4 minutes ago, johnnybangkok said:

The long and short of it is he can clear all this up by doing what he’s been promising to do for the last 4 years and release his tax returns. The fact he hasn’t so far (with increasing levels of obviously false excuses) draws the conclusion that he is hiding something. YOUR President might be a tax fraud or beholding to foreign powers yet rather than want to get it all cleared up, you are falling into usual Trump supporter mode and shooting the messenger and/or equating his actions to an ordinary citizen. He’s not. He’s POTUS, he has an obligation to be whiter than white and none of your deflections will ever change that fact. 

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by Pattaya Spotter

10 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I would say it's the same with you...accepting as fact some documents obtained by an anti-Trump news source are in fact genuine when the news source has a documented history of relying on false records and interviews in its news reporting (Iraqi WMDs anyone?).

I don't believe if all the documents were on your desk and notarized as authentic by the Pope that it would shake your loyalty to this president. So in that sense all your arguments are disingenuous. 

9 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

No...I never expected him to release the returns. I certainly wouldn't if I was in the same position and I also don't care about other peoples' tax returns and can't understand why other people do.

Yeh right you don’t!

 

1 hour ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Is that illegal? I'd be interested in how much in taxes the NYT paid the past 15 years or the Sulzbergers; and while you're at it, you can throw in Jeff Bezos, the Washington Post, and Amazon as well.

 

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

A minority of American people you mean. 

Just now, Jingthing said:

I don't believe if all the documents were on your desk and notarized as authentic by the Pope that it would shake your loyalty to this president. So in that sense all your arguments are disingenuous. 

Being an atheist, anything notarized by the Pope would certainly be suspect in my book.

3 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

 

He promised he'd release them. Then didn't. There's no sticking to his guns. Just going back on his word.

Edited September 29, 20205 yr by Morch

2 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

People are indeed drawing conclusions.

16 hours ago, Quidio said:

Well, this is one voter who has changed his mind.  I live on a small pension and social security and I paid more taxes than Trump.   Something is desperately wrong with that.   I will not vote for him.   

 

You're easily influenced by the media, clearly

Just now, Pattaya Spotter said:

Being an atheist, anything notarized by the Pope would certainly be suspect in my book.

You know what I meant.

2 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

He didn't stick to his guns. Releasing his tax returns was one of his campaign promises he repeatedly used during his campaign..

 

He retracted on that promise like only lowlife coward would do

1 minute ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Yeh right you don’t!

Funny how you people just can't believe this...what is it about other peoples' taxes that so intrigues you? I could care less about Biden's or Harris's taxes either.

1 minute ago, JIMHILL said:

You're easily influenced by the media, clearly

Nah, easily changing his mind after realizing the president is a con man.

1 minute ago, JIMHILL said:

You're easily influenced by the media, clearly

As I said earlier, facts don't matter. Glad to see Quidio is different and adheres to facts.

13 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

No...I never expected him to release the returns. I certainly wouldn't if I was in the same position and I also don't care about other peoples' tax returns and can't understand why other people do.

Candidates for president and presidents are not just other people.

1 minute ago, Susco said:

He didn't stick to his guns. Releasing his tax returns was one of his campaign promises he repeatedly used during his campaign..

 

He retracted on that promise like only lowlife coward would do

After the IRS audit is completed...which, if you believe them, the Times says is ongoing.

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Funny how you people just can't believe this...what is it about other peoples' taxes that so intrigues you? I could care less about Biden's or Harris's taxes either.

Some people like to make informed decisions

 Others bury their head in the sand and whistle dixie.

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

Really? How about you just change that last statement to “Sycophantic Trump fans have no problem” (because let’s admit it, you’ve forgiven him for a lot worse) because I can assure you the VAST amount of American people do. 

And you keep doing this “there’s no legal obligation” thing. How about an ethical obligation? How about a moral obligation? How about doing the right thing?

We know you don’t really care about any of these things and that’s really where we differ. Some of us think this is very important, especially for the leader of the free world. 

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

A minority of American people you mean. 

I will clarify by saying the American electorate as a collective entity.

Just now, Pattaya Spotter said:

After the IRS audit is completed

That excuse was only used after he was elected, and had to live to his promises he made to the American pop[ulation.

 

During his campaign the word audit was never used in that context

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

After the IRS audit is completed...which, if you believe them, the Times says is ongoing.

Being under audit does not prevent the release. Its always been a lame excuse.

5 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

There is no legal obligation for a candidate for public office to release their tax returns. If they wish to do so fine...if they don't fine. People can draw whatever conclusion want or none at all. Being a businessman with complex taxes, I can certainly understand why Donald Trump would not want to release his taxes and provide information on his finances to potential business rivals. I admire him for sticking to his guns on this matter; and obviously the American people didn't have a problem with this position either.

Well said.  Its clear, a lot of the members making comment  on this forum are not businessmen and because they do not properly understand the issues; ridicule and deride from behind their ignorance

1 minute ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

I will clarify by saying the American electorate as a collective entity.

Not even that.

5 minutes ago, Morch said:

 

He promised he'd release them. Then didn't. There's no sticking to his guns. Just going back on his word.

He said after the IRS audit was complete...but I suspect he never intended to release them and that's fine with me. But certain things have to be said for public consumption, like Hillary's "public and private" position on issues.

6 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

People are indeed drawing conclusions.

Like they did in 2016...good for them.

3 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

what is it about other peoples' taxes that so intrigues you?

 

Do you prefer  government transparency  in whatever is your home country?

 

Would you be OK if there was clear indication a top government official was closely involved with criminal organizations?    That's the kind of thing releasing tax reports would show.

 

 

2 minutes ago, JIMHILL said:

Well said.  Its clear, a lot of the members making comment  on this forum are not businessmen and because they do not properly understand the issues; ridicule and deride from behind their ignorance

I run a very successful company turning over millions of dollars. 
You?

8 minutes ago, Pattaya Spotter said:

Like they did in 2016...good for them.

Yes. The majority voted against 45 and there is little doubt an even bigger majority will vote against him this time. But never mind he may still stay in power with his authoritarian bag of tricks that even Putin would be impressed with.

6 minutes ago, Andy from Kent said:

 

Do you prefer  government transparency  in whatever is your home country?

 

Would you be OK if there was clear indication a top government official was closely involved with criminal organizations?    That's the kind of thing releasing tax reports would show.

 

 

Are you saying that people report on their tax returns bank loans and other financial dealings with Russian mafia figures and other worldwide criminal syndicates...or that someone as prominent as Donald Trump reports to the federal government on his tax returns personal loans from adversarial foreign leaders like Vladimir Putin...and that all we need to know this are his tax returns?

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Yes. The majority voted against 45 and there is little doubt an even bigger majority will vote against him this time. But never mind he may still stay in power with his authoritarian bag of tricks that even Putin would be impressed with.

It's always a "bag of tricks" when Democrats can't win an election.

Just now, Pattaya Spotter said:

It's always a "bag of tricks" when Democrats can't win an election.

Thought you would be for a fair election, which trump is trying to stop voters.