Hope and Change? More like Hype and Nothing New

I feel my title for this blog says it all.


This past week week three of President Obama's nominees have either withdrawn their own nomination or are having their nomination held up because of tax related issues. I am now flat annoyed at being told someone is a person of integrity and strong moral character because they have been nominated for a Cabinet level position.



On Tuesday, two of nominees took themselves out of the running for Cabinet jobs, former Senator Majority Leader Tom Daschle and Nancy Killefer. And on Thursday the nomination of Rep. Hilda Solis is for the time being at least being held up because of back taxes her husband owes from 16 years ago! 16 years? Really? How does someone get away with skipping out on their taxes from 1992? Senator Daschle owes the IRS about $130,000 in taxes. How has the IRS not arrested him?

Well lucky there is now Change in Washington and we can count on the new head of the IRS, Secretary of Treasury Tim Geitner to crack down on these tax cheats. Oh, wait a minute he had tax problems too. I love how people seem to only address their IRS issue or other personal issues when it comes time to get a promotion and a high-ranking job.

Now I understand people make mistakes and I am even willing to acknowledge President Obama's nominees have more complicated tax situations then me. But, the IRS contacts you and lets you know you misfiled your taxes. All of these tax problems are not recent issues concerning some one's 2008 tax return. These are issues that have been going on since at least the first term of President George W. Bush. People make mistakes and when you are confronted with a tax return mistake you should handle that immediately. But I don't know maybe that's just me.

President Obama and any other presidential administration should not look for perfect people to help run the country because they won't be able to find people to fill the position (particularly if they only look in Washington). An administration should look at the crocheter of someone. For example I would accept Tom Daschle's errors and nomination if for example he paid his back taxes when he was confronted with the information. I don't trust a person who is using their power, influence , and money to avoid doing what they are suppose to do.

I hate paying taxes more then anybody, but while we have a tax system in this country, I believe I have a duty to pay what I owe. Please don't misunderstand I am a fiscal conservative and think taxes should be as low as possible and it would be great if we could operate without paying any taxes at all. But at least at this time, people pay taxes and should pay the amount on the line. Not paying what the IRS says you owe is like going into the store and not feeling its necessary to pay for your goods.



The tax problems of four of President Obama's nominees are not the only problems that make me question the truth of President Obama's campaign. Former Governor Bill Richardson stepped aside from his nomination as Secretary of Commerce because he is under investigaion for giving state contracts to political supporters. Is this what we call change? So far there is nothing new about President Obama's administration compared to other administrations. If there is any change in the Obama administration maybe they should pass a hat around and use the change to pay off their colleagues tax debt.

Now there has been one change regarding lobbyists working in the Obama Administration. On the campaign trail then Candidate Obama said lobbyists would not work in his White House. Well there's a change...to his campaign promise at least. President Obama granted a waiver to his Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, a former lobbyist for Raytheon, a defense contractor.

Now I didn't vote for President Obama, in part beacause I felt what he had to say seemed to good to be true. I am not seeing a highly ethical, lobbyist free Cabinet. And most recently when trying to encourage the passage of the Stimulus package, he said if the bill did not pass our economic crisis will turn from a "crisis to catastrophe." What ever happened to the end of the politics of fear? What type of change was President Obama referring to because I haven't seen anything yet. I wonder if the people that did vote for him are feeling a little bit had?