Mitt's taxes part 2

[peggy]

Well well well, it would seem Romney demanded several years of his potential running mates taxes.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/...87B0I520120812

Hummm....let's see..Mitt, the ever smart business man, expects to see some sort of tract record, or financial health, or simply the important detail of his running mate before he 'buys' this product. No secrets from Mitt! Nope, no smart business man would even think of investing everything, putting all the eggs in one basket, so to speak, without seeing the past financial health, and record, of that investment for many years, and not just one. NO, no careful, thoughtful investor would do that, now would they?

Unfortunately he doesn't seem to think WE THE PEOPLE deserve the same consideration. We are the little people, after all, and are just too stupid to understand anyway, and after all, he is him, therefore above the rules, or protocol, or suspicion actually. He does deserve it and, and, and, it's his turn...and we should just TRUST him. Just like we trusted Nixon with his plans and secrets and...wait, even Nixon released 4 years!

Ask yourself, or ask your candidate Romney, why doesn't he think WE, the American public whom he expects to elect him to the highest office in the world, deserve at least the same consideration HE expected during his search for a running mate?

Once again, Romney has placed himself well above us, the American public, and thumbed his nose at our attempt to make the best choice in this investment into our future. What he would never ever ever do, he expects us to do.

[Gregg]

I'll reserve further comment until we get down to Mitt's sales tax. Assuming threads on his State, real estate, auto and a few other assorted taxes will come first. He's probably not going to turn them over peggy. Most of us think he should so he can move on, but its a no win move now. The Dems are set to pick them apart no matter what is revealed and the Reps don't appear to be in the mood to give them cannon fodder.

[bunnys]

I can assure you that if I were to release my taxes no one would be able to "pick them apart" beyond analyzing what I made and what I paid.

But then I don't employ every trick in the book to avoid taxes...

[Alan]

What Governor Romney may or may not have paid in taxes is one of the sure division points his opposition is attempting to create and exploit. No matter what they show, it won't be enough.

At least now, Harry Reid and Peggy can spend their days speculating and imagining the worst simply because it makes them happy. The rest of us can rest assured that if there were anything out of the ordinary, someone would have leaked it by now or it would be a matter of public record as the IRS took legal action to reconcile his debt.

We all know he earns the majority of his income from investments, which have traditionally been taxed at a lower rate than regular income due to the double taxation of corporate then capital gains taxes. Making further issue of it is simply a diversion from the real issues of the day.

[SteveinMN]

What Governor Romney may or may not have paid in taxes is one of the sure division points his opposition is attempting to create and exploit. No matter what they show, it won't be enough.

At least now, Harry Reid and Peggy can spend their days speculating and imagining the worst simply because it makes them happy. The rest of us can rest assured that if there were anything out of the ordinary, someone would have leaked it by now or it would be a matter of public record as the IRS took legal action to reconcile his debt.

Alan, your take on issues in this forum has been fair, IMHO, so this comment is not directed to you.

I could not help thinking, though, as I read your post, that this reasoning should apply to the "birthers" as well. If there were anything out of the ordinary with Obama's birth certificate, someone would have leaked it by now or it would be a matter of public record. If the Republicans can support Romney's refusal to release his tax returns, could they call off the birther dogs?

[Alan]

Alan, your take on issues in this forum has been fair, IMHO, so this comment is not directed to you.

I could not help thinking, though, as I read your post, that this reasoning should apply to the "birthers" as well. If there were anything out of the ordinary with Obama's birth certificate, someone would have leaked it by now or it would be a matter of public record. If the Republicans can support Romney's refusal to release his tax returns, could they call off the birther dogs?

I guess you'd have to identify the "birther dogs" because I'm not sure what to make of that phrase. It's not like the *Speaker of the House claimed from the House floor that he had an anonymous source who claimed that the President was born in Kenya and now it was up to the President to prove it false. Then to have this followed up by a past majority leader of the *Senate affirming that "it is fact".

Of course, private individuals should feel free to believe what they wish, but I'm not sure I've seen officials from the highest elected offices in the land act as irresponsibly as we've seen these past couple of weeks.

*Houses of Congress intentionally jumbled

[ApatheticNoMore]

If I was to release my taxes everyone else would be as confused by the darn things and as unable to make heads or tails of them as I am

[Gregg]

I can assure you that if I were to release my taxes no one would be able to "pick them apart" beyond analyzing what I made and what I paid.

But then I don't employ every trick in the book to avoid taxes...

Did you pay more than you needed to on April 15? Some people are in a position to file a 1040EZ. That would be pretty easy to read. Others have multiple asset classes and multiple income streams and take advantage of the opportunity to claim expenses against income as is allowed in the US tax code. The "tricks" as you call them. That can make things quite a bit more complicated. I personally employ every "trick" I can think of, including strategic planning, to lower my tax burden, or "avoid" taxes as you like to say. Paying more than is required is just dumb, not patriotic. Unless of course you think the government does a better job of managing your money than you do. In that case please feel free to send in a little extra.

[iris lily]

Did you pay more than you needed to on April 15? Some people are in a position to file a 1040EZ. That would be pretty easy to read. Others have multiple asset classes and multiple income streams and take advantage of the opportunity to claim expenses against income as is allowed in the US tax code. The "tricks" as you call them. That can make things quite a bit more complicated. I personally employ every "trick" I can think of, including strategic planning, to lower my tax burden, or "avoid" taxes as you like to say. Paying more than is required is just dumb, not patriotic. Unless of course you think the government does a better job of managing your money than you do. In that case please feel free to send in a little extra.

Agreed, our accountant figures our taxes both with and without standard deduction to see with way is less expensive for us. Another "trick."

[SteveinMN]

I guess you'd have to identify the "birther dogs" because I'm not sure what to make of that phrase.

I was using "call off the dogs" as a figure of speech (clumsily). People are free to believe whatever they wish, but I think Republican leadership has been remiss in killing the birther meme. The mouths on Faux News and right-wing talk radio and Drudge are promoting a lie. The Speaker of the House and other elements of Republican leadership could tell them to knock it off in public. But they don't.