Tax Evasion Isn't OK

One of the comments on my previous post, although it had nothing to with the post, insinuated that the current administration says its alright to have tax issues. Although the President addressed this in interviews yesterday and made it clear that it isn't alright and that there shouldn't be a different standard for prominent people as opposed to the rest of us, the opposition will seize on it, forgetting, of course that they have the same problems.

I don't think that Daschle and the others should be excused somehow for not paying their taxes. Of course I know plenty of us common folk, who do anything they can to evade the tax system. Yet, we don't, for some reason, expect that from public officials. I have never tried to take a questionable deduction. I usually have to pay taxes each year, because I hate trying to find every little possible deduction. Whatever, my tax software says for me to do, I do. Still, I am always nervous about my tax return. I never know if I have done it right.

I don't see how these folks, who have recently been caught, didn't know that they weren't paying the taxes, or they "forgot" to pay the taxes. Right. Of course they knew what they were doing. They didn't expect it to become an issue. In Dashle's case, he didn't let the vetters know there might be a problem. He knew about the issue. Geitner obviously knew about his problem because he had already taken care of it.

These examples have to make you wonder how many more of these people there are out there. How many Congressmen and women are in the same boat? I would bet good money that there are plenty of them on both sides of the aisle who have a tax issue hidden somewhere. This reminds me of a recent FOX News pundit, who was accusing Geitner and calling him names, when he, himself, had only recently been made to pay millions in back taxes to the IRS.

No one should be excused. I have a problem with Geitner being approved. I know he owed a relatively small amount, yet he should have been responsible enough to pay his taxes. If I had been guilty of not paying, I certainly would have been railroaded by the IRS and, who knows what the outcome would have been.

The Republicans have to be careful not to raise too big a stink, because someone might take the opportunity to check into their taxes. John McCain can get away with criticizing Geitner, as he is doing, because he has recently been scrutinized and received a clean bill of health. However, he should be kind of careful, when he starts criticizing Obama's ethics. Mr. McCain is a little short in that area himself. The media were very easy on him, as they were Obama, during the election.

Changing gears slightly, someone has suggested that Newt Gingrich might be the one to replace Daschle. That might not be a bad idea (I am holding my nose). Gingrich and Hillery Clinton have worked together quite a lot over the last few years on health care. He could be the one to take the ball and run with it and come up with some solutions to the health care crisis that might appeal to both sides.