« White House Showing Fear of Truth Continues Attacks on Rush Limbaugh | Main | Denny's New Breakfast Special »
March 04, 2009
Send a Thief to Catch a Thief ~ Geithner To Go After Tax Cheats
Geithner Touts Tackling Tax Evaders After Failing to Pay Own Taxes
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday that the Obama administration, which has been riddled with tax problems, is mounting plans to go after tax evaders.
The pot has issued the kettle an ultimatum: tax dodgers beware.
Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, who was forced to fork up $34,000 in unpaid back taxes, told the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday that the Obama administration will be going after people who avoid and evade taxes.
In prepared remarks before Congress, he said the president is intent on "tackling tax shelters and other efforts to abuse our tax laws, including international tax evasion efforts."
Geithner himself never used a tax haven to avoid payment, but did neglect to pay Medicare and Social Security taxes while he was a self-employed staffer for the International Monetary Fund. He even hired an accountant for two of the years he forgot to file.
"Over the next several months," he said Tuesday, "the President will propose a series of legislative and enforcement measures to reduce such U.S. tax evasion and avoidance."
But the Treasury secretary might want to heed something of a caveat legislator: such a dragnet could quickly catch a handful of Obama's top appointees.
Tom Daschle, Obama's pick to be Secretary of Health and Human Services, had to bow out when it was disclosed that he had failed to pay $128,000 in back taxes. Nancy Killefer, who was appointed by Obama to scrutinize government spending for the OMB, also had to withdraw her nomination because of tax issues.
And just a day before Geithner's appearance in the House, Obama's designated Trade Representative, Ron Kirk, told the Senate Finance Committee that he owed some $10,000 in back taxes that he had agreed to pay.
Wild Thing's comment.........
LOL This Geithner is going to be really busy fighting off the sopenas that he testify at the trials of prosecuted tax evaders.
"Geithner Touts Tackling Tax Evaders"
I suggest he start with the Cabinet. Hopefully that will take the rest of Obama's term.
"...the Obama administration will be going after people who avoid and evade taxes.."
I guess they've run out of candidates for administration appointees... so they're on the search for more with those valued qualifications.
Posted by Wild Thing at March 4, 2009 06:43 AM
Comments
You can bet that they aren't going to be as forgiving of other people as they have been of their own. The ambiguity and annual changes to the tax code make every tax payer a potential cheat via errors.
What is needed is a flat tax or a Fair Tax. The democrats though will further complicate the tax code by adding to it. They want to tax everything, including our deaths.
Posted by: TomR at March 4, 2009 11:41 AM
Only a democrat can get away with this kind of hypocrisy. Tax Cheats, How bout they start with the democrat Seante, then the House
Posted by: Mark at March 4, 2009 01:02 PM
Tom, I agree, I have wanted us to switch to one of those (flat tax or a Fair Tax)for such a long time.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2009 07:32 PM
Mark, yes, I never knew people did this and then did not have to go to jail. Only a dem would not have to go to jail is what we have seen with all these Obama people.
Posted by: Wild Thing at March 4, 2009 07:34 PM
