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Car and driver
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 2/3/9 | Debra J. Saunders

Posted on 02/03/2009 7:53:16 AM PST by SmithL

Americans now know that the "change we can believe in," which President Obama promised, means a taxes-optional administration. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner rode out the bad news about his failure to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes on income he earned while working for the International Monetary Fund, and still won confirmation. The man now in charge of the IRS says it was "an innocent mistake."

Remember that line - in case you are audited.

Now come reports that Obama's pick to be both his health policy czar and secretary for health and human services - former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle - had to amend his tax returns and pay $140,000. Among other errors, Daschle forgot to pay taxes on a car and driver supplied for three years by, as he put it in a letter to the Senate Finance Committee, "a close friend."

Daschle wrote that he is "deeply embarrassed" and "disappointed by the errors that required me to amend my tax returns." Also: "My mistakes were unintentional."

Remember those words, too.

There's just one problem with both Geithner's and Daschle's stories: If they really did not know that they were evading taxes, then they're stupid.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: change; cultureofcorruption; taxevaders; tinytommy

1 posted on 02/03/2009 7:53:16 AM PST by SmithL
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To: SmithL

They are sorry only because they got caught cheating on their taxes.
So let’s just forget about criminal proceedings. it’s ok.
My finger accidentally slipped on the trigger.


2 posted on 02/03/2009 7:56:31 AM PST by o_zarkman44 (Since when is paying more, but getting less, considered Patriotic?)
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To: SmithL

I think the American people are missing out on an opportunity here: if the geniuses hired by Obama can’t figure out the tax code, neither should the rest of us be expected to. That thing should be tossed into a bonfire and the Fair Tax should be instituted!


3 posted on 02/03/2009 8:01:56 AM PST by browniexyz
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To: browniexyz

Taxes are not about fairness or raising revenue for government operations.

Taxes are about control - punishing those the rulers don’t like and rewarding those they do.

The dims don’t like ordinary Americans.


4 posted on 02/03/2009 8:16:41 AM PST by 43north (11.04.08: the day America committed voluntary suicide)
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To: SmithL
Obama's administration is not two weeks old
and it is already the most corrupt.

It is being loaded with Tax Cheats and
UNregistered Lobbyists.

This is the best it is going to get.

It will be downhill from here.


5 posted on 02/03/2009 8:23:51 AM PST by Uri’el-2012 (Psalm 78:35 And they remembered that God was their ROCK, And the Most High God their Redeemer.)
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To: SmithL

...and deeply saddened


6 posted on 02/03/2009 8:35:03 AM PST by woollyone
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To: SmithL

0’s administration is shaping up to be the most corrupt one yet. What else should we expect from Chicago thuggery?


7 posted on 02/03/2009 8:50:55 AM PST by pallis
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To: SmithL

My new goal in life is to collect as little “taxable” income as humanly possible. It means downsizing my “public” lifestyle, barter, black-gray market stuff (ebay and craigslist) and, of course, my regular job.

I have a feeling a lot of people are thinking this way. It would be interesting to see what happens when taxes go up but tax revenue plummets.


8 posted on 02/03/2009 8:56:30 AM PST by RobRoy (Islam is a greater threat to the world today than Nazism was in the 1930's.)
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To: SmithL

The shocking point about this story is where it originated, the SF Chronicle???


9 posted on 02/03/2009 8:56:51 AM PST by Cyman
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To: Cyman
From a later Debra J. Saunders Blog post:

My theory is that Daschle might have ridden through this storm if only he hadn't used that unbelievable line about thinking the car and driver were "a gift from a good friend" -- media mogul Leo Hindery. Nobody buys that line. If I had a good friend who gave me a car and driver, I'd be divorced.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=42&entry_id=35348

10 posted on 02/03/2009 10:57:27 AM PST by SmithL (The Golden State demands all of your gold)
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To: SmithL
My theory is that Daschle might have ridden through this storm if only he hadn't used that unbelievable line about thinking the car and driver were "a gift from a good friend" -- media mogul Leo Hindery. Nobody buys that line. If I had a good friend who gave me a car and driver, I'd be divorced.

Wonder if his "good friend" gave him a 1099 statement?

11 posted on 02/03/2009 11:01:56 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys: Can't fly, can't ski, can't drive, can't skipper a boat. But they know what's best.)
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