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General discussion

You're right again, Mitt

Mar 3, 2016 10:09AM PST
Reasons Trump should not be president

Starts with a stupid commercial but, eventually, skip to about the 7 minute mark and you should be able to hear Romney's entire speech rather than the news snippets.

Discussion is locked

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Our entire political system is upside down
Mar 7, 2016 4:18AM PST

How does anyone expect to find good candidates that aren't either crazy, masochistic or both? Whoever would want this job is already suspect. They'll have their lives wrecked by media probes into every facet of their lives from birth to where they are now and nothing that gets exposed will be treated with fairness. We have a voting population that has no way to make an informed decision as all they are fed comes from this same media. As well...look at these "debates". These have no resemblance to the definition of debate. These are media grillings designed to make candidates squirm for the enjoyment of their audiences. These are not intellectual arguments by any measure. They are sports contests with the same cheers and boos that we hear from stadiums and arenas when fans are happy or upset. We occasionally get people with good attitudes and softer voices such as Ben Carson. Such people do attract a following but the problems begin when they lay out their plans for the country's future. Their plans are too complex and would take too long to show results. Americans want everything NOW! and not later. We want problems fixed quickly....and tomorrow is too late.

Frankly, I don't think our wheels will stop spinning and going nowhere until both of these parties are gone or at least seriously challenged by another one. They've played leap frog too long and not allowed anyone else to participate without using their rule book.

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I'm tired of people expecting tax returns shown
Mar 7, 2016 4:33AM PST

Those qualify as "private papers" under the Constitution and if there's a problem with them, then the IRS would prosecute. We have no real need, nor any right, to demand tax returns be made public. If I was running for office, I'd refuse and explain I couldn't protect the people from such intrusiveness if it was demanded or required of me.

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I can't disagree with that but, to be fair,
Mar 7, 2016 5:35AM PST

we still have people calling for Obama's college work. That is private as well, IMO.

Trump has already claimed outright that he pays as little in taxes as he needs to. He was honest in that regard and probably not unlike most taxpayers. Romney...and rightly...noted that he was reamed about this same matter. Of course this didn't happen before the two party choices were announced and the media cut loose on them. While it might have been better should Romney not have brought this up now, Trump would certainly be facing this same scrutiny at some point. It may not be fair but tell me something that's fair about how each candidate is treated. None are treated the same as the rest and this is more to substantiate my claim about the whole process being in shambles.

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Not quite the same
Mar 7, 2016 5:42AM PST

Most jobs require a certain education level, which is proper to know, especially if the job requires a license which is also dependent on a particular education level to obtain.

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Media reports on itself
Mar 7, 2016 8:04AM PST

I cannot remember which candidate but the question was whether or not the media had properly vetted them from the beginning. Well...excuse me, media types. Since when was that job handed over to you? Shouldn't that be the responsibility of the party before placing their candidate on the ballot. Let the party suffer for their own mistakes. What we have, however, is our media having more influence over our elected than anyone else. We can complain about cronyism when elected officials pick people they already know for projects done under their watch but shouldn't we also complain about our media making candidates nuzzle up to them in order to get good press?

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I can agree with that
Mar 7, 2016 9:19AM PST

However if a party wants to look like it's candidate is "of the people" then it can't be a closed convention of only party officials, it needs primaries and caucuses.

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I'm not so sure that primaries and caucuses
Mar 7, 2016 4:53PM PST

are the best way to make sure candidates are "of the people". It seems these have their own ways to be abused. States aren't uniform in how these are conducted. You have some primaries referred to as being "open" and some "closed". I'd think there is opportunity for sabotage in open primaries as well as tricks that could borrow from the strategy similar to gerrymandering in "winner take all" races.

Of and by the people won't happen until the winner of the popular vote alone is the elected. Personally, I'd like to consider letting everyone pick one person from any and all parties sponsoring a contender for the White House. You'd get to pick your party favorite and still have a choice in the other party should your party not win. You'd need to be careful in that second choice.

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So....back to....
Mar 8, 2016 4:18AM PST

...Lords and nobles running everything?

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I don't know where you came up with that.
Mar 8, 2016 4:53AM PST

As it is now, the people don't have full control. You can have your hamburger on a wheat bun or you can have it on white. You can still only have a hamburger in a two party system.

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RE: If I was running for office, I'd refuse
Mar 7, 2016 6:48AM PST

Too bad Trump won't just refuse and stop hiding behind "the IRS is doing an audit and he can't release one because then his audits wouldn't be in sequence"...

They've been auditing his taxes every year for years...and he can't release them UNTIL the audit is complete.

They audited him every year for years and NOT ONE audit is complete? How long does an "audit" take?...5 years, 10 years?

He can't release his tax info from 2010?

Fess up Donald!!!!!

You don't want to do it.......Tell the truth....

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I take it your country has never
Mar 7, 2016 7:15AM PST

audited you (do you even HAVE a tax agency that does audits?).

When you are as large a company/corporation as Trump's, audits will overlap from one year to the next, and the IRS can go back 7 seven years....BUT if an audit in 2013 can go back 7 years from THAT year, it goes back much further that what ONE audit in 2015 would go back. In many instances, if they find a discrepancy, previous tax returns then have to be amended to reflect that discrepancy which actually alters other years in the process, requiring even more amended returns.

AND his ATTORNEYS have advised him to NOT release them until the audit is completed.

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RE:do you even HAVE a tax agency that does audits?
Mar 7, 2016 7:09PM PST

Taxes?

What are they?

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Remind me
Mar 8, 2016 2:37AM PST

again.. who has better policies for our taxes.. one wants to take it all and another wants to give it away.. as far as i understand

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RE:AND his ATTORNEYS have advised him
Mar 8, 2016 4:13AM PST
AND his ATTORNEYS have advised him to NOT release them until the audit is completed.

Do you think this the reason?...He doesn't want people to know he's such a Great American...that he hides his money offshore

This is a continuation of the program's modified terms introduced in 2012. For purposes of referring to this modified program, it may be referred to as the 2014 OVDP. The modifications are effective on July 1, 2014.

In addition to the OVDP, we offer additional options available to U.S. taxpayers with undisclosed foreign financial assets.


You've asked about taxes in Canada

Canada Revenue offered amnesty to wealthy KPMG clients in offshore tax 'sham'

The Canada Revenue Agency offered amnesty to multi-millionaire clients caught using what's been called an offshore tax "sham" on the Isle of Man — a reprieve that was supposed to remain secret and out of the public eye until it was uncovered by a CBC News/Radio-Canada investigation.

The amnesty allows for "high net worth" clients of the accounting giant KPMG to be free from any future civil or criminal prosecution — as well as any penalties or fines — for their involvement in the controversial scheme.


Amnesty?...High net worth?....Sounds a lot like America doesn't it?
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I personally don' t care
Mar 8, 2016 4:20AM PST

I consider such "private papers" protected under Constitution and actually wish some candidates would refuse, on grounds they can't be as trusted to protect other's rights if they willingly give up their own.

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i am but
Mar 8, 2016 2:35AM PST

i really dont want to.. i want somebody to be good in this election..

okay good is asking for too much..
i'll settle for better than others..