Ethics Committee Votes to Censure Rangel

Other news from the House-
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“Hoyer released the following statement:
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The House will vote on an extension of middle class tax cuts before they expire. Democrats are firmly committed to continuing tax cuts for middle class families on income up to $250,000. We cannot afford to add $700 billion to the deficit to benefit the wealthiest Americans with almost no economic benefit as Republicans want to do.”
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http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/hoyer-well-definitely-vote-on-just-extending-middle-class-tax-cuts.php?ref=fpb

I look forward to House Republicans gloating about Rangel’s deserved downfall … right before they decide to abolish the House Ethics Committee.

Yeah, at least the Dems aren’t rewriting the ethics rules after members of their caucus violate them.

So, here’s the question for the intrepid reporters–will Charlie pay all of his back taxes, with interest and penalties. Second, Rangel is liable for income tax on the discount he got on the apartments he rented at rent-controlled rates. He didn’t pay on that income either. Will reporters have the balls to ask about that.
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What message does it send–I have to pay my taxes. He doesn’t pay his.

How does the outcome of this ethics investigation affect Rangel on the “outside”? Are there any courts (federal) or agencies (IRS) that will use this information to actually punish the man or at least have him repay what he took? Thank you.
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– November 16, 2010 2:44 PM Permalink
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PAUL KANE WRITES:
I’ve not seen any indications that the IRS or any federal investigative body is interested in the Rangel case. People will make arguments that there potential tax issues here — he has since paid all taxes on the villa — but there’s been little sign of interest. That goes for the Bush-run DoJ/IRS, when this all started, and the Obama-led DoJ/IRS.
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http://live.washingtonpost.com/rangel-convicted-of-ethics-violations-11-16-10.html

PNNTO, Rangel is liable for gross income tax because of his rentals of “rent-controlled” apartments. Since the rental company didn’t have to rent these apartments at the rent-controlled rates, Rangel got a discount. And he’s liable for tax on the amount of the discount (much as an interest-free loan can trigger income and income tax).

The real story is why the IRS is so willing to give politicians a pass.

So your concern is the IRS not Rangel specifically?
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I apologize I didn’t take that from your first comment.
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Excellent question spob, what other politicians have they given a pass to? I am curious how you know they are “so wiling”.
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Not disputing you, just looking for examples.

My concern is Rangel and all the other pols (both GOP and Dem) who flout the tax laws and the IRS’ studied indifference to the issue.

Where the pols really cheat is when they do their “investments”. Basically, one of their buddies lets them in on a sweetheart deal and they get to claim capital gains vice ordinary income, plus they get to defer any gains until they actually part with the asset. The problem is that they have to really put up money that is at risk, but that’s not what really is going on–no Congressman is going to lose money on these deals because their buddies are there to make sure the “investment” doesn’t go south. Because their money isn’t truly at risk, it’s a sham transaction. Thus, they should be paying ordinary income tax on the value of what they receive on Day 1. If the IRS really took a hard look at these transactions, you’d see a lot of Congressmen with a lot of tax debt.

It’s a slap in the face to Americans who work hard every day and pay their fair share.

So no examples?
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You are making a pretty serious charge, one I am not unsympathetic to, but with no specifics it’s hard for me to understand how widespread this IRS indifference is.

Rangel should resign.
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He shouldn’t wait to be indicted, like that great symbol of Washington corruption, Tom Delay.
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At least the GOP’s Mark Foley resigned, eventually admitting his long-denied homosexuality, admitting to instant messaging House pages with repeated references to sexual organs and acts, and checking himself into rehab for compulsive drunkenness.

You know, I made some pretty strong claims about former Republican Congressman Mark Foley, I should provide links and quotes to support those:
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_foley

After leaving Congress, Foley entered the real estate business in Palm Beach, Florida.[47] He also admitted to being a gay man, and as of 2007 was in a relationship with a Palm Beach dermatologist, Layne Nisenbaum.[48]
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The original news report prompted another page to come forward and on September 29, 2006, ABC News reported that it had seen excerpts of sexually explicit instant messages allegedly sent by Foley.[26] The instant messages made repeated references to sexual organs and acts.
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Through his lawyer, Foley insisted he was not a pedophile and asserted that he had not “had contact” with a minor. This implied that though he did not sexually assault any male interns, he did not explicitly deny sending them solicitous and sexually overt text-messages; thus sidestepping the question of whether he should have apologized (in public or in private) to the interns who had complained about him. Foley also explained that he had a drinking problem and had made the communications while intoxicated. He checked himself into a rehab clinic on October 2, 2006.[33]

Unsubstantiated claims are worthless, aren’t they?

Rangel is an excellent example of why we need term limits. Professional politicians who entrench themselves at the public trough and are almost impossible to remove. You would think an election cycle would serve the purpose, but he is living proof that it does not always work. The constituency of people like Marion Barry, Charles Wrangel and Maxine Waters, are oblivious to wrong doing and return these miscreants to office time after time. I think term limits might be the ONLY solution to kick these people out of office.

“Rangel should resign.”
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Well, I’d prefer that he’s merely given the option to resign. If he refuses, he should be expelled.
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As for the rest of your comment/s, I’d have stopped with this:
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“He shouldn’t wait to be indicted, like that great symbol of Washington corruption, Tom Delay.
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At least the GOP’s Mark Foley resigned”
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The salacious details of Foley’s case are unnecessary to your pt. substatiated or otherwise.

I know, JC.
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spob seems to enjoy discussing that kind of thing, so I thought I’d make it more readable for him.

Fair enough but given your classic Mo-Do link earlier…

Wrangel is guilty of tax evasion, a felony, and pundits are concerned with his long career. Who cares? He had a long career as a corrupt politician. While he was committing a felony, he also fooled enough voters to be re-elected. That’s something to be proud of?
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Earl, you’re right. The only way to get these people out of office is to term them out. Without term limits, California would still have the corrupt Willie Brown as Speaker…not that it really matters on the left Coast, one corrupt liberal just gets replaced by the next.

Totally agree but would it have been that hard to make it less partisan? Subbing say Randy Duke Cunningham for the dated/ludicrous Marion Barry.
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I’ve long argued for single terms for all. Presidents, senators and reps. Could maybe expand a congressional term to 4 years, a presidential to 5…
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Hardly a cure-all–authentic campaign finance reform, an end to the revolving doors to K-Street/industry writ large…

BTW PNNTO, I just bought a turkey raised in MN!

I sure bet when he was clucking about his pen in the frozen tundra, he never fathomed that me and mine would be picking at his a$$ with chopsticks in J-town.

Tom is going to a far better place.
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I begged off my family’s traditional and her Hmong (even more traditional) gathering.
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I’m grilling a rack of lamb. Maybe a cranberry chutney as a nod to the day.

“Unsubstantiated claims are worthless, aren’t they?”
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Gary Condit thinks so.

I had a rationale all lined up, but then I remembered Maddow and Stewart’s discussion.
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Point taken, JC, point taken.

We have to have term limits for Hill staff and the bureaucracy, too, somehow.
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Was J. Edgar Hoover subject to term limits?
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He should have been.

We’re going out for our traditional Indian dinner.
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I mean Indian, as in Asian Indian, as in Haveli Restaurant:
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http://www.yelp.com/biz/haveli-restaurant-new-york
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Every year for Thanksgiving, we go out for Indian food, it’s our traditional holiday meal.

Just finally got to that long but most compelling interview last night.

Yeah, this article addresses some of that:
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/04/bill-to-ban-members-of-co_n_561269.html
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But doesn’t AOTA come back to foxes policing henhouses?

Is Hmong cuisine closer to Vietnamese or Thai or neither? I heard once the men eat separately, or was it first?
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And Indian, anytime, sounds superior to me. But, alas, children and traditions, especially when your side of the cultural equation is across the big pond. Wait until little Zech appears–LB will be throwing down the Slovak gauntlet!

California has term limits and corruption still rules. The staffs remain and more often than not willing to do the bidding of lobbyists. They are looking at possibly their future employers. The elected just drift from one state or federal position or another. The power cliques remain.

liberalmeltdown: Are you seriously saying term limits has stopped corruption in California? See my 4.4 comment.

Hmong is closer to Thai. Can be very spicy which I like.
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After dining with her family the 2nd or 3rd time I had so much that her step mother (ahem) said I was more Hmong than her daughter.
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At least that’s what they told me the translation was.

I’m getting hungry just reading this thread…yum!
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We’re joining my wife’s family down south for T-day. I’m hickory-smoking 2 whole birds this weekend to take with us.
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Frankly, I’m looking forward to the turkey-andouille gumbo my MIL and I’ll be making with the leftovers…

Michigan has had term limits for 12 years. Earlier this year, Jack Lessenberry of Michigan Radio cited a Wayne State University study which found that Michigan government has become less effective as a result.
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http://jackshow.blogs.com/jack/2010/03/essay-the-failuer-of-term-limits-3910.html
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I’m inclined to keep, but lengthen, term limits.

I should probably make two things clear:
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1) Neither LB nor I are Indian, nor do we have any Indian heritage whatsoever
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2) Even when we obtain “the little Zech,” LB won’t have any Slovak gauntlets to throw down about Thanksgiving because THERE IS NO THANKSGIVING IN SLOVAKIA HAHAHAHA (no Pilgrims, you see)

@JC: When you “pick at his a$$ with chopsticks”, you’re not talking turkey-sushi, correct? (Although cranberry-sweet/sour has a nice ring to it…)
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@stuart: I’d wager that Slovakia has something akin to a Harvest Celebration. We lived in Germany for a few years, and tho’ Germany was not settled by pilgrims, either, they still have a nominal “Erntedankfest” (Harvest-thanks-festival). It’s kind of like Arbor Day, but not as flashy…and with drinking…

Are you wishing JC a visit from trichinosis-san, kbang?

PNNTO: Beware translation that sounds too polite.
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SZ: I meant whatever traditional-cultural trappings that make Slovaks feel wistful
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KBang: F-NO, though I’ve had raw chicken and even ground chuck. Helps to wash down such “delicacies” with large shots of sake.

JC-I learned all the Japanese I need from Iron Chef.
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Sincerely Paul, Ugly American.

apr,

I agree with you. The ongoing “experiment” in California is a failure. When it came up as a proposition I voted against it, but only because it the number of terms it allowed was too low: legislators would barely have enough time to learn how to function effectively, then they’d be gone. I was right; as soon as they’re sworn in as legislators, they start laying the groundwork for their run for state senator – or vise-versa. There is no sense of accountability for what they do while the’re in the office, since the effects of their laws will be felt long after they are gone.
I don’t think it’s a matter of corruption that causes problems as the fact that their inexperience leaves the door open for lobbyists and staff to write the laws the legislators will be voting on.
Given the situation, I think we need to end the term limits business, and hope that the new redistricting commission can give us a better choice of candidates in future elections.

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