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The Congressman in charge of the committee that writes the tax code, Rep. Charles Rangel(D, NY), not only cannot do his own taxes, he can't find anyone competent to do them for him, and he freely admits his taxes have been wrong for 20 years! That's right, the single person who is most responsible for deciding how much you pay in taxes is completely incompetent in the area himself. In addition he has admitted to an array of financial improprieties, which, depending on the intent behind them are anything from absolute incompetence to fraud, bribery and tax evasion. This is only what he has admitted, the investigation hasn't even begun yet. Is it any surprise that the government's finance's are a wreck?
Why is someone who is so incompetent and sloppy in charge of one of the most powerful committees in Washington, let alone one that deals with what he can't even manage on a personal basis? The taxes involved are not incredibly complex and advanced, and more to the point, any competent CPA could handle them. Why was this not handled by a professional? Does Mr. Rangel believe he is simply above the law? That since he is a congressman, the laws he writes(or more likely, are written on his behalf) do not apply to him?
If Mr. Obama is serious about bringing change to Washington, he should issue a statement demanding Mr. Rangel step down. A vigorous independent investigation should then begin as well as one by the IRS. Mr. Rangel should be punished just like any other citizen, if not more harshly.
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2 comments:
Nancy Pelosi is "pleased with the initiative he's taken." Imagine what she'd be saying if Rangel weren't a Democrat.
"some members of Congress are leery of setting a precedent that newspaper reports could endanger a lawmaker's position"
Hmmm. These members are not worried about the consequences of their actions; they're worried about someone reporting the actions. Maybe they should consider not doing things that would have non-Congressional citizens sacked, fined or imprisoned.
Tangential thought: wouldn't it be terrible if members of Congress had to abide by the laws Congress passed?
N.B. Failing to report income from a rental property is fraud.
I'm going to have to agree with you on this one! Chairman Rangel should definitely know better, and if he didn't, he should know where to turn for professional advice.
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