In an article on CNN, Chris Frates reports on the recent
investigation of the, “oldest, and arguable the most powerful,” committee in
Congress responsible for writing the nation’s tax laws. The investigation found
that at least eight different members have experienced tax problems of their
own. One member had to pay $1.3 million in fines due to the interest and the
fines that he accumulated. The irony in this is evident but what it implies is
less obvious. While some of the tax problems of certain congressmen were minor,
there were others that consisted of the congressmen fighting against tax
officials for long periods of time including an Ohio Republican Representative,
Jim Renacci who refused to pay around $1.4 million in income taxes, interest,
and penalties.
People
lead primarily by the examples that they set and, according to these
investigations, the examples that various members of this Congressional
committee are setting are not the most admirable. Though some of the tax problems were
minor, there is still no excuse for large amounts of late payments (one New
York Representative had been tardy in paying his property taxes at least 46
times as well as having other late payments in other payments). However, the fighting against
the tax payments can also signify problems in the way the laws, which these men
are so familiar with, are enforced. Though these problems might simply be
coincidental and trivial, it can leave a bad impression on the general public
towards their leaders and towards paying their taxes. As Steve Ellis stated, “if
they see that their lawmakers, the ones who actually write the tax laws, aren’t
paying their bills, it’s going to make them wonder why they’re paying theirs.”
This is why it is important to be able to keep things such as these in
perspective and have a leve-headed reaction. It is important to consider both
possibilities of law makers not following their laws, or law makers simply
making a minor mistake.
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