AS ESTIMATE DAY APPROACHES – AT 7:25 A.M. ET:  Ah yes, September 15th, another tax estimate day, is just around the corner.  I will be going online this weekend to do my monetary bit to help finance the stimulus package.  I'm so enthusiastic. 

I thought you might be interested, as citizens, in how those in the land of Obama handle their own tax obligations.  You will be bowled over with inspiration.  From Andrew Malcolm at the L.A. Times's Top of the Ticket blog:

...we do know that as of the end of 2009, 41 people inside Obama's very own White House owe the government they're allegedly running a total of $831,055 in back taxes. That would cover a lot of special chocolate desserts in the White House Mess.

In the House of Representatives, 421 people owe a total $6,524,892. In the Senate, 217 owe $2,774,836. In the IRS's parent department, Treasury, 1,204 owe $7,670,814. At the Labor Dept., where Secy. Hilda Solis' husband had some backtax problems before her confirmation, 463 owe $7,481,463. Eighty-one workers for the Federal Reserve System's board of governors owe $1,076,733.

Over at the Justice Department, which is so busy enforcing other laws and suing Arizona, 1,971 employees still owe $14,350,152 in overdue taxes.

And...

Then, we come to the Department of Homeland Security, which is run by Janet Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona who preferred to call terrorist acts "man-caused disasters." Homeland Security is keeping all of us safe by ensuring that a Dutch tourist is onboard every inbound international flight to thwart any would-be bomber with explosives in his underpants.

Within that department, there reside 4,856 people who owe the tax agency a whopping total of $37,012,174.

And they're checking our pockets for metal and coins?

COMMENT:  I hope someone asks about this at the next presidential news conference.  Aren't public servants supposed to set an example?  Look at those figures from the White House alone. 

Say it ain't so, Barack.

September 10, 2010