Light/Breezes

Light/Breezes
SUNRISE AT DEATH VALLEY-Photo by Tom Cochrun
Showing posts with label IRS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IRS. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

TAX PAYERS REVOLTED & SHAPES

WHO'S IN CHARGE
     At the edge of historic recession, millions unemployed or working poor and the IRS entertains itself for million$!
     Growls from the right, left and the apathetic.What prevents better governance and accountability? How can a judgement be rendered to let the tax man party away millions? No one thought of perception?!
      It is a perfect storm.  Bureaucracy, civil service, politicians and no accountability.  
      Where are the adults? Should we be in the streets?
SHAPES
garden compositions



    See you down the trail.

Monday, May 13, 2013

HIDDEN BEACHES & TRUTH IN THE BENGHAZI AND IRS SIDESHOWS


TRUTHS IN SWIRLING TEMPESTS
     Clouds hang over an already failed legislative branch of US government and they threaten further distraction.
     The IRS targeting of political and anti Obama groups should be investigated and responsible parties should be fired or prosecuted. The federal tax man must be a neutral, even if not an always popular, bean counter and collector.   
     While tax law is  the art of lawyers who influence the increasingly stupid members of congress to write legislation that favors those with money to hide, the IRS still should not target people because of politics. That is fascist, totalitarian, Stalinist thuggery and there should be no place for it in a Democratic Republic.
      There should also be an inquiry into the Benghazi fiasco if for no other reasons than to shut up the political opportunists and more importantly figure how and why the vast intelligence and national security apparatus failed Ambassador Chris Stevens and the three other Americans who died in service to the US.
      Mistakes, and miscommunication occurred and all members of the intelligence community, defense and national security apparatus need to be held accountable.
      The problem of further study though is that it will only serve to excite the yapping Republican political operatives who see this as a way to damage Hillary Clinton's political chances in 2016 and cause defending Democrats to drag their feet.  Mrs. Clinton already said she takes responsibility for the disaster, though an investigative panel found the mistakes were made below her level.
      To date there is no evidence of a cover up, as the political wind bags allege, but there is plenty of evidence of confusion.  CIA, NSC, State Department, DOD, the White House and others were horribly inefficient, poorly coordinated, and all probably have to share in the ignominy of the Benghazi incident and the follow-up reporting and communication. Was there any ass covering?  Well if history is any indication, there was probably a significant amount, but covering your butt is different than a cover up.     
       Those who compare this to Watergate should have their tongues locked. Watergate was a political dirty tricks operation, part of a sabotage of the electoral process, that involved a failed burglary, and then blossomed to where pay-offs were shuttled, lies were told, Justice Department people were fired, and it was all run out of the White House. That was a cover up! Benghazi was a screw up.  
      Failed management, failed security, failed reaction, failed mission are all worthy of inquiry, but as noted, going down this road will no doubt create another side show in the embarrassing and deplorable environment that has become the US Congress. Both parties have much to be ashamed of, but don't you get a sense these fools are beyond embarrassment?  
      So now we have another circus or two to further delay
responsible action on fixing our national economic security, improving education, caring for a decaying infrastructure, getting out of idiot wars, strategizing for a clean energy future, truly regulating the untouched criminal class of investment bankers and financiers, and preventing what appears to be the entrenchment of a new gilded age.  Gilded ages never end well.  
      The world, and our enemies have changed, but the fools on the hill continue to play the cheapest and pettiest of games, bought and sold by money politics instead of national interest. Our interests in Benghazi and the IRS flap should simply be the truth, not political gain.
      Excuse me, I think I'll tune out and take a walk.
ALONE AT THE SHORE
Between Cambria and San Simeon






   See you down the trail.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

WILL VOTERS CARE?

 SMALL STORIES- BIG OUTCOME
Political hacks are better than we are huh?
     From the far left to the far right and back, Americans  express dissatisfaction with the "royal" or "club privilege" treatment that Congress bestows on itself. There's more fuel on the prairie fire of discontent.
      The Associated Press got a look at the House Oversight and Government reform Committee report that shows hundreds of discount loans were made to buy influence with members of Congress, congressional staff, cabinet members, other government officials, and executives of the mortgage giant Fannie Mae.
      The giver of the largess, I will call them bribes, was none other than Countrywide Financial Corp who became infamous in the housing foreclosure crisis. Aside from buying favors, they helped pioneer the sub prime loans that helped begin the financial collapse. Big name Democrats and Republicans were on the take.

WERE YOU HIDING THAT MITT?
     Wonder if people will care that Mitt Romney has hidden an off shore investment portfolio for some 15 years.  It's based in Bermuda and has never been listed in his state or federal financial reports.  Sankaty High Yield Asset Investors Ltd is among several holdings that have never been fully disclosed.  
      Romney's campaign estimates his worth at $250 Million so you wonder why they've never included Sankaty. What's another few million dollars of value when you are at the quarter of a $Billion level?  It really shouldn't mean much to anyone unless, like many corporations, the portfolio is structured to avoid tax liability. That might not look good to voters.
      There is no hint of illegality here.  The day before he became Governor the Sankaty holdings were transferred to a trust owned by his wife Ann.

      Now before those of you who are Republicans and/or Romney supporters accuse me of doing a hack job on him-if I learn that President Obama has an off shore portfolio that generates wealth from investments and is beyond the reach of the IRS, I'll make note.  As I have previously when noting some companies that have government contracts are "based" on an Island and thus avoid paying Federal withholding on US citizens in their employ.   
     My point in this little exercise is to note that tens of millions of American citizens don't get the same "breaks," privileges and special treatment of those who have or sell influence.  Nor do most citizens employ teams of tax lawyers who engineer investments to avoid paying taxes. Only the wealthiest among us can afford that.
DAY FILE
JUST UP THE ROAD


See you down the trail.