A friend in the construction industry told me recently that the reason Donald Trump won’t release his tax returns is because he doesn’t pay taxes.
Eclectablog reports, quoting a story in the Washington Post:
“The last time Donald Trump released his personal income taxes, they revealed that he paid zero, nothing, nada.
“The disclosure, in a 1981 report by New Jersey gambling regulators, revealed that the wealthy Manhattan investor had for at least two years in the late 1970s taken advantage of a tax-code provision popular with developers that allowed him to report negative income,” the Washington Post reports.
“And since then, tax laws have been made far more favorable to real estate “developers,” chances are that he hasn’t paid any taxes — possibly in decades. And his foundation’s returns show that he’s not only avoiding taxes, he may be using the front of charity as a veil for corruption.”
Trump says repeatedly that he tries to pay as little as possible in taxes. Little nay mean none at all. If a billionaire pays no taxes, he is not pulling his weight. He is not paying for the services that everyone else pays for. He is a tax-dodger. What a terrible example.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Not only does Trump pay no tax but he gets public funds — known as corporate welfare — from the government.
“In his disdain of big government, however, Trump glances over an expensive irony: He built his empire in part through government largesse and connections.
“He has boasted of manipulating government agencies, misleading officials in one case into believing he had an exclusive agreement to develop a property and then retroactively changing the development’s accounting practices to shrink his tax bill. In New York, Trump was the first developer to receive a public subsidy for commercial projects under programs initially reserved for improving slum neighborhoods. Such incentives have now become the norm in the powerful New York real estate community. …
“Trump, 64, was launched into the world of million-dollar deals by his father, Fred C. Trump, who left a $250-million estate based partly on building government-backed housing for middle-income tenants in Brooklyn and Queens. Early in his career, Donald Trump abandoned his father’s formula and instead made a name for himself developing luxury hotels and apartments in Manhattan. But like his father, he continued to rely on government incentives.”
Click the link and learn more.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/11/nation/la-na-trump-20110511
The National Review published “Donald Trump Has Masterd the Art of the Tax Break”
http://www.nationalreview.com/donald-trump-master-of-tax-breaks
In addition, the News Examiner reports “Donald Trump: The Least Charitable billionaire In The Word”
http://newsexaminer.net/politics/donald-trump-the-least-charitable-billionaire/
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If it turns out that Trump is paying little to no taxes, it’s hard to imagine how he could retain credibility/viability with anyone. Running with such a major handicap, and not being up front with those who gave support in the form of votes, money, and endorsements, is more than just a major betrayal; it falls into the category of sociopathic hubris-which seems to be where he lives any way.
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And yet in NJ, Christie, the many chambers of commerces and other assorted corporatists are CONSTANTLY AND LOUDLY screaming, yowling, whining and complaining that taxes are too high, that NJ is business unfriendly, that millionaires/billionaires and corporations are fleeing NJ, wealth is fleeing NJ. This zombie myth is repeated over and over by these corporate shills, by the corporate media (especially on hate wing radio, Fox News, CNBC, etc). All we hear is that taxes must be lowered to attract businesses and wealth back to NJ. This is all garbage and propaganda from selfish greedy plutocrats who just do not want to pay their fair share of taxes or any share of taxes. These vile sharks already get lower taxes, rebates, subsidies, free loans, tax abatements and other sweetheart deals from the state. If these corporations don’t get these freebies, they threaten to move out of state: it’s called extortion and it’s legal.
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That is the litany in Illinois as well.
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It seems as we draw closer to the November elections this site is going more political.
Electing Barack Obama did more harm to public education than any previous administration, including Bush. I contend that the Democrats, with their propensity for Federal activism, are a greater threat to public education. It is clear that most of you are willing to risk the harm under Hillary Clinton because your other concerns out weigh your education concerns. That is fine, but don’t pretend that education is your greatest passion.
And you would rather complain about a guy who uses the tax code to his greatest advantage than hold the scum who created the tax code accountable. Your passions are misguided.
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Thank you for saying what I was thinking!
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Fl Teacher, you are absolutely correct about Obama & Clinton’s systematic destruction of public education. Their edu-reform is a huge betrayal to the Democratic Party’s populism and to their base.
There is one important distinction though between electing a Republican president (including Trump) and a Democratic one. All Republicans including Trump are in favor of privatization of programs that are extremely popular with both R’s & D’s across the country. Ending public everything & anything including Social Security, Medicare, the Post Office, Public Prison system, Public Pensions, & Public Education has been part of the Republican platform since the 1940’s.
These ideas took hold in the Democratic party in the 1970’s, ’80’s & 90’s when Dems under Bill Clinton & the DLC decided to embrace neoliberal economic policies. Here’s a wonderful conversation between Thomas Frank & Thom Hartmann about what went wrong with the Democrats & their “reforms” that included privatized prisons, privatized health care, and privatized pensions. A critical factor in the new Dem playbook was their deliberate abandonment of unions.
http://conversationswithgreatminds.com/video/conversation-thomas-frank-listen-liberal%E2%80%A6
Here’s what all public educators can do about returning Democrats back to their roots it in spite of this presidential election that gives us 2 disappointing candidates in Clinton & Trump:
There are many down ballot elections in which pro public ed Democrats are running to return the Democratic party to it’s original commitment to the people. The Bernie Sanders campaign is generating much enthusiasm for younger people to run in local elections. His primary challenge to Clinton has invigorated the populist base of Dems who despise the grip of Wall St & corporate cronyism on elected officials. This is where WE take back our public schools & teacher’s rights- at the grass roots.
Look around in your community & support teachers and others who are running for city, county, & state elections. We can do this in spite of the hedgefunders & tax dodging billionaires buying our government. Maybe you should run for election 🙂 in FL.
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Which is the lesser of two evils? Oppressive federal intervention pushing failed, wrong headed policies? Or anti-intellectual contempt onwards teachers and schools?
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Hold everyone’s feet to the fire.
No exceptions. No excuses. No playing favorites.
😎
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On a percentile scale of lesser of evils, wherein the test scores of a national political candidate are compared to those of other national political candidates (and the best candidate was suspended by the charter school board superdelegates — during — the test), there is the possibility that all the scores will actually be so far, far, far below basic that the comparison is rendered useless.
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What a straw man argument. Who says that education is anyone’s greatest passion? I’m concerned about education, but I’m more concerned about justice broadly construed.
I’m very concerned that Mr. Trump is so racist and sexist. I’m very concerned that he wants to use the US military to torture people and kill the relatives of terrorists. I’m extremely concerned that he wants to end US efforts to stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He has publicly stated that he would not mind if Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and others were to develop nuclear weapons. That’s insane.
I could go on with a very long list of the things he has said that I find morally objectionable and very stupid in terms of policy.
Even if Mr. Trump came out strongly in favor of supporting public schools and in favor of greatly reducing standardized testing, I still would not vote for him.
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Eric,
Add to your list of Trump’s policies his anti-gun control views. Arm everyone. Conceal carry ok. Shootout at the OK Corral.
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Seems like more of an issue with the unfairness of the tax code, not the payer if they follow the rules. What does he have to say about fairness and equity? Probably not his thing, which is a problem.
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What is wrong with concealed carry if one is able to pass the level two FBI background check? You can clamor for gun control all you want however it will have zero impact on gun related crimes because criminals have never and will never obey laws. How is gun control working out in Chicago? How is it working out in Mexico? I find it hypocritical that the very people who are pushing for gun control are are the very ones who are surrounded twenty four seven by armed security. Will they be asked to give up their rights to own a weapon as well. I seriously doubt it.
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Republican statehouses and businesses do not allow conceal carry as well. But since my teen daughter was threatened with a gun while driving by a middle aged woman complete with Christian fish bumper sticker, I’d say you would agree we should allow teen drivers to be armed?
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Some arguments play right into Trump’s hands. They wrongly make him seem intelligent, even cunning… He played the system to avoid taxes. He played the system to get zoning privileges. He gave money to political insiders like the Clintons to secure his ability to play the system… So he says.
He is not a smart man. He is not a good man. He is not sage, rational, benevolent or altruistic enough to ever have any kind of leadership role in society, or to donate to leaders. But then, neither is Eli Broad.
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Or Bill Gates.
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Or Walmart, who, thanks to Citizens United, is a person. This is surreal. What a world. I’m actually planning to vote ‘No’ on President.
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Nice try but a weak argument. The law does not allow a teenager to be armed. The minimum age to legally purchase and carry a handgun is twenty one and it should remain as such. Where in my post did I mention anything about allowing teenagers to carry or own a firearm? My views are quite simple: individuals who are of legal age and pass the level two FBI background check should be allowed to own and carry a firearm concealed or otherwise as allowed by the law.
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Trump not paying taxes means others have to pay more. Trump becomes a freeloader. I suspect his tax returns show what we all know, the system is rigged. Vote Bernie.
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I’m voting for Bernie but if he loses, I will not be voting for the candidate who has said that he will be slashing taxes on the rich, eliminate Dodd-Frank, eliminate Obamacare, build a giant wall, stack the supreme court with right wingers, etc., ad nauseam. Education is not the only issue.
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The following partial quote comes from the Washington Post under the headline: “The last time Trump revealed his taxes, They Showed He Didn’t Pay a Cent”
“He has built a political identity around his reputation as a financial whiz, even bragging about his ability to game the tax code to pay as little as possible to the government — a practice he has called the “American way.” Moreover, he has aggressively pursued tax breaks and other government supports to bolster his real estate empire. But that history threatens to collide with his efforts to woo working-class voters who resent that they often pay higher tax rates than the wealthy who benefit from special loopholes.
Trump’s personal taxes are a mystery. He has refused to release any recent returns, meaning the public cannot see how much money he makes, how much he gives to charity and how aggressively he uses deductions, shelters and other tactics to shrink his tax bill.
Trump, who said last week on ABC that his tax rate is “none of your business,” would be the first major-party nominee in 40 years to not release his returns.
In an interview this week, Trump said that he has paid “substantial” taxes but declined to provide specifics.
He reiterated that he fights “very hard to pay as little tax as possible.”
……………….
He is a con man whom too many people are following.
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Or maybe he a cruelly didn’t make any money. Both would hurt his rep, maybe the latter more than the former. Trump supporters can forgive cheating but not that he isn’t a success.
Sent from my iPhone
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The moocher millionaires are inspirational examples to hourly wage slaves who pretend they too may one day be wealthy and would enjoy paying no taxes to the country they proclaim unyielding devotion to by buying Chinese-made ‘merica-mabilia.
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What is a person’s “fair share” of his income to contribute to taxes?
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