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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: i-node who wrote (963725)	9/13/2016 9:51:46 AM
From: Wharf Rat	2 Recommendations Recommended By bentway Don Hurst Respond to of 1574854

You forgot the part where the NAACP said, "Thanks to the awesome power of God's redemption, you are now a hero, not a zero." Longest Serving Member of Congress Became a Champion for Civil Rights and Liberties WASHINGTON, DC - The NAACP is saddened by the passing of United States Senator Robert Byrd. Byrd, the longest serving member of congress was first elected to the U.S. House from in 1952 and was elected Senator in 1958. Byrd passed away this morning at the age of 92. "Senator Byrd reflects the transformative power of this nation," stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. "Senator Byrd went from being an active member of the KKK to a being a stalwart supporter of the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act and many other pieces of seminal legislation that advanced the civil rights and liberties of our country. "Senator Byrd came to consistently support the NAACP civil rights agenda, doing well on the NAACP Annual Civil Rights Report Card. He stood with us on many issues of crucial importance to our members from the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, the historic health care legislation of 2010 and his support for the Hate Crimes Prevention legislation," stated Hilary O. Shelton, Director of the NAACP Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Advocacy and Policy. "Senator Byrd was a master of the Senate Rules, and helped strategize passage of legislation that helped millions of Americans. He will be sorely missed." Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. naacp.org

To: i-node who wrote (963725)	9/13/2016 12:46:25 PM
From: bentway	1 Recommendation Recommended By J_F_Shepard Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1574854

Trump has no excuse to not release his tax returns Fred Goldberg, former IRS commissioner Tuesday, 23 Aug 2016 \| 6:00 AM ET cnbc.com Much has been said and written about Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns. Tax returns paint a revealing picture of who we are. That's why confidentiality is a central pillar of our tax system. If our government expects taxpayers to share this information with the IRS, we are entitled to ironclad guarantees of confidentiality and privacy — for this reason, our laws provide that wrongful IRS disclosure of our tax-return information is a felony. But nothing prevents us as taxpayers from choosing to release our tax returns — and those who aspire for the highest public office have done so for decades. And they do so precisely because their returns provide a window (for better and worse) into who they are. Those who say Trump should release his tax returns claim we are entitled to view this portrait of the man who aspires to lead our country. Trump has promised to release his returns when his audit ends, but claims he is under continuous audit by the IRS and that releasing his returns (*including returns for years that are now closed) could have an adverse impact on current and future IRS examinations. As a former IRS commissioner and practicing tax lawyer, I understand it may be inconvenient for Trump to release his tax returns but we all know — and the IRS has confirmed — that nothing prevents any of us from releasing our tax returns any time we want. And by the way, for those who listen carefully, Trump's promise means he will never release his tax returns. Trump's advisors also have substantial control over when his current examination will conclude. As a citizen and voter, I want to take a look because I will learn something important about this man who would be president. Inevitably, his refusal to release his returns raises a question: What is Trump hiding?* The additional audit hassle is nothing compared to the extraordinary burdens he would carry as president. It's a small price of admission to the Oval Office. The sooner he releases his entire returns, the better. "As a former IRS commissioner and practicing tax lawyer, I understand it may be inconvenient for Trump to release his tax returns but we all know -- and the IRS has confirmed -- that nothing prevents any of us from releasing our tax returns any time we want." Be that as it may, however, Trump is so far not willing to take that step. That's his decision, and voters will form whatever judgments they choose to form. There is, however, a first step that Trump has no excuse for not taking. He can and should immediately release the first two pages of his Form 1040, along with his Schedule A, for the past 20 years. *This would tell us how much he makes, how much he pays in taxes, and how much he contributes to charity. Releasing this information would have no impact on any pending or future IRS audit of Trump. Zero. None. It is a risk-free first step with no downside. While painting a far from complete portrait, it would answer a few of the questions that Trump himself has raised during the campaign: He claims that he makes a lot of money; he claims that he makes significant charitable contributions; and he claims that he reduces his tax liability as far as current law allows. The first two pages of his enormous tax returns, along with his Schedule A, will shed important light on these claims. The first two pages plus the Schedule A of the Clintons' 2015 tax return tell us they made $10.6 million; that they made charitable contributions of $1.0 million; and that they paid federal taxes of $3.6 million, for an effective tax rate of 34 percent. We have that same information about the Clintons for the past 20 years. The first two pages of Trump's tax returns, together with his Schedule A, would provide us with the same information for him. He can and should share that information with no audit risk whatsoever. This would be a beneficial first step. His full return, as is the case with any individual having complex business affairs, would provide further important information, helping to paint a more complete portrait of Trump. For example, it could provide insight into Trump's record in business, such as more information about his important sources of income (real estate, domestic and off-shore investments) and the tax impact of debt forgiven in his bankruptcies. A couple of my own disclosures: I had the honor of being appointed IRS chief counsel by President Reagan, and being appointed IRS commissioner and then Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at the United States Treasury by President George H.W. Bush. This year, I will be voting for Hillary Clinton. I am confident she will keep us safe and that she could and would work with Republicans in Congress to lead our country to a better future for all Americans. Commentary by Fred Goldberg,* who was appointed IRS chief counsel by President Ronald Reagan and as IRS commissioner and as Assistant Treasury Secretary for tax policy by President George H.W. Bush. He is currently a tax attorney in private practice.