Reject Geithner
"Only the 'little people' pay taxes!"
(Attributed to) Leona Helmsley
Timothy Geithner, President-Elect Obama's choice for Secretary of the Treasury, has admitted that he failed to pay his Social Security tax of $34,023 for the years 2001-2004. (1) During that period he was employed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is exempt from the requirement that American employers withhold this tax from paychecks and match it with a like payment. American employees of the IMF and similar international agencies are required by law to file form SE (Self-employment) and pay both parts of the tax themselves. Geithner paid the taxes (plus interest) only after an IRS audit in 2006 turned up the tax delinquency.
Documents provided by IMF to all employees detail the tax obligations; Geithner admitted having received these documents. Moreover, a financial expert like him would have known that all American workers must pay Social Security tax.
Timothy Geithner also claimed a tax credit for three years for cost of sending his children to summer camp, even though the credit is clearly limited to costs of pre-school and after-school care, not summer camp.
The obvious implication of this information is that Geithner knowingly evaded his responsibility to pay his fair share of taxes due. While Republicans have sought to reduce everybody's taxes, Geithner sought to only reduce his own.
Of course Timothy Geithner has the knowledge and experience necessary to become Secretary of the Treasury. The trouble is his attitude: that he could get away without paying his taxes. He paid up only after being caught.
Nominees for the highest appointive positions in the government should be held to a higher standard than this. John Tower was rejected for Secretary of Defense in 1989 for offenses no more serious , and several of Bill Clinton's choices for Attorney General were withdrawn for merely employing illegal aliens.
If this nomination is not withdrawn, it should be rejected by the Senate.
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(1) Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2009.
(Attributed to) Leona Helmsley
Timothy Geithner, President-Elect Obama's choice for Secretary of the Treasury, has admitted that he failed to pay his Social Security tax of $34,023 for the years 2001-2004. (1) During that period he was employed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which is exempt from the requirement that American employers withhold this tax from paychecks and match it with a like payment. American employees of the IMF and similar international agencies are required by law to file form SE (Self-employment) and pay both parts of the tax themselves. Geithner paid the taxes (plus interest) only after an IRS audit in 2006 turned up the tax delinquency.
Documents provided by IMF to all employees detail the tax obligations; Geithner admitted having received these documents. Moreover, a financial expert like him would have known that all American workers must pay Social Security tax.
Timothy Geithner also claimed a tax credit for three years for cost of sending his children to summer camp, even though the credit is clearly limited to costs of pre-school and after-school care, not summer camp.
The obvious implication of this information is that Geithner knowingly evaded his responsibility to pay his fair share of taxes due. While Republicans have sought to reduce everybody's taxes, Geithner sought to only reduce his own.
Of course Timothy Geithner has the knowledge and experience necessary to become Secretary of the Treasury. The trouble is his attitude: that he could get away without paying his taxes. He paid up only after being caught.
Nominees for the highest appointive positions in the government should be held to a higher standard than this. John Tower was rejected for Secretary of Defense in 1989 for offenses no more serious , and several of Bill Clinton's choices for Attorney General were withdrawn for merely employing illegal aliens.
If this nomination is not withdrawn, it should be rejected by the Senate.
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(1) Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2009.
Labels: Geithner
posted by Gerald S Glazer at 9:18 AM
1 Comments:
Yes, Bill Richardson and now Geithner. Not a great start. What happened to vetting the candidate? If these two had been appointed by Bush, there would have been cries of complaints from every side. Geithner would have already been forced to withdraw his candidacy by the liberal press. As you note candidates selected by prior presidents who had committed far less "crimes" were forced to withdraw.
The difference here is that we now have a savior for president.
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