If officials can ignore taxes, why can't we?

The dimensions of the “change” brought by the new president are slowly becoming more clear. One of the areas of change seems to be in the activity of income tax payment and collection. The full parameters are not entirely clear yet, but it appears that by claiming the press of other activity, one can receive absolution for tax evasion.

We now have a treasury secretary and will soon have a commerce secretary both of whom willfully “overlooked” several year’s payment of several thousand dollars in income tax. They were granted absolution by the president after paying the back taxes as soon as they learned of their nominations to the respective positions. This example of changed tax policy is refreshing and welcome, particularly coupled with the plan announced by California where residents were advised that the state could not afford to pay the tax refunds due to them “right now” and were given “IOUs” for at least 30 days.

Following the examples provided by our president and by the governor of the most populous state, it appears that we are now free to avoid payment of the taxes we don’t agree with by claiming ignorance of the evasion. Then, if the taxing agency insists, we are free to advise them that we don’t have the money just now, but promise to pay it some unknown later time.

Is this a great country or what!

WALT COPLEY

Sandpoint