The ‘fair share’ White House
Those who make the rules should play by them. Especially a White House that lectures the rest of America about the importance of paying your “fair share” of taxes.
So we were struck by IRS reports that no fewer than 40 aides to President Obama still owe the federal government a combined $333,485 in back taxes. In terms of people, that’s four more tax delinquents on the White House staff than last year, though a decline in the total amount owed.
We know these numbers because the IRS is required by law to disclose how many federal employees, by department (and including retirees), are behind in their taxes. This year, some 312,000 of Uncle Sam’s own employees owe the IRS a whopping $3.52 billion.
Sure, federal employees may have a lower delinquency rate than the American public at large. Then again, most Americans aren’t paid with the dollars that other Americans are forking over to Washington.
For all its sermons on fairness, this administration has never seemed too bothered when its own people somehow forget to send the IRS the check they owe.
Tim Geithner became treasury secretary despite failing to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. Ron Kirk’s unpaid taxes didn’t stand in the way of his becoming US trade representative. Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, was another delinquent — though his nomination did go down.
Obama says, “We need to change our tax code so that people like me . . . pay our fair share of taxes. Most Americans would call that common sense.”
Given this administration’s double standard for its own employees, most Americans would probably call that hypocrisy.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/the_fair_share_white_house_62HQQqezSsSxUGHqpyNulI
So we were struck by IRS reports that no fewer than 40 aides to President Obama still owe the federal government a combined $333,485 in back taxes. In terms of people, that’s four more tax delinquents on the White House staff than last year, though a decline in the total amount owed.
We know these numbers because the IRS is required by law to disclose how many federal employees, by department (and including retirees), are behind in their taxes. This year, some 312,000 of Uncle Sam’s own employees owe the IRS a whopping $3.52 billion.
REUTERS
Timothy Geithner
For all its sermons on fairness, this administration has never seemed too bothered when its own people somehow forget to send the IRS the check they owe.
Tim Geithner became treasury secretary despite failing to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes. Ron Kirk’s unpaid taxes didn’t stand in the way of his becoming US trade representative. Tom Daschle, Obama’s pick for Secretary of Health and Human Services, was another delinquent — though his nomination did go down.
Obama says, “We need to change our tax code so that people like me . . . pay our fair share of taxes. Most Americans would call that common sense.”
Given this administration’s double standard for its own employees, most Americans would probably call that hypocrisy.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/editorials/the_fair_share_white_house_62HQQqezSsSxUGHqpyNulI
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