Why aren't they ready? This was almost a month ago.

[WeekiWater]

Link to tweet

[dalton99a]

1. It is possible that it is a very complex instrument and people would not understand it

[WeekiWater]

2. I take it you are talking about a scanner.

That is one possible theory.

[lark]

5. Sorry, but no.

Other legislators have had very complex taxes and they still managed to release their returns, think Mitt Romney and GW. This is just hubris on his part, thinking that he can get away with the same type of lies s drumpf. The real question is why he won't release them?

[George II]

22. Kirsten Gillibrand has released 11 years, Elizabeth Warren has released 10 years...

As far as being complicated:

Gillebrand's 2017 return is 53 pages
Warren's 2017 return is 56 pages.

If Sanders' 2014 return (7 pages which he reluctantly released in two stages) is any gauge, his are a lot less complicated and should be a lot simpler to process and release.

We have to keep in mind that this was an issue three years ago, and knowing he'd be running again he's had three years to figure out a way to get this done. Remember, he's running for one of the most difficult and complicated jobs in the world. Surely getting tax returns out to the public is very simple compared to being President of the United States.

[Skidmore]

9. Perhaps he needs

to figure out how to disentangle from his spinoff organizations and to account for income??? How do you go from poorest senator to buying a third house? That he is trustworthy beats me. I don't trust him. We have better candidates.

[namahage]

3. "Hey David?"

"Where is that 'auto-thingamajig' button on TurboTax?"

[SFnomad]

4. The longer he drags this out, the worse it's going to be for him

At one point, you could have given him the benefit of the doubt, if you were generous ...

But that point in time has long past. Now, it's clear there is something being hidden. Something that he doesn't want disclosed. And honestly, does he really want to drag this out for so long that people really remember this when they're voting ... and using it against him?

[solara]

6. Apparently n/t

[Tipperary]

8. Yes, it is very clear.

I am actually surprised that his fans here are not a little troubled by this. I would be.

[Gothmog]

7. What is sanders hiding? Why has he refused to release his returns?

[NurseJackie]

46. It's the equivalent of PLEADING THE FIFTH...

... not proof positive of wronging, but certainly suspicious and evasive behavior. It's like a giant "fuck you" to the voters and other candidates.

He's continuing to damage his campaign.

Oh well.

[BlueFlorida]

53. Exactly this

[MH1]

64. His followers don't care

Many of them that I know on Facebook are all about giving "fuck yous" to other people anyway.

I never block people like that because it's informative to observe how they play.

A lot of these are the same people that were too pure to vote for Hillary, and now won't accept any responsibility for the damage Trump is causing.

[NurseJackie]

66. It wasn't a very successful strategy for him before...

It wasn't a very successful strategy for him before, and I doubt it will be a successful one this time as well. With regard to the other individuals you mentioned, they are (in my estimation) guaranteed to be sorely disappointed, and as a result they'll probably "act out" or seek "revenge" just as before. Therefore, I think it's a safe bet that we'll never be able to count on a certain segment of malcontents to ever vote for the party's nominee, and our time would be much better spent trying to get three-for-one in new voters. That is to say, for the amount of time spent trying to convince ONE bitter malcontent (the ones who've said "fuck you" to you, and who may or may not vote anyway) it would instead be much better to get three new voters excited about supporting the Democratic party and voting for Democratic candidates.

We can do better than "one-off" and one-time grudging voters. We need LOYAL and RELIABLE voters to become actual Democrats and to support the Democratic party and Democratic candidates. We need people who can volunteer, who can donate, and who can "spread the gospel" among their friends and family.

[MH1]

67. I 100% agree. nt.

[comradebillyboy]

10. They will be released on the Twelfth of Never

and that's a long long time.

[Lazy Daisy]

11. My question is

Why are those who are so adamantly opposed to Bernie so damn interested? Why post after post after post about him releasing his taxes when they obviously wouldn't be affected in their choice either way?

Divisiveness maybe?

As a supporter of Sanders - would I like him to release them? Sure. Does it bother me he hasn't yet? No.
At some point they need to be released, it's early yet. And I bet a majority of Sanders supporters feel the same.

These posts aren't going to change minds, so why so many of them? Schadenfreude

[NastyRiffraff]

12. For the exact same reason that we want Trump's tax returns

Like Trump, Bernie promised, almost 3 years ago, to release his taxes. Since then we've had nothing but delays and lame excuses. He even said he didn't release them in 2016 because he lost! Unbelievable. The purpose of tax returns is so that voters can evaluate them and make decisions in part based on them.

If Bernie doesn't intend to release his taxes, he should say so and get it over with. Yes, he'll (gasp!!!) be criticized, but at least voters will know where he stands.

[Lazy Daisy]

13. err, no

That's not why we have multiple posts and OP everyday about Bernie's taxes. But nice try.
Those posting don't give a rats ass about Bernie or his taxes.

[NastyRiffraff]

15. err, yes

Although many don't give a rat's ass about Bernie (True, thanks for that!), they do care about seeing his taxes, because he has made multiple promises to release them, and we haven't seen them.

[WeekiWater]

16. Sanders is the one who said "soon." Not me.

Sanders is the one who clearly has an issue with this, and it is clear at this point.

[R B Garr]

20. Wrong. He made his platforms about accusations against others of

corruption with no proof, all while withholding his own personal finances. Total hypocrisy. If you are going to accuse others of being crooked, then you better be transparent yourself.

Actually, I kind of doubt that basic premise is misunderstood. I’m just seeing an empty pattern to make Bernie a victim again to absolve him of responsibility. It’s not a big new secret that candidates release their taxes.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

25. But Bernie is not corrupt. Everyone knows it. So most people aren't in a big hurry to see the taxes.

That and he files Senate disclosures every year so they won’t be any surprises.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. They know this; the only surprise after Bernie releases his returns will be if they admit he did so.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[WeekiWater]

72. I have heard that the thought is he will now hand pick just four years.

Far less than what he publicly stated. Far less than Warren, Gillibrand, and others.

[R B Garr]

29. It's the hypocrisy of the transparency and the double standards.

Hillary wasn’t corrupt, either, but that didn’t stop the accusations. Wasn’t it weird that the 3 opposition campaigns against her were so similar?? Tad Devine and Paul Manafort used to work together. Hillary had years of tax returns available.

Do you think Sanders is concerned about media payments to his wife? It’s so weird not to release them. That CNN clip of him saying they were going through them...or something like that. I don’t get it. We use Turbo Tax, too, and could release ours pronto. Just click and print .

[Hassin Bin Sober]

32. Bernie can't help it he's universally loved and trusted.

[lapucelle]

34. "I am universally loved and trusted" should be BS's answer the next time CNN asks.

That oughta work.

[R B Garr]

35. Neither can Hillary. She beat him by millions , wow,

so much love for Hillary,.

She still found time to release her taxes despite her popularity, and she didn’t falsely accuse others of corruption. Amazing woman,

[George II]

51. If he's "universally" loved he'd be at 100% in the polls.

[ehrnst]

56. "Universally"

I don't think that word means what you think it means.

[ehrnst]

58. Good points.

[yardwork]

47. I don't know that, and his refusal to release his returns makes me suspicious.

There has always been a lot of magical thinking among Bernie's followers, while other candidates are vilified. It's weird.

[George II]

49. How many, and what % of the whole, is "most people"? Surely there's a poll about this somewhere.

[ehrnst]

59. "Most people" Can you specify that percentage?

"Senate disclosures" are not the same as releasing full tax returns, just as releasing a 1040 isn't.

I'm hoping he remembers that this time around.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

26. THIS!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[lapucelle]

33. How would anyone know whether strangers and/or journalists care about his taxes?

Who presumes to know a stranger's mind better than that person knows it?

[Lazy Daisy]

38. talk about gaslight

MY post is about people here who profess to not only be against Bernie, but also have post after post after post about his taxes.
Your post talks about "strangers" and journalists.

When a person says they would never support Bernie, I believe them. So, yeah that tells me what's on their mind.
It's not rocket science. But hey, nice picture. (my favorite B&W movie)

[lapucelle]

42. What do you thnk the person you responded to was "trying" to do?

That person gave you his reasons for wanting to see the BS taxes. You responded "nice try".

nice try
a good effort or attempt to do something, usually used in an ironic way to say that an attempt at something was not very good or was not a nice thing to do

[Lazy Daisy]

44. BS taxes?

You mean Bernie or Sanders or even Senator Sanders?

done. bye.

[lapucelle]

45. In case you get hungry later...

[Gothmog]

18. We want to know who owns Old Towne Media, LLC

[WeekiWater]

19. Such an interesting set of circumstances.

They were running out of a small house in Virginia, very little was/is known, friends of Jane Sanders seem to have had jobs created specifically for them, etc... This story has it all.

[R B Garr]

21. Oh yes. Olde Towne Media. The big mystery.

Great reminder.

[George II]

50. More importantly, who worked/works for them and how much did they get paid?

[ehrnst]

57. +1000. (nt)

[George II]

23. At this point, after all this time, it's become a matter of trust. If he can't do something....

....as simple as this, can we trust him to run the United States?

[lapucelle]

31. I don't think Wolf Blitzer is adamantly opposed to BS.

[Lazy Daisy]

39. Does Wolf Blitzer post here?

Has he professed his opposition to Bernie? If not, your post is a deflection.

[lapucelle]

40. Wolf Blitzer is the person questioning BS in the OP's link. N/T

[Lazy Daisy]

41. I'm sorry who?

I don't recognize BS as a person. If you are referring to Bernie or Sanders than why not write it that way?
Why this site allows that term for a candidate in the Democratic primaries is telling, so is the term "Berniebro's" or just "bro's" allowed, shameful.

My post is about the people here and their obsession.

[lapucelle]

43. Wolf Blitzer. N/T

[WeekiWater]

65. "I don't recognize BS as a person."

Seems you recognize him more as a deity.

Why do you think BS said "soon"?

[BlueFlorida]

54. If it doesn't bother you that

he has not released them, then it would mean that you would support Bernie at any cost and nothing he does or has done will make you change your mind.


Objective people who are not into deity worship want transparency. Is it so bad?

[Lazy Daisy]

70. LOL

I love this place.

[Gothmog]

14. Washington Post-Time for candidates to disclose their tax returns

Link to tweet

[Gothmog]

17. CREW is calling on all presidential candidates to publicly release 10 years of tax returns.

Link to tweet

[Cha]

24. Too "boring"?

[oasis]

28. That portion of Wolf Blitzer's interview comes off like an SNL skit.

Hilarious.

[VarryOn]

30. A few months ago, I couldnt care less...

About Sanders' returns, but now that he's stalling, I'm curious.

All he'd need to do is redact SSNs and maybe his address, and that's it. Save the docs in Adobe Acrobat in a .pdf, and it might take five minutes to prepare them for release.

Personally, I'd rather see candidates' medical records. I'd like to know if a candidate has any serious conditions, particularly if they are life-threatening and or mental. If they are taking certain meds, voters should know.

With many thinking the current President has mental issues, it would be good to know for sure his diagnosis. Also, given that he's elderly, we need to know any conditions that migh disrupt his term.

[R B Garr]

36. What does he mean they have to check things out??

What does that mean? I recall him saying Jane was going to get them years ago.

[NurseJackie]

48. If they've been submitted to the IRS then they are READY NOW to release to the public.

Not releasing them is the equivalent of "Pleading the Fifth" and it's a great big "fuck you" to the American voters (as well as the other candidates).

Pleading the Fifth doesn't mean you're guilty, but it means you probably have something to hide. So I wonder, what's being hidden? Why is the negative publicity of NOT releasing the taxes an acceptable alternative TO releasing them? (Unless... actually releasing them would generate even MORE negative publicity.)

We deserve to know why this promise hasn't been kept. What are they hiding?

[brooklynite]

37. Maybe there's an audit?

I understand that can be a problem.....

[BlueFlorida]

52. Here is a clock

to show how long it has been since Bernie said "soon"

https://www.tickcounter.com/countup/98277/its-been-this-long-since-bernie-promised-to-release-10-years-of-tax-returns-fairly-soon?utm_source=widget&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=widget

[Gothmog]

55. From Jennifer RUBIN

Last edited Mon Mar 25, 2019, 03:45 PM - Edit history (1)

Link to tweet

[ehrnst]

60. But... but... but... "Soon!" (nt)

[NurseJackie]

61. BS is never going to release his tax returns. If BS had any intention of releasing them...

BS is never going to release his tax returns. If BS had any intention of releasing them, it would have already been done.

It's not like they're "incomplete" or anything. It's not like they're "still working on them" or anything. After all... if they were complete enough to submit to the IRS, then those tax returns are complete enough to release to the American public.

No... something tells me that someone has made a deliberate decision to NOT release them. Someone on the campaign has weighed the pros-and-cons... calculated the pluses-and-minuses... and determined that the "fallout" from not releasing the tax returns is more acceptable than the "fallout" of going ahead and releasing them.

All I'm saying is that's certainly what it appears to be and it's a logical conclusion to make... there's simply no other reason that any "serious" candidate would do something that's tarnishing their campaign, reputation, and making people question things like integrity and honesty.

In the end, it simply makes no good sense for this strategy to continue. As voters, we deserve to know where a candidate's money comes from, where the spouse's money comes from, how it's being invested, where it's being saved (domestic or offshore), what charities (if any) or other contributions (if any) have been made, and whether the taxes have been properly paid... or whether there are other potential conflicts of interest that we voters should know about BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.

[TreasonousBastard]

62. No doubt Burlington College is mentioned in the returns and while...

there is so far no real evidence of his wife's involvement, there is perhaps the question of where did she get the money for the lakefront house.

Bernie himself got a million or so from books and maybe some speaking fees, but still seems to have some questions about how he managed to get his wealth.

[BlueFlorida]

63. The more he delays this

the less credible they will be and the more attention there will be on every microscopic detail.

I have only glanced through the tax returns of other candidates and said "meh", never wanting to examine every entry on every form.

With Sanders, the law of human nature will make me want to look, simply to answer the nagging question in my mind, "why was he stalling so much?"

[Stuart G]

68. It isn't about "taxes" It is about Bernie saying he would release them. It is his.. "word".

Far more important than what is in his taxes. Trump won't release his taxes. We know that.
If Bernie says he is going to release them, and doesn't what does that make him? He is a liar!!!
..What is the big deal?...............................???
If Bernie had said, " I am not going to release them" then the argument is "What is he hiding?
I think Bernie will release them..when? I don't know.. He said "soon"

If he doesn't release them ( I think he will) then he is a liar, I don't want him as a candidate under any circumstances because he said he would release them.

You think it is complicated? No.

[Cha]

69. Transparency.

[Andy823]

71. I did my taxes yesterday

I used TurboTax, like Bernie's wife said they use. It took me about 2 hours. When I finished I filed electronically, and printed the forms for my own files.

Now at the very end they made a point of printing that if you need to make copies again you just open the year you want to print and print them. All of my taxes done with Turbo Tax or on my computer, not hard to find at all, and printing them takes very little time. I had 46 pages and it took maybe 5 minutes or so.

Bernies wife should be able to print out 10 years in less than an hour. Still not sure why they did not have them ready to go before he announced he would run again. The had to know this was going to come up.