TAX EQUITY

Two of the President's choices for Cabinet positions have had to pay substantial sums in back taxes and penalties for under reported income.  

1. I suspect that the amount that they had to repay was limited by the fact that they were only required to refile for the previous 3 years. It seems quite likely that these two individuals are and have been tax avoiders for much longer, and should probably be audited for the entire time that they were in the Senate and possibly for any other years that they were in service to the Government.

2. What is the possibility that only 2 of the 100 members of the Senate are (were) the only ones guilty of making such "mistakes" in their tax reporting? Maybe all other Senators should also be required to submit to audits of their taxes by independent auditors.

3. Next, maybe the Government should expand their tax audit efforts to the House of Representatives as well. For example, I saw a report that the Speaker of the House was being provided with weekly air transportation at Government expense to and from California. Is that representative declaring this as income? According to the report, this perk for the one individual amounts to as much as 5 million dollars per year cost to the taxpayers. 

4. And further, how many other Government employees, and elected officials are given similar perks without having to declare these perks as income? 

5. Every year, I have provided full reporting of my taxes and benefits as required and have been cautioned to be certain that taxes that are due are paid on time. And, I am not unique. So, since we are all citizens of this Country, should we not be treated equally? Or, as in the book "Animal Farm" "Some are more equal than others".

6. Until these inequities are corrected, ordinary people should probably not be prosecuted for underreporting of taxes, and, maybe, not even be required to pay their taxes.