Posted on 03/02/2009 2:29:10 PM PST by BGHater
Add former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk to the list of Obama Cabinet picks with tax problems.
The Senate Finance Committee says he underpaid by $9,975 in the last three years.
Senate aides uncovered the shortfall during weeks of vetting, and Kirk – the administration’s designated point person on trade -- has promised to pay the Internal Revenue Service in full.
The problems: Kirk deducted too much for season tickets to the Dallas Mavericks and too much for tax preparation fees, and failed to report as income speaking fees that he donated to his alma mater, Austin College.
The full political implications won’t be clear until at least next week.
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., is standing behind Kirk, though today he postponed a long-delayed confirmation hearing until Monday, four days later than planned, citing a conflict with the White House health care summit.
“Mayor Kirk is the right person for this job and I will work to move his nomination quickly. I am confident he can successfully restore the confidence of Congress and the American people in a balanced international trade agenda," Baucus said in a statement.
The White House shrugged off Kirk's tax problems as a “few minor issues” and said the nomination remains on track.
“We are confident that Mayor Kirk will be confirmed,” said White House spokesman Ben LaBolt.
“The president nominated Mayor Kirk because of his proven ability at the negotiating table - building consensus between opposing stakeholders in Dallas and crafting deals to create opportunities for U.S. businesses overseas.”
In a memo issued jointly by Baucus and the panel’s top Republican, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, the committee detailed discrepancies uncovered during the vetting process.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
And pay attention, folks......the same people who will pooh pooh $9K as “nothing” will be the same people who slammed the Bush tax cut of $600 years ago as a budget buster.
Sorry . . . it’s just a speed bump . . . no big thing
Makes me wonder what percentage of the Democrat elite are tax dodgers.
Senate aides uncovered the shortfall
Oh is that the new word for cheating now, shortfall have to try that this year when I file my taxes.
Yeah, me too! My conscience won’t let me cheat. So, must be these guys don’t own a conscience. They can get away with murder.
Makes me wonder what percentage of the Democrat elite are tax dodgers.
Makes me wonder if paying taxes is optimal and they just didn’t tell us.
Pray for Israel. They are about to be stabbed in the back.
DMN using European currency notation? An honest mistake? (Yeah, riiiiight!)
Maybe we should send Kirk, Obama and company some cheapy calculators, so they can figure out how much they are going to cost us in taxes and debt.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
If Bush had shown up with a bunch of tax cheats in 2000 he would have been impeached by the end of March.
Nobody gives a damn. How is this happening???
I believe you are right about Israel. I think this administration will throw Israel under the bus in favor of the Arab states. I also think this action will precipitate Ezekiel’s war (Chapters 38 & 39).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.