Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver
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  Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver
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Author Topic: Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver  (Read 761 times)
cinyc
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« on: January 30, 2009, 07:24:31 PM »

Bumps in the Road: Obama's HHS Secretary Nominee Faces Tax Questions Over Car and Driver

Daschle has a tax problem regarding a chauffeur that his business partner gave him for free.    No doubt he'll be confirmed (since the Senate always looks the other way when confirming one of their own).   But it's yet another tax cheat in Obama's cabinet.  Only the little people get penalized for failing to pay taxes.

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ChrisFromNJ
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« Reply #1 on: January 30, 2009, 07:26:53 PM »

This really annoys me. Whoever was in charge of vetting him deserves to be canned. This is unacceptable and the type of "scandal" that could derail universal health care legislation from ever getting passed.

This will be a huge issue when Obama rolls out his health care plan, and we simply don't need that. Can him now and find somebody else. I hear Howard Dean is out of a job.
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Brittain33
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« Reply #2 on: January 31, 2009, 10:17:11 AM »

It amazes me how common it is for people in positions of power to not understand their taxes. Daschle's case makes sense to me because he was on public service salaries his whole life and then, after his defeat, entered a realm of great wealth as a lobbyist. So he didn't know what he was doing--I seriously doubt he intended to scam anyone, any more than Geithner did. What does it say about them and about our tax system that this keeps happening? I don't deny this is a problem.

Hire accountants, people!
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dead0man
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« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2009, 10:30:01 AM »

I've enjoyed reading Car and Driver for years.  It's probably the second best car mag behind Road and Track.  Road and Track is a little artsy fartsy sometimes though.  Peter Egan rules.
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Storebought
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« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2009, 10:50:41 AM »

It amazes me how common it is for people in positions of power to not understand their taxes. Daschle's case makes sense to me because he was on public service salaries his whole life and then, after his defeat, entered a realm of great wealth as a lobbyist. So he didn't know what he was doing--I seriously doubt he intended to scam anyone, any more than Geithner did. What does it say about them and about our tax system that this keeps happening? I don't deny this is a problem.

Hire accountants, people!


Or simplify the federal tax code
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Torie
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« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2009, 11:41:16 AM »

It amazes me how common it is for people in positions of power to not understand their taxes. Daschle's case makes sense to me because he was on public service salaries his whole life and then, after his defeat, entered a realm of great wealth as a lobbyist. So he didn't know what he was doing--I seriously doubt he intended to scam anyone, any more than Geithner did. What does it say about them and about our tax system that this keeps happening? I don't deny this is a problem.

Hire accountants, people!


It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if you receive free services in the context of employment, that you have an income issue for tax purposes. I am not really willing to assume that Daschle didn't have a clue about this. I suspect he just trimmed a bit out of well, yes, greed.
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Brittain33
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« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2009, 11:42:54 AM »

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if you receive free services in the context of employment, that you have an income issue for tax purposes. I am not really willing to assume that Daschle didn't have a clue about this. I suspect he just trimmed a bit out of well, yes, greed.

We'll see. I'm trying hard not to be results-oriented on this case.
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Landslide Lyndon
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« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2009, 06:37:08 PM »

It amazes me how common it is for people in positions of power to not understand their taxes.

If taxes were the only thing they fail to understand...
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Torie
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« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2009, 08:47:56 PM »

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if you receive free services in the context of employment, that you have an income issue for tax purposes. I am not really willing to assume that Daschle didn't have a clue about this. I suspect he just trimmed a bit out of well, yes, greed.

We'll see. I'm trying hard not to be results-oriented on this case.

I don't favor denying the annoying "midget" his appointment over this issue by the way, for the record.
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cinyc
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« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2009, 09:11:00 PM »

It amazes me how common it is for people in positions of power to not understand their taxes. Daschle's case makes sense to me because he was on public service salaries his whole life and then, after his defeat, entered a realm of great wealth as a lobbyist. So he didn't know what he was doing--I seriously doubt he intended to scam anyone, any more than Geithner did. What does it say about them and about our tax system that this keeps happening? I don't deny this is a problem.

Hire accountants, people!


It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if you receive free services in the context of employment, that you have an income issue for tax purposes. I am not really willing to assume that Daschle didn't have a clue about this. I suspect he just trimmed a bit out of well, yes, greed.

From the article, Daschle claims that he brought the chauffeur issue up to his accountant on his own last year before Obama was elected.  We'll have to see what the real facts are.   At a minimum, these pampered Senators are so used to having things done for them that they don't even seem to think twice about the tax consequences of getting similar treatment when out of office.
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Brittain33
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« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2009, 10:19:45 PM »

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that if you receive free services in the context of employment, that you have an income issue for tax purposes. I am not really willing to assume that Daschle didn't have a clue about this. I suspect he just trimmed a bit out of well, yes, greed.

We'll see. I'm trying hard not to be results-oriented on this case.

I don't favor denying the annoying "midget" his appointment over this issue by the way, for the record.

Ok, and to be absolutely clear, I wasn't accusing you of being results-oriented. Having a Democratic administration to defend is a novelty for me.
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Queen Mum Inks.LWC
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« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2009, 10:40:33 PM »

I criticized Geithner because he should've known better, but I'm willing to cut Daschle a break here.

The tax code is pretty complicated, and now that he's paid the debt + interest, I think it's time to move on.
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Meeker
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« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2009, 10:47:49 PM »

Paging Dr. Dean...
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Lunar
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« Reply #13 on: February 01, 2009, 03:17:20 AM »

Rahm let Dean into Obama's cabinet?  Yeah...

If he has an accountant, the accountant should have done this?  I'm not sure the degree his accountant asked him basic questions about his employee benefits or whatever.

I wonder how many multi-millionaires have unintentionally missed taxes.

Or it could be an ethical issue, but it's hard to tell


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Daniel Adams
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« Reply #14 on: February 01, 2009, 11:59:40 AM »

It's always fun to dig up past statements by politicians:

"Make no mistake, tax cheaters cheat us all, and the IRS should enforce our laws to the letter." Sen. Tom Daschle, Congressional Record, May 7, 1998, p. S4507

And on Reagan Agriculture Secretary nominee Richard Lyng: "Rep. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., called Lyng 'a limousine-lounging corporate executive that knows about as much about farming and what it's like on the farm today as a kernel of corn.'" (AP, January 30, 1986).
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Bono
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« Reply #15 on: February 01, 2009, 12:28:59 PM »

Oh the Schadenfreude!
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cinyc
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« Reply #16 on: February 02, 2009, 06:00:03 PM »

Daschle wasn't properly vetted by the Obama campaign (in part because he "forgot" to tell them about the chauffeur issue).

It's more than just taxes for the chauffeur now.  According to the Wall Street Journal,  Daschle took impermissible charitable deductions, "forgot" to pay taxes on some consulting income, and there are questions about whether some entertainment and travel services provided by EduCap and companies should have been reported.

Daschle appears to be a major tax cheat who looks Geithner look good by comparison.  But the comfy Senate club will still confirm him.
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Lunar
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« Reply #17 on: February 02, 2009, 06:21:44 PM »

How much does it all add up to in total?  And why does someone making $2m a year care about sneaking a few extra bucks at the side?  Not that it matters but I say if it's >$200k let's get someone else.


The problem isn't the Senate it's the fact that Daschle was one of Obama's earliest presidential backers and a lot of Obama's team comes from Daschle's political sphere of influence (since Clinton took everyone else).
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cinyc
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« Reply #18 on: February 02, 2009, 06:58:17 PM »

How much does it all add up to in total?  And why does someone making $2m a year care about sneaking a few extra bucks at the side?  Not that it matters but I say if it's >$200k let's get someone else.


The problem isn't the Senate it's the fact that Daschle was one of Obama's earliest presidential backers and a lot of Obama's team comes from Daschle's political sphere of influence (since Clinton took everyone else).

According to the WSJ, $140,167 in extra taxes and interest paid so far, including taxes owed on $83,333 of "forgotten" consulting income.

The Senate usually confirms one of its own even if it has to look the other way and hold its nose.
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