Daschle Pays $100k in Back Taxes Over Car Travel

[williesgirl]

Source: Wash Post

Former senator Thomas A. Daschle, nominated to be secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, paid more than $100,000 in back taxes and interest this month for the use of a car and driver over the past three years, the White House said tonight

snip

Daschle brought the matter to the attention of the Senate Finance Committee "when he submitted his nomination forms," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said in an e-mailed statement tonight. "We are confident the committee is going to schedule a hearing for him very soon and he will be confirmed."

snip

Tax laws required Daschle to declare the services on his income taxes, but Daschle did not correct the violation until during his vetting to head HHS. In amending his tax returns for 2005 through 2007, he paid $101,943 in back taxes plus interest, ABC reported.

Last year, Daschle was paid more than $2 million in salary from Hindery's firm, in addition to the $2 million he earned as a senior adviser at the law firm of Alston and Bird.



Read more: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/01/30/daschle_...

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It looks as if we the common man are the only ones paying our income taxes on time and regularly. This shit sickens me. The Dems are as bad the Repukes.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Nominate everybody for something!

[natrat]

8. too bad that wimpy freak pos cant be jailed

[No Elephants]

20. Great economic recovery plan! Thanks.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

33. This shit is easy.

[unkachuck]

2. you know I love you Tom....

....but are you sure you're the change we need?

[customerserviceguy]

3. How the hell is a ride worth that much?

Doing the math, $100K in taxes at a 35% tax rate works out to about $300K over the three years. That works out to a "value" of about $300 per day, and that includes weekends.

Anybody here spend that much on carfare, even if you have a limo and a driver?

[williesgirl]

4. Plus he earned $4 million last year and can't afford his own? He who has gets.

[progressoid]

16. Yeah, can somebody explain this?

$100,000 in back taxes and interest this month for the use of a car and driver?

[Blue Dog Dominion]

25. It could cost a LOT more than 100k

A car service with driver can easily cost 5k-10k per month, if not more. These guys get some pretty exotic cars (late model of course) that have added features like bullet proofing etc.

The chauffeur is also a professional, many of which are trained in evasive driving and personal protection. These drivers are well paid not only for their navigation skill, but their discreteness as well. You know, the type of driver who doesn't notice that the beautiful young lady who isn't wearing any panties when he helps her out of the car isn't Mrs. Daschle.

Don't forget he also paid penalty to the IRS which isn't cheap.

[customerserviceguy]

28. What you're talking about is something highly specialized

and if a bulletproof vehicle with a trained stunt driver is what's required, it just might count as an "ordinary and necessary" expense of the job. Does President Obama owe taxes on the Secret Service drivers and vehicles he's provided with?

There's something not right about this story.

[Blue Dog Dominion]

29. I was just giving an example

I doubt Tom had a executive protection detail, but having a full-time driver is very expensive.

[customerserviceguy]

32. Apparently!

Too bad a lot of sports, music, and movie stars don't think they can afford them, could keep them out of a lot of trouble with the law!

[Blue Dog Dominion]

34. You would think a sports agent would have a limo firm on retainer

Just to follow their moron clients around.

[BlueJac]

5. Sorry Tom.........

you are part of the problem not part of the solution!!

[RiverStone]

10. I like Tom, but he bought into the usual arrogance and denial

Glad he fessed up, but I do believe he does not deserve the nod. This is NOT change!

[FarCenter]

6. Easy mistake to make

He probably thought he was still in the Senate...

[Blue Dog Dominion]

7. Did he use TurboTax as well?

[alexandria]

9. HaHaHaHa

No further comment is needed.

[baracktheone]

11. This pisses me off.

Why is it so hard for our president's to find cabinet nominees without issues like this? All this crap does is give the far right ammo for talk radio. Taxes are one thing the idiot masses get. All they hear is this "liberal" who taxes others but does not pay his own taxes.

I love Obama but I see him starting off like Clinton. If it doesn't stop we will lose the House and Senate in 2010. Clinton had the same issues. An economic stimulus that Limbaugh and the right destroyed with propaganda. They picked a fight with Rush Limbaugh, and all they did was increase PIGBOY'S audience. He lost two AG picks due to nannies and taxes.

Perception is everytthing in politics. Why give the whacko right ammo by screw ups like this?

[jillan]

12. You're right. The dems are just as bad as the repugs.

How embarrassing.

I never liked Daschle, but that's besides the point.

[Larkspur]

13. Obama should have nominated Howard Dean for HHS

Dean's been under the spotlight for the last few years and he's an honest man and I'm sure he's paid his taxes.

[depakid]

21. After this fiasco- he still can

but I doubt he will, for a variety of reasons- not the least of which is that Dean doesn't have much respect for hack who's chief of staff- and is far better versed- and has more experience in healthcare reform that will actually solve the major problems than anyone on Obama's team.

[chimpymustgo]

24. You are so right. Dean should be the one. Daschle remains an out of touch idiot (and a crook).

[Abq_Sarah]

14. Jesus... do any policiticans

Or former politicians pay the taxes they owe until they're forced to do so?

[katandmoon]

15. Why is Obama wasting any political capital on nominating stinking crooks like this?

[progressoid]

17. Sickens me too.

[baracktheone]

18. Wrap another gift to Pigboy and Hannity, Barack.

With each little flub the whack job right will get harder to deal with.

[Dappleganger]

19. Disgraceful. O should have picked better.

[whirlygigspin]

22. ah, the safe mediocre middle

I think he paid more in back taxes on things he 'forgot' than I've ever earned.

If Tom is the example of middle class they want to save then the 'poor' don't have a hope in hell to get anything.



Note to Desi:
'Scrap the income tax, the rich don't pay and the poor resent it'

Declare a financial 'Jubilee' and cancel all debts, wipe it all out.

Third world, student loan, morgages...the whole enchilada.

Do it. Press the economic 'RESET' button, I dare ya!

[Rebellious Republican]

23. Pretty amazing how many cockroach's you see.....

when the spotlight gets shined on them!

O seems to be cleaning house and showing us just why Dem's have been toothless over the last eight years. Yes Dubya's wire taps served him well during his 2 terms didn't they.

I think he is brilliant, he is openly cleaning house on both sides of the aile. First you have do some house cleaning before you can make real change happen.

[depakid]

26. How is nominating a tax cheat whose wife is a health industry lobbiest cleaning house?

[Rebellious Republican]

35. Putting them under the spotlight, thats like taking your dirty throw rugs

out, hanging them on the line. Then taking a stick to beat out all the dirt until its clean again, while your neighbors are watching.

I think O is handling his house cleaning very diplomatically. If he is going to get anything done and bring change he has to walk a fine line until he gets a foothold in DC. You have to walk before you crawl, no?

O is disarming the establishment with charm and wit, without being overtly confrontational. You can attract more bees with honey as they say.

Why not try a little patience and watch what happens, do you really expect eight years of tyranny to be reversed in a couple of weeks. Give our president a chance to work his magic, yes?

[mod mom]

27. WTF, Didn't he know this would come out? We don't need these type of people

running the government. I was concerned about his lobbyist connections. He should step aside.

Paging Howard Dean.

[NashVegas]

30. Tom, You Fucking Fucker

Not that we had the highest expectations of you in the first place.

[Psephos]

31. Economic recovery plan: nominate tax deadbeats, and collect back taxes. Brilliant! n/t