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* The income tax return disclosure issue has been mostly biting Republicans this year, but it’s become a problem for a Democrat in the 10th Congressional District…
The issue of tax returns took the spotlight in a North Shore congressional campaign Thursday as Republican U.S. Rep. Robert Dold made public his tax returns and Democratic challenger Brad Schneider declined to do so.
Schneider suggested voters should look at his candidate disclosure reports to learn about his finances. But those forms, which congressional candidates are required by law to fill out, make it hard to discern his personal income and provide no information about the taxes he pays or his wife’s salary. […]
Schneider, meanwhile, says his accountants haven’t yet finished his taxes for 2011. The candidate said he paid a tax rate of “well in excess of 20 percent” for 2010, but he did not provide documentation.
Without the tax returns, it is impossible to know Schneider’s exact income. The federal disclosure reports require candidates to note only a broad range on the value of assets and, in many cases, income.
Though the Deerfield candidate started a one-man consulting firm in 2008, he reported no direct income from it on his disclosure reports. He did report making about $30,000 in renewal commissions from an insurance firm he once ran.
As we’ve already discussed, a recent Paul Simon Public Policy Institute poll found that 79 percent of Illinoisans believe a candidate releasing tax returns was important.
* The Question: Should Brad Schneider release his tax returns? Take the poll and then explain your answer in comments, please.
posted by Rich Miller
Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:28 pm
Sorry, comments are closed at this time.
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He should as should Plummer. I am a Republican and am disgusted by Plummer’s call for transparency except in himself.
Comment by Beef_Eater Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:36 pm
Yep!
He and Jason Plummer can do it together …
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:36 pm
And Mitt Romney too. A letter from his CPA is nice and all, but I’d sure rather have some independent eyes on the last several years of Mitt’s returns, you know, like his dad offered.
Look, unless and until we demand this of all candidates, weasels like Romney, Plummer and yes, even Schneider, will hide behind the fact that releasing tax returns is not a requirement of running for public office. Hard to blame them, but it would be nice to demand more transparency of all candidates, especially those charged with voting on tax policy.
Comment by 47th Ward Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:42 pm
I said yes.
I don’t even think it’s that hard to spin these things as long as you didn’t cheat. If you paid a low tax rate then you can say to voters… see… we need tax reform. If you didn’t make much money you can say to voters… see… we need a new economic direction for this country and I understand the struggles people are facing right now personally.
And isn’t it weird how the candidate running on his business record is always the one who refuses to share his income tax returns?
Comment by hisgirlfriday Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:51 pm
Only if Dold will release his college transcripts.
Comment by Fed up Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:55 pm
I am less interested in his taxes than the lack of information in his disclosure reports.
His ads tout business experience, but there seems to be no income stream from his work.
Was that the most capable candidate the Dems could find?
Comment by Plutocrat03 Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 1:56 pm
Yep. I’ve sure been beating that drum on Plummer. I Can’t have it both ways.
Comment by bardo Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:09 pm
Dude it is October and your accountants haven’t finished yet? Tell them to upgrade their ‘286
Comment by OneMan Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:13 pm
He should; it’s expected. Even more true this year than in years past.
Comment by Phil Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:15 pm
Yes. If you are running for an office where you can impact the tax code, we should be able to see how the changes would impact you.
Comment by Skeeter Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:17 pm
Weird that apparently the GOP claim against Schneider is that he made too little one year, not that he hid money overseas or paid a low tax rate. Shows the differing values and attitudes between the parties.
Comment by walkinfool Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:21 pm
Yes. No excuses.
Comment by Northsider Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:22 pm
Yes. If it’s sauce for the goose, it’s sauce for the gander. Right, Jason?
Comment by Ray del Camino Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:24 pm
Yes…in the spirit of goose, gander kind of thing, let alone transparency.
Comment by Captain Illini Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 2:48 pm
We said”no” until Jason Romney-Plummer flings his out and Pizza Bobby tells us a little more about he has no income but buys and sells houses all the time
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 3:04 pm
Absolutely not.
No candidate should be forced, by the weight and pressure of the media and the public, from releasing tax returns. [Insert your statements about nobody being forced here, especially those saying Yes to this question who somehow believe it is right.] If the “good-governance” types really want this requirement on candidates, pass a law. I would bet the Supreme Court would overturn it as an evasion of privacy.
Comment by Cincinnatus Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 3:18 pm
Should he? I don’t know, I struggle on this. It’s political and likely irrelevant.
I have to say, though, Mr. Conservative Bill Brady got stung when he released his.
I certainly don’t think anyone should be required to do so, whether it’s Romney, Plummer or Schneider.
George Romney, as we all know, took a full-throated and eloquent position as to why candidates should. Very powerful (I wish that dude were running for president).
But when I’m on the fence, if I err, I’ll do so on the side of privacy. When it come to individuals, as opposed to corporations or institutions, I’m most comfortable being a none-of-your-business kind of guy.
I don’t need to see Mitt’s returns to know that he’s a successful rich guy who worked the system, not of his making, as best he could.
Duh.
I don’t need to see Plummer’s to know that he’s a rich kid living off his old man.
Duh.
When it comes to Plummer’s situation, you could say the same thing about JFK and RFK, too. They’re very similar.
(Willie, I wrote that for you. That’s a fastball down Broadway, cousin; batter, batter, batter, swing!).
You don’t like it, don’t vote for them.
Comment by wordslinger Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 3:42 pm
I respect Republicans who apply disclosure to both Plummer and Schneider, but how about to Romney? Mitt required the people he vetted for the VP nomination to submit 10 years of returns.
Comment by reformer Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 3:53 pm
Yes. And don’t forget the detailed schedules so we can see non-income earnings, capital gains and determine potential conflicts of interest or at least formulate the proper questions.
Comment by Cook County Commoner Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:05 pm
===I don’t need to see Plummer’s to know that he’s a rich kid living off his old man.===
Jason, if you will …
“Look, Mr. wordslinger, Sir … My Dad makes me do a whole list of chores before I go to ‘Accounting’ to get 3 roll of Quarters for the week. I live off my Confirmationa and Graduation money like everyone else. I get a card and everything … congratulating me … some cards even have a $5 bill in them too. I suggest, Mr. wordslinger, Sir, you thinhk twice about anybody living off anyone. I live on Twizzlers and Green Fanta Icees. Those quarters are pretty handy come meal time.
Your Pal,
Jason Plummer”
Comment by Oswego Willy Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:09 pm
I voted yes, for the same reason posted by Captain Illini @ 2:48 pm.
OneMan @ 2:13 pm - I’m glad I wasn’t taking a drink when I read your hilarious 286 comment!
Comment by cover Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:34 pm
It’s a bogus argument, and a distraction. The average voter couldn’t care less about this issue. Romney’s dad, in case you hadn’t noticed, came nowhere near the Presidency despite his “transparency.” Mitt Romney has surged ahead (or tied) because voters care a lot more about real issues than tax returns from up to ten years ago.
Having said that, if candidates don’t want to be accused of hiding something, or whatever the phony argument of the day is, then they ought to release them. But it really is a non-issue to the vast, overwhelming majority of voters.
Comment by Michael Westen Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:55 pm
Yes, I think they’re an important part of a candidate’s profile.
Comment by Wensicia Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 4:55 pm
I very much regret that we’ve reached a point where releasing such personal and private information has become expected of candidates, and that they’re accused of hiding all sorts of malfeasance and skulduggery by both their opponents’ followers and the media if they don’t release tax returns. But we do seem to have reached that point. With Dold having already released his tax returns voluntarily and in a low key way, Schneider will be making a mistake in the 10th if he does not do the same and/or if his excuses sound lame.
Comment by Responsa Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 5:10 pm
No. Tax returns should be private information. If a candidate feels he/she wants to release their own, sobeit. But I don’t know why someone would vote for or against a candidate based on their tax information. There are more important issues, I think.
Comment by Pink Tomato Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 5:43 pm
No. MYOB. It exists as an issue so the other side can scream gotcha.
Comment by Sideliner Tuesday, Oct 9, 12 @ 8:03 pm
I have seen Schneider on the campaign trail multiple times and I find him consistently avoiding details about his business experience. It’s not quite that he’s evasive, but he never gets into any specific problem he ever tackled or any specific client he worked for.
Go to the website of Schneider’s business, Cadence Consulting.
What does the website tell you about the business?
To me it looks like a website that exists to check a block that says, “The business has a website.”
Notice: no specific clients.
Notice: what the company does is so vague, it’s impossible to imagine anyone finding the website and saying, “Cadence does exactly what I need. I should contact Cadence and see if Schneider is available.”
This may be one area what Schneider’s contributions to Kirk hurt the Democrats times two.
First, it’s kinda annoying that Schneider gave to Kirk and other Republicans.
Second, because it was so easy to beat-up on Schneider over his contributions to Kirk and other Republicans, Schneider’s Dem opponents didn’t dig into Schneider’s business history.
It’s hard to imagine that there isn’t something shady, unseemly or aligned with something nefarious since Schneider is so consistently vague and evasive about his business and work history.
Of course Schneider should release his tax returns. There’s something that’s not quite right about Schneider’s business and work history. The reluctance to release tax returns is further smoke that there’s something adverse that Schneider is concealing.
It’s like Romney. If he’s willing to take the negative press from not releasing the returns, it’s safe to assume the information in the returns in more damaging than the negative articles and editorials generated.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 10, 12 @ 1:26 am
And it seems a bit odd for millionaires in Congress to decry the erosion of privacy as they both directly use government to erode privacy and protect corporations, like the telecoms, from being sued for violating the privacy of citizens.
Republicans–who are almost always authoritarians–seem to be sympathetic to rich people having their privacy protected while simultaneously being weak on individual privacy.
Comment by Carl Nyberg Wednesday, Oct 10, 12 @ 1:32 am
The last five years’ complete personal returns should be required as part of the filing process. Or will that ruin everything by ending these arguments?
Comment by Excessively Rabid Wednesday, Oct 10, 12 @ 9:14 am