Why Romney-Ryan Ticket must release more than two year’s tax filing: lessons for the troubled Republican Ticket?

Keywords or Terms: Tea-Party Ticket; Governor Mitt Romney; Congressman Paul Ryan; Monks; Burma; Pope; Vatican; Grand Khadi; Mecca; Leader of the Free World; Uncle Sam; 2008 McCain Ticket; Romney-Ryan Ticket; Out of pocket ticket for Seniors; Florida; Paul Ryan’s Budget; Medicare and Social Security Reform

The past weeks have witnessed heated debates over the presumptive Republican Party Nominee tax filings and the consummated nomination of Congressman Paul Ryan for the Vice-Presidential ticket of the Republican Party. Questions abound regarding the effective tax rate paid by either candidate on the Republican Party ticket, with Paul Ryan’s effective tax rate being higher than his expected boss, if their ticket ever wins in November, 2012. Paul Ryan, the presumptive Republican Party Vice-Presidential candidate, is said to have significantly paid effective tax rate greater than Mitt Romney. The controversy over Romney’s secrecy over his taxes has made many voters wonder, if Mitt Romney had not once shifted money overseas to off-shore accounts to avoid paying taxes. Critics further argue that the reason why Romney is secretive about his taxes has to do with Romney’s reprieve from Internal Revenue Services, like many other rich Americans, who had offshore accounts; the Republican Party flag bearer is said to have taken the IRS amnesty that allowed him and others to shift their accounts back to America's Banks.

Although Governor Mitt Romney multiple-year’s tax filings would have remained a private matter; however, the Republican flag bearer chose to run for the office of the Presidency, an office so visible, even the Monks in Burma, Pope in Vatican or Grand Khadi in Mecca, would have been interested to know how transparent in personal finances, the prospective leader of the free world has been. The Presidency of the United State is a huge office, which has implication not only within the borders of the country but across the globe. Thus, opaqueness in dealing with personal matters may be construed as ways in which the presumptive Republican flag bearer will be dealing with other governments and issues of international importance. 

Many Americans, who are calling for transparency regarding Romney’s tax filings, are hardly doing this out of malice, rather, to ensure that the man that gets to sit on the throne of Uncle Sam is as squeaky clean as one can get! Some Republicans could not have careless about Governor Romney’s tax filings until they realized that this simple matter is about to boomerang in the face of the whole party. There are polling data that shows that Mitt Romney's recalcitrance on taxes and choice of Paul Ryan as a running mate is probably bleeding votes for congressional Republican seats. When Candidate Romney was vetted for the Vice-Presidential candidacy position under McCain ticket in 2008 general elections, he was made to turn over close to twenty-three, if not more, years of tax filings. This, he had no problems with; however, this time around, when he is at the top of the ticket, Mitt Romney is probably realizing why he did not get on McCain’s ticket; or, why he probably lost out to Sarah Palin, the darling of the Tea Party wing of the Republican Party.

In an attempt to reposition himself this year as the candidate of the Republican Party’s rank and file, Mr. Romney is realizing that his taxes and tax filings are not similar to what many Americans, including the Tea Party group in the Republican Party, have been paying in effective tax rate. This has become a political hot ball; and Governor Romney is attempting to deal with this oddity by attempting to remain too private or less transparent as he talks about his taxes. Ann Romney, the spouse of the Republican flag bearer, probably caught the aerie of many taxpayers when she insisted her husband was not going to release more than the two year’s tax filing required, according to her, under the law. Many voters hearing the bravado nature of Mrs. Romney responses to the press began asking questions: 1) Why is the Romney clan so cagey about his tax filings; 2) Was there some questionable or unlawful filings in some of the years that Mitt Romney claims to be unemployed? 3) Has the presumptive Republican Party flag bearer engaged in tax evasion that could have been similar to what led to felonious indictment of President Richard Nixon, another republican stalwart in the past? 4) Are rich Republicans, with political ambition, suspiciously susceptible to tax evasion or something similar?; and, 5) Would the 2012 Republican Party presumptive nominee attempt to quash this perception by releasing at least 20 year’s tax filings, just as he did while attempting to get on the 2008 Republican Party ticket?  These are burning questions, which are uppermost in the minds of every interested person; especially, when Congressman Paul Ryan indicated that he had to turn to the Romney’s campaign team vetting folks for the Vice-Presidential slot, many years of tax filings. Now, the question is: Why not Mitt Romney to the nation?

First, these questions are speculative at best; but at worst, answers to them may confirm some of the people’s or taxpayer’s suspicions. However, no one will ever know, except the presumptive Republican Party nominee, does what great leaders across the globe do: be and remain transparent! If the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee had to turn over several years of his tax filings to the vetting team under Mitt Romney’s Campaign, what is holding back the head of the ticket? Is what is good for the goose, no longer good for the gander? If Paul Ryan had to turn over more than fifteen year’s record, the top of the ticket at a minimum must match the fifteen-year’s threshold test given to the lower half of the ticket. For now, the presumptive Republican flag bearer wants us to put up or shot up with the two years he has promised to release.

Second, withholding information from the public is often a bad policy for a politician, especially, where there are suspicions that a crime or misstep is probably involved. It is the prerogative of the Republican Party flag bearer to step out and do what is right and transparent at this moment; or, wait until many interested people(s) or parties hound him to it before the November election day. The issue surrounding Mitt Romney’s refusal or denials is summed up in two questions: Would ‘President Mitt Romney’ be upfront or opaque with the public on issue of governance? Would his administration be honest enough to tell the nation the truth during a time of national emergency, discord or war? These are important questions to the public and they are questions that may not be underrated by a party’s flag bearer who may have found himself in deep water, with the candidate he has nominated to be the other half of his ticket. Don’t get me wrong, no one is questioning the wisdom of Mitt Romney’s choice in Congressman Paul Ryan as the other half of the ticket, even with all the missteps he has made since he has been thrown into the limelight; however, his vetting process has introduced a dilemma for the head of the Republican Party ticket: Does Governor Mitt Romney continue to show askance to those asking that he releases more than two year’s of his tax filings; or, does he go ahead and do what is absolutely in the interest of his party, vis-à-vis the nation?

Third, a tendency or capability to withhold important information from the public is an assured way to give credence to innuendos, suspicions and gossips. As Jack Kemp, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, and more Republicans would gladly and honestly reminiscent and tell you. You must appreciate the mistakes of those politicians ahead of you and learn from their mistake(s). The presumptive Republican Party Vice-Presidential  candidate Paul Ryan have just taken responsibility for double dealing regarding request for stimulus funds for his constituency, while pretending that the stimulus plan was ill-advised and a failure. The Romney-Ryan ticket has been getting itself in a bind since the nomination of the other half of the Republican Party ticket. Going on and withholding, somewhat of an insignificant item(s), would not only hurt the ticket more, it is more likely going to sink the ticket. Already the ticket has been disastrously polling among women voters, since the announcement of the other half of the ticket as someone, who is anti-women’s freedom and, who is likely going to put women, elderly and children into a tighter corner. The Republican ticket will continue to give away a notch of voters among Whiteman when the ticket continues to make assertions over taxation plan, social security and Medicare programs that seem very disingenuous. Refusal to release more of the top half of the republican’s ticket just compounds the problems more; except the Republican Party is ready to yield the election the summer before the general elections to the Democratic Party.

Fourth, the seniors in the swing state of Florida have just indicated that they hardly care about Paul Ryan’s plan for Social Security and Medicare Programs. Polls taken after the announcement of Paul Ryan as the other half of the Republican Party ticket indicate that he will more likely hurt the ticket as many of the retiree voters in Florida are skeptical of his proposed reforms to the social welfare programs. Beneficiaries of these programs will like to know, if the proposed reforms to these programs would leave them worse-off than the existing plans under President Obama. Many of them who are politically active are pointing to studies completed by the independent tax policy group which indicate that the average retiree may have to come out of pocket close to $6,400 cash if Paul Ryan’s plan is passed into the law of the land. This is hardly endearing to this loyal voting block; neither is the opaqueness in Romney’s response to the call for his tax filings to be released for more than two years he has promised.

If the Romney-Ryan ticket continues to loose grounds and credibility, the backlash from this may be disastrous for all the Republican congressional elections; and this fact many seasoned Republicans know and they are urgently calling for Mitt Romney to release his tax filings and get it over with. Democrats seem to have bent over a little, when they called that a five-year tax release from the presumptive Republican Party nominee is about good enough, for now. Of course, from the republican ticket, this is a bait; however, from the perception of the Democrats, the rights of the voters to have all information to make well informed decision in the voting booth is sacrosanct; it trumps any claims to privacy that someone aspiring to be the President of the United States and leader of the free world. For Democrats, voters want to know, if Mitt Romney is the real McCoy, the real deal! They are interested in the honesty and transparency of their leaders. For many of these people, anything less, is an abomination! If Romney continues to show recalcitrance, truth continues to be a casualty and the mystic of a cover-up on the part of Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket will definitely sink their boat in November!