# Romney’s tax returns—just the break the Obama camp was waiting for? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 18, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913 "2012-01-18T17:36:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/81 "2012-01-19T18:38:52Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wow, I was just joking about the tithing thing, but it was reported on NPR last night that he does give at least 10% to the LDS Church. Not sure that will really hurt him. It will be worse if the LDS Church is involved in one of the Super PACs, which I assume they are smart enough not to do. He used to be a bishop - I would be shocked if he hadn’t tithed. I know a good number of Mormons here, and they all seem to do it, best I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/82 "2012-01-19T18:46:21Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Not to worry, [Bain Capital saved America!](http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204555904577169032997242246.html) > > The guy has been running for president for six years now. And just before he sews up the nomination is the time to start vetting him? But he has never run against Democrats for president, only other Republicans. The interesting thing here is that this is coming up during the primaries, which I never expected. Thanks to OWS, income inequality is now a bigger concern of the public than immigration, and I doubt too many voters are for it. Romney is making himself a poster child for the cluelessness of the rich right. Remember all the rightwingers who moaned and groaned about how raising the tax rate on the rich would make them not want to work. It is going to be hard to sell how raising tax rates from 15% to what the average guy pays is going to cause problems. This is the number everyone will remember when searching for tax rate for the rich internally. Marketplace yesterday noted that equity fund managers now are really pissed at Romney. There income is considered as investment income and taxed at the capital gain rate, and there was a move to wipe out this loophole a while ago. Romney’s income from Bain is taxed this way, so it is in the news again, where these greedy bastards don’t want it. I hope legislation to eliminate this loophole gets introduced and Republicans are forced to vote for Romney’s loophole. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/83 "2012-01-19T20:27:28Z")
And Romney hasn’t really worked (other than running for office) for several years. Isn’t he the one who quipped last year about being among the long term unemployed? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/84 "2012-01-19T20:29:51Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > And Romney hasn’t really worked (other than running for office) for several years. Except for the speaking gigs that gave him six-figure income on their own. > [@](#): > > Isn’t he the one who quipped last year about being among the long term unemployed? Yes. Gosh, that was charming. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/85 "2012-01-19T20:37:22Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Except for the speaking gigs that gave him six-figure income on their own. Yeah, but that’s “not much”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/86 "2012-01-19T21:00:55Z")
Couldn’t come at a better time, what with so many people pissed at Obama for shutting down the intertubes. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/87 "2012-01-19T21:24:05Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Super PACS can advocate for issues. Issues like SSM (prop 8). If they try something along those lines in the 2012, it will be bad for Romney. Yeah I know but I’m not sure that a 501(c)(3) religious organization can donate to a SuperPAC. > [@Voyager](#): > > I hope legislation to eliminate this loophole gets introduced and Republicans are forced to vote for Romney’s loophole. There was legislation proposed to close this loophole back when the Democarats controlled the house and had an almost filibusterproof majority in the senate. It was killed I believe by Chuck Schumer (who might have also been the senator who proposed the legislation) when he was informed by his hedge fund donors that it would affect them, perhaps make them all move to the Cayman Islands or some bullshit like that. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/88 "2012-01-19T21:33:35Z")
You remember the Clintonista reform of Dem leadership? Make the Democrats more “business friendly”? They won. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/89 "2012-01-19T21:35:04Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m wondering if Kerry had a problem any different from that, or do he and his wife file separately, allowing him to mask it? [The Kerrys paid an effective rate of 13% in 2003, according to the tax forms released during his campaign.](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mitt-romney-not-only-15-percenter-john-kerry-002350310.html) ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/90 "2012-01-19T21:51:29Z")
Yeah, Kerry’s wife got a low tax rate by having over half of her income be from tax-exempt municipal bonds. It’s possible that Romney has some of that going for him too. Kerry himself paid something like 23% from what I can find, on $395k. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/91 "2012-01-19T23:02:22Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > [The Kerrys paid an effective rate of 13% in 2003, according to the tax forms released during his campaign.](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/mitt-romney-not-only-15-percenter-john-kerry-002350310.html) Yeah and if was running as a tax cutting Republican this year, it would hurt him too. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/92 "2012-01-19T23:08:52Z")
I don’t recall Kerry’s taxes being a topic of much discussion, but he was definitely seen as an out-of-touch rich guy based on the number of houses he and his wife owned, the ski trips, and so on and so on. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/93 "2012-01-19T23:16:17Z")
Yeah, especially next to a down-to-Earth, working class guy like GeeDubya… ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2012, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/94 "2012-01-19T23:25:59Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Yeah, but that’s “not much”. 😃 Can I get a part time job that pays that well? It would motivate me to work…and I’d create jobs because I’d hire someone to mow my lawn, clean my house, and finish my basement. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/95 "2012-01-20T00:23:24Z")
Ohh ohh! Hire me! I’ll be happy to mow your basement. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/96 "2012-01-20T01:00:27Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Ohh ohh! Hire me! > > I’ll be happy to mow your basement. And they say there are plenty of jobs for qualified applicants, the issue is lack of good people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/97 "2012-01-20T01:22:52Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Yeah, especially next to a down-to-Earth, working class guy like GeeDubya… Whose “real world” experience was owning a professional sports team. You know you’re out of touch with the average person when even your employees are millionaires. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/98 "2012-01-20T01:30:14Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > He used to be a bishop - I would be shocked if he hadn’t tithed. I know a good number of Mormons here, and they all seem to do it, best I can tell. I could be wrong, but I suspect his tithing can only help Republicans, especially if some Dems are foolish enough to try to turn it into an issue. In the same respect that only you get to be a jerk to your brother and everyone else better back off, an attack on someone tithing to their church, especially if made by a Godless Liberal ™, would only serve to circle the wagons. ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/99 "2012-01-20T04:39:05Z")
How common is tithing, though? I’m seriously asking - as a life-long atheist, I have no idea if tithing is considered to be ordinary or weird. Catholics tithe as well, right? Is it common in the Protestant denominations? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2012, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913/100 "2012-01-20T05:04:05Z")
Catholics do generally contribute to their church, but it’s not usually 10%. The guidelines I’ve seen have generally been along the lines of “an hour’s wage each week”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-s-tax-returns-just-the-break-the-obama-camp-was-waiting-for/609913.md?page=6)