Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Back to corrupt tax-cheat politicians,

Editorial in today's Wall Street Journal: Morality and Charlie Rangel’s Taxes: It’s Much Easier to Raise Taxes If You Don’t Pay Them:

Ever notice that those who endorse high taxes and those who actually pay them aren’t the same people? Consider the curious case of Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who is leading the charge for a new 5.4-percentage point income tax surcharge and recently called it “the moral thing to do.” About his own tax liability he seems less, well, fervent. ...

The House Ethics Committee is investigating Mr. Rangel on no fewer than six separate issues, including his failure to report the no-interest loan on his Punta Cana villa and his use of rent-stabilized apartments. It is also investigating...
This is, let us remember, the same 'public servant' who, when a member of the public asked him about this mess, told his boss to 'mind his own damn business'; nasty piece of work, isn't he?

And, connected with 'reforming' health care,
President Barack Obama called Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh to the Oval Office on July 17 for a one-on-one meeting about health-care reform, Democrat to Democrat.
Etc., then
But for Bayh, health care isn't just the latest high-stakes political fight in Congress. It's also a substantial part of his family's income.

As the debate over health-care reform intensifies, Bayh's wife is receiving lucrative payouts from some of the companies that could be most affected by that legislation.

Bayh contends the $2.1 million that his wife, Susan, earned from public health-care companies from 2006 to 2008 represents no conflict of interest. Questions persist, however, for at least two reasons. First, Evan Bayh has been unclear about his positions on many issues related to health-care reform. Second, there's the timing of Susan Bayh's rapid rise into corporate governance.
...
Adding to speculation about a connection between her board memberships and her husband's office is Susan Bayh's unwillingness to discuss the matter, including for this story. She has declined several requests for comment on her corporate interests, making it difficult to tell where those interests end
.
This is kind of like former Senator Tom Daschle, writing law about businesses where his wife was a lobbyist and making buttloads of money. "But they have nothing to do with each other" my ass.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A tax on a tax?? WTF!! Astounding! Only one who pays NO tax could come up with such a scheme.

Break out the short ropes & tall trees.

B Woodman
III