HHS Sec. nominee income tax 'mistakes'

[03cavPA]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...-nominee-for-/

..............................................

The problems are not limited to Obama appointees.

Al Franken, whose narrow election as senator from Minnesota is being challenged in court by Republican Norm Coleman, was slapped with $25,000 in penalties for failing to pay workers' compensation for the company he established in New York. He also had to pay $70,000 in back taxes and penalties to 17 states, where he earned income between 2003 and 2006.

Mr. Franken has claimed that he paid taxes on all of his income to Minnesota and New York, where he lived. He said he is due tax refunds of $50,000 from those states.

The spate of tax problems, recalling similar issues with nominees in the past two administrations, has raised questions whether the U.S. tax code is so complex that even Washington insiders and their highly paid accountants cannot navigate the rules.

"The only indictment coming out of these ... cases is our complex tax system," said Pete Sepp, vice president for policy and communication for the National Taxpayers Union.
.................................................. ...

However, not every critic of the tax code is buying that as an excuse.

"Politicians like Tom Daschle who complain the reason they did not pay more than $100,000 in taxes is because the tax code is complex would have a stronger case if they weren't the very people who enacted the complex tax code," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

"Daschle opposed every effort to simplify the tax code and to reduce tax burdens his entire career," Mr. Norquist said.

Robert Carroll, vice president for economic policy at the Tax Foundation and a former Treasury official in the Bush administration, said he found it "interesting and a bit ironic" that Mr. Geithner and Mr. Daschle "blamed their problems either explicitly or implicitly on the complexity of the tax code."

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Al Franken, too.

Typical duck and dodge. Blame the system, even though they're responsible for the system. I wonder what kinds of penalties their tax accountants will face now?

[BNaylor]

At least Gregg had enough sense to bail out.

Source: AP

Gregg withdraws as nominee for Commerce
Republican New Hampshire senator cites ‘irresolvable conflicts’

WASHINGTON - Saying, "I made a mistake," Republican Sen. Judd Gregg of New Hampshire abruptly withdrew as commerce secretary nominee on Thursday and drew a testy reaction from the White House, suddenly coping with the third Cabinet withdrawal of Barack Obama's young presidency.

Gregg cited "irresolvable conflicts" with Obama's handling of the economic stimulus and 2010 census in a statement released without warning by his Senate office.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29166218/

[03cavPA]

Yep. If the stuff we hear about is this bad, imagine the discussions being held behind closed doors. It probably made him physically ill.

That census issue is gonna be a big problem.

[03cavPA]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/firs...withdraws-bid/

Are honest political nominees really that hard to find? Survey says ....... yes.

Another Top Treasury Deputy Pick Withdraws Bid
A senior Senate Democratic aide told FOX News that H. Rodgin Cohen, a partner in the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, has withdrawn from consideration.

FOXNews.com

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner lost his second top deputy pick in as many weeks to the Obama administration's vetting process, a source told FOX News on Thursday.

A senior Senate Democratic aide told FOX News that H. Rodgin Cohen, a partner in the New York law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, has withdrawn from consideration.

ABC News first reported that Cohen dropped his bid after an issue arose in the final stages of the vetting process.

Cohen became the top contender for the post after the withdrawal last week of Annette Nazareth.

Cohen's withdrawal from consideration is the latest setback for the agency as it confronts the worst financial crisis in decades.

Critics argue that Geithner lacks the senior staff he needs to make critical decisions about the financial crisis. Not one of his 17 deputies has been confirmed.

Without senior leadership, lower-level Treasury employees can't make decisions or represent the government in crucial conversations with banks and others.

Last week, Annette Nazareth, a former senior staffer and commissioner with the Securities and Exchange Commission, withdrew after several interviews and vetting of her financial history, a person familiar with Nazareth's decision told the AP.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

[thegladhatter]

If BHO picks them....that is the first red flag!

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by 03cavPA

Are honest political nominees really that hard to find? Survey says ....... yes.

I believe it. Even if they are clean they become tainted or corrupt after getting into office or the appointed position. Even Obama has turned into a suit. Catering to the special interests and backing down on his campaign promises. The last bill he signed was so full of earmarks it was not funny. The vetting process leaves a lot to be desired.

[03cavPA]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Even Obama has turned into a suit. Catering to the special interests and backing down on his campaign promises.

Easy there. Political whoring is hard work.

[03cavPA]

oops, and yet another one.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/firs...rs-pays-taxes/

Sebelius Explains Errors, Pays $7,000 in Back Taxes
The Kansas governor explained the errors to senators in a letter dated Tuesday, saying they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.

AP

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Health and Human Services nominee Kathleen Sebelius has corrected three years of tax returns and paid more than $7,000 in back taxes after finding "unintentional errors" -- the latest tax troubles for an Obama administration nominee.

The Kansas governor explained the changes to senators in a letter dated Tuesday that was obtained by The Associated Press. She said they involved charitable contributions, the sale of a home and business expenses.

She and her husband paid a total of $7,040 in back taxes and $878 in interest to amend returns from 2005-2007.

Several Obama administration nominees have been derailed by tax issues, notably the president's first nominee for HHS secretary, former Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle. He withdrew from consideration while apologizing for failing to pay $140,000 in taxes and interest.
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[drunken monkey]

Taxpayer pays for UK Home Secretary's porn.
Oh wait, it's for her husband so I guess it's ok then.

There's more but this is the most amusing.

[03cavPA]

What the heck is she doing claiming movies as expenses? And her husband's name is "Dick". hehehehhehe

(sigh) that's the best I could do.

[BNaylor]

How stupid can you get?

Originally Posted by drunken monkey

There's more but this is the most amusing.

Bring it on DM. We find the stuff from the U.K. very amusing.

[03cavPA]

I hear Obama's having trouble finding administrative appointees. He should give her a call while he's over there.

[drunken monkey]

when I say that there's more, it's all to do with the way MPs have and use their paid for expenses.
The whole system and what has been claimed as an MPs expenses came to light after one member was found to have given his son £30,000 a year as salary for some such non existent work.

I've always been aware and weary of MPs and their expenses (having a business expenses account myself...) but I never thought it was that abused.

[BNaylor]

Aw shoot DM you are spoiling all the fun!

You think thats bad what do you think the expense accounts of our Senators and members of the House looks like. Probably similar issues. One big old issue in the U.S. was the nanny's or maid's income not being reported at tax time or taxes not being taken out.