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The White House has been set on its heels after two nominations for high level positions withdrew their names from consideration because of tax problems. The problem, it seems, is that these well respected members of society failed to comply with tax laws. Earlier, the now confirmed Treasury Secretary's confirmation was up in the air, albeit briefly, because he had failed to pay his taxes. The tax problem doesn't seem to be a problem to those who are in power. Many senators involved with the confirmation process defended all three of these nominees, saying that America should look past these small indiscretions because the country is in need of qualified people to serve in this time of crisis.
Former Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, who was nominated for Secretary of Health and Human Services and tagged by the White House to be the man in charge of "reforming"-translated, "nationalizing"-the US healthcare system, was caught having not paid some $128,000 in taxes along with over $11,000 in interest payments to the IRS. Nancy Killefer, the White House nominee to serve as Chief Performance Officer and Deputy Director of the Office of Management and Budget, withdrew her name after it was revealed that she had a nearly thousand dollar tax lien on her house for not paying unemployment taxes for her kid's nannies.
The Senate confirmed, after a good amount of debate, the nomination of Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary. Geithner is the man who will oversee the Internal Revenue Service. He also admitted his disregard for the American tax laws by not paying some $34,000 in back taxes until he was up for the nomination. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 22:21, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God, the things that are God's." Reasonable men agree that some level of taxation is needed in America. There is much debate, however, about whether it is Constitutional to levy income taxes. But if the common man dare fail to pay his federal income taxes, he will have the full wrath of government upon him.
The IRS is one of the only government arms that can seize property and personal liberty without due process. Yet these men and women who would govern Americans appear to believe they are above the laws that require their income taxes be paid. This, at a time when the leaders of this nation are asking Americans to bear the tax burden of nearly two trillion dollars to bail out their campaign contributors for bad business decisions and corruption. Perhaps we all should take a cue from Daschle, Killefer and Geithner and test the Constitutionality of income taxes come April 15. Our Founding Fathers did so to the most powerful government on earth-over less than a penny tax on tea.
