A Deeply Fractured US

[Remius]

The extent to which rich people can avoid taxes is truly disgusting. Trump
provides a convenient ‘everything in one place’ example, but it’s by no means limited to only him or his political party. The fact that anyone on those circles could have negligible of even zero taxes in a given year is just appalling. Talk about a game being rigged.

But he’s for the people…

 

[Halifax Tar]

This to me is the bigger money deal in US gov.

Stock Trades Reported by Nearly a Fifth of Congress Show Possible Conflicts (Published 2022)

A New York Times analysis found that 97 lawmakers or their family members bought or sold financial assets over a three-year span in industries that could be affected by their legislative committee work.

www.nytimes.com

Good link

What’s Trading on Capitol Hill? - Capitol Trades

Tracking Capitol Hill politicians’ trades can provide valuable insights for your investment research. Learn about the STOCK ACT and discover our free solution to track US politician trades.

www.capitoltrades.com

Good twitter

https://twitter.com/SenateStock?t=L8bRvbryx1slSY8dO-ZAOw&s=09

 

[brihard]

This to me is the bigger money deal in US gov.

Stock Trades Reported by Nearly a Fifth of Congress Show Possible Conflicts (Published 2022)

A New York Times analysis found that 97 lawmakers or their family members bought or sold financial assets over a three-year span in industries that could be affected by their legislative committee work.

www.nytimes.com

Good link

What’s Trading on Capitol Hill? - Capitol Trades

Tracking Capitol Hill politicians’ trades can provide valuable insights for your investment research. Learn about the STOCK ACT and discover our free solution to track US politician trades.

www.capitoltrades.com

Good twitter

https://twitter.com/SenateStock?t=L8bRvbryx1slSY8dO-ZAOw&s=09

Wanna make it fun? Make this data available in real time.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Wanna make it fun? Make this data available in real time.

Right! It's amazing what a distracted electorate will miss eh ?

 

[Brad Sallows]

The problem of "zero tax payable" seems to result primarily from allowing losses and expenses to be claimed across reporting years. Reporting years are artificial boundaries. Actual market performance is not so bound. The public interest in allowing losses/expenses to be claimed is extremely high: we benefit from the willingness of some to fund innovation by risking capital.

There may be tax provisions to be tightened, but the proper solution is to educate people about basic economics and how we all benefit from allowing people with money as much freedom as possible to make more money. The "bad guys" in this are the people who keep trying to stir up sh!t about taxes and profits - they ought be (figuratively) scourged, tarred, feathered, ridden out of town on a rail, doused in honey and staked down to an anthill.

 

[Navy_Pete]

The main reason Congress has powers to investigate and bring people in to talk is to make legislation better. There aren't any safeguards to prevent misuse, though, just "custom" - we won't go after them while we're in power, so that they don't go after us while they're in power. Stable as long as the participants can restrain themselves. A fundamental understanding of democracy is that going after political opponents using government powers while you control them is a dumbfuck thing to do and works at cross purposes to the ideal of "peaceful transfer of power".

A committee struck to investigate a couple of things - security shortcomings, and weak points in the certification process - might have been useful. But the former would land mostly on the Speaker's doorstep, and the latter would be too diffuse to attack Republicans, and Trump in particular. The proposed Electoral Count Reform Act which arose through other streams was a good piece of work and had bipartisan support; unfortunately, Democrats didn't seem to want it to get across the line until it could be buried in something else (the recent omnibus appropriations bill). Meanwhile, the J6 Committee set itself up to be a carefully orchestrated made-for-TV production, and proceeded along those lines.

Investigating why people tried to storm the Capitol building shouldn't be a partisan thing though, and having the former President having a rally telling people to 'fight like hell' to prevent the election result being certified and then having the people from the rally storm the Capitol an hour later really isn't a 'peaceful transition of power'.

The Republicans were also cowering behind their seats in fear, and there were people looking to hang then Vice President Pence.

But finding out Trump was never audited is pretty important, and that he was reporting significant business losses while in office is also relevant for security reasons, as is having foreign accounts in countries hostile to the US. The guy is a lying piece of shit shyster, I'm not sure why you keep defending him.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Investigating why people tried to storm the Capitol building shouldn't be a partisan thing though, and having the former President having a rally telling people to 'fight like hell' to prevent the election result being certified and then having the people from the rally storm the Capitol an hour later really isn't a 'peaceful transition of power'.

The Republicans were also cowering behind their seats in fear, and there were people looking to hang then Vice President Pence.

But finding out Trump was never audited is pretty important, and that he was reporting significant business losses while in office is also relevant for security reasons, as is having foreign accounts in countries hostile to the US. The guy is a lying piece of shit shyster, I'm not sure why you keep defending him.

"fight like hell" is a common rhetorical phrase. You're clutching at tenuous straws.

Lack of audits lies with the IRS, not Trump, notwithstanding conspiracy theorizing about Trump wielding some kind of malign influence over the same IRS that slow-walked the applications of TEA Party (Republican-leaning) organizations not so long ago. How much Trump lies is irrelevant to whether it was appropriate to disclose his tax returns against his will, when there is only a wholly voluntary custom of releasing tax returns. I'm not defending him; I'm attacking the proposition that public disclosure of ordinarily confidential material was either necessary or wise; I maintain it is a really bad fucking idea that erases boundaries that ought not have been erased.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Laugh away. One of the boundaries Democrats erased was the senate filibuster for judicial nominations, despite McConnell warning Reid there would be consequences. I suppose after Trump got 3 picks off a list prepared by the Federalist Society, some Democrats might have some regrets.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Why would they need to do that? Biden and Harris have already disclosed their tax records. It’s public record.







Pelosi and Schumer aren’t running for president. And although not required to, they filled out and signed a financial disclosure form.







Why subpoena things they already can see and have access to?

Why would they need to do that? Biden and Harris have already disclosed their tax records. It’s public record.

Pelosi and Schumer aren’t running for president. And although not required to, they filled out and signed a financial disclosure form.

Why subpoena things they already can see and have access to?

Because the Democrats opened the Pandoras Box and they can. But don’t sweat about the donkeys, they have way bigger problems coming down the pike. Their tax returns will be the least of their problems.

 

[Remius]

Because the Democrats opened the Pandoras Box and they can. But don’t sweat about the donkeys, they have way bigger problems coming down the pike. Their tax returns will be the least of their problems.

Once again, their tax returns are already public. Seems kind of a silly revenge to make something public…that’s already public…

It’s like issueing a subpoena for a public library book.

 

[kkwd]

Here are Trump's 2017 and 2018 financial disclosure filings. Can anybody find any info that is included in the tax returns and not on FD forms?
Edit to add. I just answered my own question, the amount of tax paid.
2017 Filing
2018 Filing
Here is the source for FD forms filed for many high level positions of the administration.
Trump FD Forms

 

[mariomike]

, I'm not sure why you keep defending him.

Not everyone is,

Hope Hicks to aide on Jan. 6: ‘We all look like domestic terrorists now’

Former White House aide Hope Hicks told a fellow aide in text messages during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that “we all look like domestic terrorists now” as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.…

thehill.com

"In one day he ended every future opportunity that doesn’t include speaking engagements at the local proud boys chapter."

 

[dimsum]

Not everyone is,

Hope Hicks to aide on Jan. 6: ‘We all look like domestic terrorists now’

Former White House aide Hope Hicks told a fellow aide in text messages during the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection that “we all look like domestic terrorists now” as Trump supporters stormed the Capitol.…

thehill.com

I'm just waiting for the mental gymnastics from the supporters.

 

[Brad Sallows]

Most people who attached themselves to Trump had to know that to varying degrees they were going to be non grata elsewhere. Most people had to know that he was unpredictable enough that they could never be sure how strong that non grata would be.

 

[dimsum]

Most people who attached themselves to Trump had to know that to varying degrees they were going to be non grata elsewhere. Most people had to know that he was unpredictable enough that they could never be sure how strong that non grata would be.

Normally I would agree, but the past few years have really made me reconsider what people "had to know".

 

[Brad Sallows]

People know; their "priors" cause them to ignore or at least discount what they know. People knew Trump was erratic before his primary; people knew Biden was a increasingly infirm. People knew both of them are habitual liars, particularly about their own past and achievements.

 

[dapaterson]

I'll just note that "erratic" is doing a lot of lifting in that sentence.

 

[mariomike]

; people knew Biden was a increasingly infirm.

Whatever people knew, or did not know, more than 7 million more people voted for him than the former guy.

 

[Remius]

So for the first time in 100 years, a speaker has not been picked on the first ballot.

McCarthy lost the first ballot. The MAGA types have put a wrench in the GOP. The Democrats actually got more votes for their candidate.

No present votes yet but if that starts to happen then the pressure will be on.

2nd ballot should be interesting.

Not the best first day for the GOP as majority in Congress.

 

[brihard]

I'll just note that "erratic" is doing a lot of lifting in that sentence.

It’s a permissible adjective in the politics threads.