4 ms·

>Obama, on the other hand, has released tax returns going back to 2000. Pelosi won't release her tax returns because she was only the 3rd most powerful person

>Obama, on the other hand, has released tax returns going back to 2000. Pelosi won't release her tax returns because she was only the 3rd most powerful person in the US government... She jokes that she will release them when she runs for president. I think that all these crooks in government be required to release all of their financial information. They need to be held accountable to us the us public. After all - they work for us. We need transparency, we need to see when they are taking kickbacks or making side deals, bribes ETC. What is your take on this?

MartinCron 14y ago
My take is that this little token of transparency doesn't really matter all that much. It's not like there's a line item on the 1040 for "bribe income". Fixing the transparency and disclosure requirements for super-pacs would probably be even more valuable than opening up everyone's taxes, which does have personal privacy implications. Nancy Pelosi, like Romney, is making a strategic decision not to disclose because she sees the drawbacks as greater than the benefits of doing so. And just like with Romney's taxes, or the Obama's "short form" birth certificate, I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that anyone has something to hide
- jcheng 14y ago
  > It's not like there's a line item on the 1040 for "bribe income" Amusingly: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e33264 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e33264 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e34287 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e34287
- rprasad 14y ago
  There is a line for bribe income. You include it as "other income" and must provide an attached statement describing each of the income items that are included in "other income".
- taligent 14y ago
  Obama released his long form birth certificate and the Hawaii Department of Health certified it. What more could he possibly do ?
  - MartinCron 14y ago
    You missed my point, which is that people jump to the "they must be hiding something" conclusion too readily. I don't doubt, for a second, where and when our president was born.

MartinCron 14y ago

My take is that this little token of transparency doesn't really matter all that much. It's not like there's a line item on the 1040 for "bribe income". Fixing the transparency and disclosure requirements for super-pacs would probably be even more valuable than opening up everyone's taxes, which does have personal privacy implications. Nancy Pelosi, like Romney, is making a strategic decision not to disclose because she sees the drawbacks as greater than the benefits of doing so. And just like with Romney's taxes, or the Obama's "short form" birth certificate, I'm not going to jump to the conclusion that anyone has something to hide

jcheng 14y ago
> It's not like there's a line item on the 1040 for "bribe income" Amusingly: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e33264 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e33264 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e34287 http://www.irs.gov/publications/p17/ch12.html#d0e34287
rprasad 14y ago
There is a line for bribe income. You include it as "other income" and must provide an attached statement describing each of the income items that are included in "other income".
taligent 14y ago
Obama released his long form birth certificate and the Hawaii Department of Health certified it. What more could he possibly do ?
- MartinCron 14y ago
  You missed my point, which is that people jump to the "they must be hiding something" conclusion too readily. I don't doubt, for a second, where and when our president was born.