Charles Rangel, Ethics, Full Public Disclosure
Read more articles on Politics and Law and Legal Issues.October 1, 2008
Posted by neillevine
October 1, 2008
Posted by neillevine
437 Views
The House Ethics Committee has opened an investigation into complaints raised about various activities of Democrat Charles Rangel, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, the primary legislative tax writing panel.
There are several issues publicly on the table. Some are minor. Others require deeper scrutiny.
The first issue raised involves Congressman Rangel’s use of official stationery to raise funds for a private academic center at City University. Obviously, Congressman Rangel is an important government official. He is not, of course, the United States government. Donors confused by this distinction should not be allowed to contribute to charitable groups in the first place, meaning this is a minor point, worthy of a stern lecture at the podium of slovenly bureaucracy.
The second issue is Congressman Rangel’‘s rental of four rent controlled apartments, in theory a substantial favor in violation of law. He rents four apartments. He should have one. His income should trigger the free market rent as should the amount he is currently paying. Admittedly, the law was changed after Congressman Rangel acquired his rental units. Still, it appears he is benefitting from favoritism that others do not receive. Congressman Rangel is already giving up one housing unit and might have make other concessions. His rent is also likely to double and he probably faces a fine of thirty thousand dollars per year of violation.
Mr. Rnagel’s third problem appears to be that he did not properly report income from a Punta Cana cabana he owns in the Dominican Republic. He claims to have cut a check for ten thousand dollars to correct this alleged oversight but what other complications arise will have to be determined by the official investigation. There are also the questions of how this mistake transpired and are there any other errors of such significance in the good Congressman’s filings with the Internal Revenue Service.
There have been further allegations in the media that Mr. Rangel has sold homes in various locations including Florida, Washington and New York and that there are omissions on his public disclosure forms raising the real possibility that he owes even more money to the government, not a good thing for a man whose job it is to tell other people that they have to pay taxes to the government.
Then there are his multiple cars. He left one stashed in a government owned parking space, apparently in violation of House of Representatives rules. He might have to pay for this. He doesn’t want to pay. This car recently was towed away to an unknown destination. Then there is a different car that he uses for transportation paid for with a government allowance. Some of it for government business, some for politics. There are claims he did not distinguish between the two distinct categories despite rules to the contrary raising more ethics questions.
Now it just happens to be political season so raising questions about the opposition is politics as usual. On my behalf,, no wonder when you get promised help on a matter of serious importance handled in an up and up manner, politicians such as Charles Rangel do not come through and no one much notices or cares. Clearly, he has problems distinguishing amongst serious abstract concepts that are hard to fathom and raise serious questions about his leadership.
My complaint is Now, Charlie, Now. Like my mantra of Now, Hillary, Now.
A final question arises why has no one been checking on matters that are in some cases twenty years old. There is something obviously wrong here. What good is public disclosure if checking of facts is so lackadaisical and haphazard. I think the entire matter shows a lack of respect and consideration for the public and for any sort of ethical standard at all.
Finally, there are rumors about judgeships for candidates Conservative Paul Atanasio and Republican Robert Straniere raising interesting possibilities in the race to fill Congressman Vito Fosella’s New York City’s only Republican Congressional seat.
With all this in mind, I again raise the question why can’t Osama Bin Laden be found. What is taking so long? Why is this being left to the next Administration and leaving national security dangling in the air?
Same search engine trick as before, key word repetition to achieve density:
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Ethics Charles Rangel Vito Fosella rent control national security tax policy
Copyright © 2006
Terms & Conditions
