Comments on: Ridding candidates of a taxing matter http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/05/13/ridding-candidates-of-a-taxing-matter/ Questions through the veil of ignorance Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:08:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Lance http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/05/13/ridding-candidates-of-a-taxing-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-54990 Lance Sun, 13 May 2007 19:19:39 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=1066#comment-54990 I don't want transparency on a candidates private lives. For one thing it is just as liklely to obscure and confuse as enlighten us. Theoretically we can find out all that you say, but we know what the major streams of income for the candidates are already. I don't need to know about their spending patterns, I don't need to know exactly how much they make from each of those streams, I don't need to know who they claim as dependents, etc. I know that Edwards worked for Fortress Capital. How does it change whether I will or will not vote for him if he made 2 million or 20 million. It would make no difference to me. The policy they support is either good or bad. If it is bad, I don't care if their motives are pure. If it is good, I don't care that much either. I don’t want transparency on a candidates private lives. For one thing it is just as liklely to obscure and confuse as enlighten us.

Theoretically we can find out all that you say, but we know what the major streams of income for the candidates are already. I don’t need to know about their spending patterns, I don’t need to know exactly how much they make from each of those streams, I don’t need to know who they claim as dependents, etc. I know that Edwards worked for Fortress Capital. How does it change whether I will or will not vote for him if he made 2 million or 20 million. It would make no difference to me. The policy they support is either good or bad. If it is bad, I don’t care if their motives are pure. If it is good, I don’t care that much either.

]]> By: James E. Fish http://asecondhandconjecture.com/index.php/2007/05/13/ridding-candidates-of-a-taxing-matter/comment-page-1/#comment-54954 James E. Fish Sun, 13 May 2007 17:51:30 +0000 http://asecondhandconjecture.com/?p=1066#comment-54954 <blockquote><strong>It might be time to recognize that private income should remain private, and that tax returns give us little germane data about the candidates</strong></blockquote> Horse feathers. You can tell a lot from a candidates tax form. What are his outside income streams? Is he basing his votes on his financial interest? Does he talk green but invest in polluting industries? All candidates should be required to make public this information. The more we know about a person seeking to represent us, the better we can judge if they deserve our vote. It's all about transparency.

It might be time to recognize that private income should remain private, and that tax returns give us little germane data about the candidates

Horse feathers. You can tell a lot from a candidates tax form. What are his outside income streams? Is he basing his votes on his financial interest? Does he talk green but invest in polluting industries? All candidates should be required to make public this information. The more we know about a person seeking to represent us, the better we can judge if they deserve our vote. It’s all about transparency.

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