Do any of Barack's picks pay taxes?

[airdvr 210]

Obama's trade rep pick owes almost $10,000 in taxes
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/obama.kirk.taxes/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Dallas, Texas, Mayor Ron Kirk, who is President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. trade representative, owes nearly $10,000 in taxes. He's the fourth Obama pick that has come under fire for tax issues.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[marks2065 0]

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Obama's trade rep pick owes almost $10,000 in taxes
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/obama.kirk.taxes/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Dallas, Texas, Mayor Ron Kirk, who is President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. trade representative, owes nearly $10,000 in taxes. He's the fourth Obama pick that has come under fire for tax issues.

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We are finding out that alot of Obama's people are, in some way, not responsible people and that is part of what is causing his approval numbers to drop. But what did everyone expect, look at who most of his buddies were before he got elected.

[mirage62 0]

Only the "small people pay taxes"

Kevin Keenan is my hero, a double FUP, he does so much with so little

[Unstable 9]

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We are finding out that alot of Obama's people are, in some way, not responsible people and that is part of what is causing his approval numbers to drop. But what did everyone expect, look at who most of his buddies were before he got elected.

I've heard this before, but I never saw anything on it. Who were his 'buddies' and where do the complaints of elitism fall into place.

=========Shaun ==========

[marks2065 0]

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We are finding out that alot of Obama's people are, in some way, not responsible people and that is part of what is causing his approval numbers to drop. But what did everyone expect, look at who most of his buddies were before he got elected.

I've heard this before, but I never saw anything on it. Who were his 'buddies' and where do the complaints of elitism fall into place.

i guess you were sleeping during the election or watched only cnn.

[Andy9o8 2]

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We are finding out that alot of Obama's people are, in some way, not responsible people and that is part of what is causing his approval numbers to drop. But what did everyone expect, look at who most of his buddies were before he got elected.

I've heard this before, but I never saw anything on it. Who were his 'buddies' and where do the complaints of elitism fall into place.

i guess you were sleeping during the election or watched only cnn.

In other words, you can't or won't answer the question. Got it.

[rehmwa 2]

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Only the "small people pay taxes"

Vinnie and Rosa?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Gawain 0]

Clearly you're not paying attention...these are honest mistakes...anyone could have made them...they thought they paid these taxes already...

Any one of us, would be getting cornholed by the IRS right now if we pulled these antics.

So I try and I scream and I beg and I sigh
Just to prove I'm alive, and it's alright
'Cause tonight there's a way I'll make light of my treacherous life
Make light!

[TheBachelor 5]

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Obama's trade rep pick owes almost $10,000 in taxes
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/02/obama.kirk.taxes/index.html

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Former Dallas, Texas, Mayor Ron Kirk, who is President Obama's nominee to be the U.S. trade representative, owes nearly $10,000 in taxes. He's the fourth Obama pick that has come under fire for tax issues.

Now I understand why liberals want to raise taxes. Increased taxes won't hurt them -- they don't pay taxes! It's so clear now.

There are battered women? I've been eating 'em plain all of these years...

[mnealtx 0]

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Only the "small people pay taxes"

Vinnie and Rosa?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[livendive 8]

In an attempt to find something positive about this, is it possible that this is typical behavior among political appointees and we're just getting better at scrutinizing them?

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[DSE 5]

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In an attempt to find something positive about this, is it possible that this is typical behavior among political appointees and we're just getting better at scrutinizing them?

Blues,
Dave

Bingo.
It's typical behavior amongs more Americans than you'd think. I met a DZO who boasted that he hadn't paid taxes in over a decade, and more recently negotiated his nearly 100K tax obligation down to 18K including attorney fees.
I wonder what would happen if he ran for office?

[chuckakers 426]

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We are finding out that alot of Obama's people are, in some way, not responsible people and that is part of what is causing his approval numbers to drop. But what did everyone expect, look at who most of his buddies were before he got elected.

I've heard this before, but I never saw anything on it. Who were his 'buddies' and where do the complaints of elitism fall into place.

i guess you were sleeping during the election or watched only cnn.

In other words, you can't or won't answer the question. Got it.

Man, you sure take a lot of stabs for a guy that doesn't say much on the actual issue being discussed. Your right, I guess. Just not very productive.

Chuck Akers
D-10855
Houston, TX

[FallingOsh 0]

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In an attempt to find something positive about this, is it possible that this is typical behavior among political appointees and we're just getting better at scrutinizing them?

Blues,
Dave

That's definitely crossed my mind, too. The problem for President Obama is that he labeled his administration the 'New Era of Responsibility.'

You could make a pretty convincing argument that these back taxes are honest mistakes, but it's also a very large PR problem with repeated appointee issues like this.

--------------------------------------------------
Stay positive and love your life.

[livendive 8]

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In an attempt to find something positive about this, is it possible that this is typical behavior among political appointees and we're just getting better at scrutinizing them?

Blues,
Dave

That's definitely crossed my mind, too. The problem for President Obama is that he labeled his administration the 'New Era of Responsibility.'

You could make a pretty convincing argument that these back taxes are honest mistakes, but it's also a very large PR problem with repeated appointee issues like this.

That was kind of my thought. There was one in particular that I thought seemed like an easily made honest mistake...whoever the guy was who checked his maid's papers but didn't notice they lapsed for a couple weeks or something like that, and then were renewed. He had some oddball earnings that he thought he'd payed the taxes on, and when I put myself in his shoes, I'd have thought so too. But collectively, there are just too many of these coming to light and it looks bad.

Blues,
Dave

"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!"
(drink Mountain Dew)

[GeorgiaDon 381]

Well in a spirit of fairness (a scarce commodity in Speaker's Corner I know), let's look at the actual infraction. Then-Mayor Kirk gave 16 speeches at his alma mater, Austin College, for which he was entitled to $37,750 in honoraria. Rather than collect the money, he told the school to give it to their scholarship fund instead. His tax accountant apparently agreed that, since he never accepted the money, he didn't have to report it as income. The Senate Finance Committee, looking at it from their perspective which includes avoiding any possible appearance of impropriety, concluded that he should have accepted the money, then donated it back to the school, in which case it would have been taxable income. I can see it either way, but in any event it is not a case where he was paid, took the cash, then tried to hide the income from the IRS. I think some of these tax situations occur because the kind of people who get tapped for senior positions in government (regardless of party affiliations) are confronted with situations where the "right thing to do" is actually not obvious. Then they may do as you or I would, follow the interpretation that is simplest or most favorable to their tax situation. Later, when they are being vetted for public office, the standard changes, it becomes what is the interpretation that best avoids any appearance that you were trying to avoid paying taxes.

Here's a simple analogy. Say you're a tandem master, you pick up a few bucks on the weekend taking paying "students". Your good friend wants to do a tandem, so you agree to take him and waive your fee. Of course he still has to pay something, to cover the lift tickets, DZ's costs, etc, but it's discounted by whatever you normally get paid for taking a tandem. He has a great time, decided to sign up for AFF, and goes on to become a skygod. You do your taxes and, as a good citizen, report every dime you earned at the DZ that year. Of course, you didn't report your income from that jump, because there wasn't any, right? Wrong, you're a tax cheat, a criminal, and an all-around contemptible bum. Why? Because you should have charged your friend your standard rate as tandem master, counted that as income, then given the money back to him and claimed a charitable contribution (assuming he is a registered charity of course), at least according to the Senate Finance Committee. Alternatively, since he did pay for your seat on the plane when he paid his discounted fee, you should at least have claimed the value of that lift ticket as income, which you did not do. Either way you lose. See how the game is played? God help you if you ever decide to run for public office! Now in the real world no-one cares about the value of a tandem master's fee, but put yourself in the position of someone who has achieved public prominence and so is invited back to the college they graduated from to give a speech. You give the speech, but you say "hey, I don't want to get paid, just give the money to the scholarship fund". How is that different from the tandem master taking his buddy for a jump?

As far as the NBA ticket thing in the CNN article, I've got nothing on that, one way or the other.

Don

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Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)