Saturday, January 31, 2009

Mistakes or Get-Overs?

What is it with public officials that do not pay the taxes they should? Is it really just a mistake on their part? Is it they are trying to get over in hopes that they don't get caught, and if they do, they claim "IT WA JUST A MISTAKE, AN OVERSIGHT!"?

Tom Daschle, President Obama's nominee for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, is now facing confirmation by the Senate and he is facing tough questioning about his failure to pay more than $128,000 in taxes in the three years before Obama nominated Daschle. A few weeks ago, it was Federal Reserve Bank nominee Timothy F. Geithner, who claimed it was just an oversight, a mistake, that he did not pay all his taxes due for several years. Time and time again, we have seen in the past public officials plagued by the issue of not paying taxes.

I don't know about you, but when I file my income tax return, I am extremely cautious and even a bit nervous about reporting ALL my income! I don't want to mess with the IRS because I know that can end up in high fines or even jail time. (Remember Al Capone? Wasn't he eventually brought down because of tax issues, not murder or other crimes?).

Is it because the public officials in question are dealing with a lot more money than someone like me? Or is it more like they know exactly what they are doing and hope not to get caught? If caught, claim idiocy?

2 comments:

Merci said...

We have relatively uncomplicated taxes compared to theirs. Having said that, I think they could (and should) do better. I also think the government should simplify our tax code.

mommanator said...

MAN I am so angry about this issue. Why can they take a pass on doing taxes properly and my dau/ handicapped they wrote a letter that she failed to post her taxes for 2004 even though she did not make enough to pay taxes! if they can keep track of Melski why cant they keep track of the ones who are paid-WHAT! And I also think its laughable they wanted the head of treasury someone who "forgot"