Democrats vote to keep tax cheat Rangel in charge of Tax-Writing Committee

@Taskr36 (13963)
United States
October 7, 2009 2:52pm CST
Well democrats just LOVE their tax cheats. We have a tax cheat, Geithner, heading the IRS so I guess it's only appropriate we have another crook as chariman of the Tax-Writing Committee in the House. Republicans attempted to pass a resolution removing Charles Rangel from that powerful post as he is a disgusting tax cheat and a crook and has no business influencing a tax code that he has no interest in following. Democrats however rallied in his defense and killed the resolution. Now here's something to chew on, Lieberman nearly lost a committee chairmanship solely for the fact that he supported McCain instead of Obama. Many democrats here on mylot insisted he should have blindly supported whatever democrat won the primaries. In the end he lost his membership of the Environment and Public Works Committee as punishment for independent thought. Can anyone explain why endorsing a candidate from another party is a horrible crime to democrats, yet cheating on your taxes in no way should stop someone from heading the IRS or the Tax-Writing Committee?
2 people like this
7 responses
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
7 Oct 09
Look at it from their point of view. They need to raise taxes a lot to pay for entitlements and health care reform. You need someone in charge of the tax code who can act without conscience or mercy. Who better to raise taxes without fear than someone who is never going to pay any? Rangel is the perfect guy for the job, he has no fear of taxes, he knows he doesn't have to pay any and nothing will happen to him. The fact that the Democrats just kill this resolution without any fear of reprisal shows just how self-important and detached from the will of the people they have become. Everyone needs to take note. Pink slips to all in 2010.
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
9 Oct 09
I have seen most of the arguments against the income tax including that one state didn't ratify the same amendment as others (was it Ohio?). I also know that every court has dismissed all these arguments. What I do think is that there should be a movement from the people to repeal the tax, or to change it to some more equitable system.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
10 Oct 09
Dang! I wish I'd saved the site I saw this info on. Bill Benson who lives in South Holland Illinois...and has a website called The Law That Never Was,,, spent about a year of his life and his own money going to all the states that were in the union..48 in all at that time. He looked at their records and found this: The 4 states listed below are among the 38 states that Philander Knox claimed ratification from. The Kentucky Senate voted upon the resolution, but rejected it by a vote of 9 in favor and 22 opposed. The Oklahoma Senate amended the language of the 16th Amendment to have a precisely opposite meaning. The California legislative assembly never recorded any vote upon any proposal to adopt the amendment proposed by Congress. The State of Minnesota sent nothing to the Secretary of State in Washington. When his year long project was finished at the end of 1984, Bill had visited every state capitol and knew that not a single state had actually and legally ratified the proposal to amend the Constitution. 33 states engaged in the unauthorized activity of amending the language of the amendment proposed by congress, a power the states do not possess. Since 36 states were needed for ratification, the failure of 13 to ratify would be fatal to the amendment, and this occurs within the major (first three) defects tabulated in Defects in Ratification of the 16th Amendment. Even if we were to ignore defects of spelling, capitalization, and punctuation, we would still have only 2 states which successfully ratified. http://www.thelawthatneverwas.com/new/home.asp
1 person likes this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
9 Oct 09
Is anyone aware that the 16th amendment was 'ratified' lol...the same year as the Federal Reserve Act? These two things took away our power and put it soundly in the hands of the government. I lol...cause there is some pretty amazing evidence that this Income Tax amendment was never 'legally' (by the Constitution) ratifed. And the evidence for the underhanded passing of the Federal Reserve Act...would make your skin crawl. Watch 'Freedom to Facism'.
1 person likes this
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Oct 09
Ok, it's plain for all to see now. Everyone who voted in support of Rangel has exposed themselves for the criminal they are. If your representative voted to support him, there is no reason whatsoever to support them... ever.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
7 Oct 09
The sad thing is that not only will people ignore their rep's support of this crook, the people of Harlem will continue to re-elect Rangel himself as they've been doing for decades because they're far to ignorant and dependent on the entitlements he promises them.
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
7 Oct 09
If they want a criminal to represent them, then they bring the name on themselves.
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
8 Oct 09
He is a Democrat of good standing and that is all that matters. He votes the way he is told. Lawmakers are not subject to the laws they create as long as they are in power or at lest that is what they believe. Heck if Charles Rangel was about 20 years younger he would be a very qualified candidate for the Democrat nomination as Governor of New York.
@Destiny007 (5805)
• United States
8 Oct 09
That is the difference between democrats and republicans. Democrats tolerate and encourage this kind of behavior whereas re[publicans will get rid of their criminals. Rangel and the rest of the dems should be in prison.
@stealthy (8181)
• United States
7 Oct 09
The Democrats have not problem taxing us ordinary citizens and raising our taxes and making us pay if we make some small error in trying to figure out the very complicated tax code, but they can cheat all they want and it is O'K with them.
• United States
8 Oct 09
I just sent Jay Inslee (my rep) an Email looking for his thoughts on Rangel. I'll get a response in about a week. I saw that the Resolution was to only remove Rangel while he is being investigated. That seems very fair. Unfortunately Rangel is being investigated for a lot of stuff. Besides not paying enough taxes, he was caught living in rent control apartments (and using one for an office), and trying to steer $2.8 BILLION to a British rum distiller... after receiving campaign contributions from people with rum distiller interests. Not only that, but he supports reinstating the draft. Rangel gets a big "BOO" from me.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
8 Oct 09
Wow, I knew about everything you mentioned except him wanting to reinstate the draft. Frankly that's the kind of thing that could kill him in his district if anyone ever wanted to challenge him for his seat. The draft is easily evaded by well to do people, but the lower income folk which is who he largely represents, are easily drafted since they lack the money and resources to get out. The issue with the rum distiller isn't going anywhere. The majority of his peers, including Obama, do the exact same thing. It's one of those things that people largely ignore until the person doing it has too much power and it's used to beat them in an election. Actual charges rarely, if ever, come out of it. Good on you for being in touch with your rep. I think the biggest failing of citizens in our country is that most don't even know who their rep is, much less bother to contact them. Many people complain about their reps and senators without once calling or emailing them to say how they feel.
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
7 Oct 09
Thought crime...you mean it's real? Maybe they all have done the same research on the 16th amendment that I have and know that it's unconstitutional and illegal therefore it's ok to not pay your taxes?