Part of the problem with Mitt Romney's secrecy on tax returns is the number of unanswered questions, all of which deserve answers. But the other part to this is that Romney hasn't been able to explain why, exactly, he needs to keep the information hidden from voters.
Yesterday, the Republican came up with a new excuse, telling Parade Magazine his secrecy relates to his faith. "Our church doesn't publish how much people have given," Romney said. "This is done entirely privately. One of the downsides of releasing one's financial information is that this is now all public, but we had never intended our contributions to be known. It's a very personal thing between ourselves and our commitment to our God and to our church."
Seriously?
As a rule, when an explanation evolves over time, and a candidate struggles to keep his story straight, it's a bad sign, but this is especially foolish. Romney can't say -- or at least he can't be expected to be taken seriously when he says -- his tithing is "a very personal thing" that he "never intended ... to be known."
He does realize Google exists, right? Romney understands that it's easy to document countless examples of him boasting, not only about his tithing, but the specific percentage of his income he turns over to his church every year, doesn't he?
Indeed, Romney has already made some tax returns available, and they show how much he gave to his church. The release of more tax returns would only confirm what we already know.
I suspect this is a ploy to shut down conversation. We're supposed to say, "Oh, well, if it's related to religion, and Romney's faith is off-limits, the focus on the hidden tax returns ought to end immediately." It's a cheap move and I doubt it'll work.
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Most Republicans think and continue to say he pays a lot in taxes, but I believe they just want to muddle up the issue on Taxes
Here it is...
Tax fairness is not about QUANTITY. It is completely about the RATE... Period.
Pay your fair share and don't hide it in SWISS Bank and/or CAYMAN Islands offshore...
While others carry your civic responsibility for your and fight and die in wars for you, You hide your Money abroad and offshore and then hide in France during the Vietnam War Draft.
This is his pattern, you make others do the work while you enjoy the spoil...
It is time for him to own up...
The MO is that simple.
Just out of curiosity, when he said 13% was it implied that was just the federal amount? Or, did we assume it's just Fed, perhaps he mixed in his state taxes to get to 13%?
Just curious, when he said he never paid less than 13% tax, was it implied he was referring to Federal tax? Or, perhaps we assumed it was his Federal taxes? Maybe he included his state taxes into the 13%.
I'm curious, when he claimed to pay no less than 13%, was that assumed to be Federal tax only? Could he have included his state tax in the 13%?
A couple of weeks ago, someone on a radio talk show speculated that the/a reason Romney won't release his taxes was related to the Proposition 8 vote here in California. It's well-known that the Mormon and Catholic churches poured tons of money into the vote against same-sex marriage. Anyway, the caller posited that Romney may have been more deeply financially involved in the campaign than just his tithe.
Since the Republicans have the upper hand in religious thinking we should ask them how the would interpret the following scriptures;
Deuteronomy 15(NKJV)
Debts Canceled Every Seven Years
1 “At the end of every seven years you shall grant a release of debts. 2 And this is the form of the release: Every creditor who has lent anything to his neighbor shall release it; he shall not require it of his neighbor or his brother, because it is called the LORD’s release. 3 Of a foreigner you may require it; but you shall give up your claim to what is owed by your brother, 4 except when there may be no poor among you; for the LORD will greatly bless you in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance— 5 only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you just as He promised you; you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow; you shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you.
Luke 12:48 …from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
1) Exodus 23:6
"Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits
2) Leviticus 25:35
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.
3) Leviticus 25:39
" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor among you and sells himself to you, do not make him work as a slave.
7) Deuteronomy 24:14
Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns.
18) Psalm 82:3
Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.
22) Proverbs 14:31
He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.
23) Proverbs 19:17
He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done.
24) Proverbs 21:13
If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered.
25) Proverbs 22:9
A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.
26) Proverbs 22:16
He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—both come to poverty.
27) Proverbs 22:22
Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
30) Proverbs 29:7
The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.
33) Isaiah 10:1-3
1 Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, 2 to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice from the oppressed of my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. 3 What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?
42) Zechariah 7:10
Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'
44) Mark 10:21
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
46) Luke 4:18
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed,
What is kind of Good News is Romney selling?
@DeVos11 .. amen, thank you ! Precisely on target .. at least for many of them .. and not just Republicans .. but does seem they have the "poor" based on their own definition covered ... and just those needing "welfare" in view in their scopes .. of course.
Romney voted in Ma in the special election for senate two years ago, claiming to live in his son's basement. His tax returns will likely show that he was a Ca resident that year, in which case he is guilty of felony voter fraud.
It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
It is ALL about the tithe. The tithe is calculated with a different set of books than the ones shown to the IRS. Cheap members tithe on the net reported, charitable members tithe on their total gross. The subject is not something that is politely discussed, but if Mitt Romney hasn't been tithing on his real gross then he can expect his position in the church will be seriously damaged.
On the unrevealed returns I'm sure there are going to be mismatches. He could lose his standing with the LDS church OR lose his standing with the American "church". It may even be totally legal, but since Romney is a rich man he's going to be judged by moral standards not legal ones.
Based on Romney's avoidance, I bet its just going to look bad to everyone.
Absolutely correct, Donovan. I just finished a reply above (check all my posts) about exactly that (didn't realize I wasn't at the last post - my bad)
He actually paid 5.69% or 5.58%, depending on which of the two figures reported on Line 3e of Form 1116 are correct. Even using the 'total income' or 'adjusted gross income', it's still only 7.04%
And what about the $1,017,706 for "Other expenses", Schedule A Line 23, described as "PARTNERSHIP, S CORPORATION AND ESTATE AND TRUST" on Statement 6? That number just magically appears out of the sky somehow. How can he have any other expenses, he doesn't actually do anything, especially related to PARTNERSHIP etc. Those are all in blind trust (an age old ruse, remember?) like the one that invested $10mil in Mitt's son's company.
We really need a tax attorney to look into this.