Posted on 07/22/2002 5:45:44 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
Edited on 04/12/2004 5:41:04 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Sure enough, after being thoroughly beaten up on it, Simon is being forced by enormous political pressure to (partially) give in. But Simon still doesn't get it: by continuing to limit the access to his tax records, he allows Davis to keep the issue alive. In some ways this half-measure is even worse; it really makes it look like Simon is desperately trying to hide embarrassing facts.
Whatever political damage might be contained in Simon's tax returns can't begin to compare to the political damage he's suffered by trying to withold them. A competent, experienced politician would have released the records months ago without being asked. An incompetent, amateur politican would wait until his campaign was severely wounded and then release the records, thereby assuring himself the worst of all possible worlds.
Are Simon and Davis both competing to lose the election?
Before anyone walks to work they will spend millions with some "university" for a study to determine whether you release more carbon dioxide per mile walking or riding a bicycle or a skate board and only the most efficient will be allowed.
What's Gray trying to hide?
Kudos for Simon. I never thought he should be forced to release his tax returns because they are no one's business. They are private and should remain so. What the IRS did in releasing those names in their complaint against KPMG is atrocious and they should be held liable. Simon et. al. aren't accused of any wrongdoing, and should have their names dragged through the mud.
OF course, Davis et. al. won't rest on this tax issue, but the fact is, Simon has paid more than his fair share like almost all of us, and Davis has wasted our money. Davis needs to be fired. DUMP DAVIS!!!!!!!!!
Simon paid more than SEVEN TIMES what "the Prince of Darkness" (LOL) earned in a year.
But what do you expect from someone who has spent their entire life on the public dole?
Dump Davis!!!!!
Simon came out against the bill early on, and again when the Democrats played their shenanigans, but you don't hear about that in the liberal media ... they know it doesn't help Davis.
We need to spread the word.
Sure, but the political reality is that his tax returns had to be released. Like it or not, that is standard procedure these days. A substantial portion of the voting public expects and demands it, and Simon had to be aware of that political reality before he began running for Governor. Frankly, the only reason I can imagine for him thinking that he wouldn't ultimately have to reveal that information is if he never really thought he'd win the primary.
On the VERY DAY that he should be out there bashing Davis over the SUV Bill (now SUV Law) Simon distracts the media from it, and gives them a stripper's peak at his tax returns.
COME ON, BILL!!!! GET A COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER!!!
Spend today bashing Davis, then spend tomorrow telling everyone how you paid your taxes!!!
Gosh Darn it! This guy really makes me angry! He has the message, but he tells it as though he's speaking in Pig Latin!
I doubt much of the public has even tried to look at Gray Davis' tax returns. The oft-mentioned counterexample here is Sen. Daschle, but there are other, less famous politicians who refuse, too. Most people just do not care about other people's tax returns beyond the curiosity of other people's incomes.
the only reason I can imagine for him thinking that he wouldn't ultimately have to reveal that information
How about privacy for himself, for his business partners, and for his family?
The two hours isn't much time, but it's surely ample to check out the details of Simon's tax shelters, which seems to be the issue.
Has anyone outside of the press seen Davis' tax returns? How does one get to see them as a private individual? I'm curious because as far as I can tell, Davis' disclosure standards aren't that different from Simon's.
In the end, though, I'm rather nonplussed at the vapidity of this issue. Here we have the state going downhill fast, and all Davis can do to defend himself is say his opponent had tax shelters.
That's pretty pathetic, if anyone's really paying attention.
D
No. He voluntarily chose to run for Governor of California. In doing so he gave up his expectation of privacy. Else he's an idiot.
Has anyone in the press even reported on the contents? We've all heard that Al Gore paid a relatively small amount to charity or that Clinton counted donations of old underwear for charitable tax deductions, but what about Gray Davis? I'm sure Bill Simon gave much more to charity than Davis did, because Simon is involved with charities; maybe the tax returns can prove this, if the newspapers report the results of their examinations of Simon's tax returns.
Here we have the state going downhill fast, and all Davis can do to defend himself is say his opponent had tax shelters.
Evidently, the media have fallen for his distraction techniques. I really want them to concentrate on the real issues now, like that $11.1 billion bond issuance, the $24 billion deficit, the $100 billion budget, and all the tax increases and creative accounting required to bankroll the excess government programs and poor decisions.
One of Davis' TV commercials ends with a line that prompts this question:
If Gray Davis can't run California, how can he run California?
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