It seems to me that if he was audited for '03 and '04 and had to pay back taxes, interest, and penalties that he should have been smart enough to realize that he had done exactly the same things in '01 and '02. At that point, he could have done the right thing and paid those off too. Instead it seems he decided to keep his mouth shut so as to "get away with it"
If this guy is the best we can do for Treasury, then we've got big problems. He might be the smartest, most qualified re education and experience, but if he's dishonest enough to knowingly cheat on his taxes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars then he should be dismissed from consideration.
After all, Michael Vick was a great quarterback, but his cruelty and dishonesty off the field means he will probably never play football again. Even after he gets out of prison.
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One of the most disturbing points of the Bailout Bill was the unconstitutional power given to the Secretary of Treasury. Several points of the bill were purposely vague. First, troubled assets was never clearly defined. Second, the Secretary does not appear to be limited to $700 billion. Congress can authorize more. Voila! An unelected position with virtually unlimited access to the government purse strings to decide which companies will live and which companies will die.
While I am sure all bailout (handouts) will be publicly justified, this is the perfect system by which to build personal or party alliances. Supporters can be rewarded. Enemies eliminated. Sound extreme. See articles on Illinois' favorite governor.
This appointment is not a small issue, but a defining issue for this Congress and this presidency. If the Senate approves the appointment of a man like Geithner who clearly lacks integrity, they are both arrogant and out of touch. It will be a signal that they feel they have achieved such a powerful position that they no longer have to hide behind any pretense of propriety. They have openly put their influence up for sale.
And really, what benefit would it serve to appoint someone with integrity and experience who was above political bias? It would be better to have a weak, compromised Secretary who can be controlled by party leaders. America will be left to guess who is pulling this puppet's strings.
On a bright note, if the nomination succeeds, I have a great stimulus package to propose to Obama. We'll call it the Geithner Tax Holiday. All taxpayers will be allowed to keep up to $35,000 of their tax dollars to be paid back in five years without penalty.
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