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Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

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radcen

radcen

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Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to or after.
 
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radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to after.
Click to expand...

I think everyone running for elected office should have to show ten years of tax returns prior to getting their name on the ballot as well as during their tenure and ten years after.

THAT ought to drain the swamp.
 
I was going to say no but then added the caveat that it would just be for the years they are in office. That doesn't sound like a bad idea.
 
radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to after.
Click to expand...

No...it's private information. It would be unconstitutional to pass a law requiring that.
 
making your tax returns public for ANY & ALL public service opportunities should IMO be required; thank you for asking

this SHOULD be the NEW 'drug test' for ALL in elected office; IMO it would help to foster a much greater sense of trust within the electorate concerning those that hold elected office
 
radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to or after.
Click to expand...

For the sake of transparency, I say yes.
 
radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to after.
Click to expand...

No. It's nobody's business but your own what's on your return. Aside from that, 99.5% of the "Sherlock Holmes" public that would look at that stuff likely has hardly any idea what it means.
 
Last edited:
radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to or after.
Click to expand...

Seriously, the Federal Election Commission has myriad required financial data that must be disclosed prior to official candidacy. If that's not enough, I'd say improve it. The questions they could ask on disclosure forms are far more enlightening than one's tax returns.

Question. Has anyone ever seen anything discussed about DT's disclosures? I don't remember any. What is so magic about one's personal return? Just ask the questions. And do it through the Federal Election Commission.
 
Lutherf said:
No. It's nobody's business but your own what's on your return. Aside from that, 99.5% of the "Sherlock Holmes" public that would look at that stuff likely has any idea what it means.
Click to expand...

Exactly.
 
apdst said:
The equal protection clause.
Click to expand...

Perhaps not, many politicians push for drug testing social services clients, not every citizen just a very select few. Would be nice to see where a candidate is beholden if they are paid by special interest groups, or if they owe outside interests large sums of money. Candidates have a higher standard than the average Walmart new hire- a stronger back round check for instance.

Would make an interesting case for the Highest Court in the Land... :peace
 
Lutherf said:
No. It's nobody's business but your own what's on your return. Aside from that, 99.5% of the "Sherlock Holmes" public that would look at that stuff likely has any idea what it means.
Click to expand...

So because you feel some of us can't understand a complicated tax return it shouldn't be public... same could be said for almost all government laws, regulations and treaties.

Running for office is to be the keeper of the people's Interests and their Trust. I'm sure enough of us can find someone who can read the big words and give easy to understand examples for such 'complicated' subjects.

BTW that ahhhh excuse was used in an attempt to keep women and many minorities out of the 'complex' world of business, finance, IT, most sciences.... :peace
 
notquiteright said:
Perhaps not, many politicians push for drug testing social services clients, not every citizen just a very select few. Would be nice to see where a candidate is beholden if they are paid by special interest groups, or if they owe outside interests large sums of money. Candidates have a higher standard than the average Walmart new hire- a stronger back round check for instance.

Would make an interesting case for the Highest Court in the Land... :peace
Click to expand...

Politicians force truck drivers to take drug tests; not every citizen, just a select few.

But, privacy laws are for everyone. People don't forfeit their constitutional rights when the run for office.
 
apdst said:
Politicians force truck drivers to take drug tests; not every citizen, just a select few.

But, privacy laws are for everyone. People don't forfeit their constitutional rights when the run for office.
Click to expand...
Your EPC claim is too vague and broad. Sorry, but it's not convincing. Especially since you pretty much agreed that employers CAN have varying standards for employment. Not to mention that privacy is not a federal right. You'll have to elaborate more.
 
Lutherf said:
No. It's nobody's business but your own what's on your return. Aside from that, 99.5% of the "Sherlock Holmes" public that would look at that stuff likely has hardly any idea what it means.
Click to expand...

By running for office, it becomes the the electorate's business due to potential conflicts of interest and profiting from one's office. Exactly as is demonstrated now with Trump and the utterly spineless republican congress.

And it's irrelevant if 99.5% of the public wouldn't know what it means: there are plenty of tax and financial experts out there would would.
 
MaggieD said:
I think everyone running for elected office should have to show ten years of tax returns prior to getting their name on the ballot as well as during their tenure and ten years after.

THAT ought to drain the swamp.
Click to expand...

I have no idea how that is going to drain the swamp.
 
notquiteright said:
So because you feel some of us can't understand a complicated tax return it shouldn't be public... same could be said for almost all government laws, regulations and treaties.

Running for office is to be the keeper of the people's Interests and their Trust. I'm sure enough of us can find someone who can read the big words and give easy to understand examples for such 'complicated' subjects.

BTW that ahhhh excuse was used in an attempt to keep women and many minorities out of the 'complex' world of business, finance, IT, most sciences.... :peace
Click to expand...

It's because it's none of your damned business what's on someone else's tax return. You also don't get to see what's in their medicine cabinet or their hall closet because that's their stuff, not yours.

The public spends enough time speculating wildly about public figures, there is no good reason to throw a tax return into that mix too.
 
Lutherf said:
No. It's nobody's business but your own what's on your return. Aside from that, 99.5% of the "Sherlock Holmes" public that would look at that stuff likely has hardly any idea what it means.
Click to expand...
Then we shouldn't even have elections. Just a committee of the 0.5% to appoint our leaders.
 
apdst said:
Politicians force truck drivers to take drug tests; not every citizen, just a select few. But, privacy laws are for everyone. People don't forfeit their constitutional rights when the run for office.
Click to expand...

Again the right to privacy has a laundry list of exemptions. A trucker should be protected from illegal search... testing for drugs is an invasion of privacy. You make my argument for me. Privacy is listed as more than personal papers... have you read our Constitution???

It says our persons, houses, papers and effect against UNREASONABLE searches....

There is no blanket guarantee of privacy as a search or disclosure can be seen as reasonable.

Again it would make for an interesting case for the Supreme Court...
 
Lutherf said:
It's because it's none of your damned business what's on someone else's tax return. You also don't get to see what's in their medicine cabinet or their hall closet because that's their stuff, not yours.

The public spends enough time speculating wildly about public figures, there is no good reason to throw a tax return into that mix too.
Click to expand...

By 'throwing in a tax return', since it seems to have escaped your notice, the public wouldn't have to wildly speculate any longer about conflicts of interest; they'd know

File under: duh.
 
Tanngrisnir said:
By running for office, it becomes the the electorate's business due to potential conflicts of interest and profiting from one's office. Exactly as is demonstrated now with Trump and the utterly spineless republican congress.

And it's irrelevant if 99.5% of the public wouldn't know what it means: there are plenty of tax and financial experts out there would would.
Click to expand...


If you're concerned that a politician is funneling money to themselves or their family you can call the state AG or the FBI and have them investigate. It's simply not your business and the idea that simply because someone is a public figure they no longer have the protection of the 4th Amendment is absurd.
 
Tanngrisnir said:
By 'throwing in a tax return', since it seems to have escaped your notice, the public wouldn't have to wildly speculate any longer about conflicts of interest; they'd know

File under: duh.
Click to expand...


They already speculate. The tax return would just be something else for them to speculate about.
 
radcen said:
Should ALL elected politicians be legally required to publish their tax returns?

Nevermind what the law may or may not be now. The key word is "should".

This is prompted by President Trump, of course, but let's take it from him all the way down to city council. President, Vice-President, Congress, state governors, state legislators, mayors, city council, and so on.

Only for the year(s) in elected office. Not prior to or after.
Click to expand...

But transparency controls should go further and not be restricted to only elected or even public activities.
 
notquiteright said:
Again the right to privacy has a laundry list of exemptions. A trucker should be protected from illegal search... testing for drugs is an invasion of privacy. You make my argument for me. Privacy is listed as more than personal papers... have you read our Constitution???

It says our persons, houses, papers and effect against UNREASONABLE searches....

There is no blanket guarantee of privacy as a search or disclosure can be seen as reasonable.

Again it would make for an interesting case for the Supreme Court...
Click to expand...

The law protects privacy of every citizen's tax return. It's unconstitutional to revoke that protection for a select few.
 
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