampant. Let's clean it up and be done with it.

 

Sounds like a good idea. I think you should post it on that White House page.

[iNow]

Rampant with Democrats.

 

I will bet you all of my future tax dollars that there are Republicans in Congress as well with these types of ridiculous back tax issues, yet your comment implies otherwise.

[ParanoiA]

This whole thing is rather ridiculous. I think we should just let the IRS audit all of the Congress critters now and get it done with. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Do Nothingers alike.

 

Obviously the issue is rampant. Let's clean it up and be done with it.

 

Yes, audit the bastards and destroy their lives like everyone else who's failed to follow our billion word tax code to the letter. Maybe if they get fired, hauled off to jail or had their house emptied for compensation they might take the laws they pass a little more seriously. Maybe we'd see the end of an income tax, finally.

 

To answer the topic: yes, Democrats pay taxes.

 

Just not all democrats and just not all of their taxes. C'mon at the very least this whole tax troubled Obama appointee recurrence is nothing if not a comedy of errors.

 

No, what suddenly occured to me was this tax thing with democrats synthesizes with the family values bit with republicans. The republican party is hostile to anything they see as an attack on their family values, rationalizes strangling the advancement of society with appeals to their traditional value set, clearly advocating a superior morality. So when we hear about Larry 'Wide Stance' Craig or Mark Foley, republicans ousted for being gay, or getting caught with a hooker and a needle we love it. Serves 'em right, we say since he's a hypocrite.

 

The democrat party disposition is hostile to big money or at the least rationalizes taxing the rich heavily with progressive taxation - a sort of moral conclusion can be drawn for philanthropic wealth. Nothing wrong with the moral, but it carries the same hypocritical punch for me when these rich pricks get caught holding out on the IRS - the society, the tax payers, the precious children. I'm enjoying it.

Edited February 4, 2009 by ParanoiA

[Pangloss]

My wife cracked me up tonight when we were watching the news about Tom Daschle. She's convinced that President Obama is going to solve the debt problem by simply appointing every member of Congress to his cabinet in succession, thereby forcing them all to pay their taxes!

[swansont]

This whole thing is rather ridiculous. I think we should just let the IRS audit all of the Congress critters now and get it done with. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and Do Nothingers alike.

 

Obviously the issue is rampant. Let's clean it up and be done with it.

 

Wouldn't it be refreshing if someone in Congress were to propose that, since Congress should be leading b example and hold themselves to a high standard, that they be automatically audited every year?

 

But they're too weaselly to do something like that.

 

As to the OP, it's simply a matter of who's being scrutinized. Eight years ago we were asking similar questions about Republicans. It's not about party. The common denominator is power and the corruption that results.

[ParanoiA]

My wife cracked me up tonight when we were watching the news about Tom Daschle. She's convinced that President Obama is going to solve the debt problem by simply appointing every member of Congress to his cabinet in succession, thereby forcing them all to pay their taxes!

 

That's awesome. Definitely better than cutting taxes, I admit.

[Phi for All]

My wife cracked me up tonight when we were watching the news about Tom Daschle. She's convinced that President Obama is going to solve the debt problem by simply appointing every member of Congress to his cabinet in succession, thereby forcing them all to pay their taxes!

That's worthy of The Daily Show or the Colbert Report. You should phone that joke in.

 

Props for Mrs. Pangloss!

[jackson33]

Tom Daschle served in both houses of congress starting in 1978 and ending in 2004. Sometime during those 26 years I'm sure he had the opportunity to influence the tax code of the United States. I have no sympathy for a person who is in part responsible for our tax code not being able to figure it out. Somehow I doubt our government would be so understanding if I were to make tax filing mistakes to the tune of $140,000. If that were me, my guess is that our government would be talking about a term in prison not a term as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. Also, one would think that Democrats would be a little more interested in locking up some rich fat cat lawyer making over $2,000,000 working as a lobbyist representing people trying to take advantage of our country while driving around in a chauffeured limousine.

 

Who made these tax laws? Do you really think it Republicans? I can assure you that Democrats insisted that unemployment insurance and Social Security taxes were paid for household help not Republicans. So of all people, Democrats should not make such mistakes. Also, contracted help like plumbers, lawn services and such pay their own taxes so those that contract their services don't have to.

 

It is my belief, that if every member of Congress (535) and every nominated for high office, was in fact audited, every single one would have cheated to some degree. Whether it was intentional, an error OR AN ERROR by the IRS (does happen) is not material. Until 1995, IRS, was NOT responsible to prove anything and could take action against the assets of a tax payer (today they have to use the courts).

 

I do not personally care for Dashile, feel his qualifications could be attacked, but will not condone 'possible' errors that anyone could make be the deciding factor.

 

No, I won't blame Democrats for what both parties have done to the tax codes over the years. Republicans have lowered tax rates or at least known for this, but they certainly did not oppose them to the point of stopping changes. BOTH parties have manipulated 'Bracket's' (amount due on adjusted income) and far more important than rates. They have both changed what is deductible and they have both ignored 'Home Interest Loans' knowing this is the one factor that could arouse public opinion. I'll add that with changes made in some manner by every administration and through the House (only authorized means to change) have only managed to stay with the 19.5% of GNP/GDP estimates.

 

I don't want to nit pick, what people do in everyday life that should be reported as income. Kids come around wanting to cut lawns, or plow snow, in Mountain areas install/remove tire chains or the hundreds of things friend/relatives do for people, but technically these could all become unreported income or unreported contract services, no less than bartered agreements or the underground economy itself.

[ParanoiA]

No, I won't blame Democrats for what both parties have done to the tax codes over the years. Republicans have lowered tax rates or at least known for this, but they certainly did not oppose them to the point of stopping changes. BOTH parties have manipulated 'Bracket's' (amount due on adjusted income) and far more important than rates. They have both changed what is deductible and they have both ignored 'Home Interest Loans' knowing this is the one factor that could arouse public opinion. I'll add that with changes made in some manner by every administration and through the House (only authorized means to change) have only managed to stay with the 19.5% of GNP/GDP estimates.

 

Which is largely why I find the idea of these two parties being distinctly different almost laughable. I highly doubt that over 300 million people's opinions can be funneled and compacted into these two camps. I think 80% of america isn't being represented, they just think they are.

 

But lawmakers are to be held to a higher standard Jackson. I appreciate your sentiment, giving folks a benefit of the doubt, I actually like to see that out of our fellow man - but these are lawmakers. These are the guys implicitly responsible for those tax laws. To see them error is fitting.

 

Does it not speak more about the ridiculous complexity of our tax code than to demonstrate rich lawmakers can't even get it right?

 

If anyone has the resources and knowledge to get it right, it should be them. I have no mercy for these people. Destroy them. They have destroyed the insignificant for decades, mercilessly for similar mistakes and self interested avoidance. They deserve to know what it feels like to be on the business end of the IRS - they are the lawmaking body that created it and gave them the power to harrass citizens about their income.

 

They pass laws left and right without concern for the complexity that they create and the augmented insult in requiring citizens to comb through that mess and punish them when it isn't right.

 

No, I say give them mercy when they show mercy.