Rangel and the Democratic tax scofflaws

By Ethel C. Fenig

As Rosslyn Smith has noted here, Treasury Secretary nominee Timothy Geithner, Minnesota wannabe senator at any cost Al Franken (D) and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) are all acting like little children who refuse to take responsibility for their actions; in their cases failing to pay their full, fair share of taxes. Whining the equivalent of "he made me do it" they uniformly all blame their accountants. They, of course, are upstanding, innocent citizens.

But Rangel, who not only didn't report all his taxable income, but also used his privileged position to ignore NY's bizarre rent stabilization laws and accepted "an interest free mortgage" (read "bribe"). But oh no, none of this is his fault he confidently stated because Rangel,

under fire for possibly unethical and criminal actions, said yesterday that what he regrets is baiting news reporters, who he says are responsible for his woes.
Rangel said he broke his own rule, "don't take on the press," at a press conference five months ago.

"I said, 'Hey, I'm 77, and what the hell can you do,' and I took them on. I made a big mistake," Rangel said, gaveling to a close the first meeting of the year for the Ways and Means Committee.

Rangel is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. And what are the duties of this Committee? According to its own site

2005
108th Congress, 2nd Session
House of Representatives
H. Rept. 108-810
January 3, 2005

Appendix I. Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means Article I, Section 7, of the Constitution of the United States provides as follows:

All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with Amendments as on other Bills.

In addition, Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution of the United States provides the following:

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and...To borrow Money on the credit of the United States.

Perfect! The tax and spend other peoples' money peoples' representatives ignore their very own rules; they're for the little people." And unlike those "little people" who are severely punished for not paying taxes, these guys might even get promoted.