Official: Performance czar withdraws candidacy

of course we could eliminate this issue by new legislation .....let's call it the Rangel Geithner Daschel Killefer flat tax bill.

No one will need pay taxes on rental properties ; self employment/speaking fees ,lobbying fees ,limo services ,domestic help , or quarterly payments . (I think that covers it but who knows ?)

TexasParent

I'm all for reforming the tax code; although I don't know much about the Flat Tax. I do have a liking for a VAT tax to replace income tax; although I will admit I am woefully ignorant of the details or the potential benefits or problems with a VAT tax. It just makes more sense to me that those who can afford to consume will pay for that consumption through a VAT tax. If you can't afford to consume then you pay less taxes. Seems fair to me.

As for those appointees not paying their taxes. I have no sympathy for those who can afford household help or any other luxury and not pay their taxes; whether that person be Republican or Democrat. The wealthy have enough benefits, do they have to cheat the American public for even more dollars?

speechlesstx

Why didn't she just pay the taxes, say "I'm sorry" and go for it? That seems to be working for Geithner and Daschle. It doesn't matter what the Democrat "culture of corruption" problem is, there's always a way out and a perfectly good excuse, so no more problem.

tomder55

I just called it flat tax .It is more like tax avoidance provisions .

Check this out :

The longtime senior partner at the giant global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. has previously worked at the Treasury to modernize the IRS and on a public-private oversight board to push the tax agency to more aggressively pursue corporate and high-income tax cheats.
http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_11404575

Steve the reason she had to resign is that the amt she cheated on doesn't reach the threshold . She only made a $900 mistake .
That doesn't reach Daschle numbers .

TexasParent

I suppose by association (being Democrats) these people were part of the choir denouncing Republican corruption during the Bush administration. It disappoints me but doesn't necessarily surprise me that these politicians as slimy as the rest.

You are right that President Obama promised change, and I think his team should have vetted these people better before ever trying to appoint them; because we do want change, we want a group in the government we can trust (if that's possible).

Score one for your side, a disappointment to be sure.

speechlesstx

tom, so she wasn't a big enough cheat to make the team. LOL.

Obama and the Democrat leadership are actually getting roughed up a bit and with good cause. Sen. Jim DeMint is bucking the trend and calling on Obama to withdraw Daschle's name...and the NY Times is actually calling on Daschle to withdraw. I'm sure it's with the best intentions in mind.

You're absolutely right Tex, this is not the "change we can believe in." As you obviously get, the Democrats were swept into power in 2006 on changing "the Republican culture of corruption" and on the argument that Republicans had locked Democrats out of the legislative process. More than 50 House Democrats have written a letter for Majority Leader Steny Hoyer protesting them being locked out of that very process by their own leadership.

Ain't that ironic?

Emland

If we had the Fair Tax it would solve a lot of problems with tax cheats.

TexasParent

Daschle has withdrawn -

Daschle withdraws as HHS nominee - CNN.com

- which is a shame in my opinion; he was the best man for the post. However, he deserves
the consequences of his actions, it's time we held our Government officials to higher standard. That's the promise isn't it? That's what we voted for.

At least he fell on his own sword, rather than excused his way into the job.

Still it's a shame....sigh.

tomder55

No one else can implement socialist health care as good as he .

The taxes were just the tip of the iceberg. He was majority leader in the Senate for years while his wife was a top K Street lobbyist. Clearly there is more he doesn't want revealed.

TexasParent

How about affordable healthcare without pre-existing conditions.

This is a personal issue for me as my wife is a breast cancer survivor. Almost nobady wants to give her health insurance, an if we find a way the cost is insanely prohibative.

So if the cancer returns, she will receive substandard care; and we will likely have to declare bankruptcy and dump the burden on the taxpayer or hospital without having the reasonable opportunity to pay into the insurance pool.