But tax-shaming is one way the political class has rigged the system to discourage outsiders — especially business leaders — from competing for political office. Most politicians don’t mind releasing their tax returns because there’s so little to see.
Voters can get a clear picture of the choice between Clinton and Trump by looking at the financial disclosures they’re legally required to release. Hillary’s is a mere 11 pages — almost all speaking fees and royalties from books she wrote about herself. She’s in the self-promotion business.
Compare that with Trump’s 104-page disclosure. It lists a whopping 185 income-producing business ventures, including office and apartment buildings, resorts and other companies around the world, as well as fees he earns managing other owners’ properties. He’s a builder and job creator, not just a braggart like Hillary.
The same is true of another business titan who cleverly managed to dodge the tax return trap: former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg.
Expecting that his billions in business activities would invite unfair criticism, he refused to disclose his tax rate or how much he paid, and allowed reporters to see only his highly redacted returns — and just for a few minutes, without allowing them to make copies. When the press objected that all other candidates were releasing their full returns, he said, “That’s fine. They don’t make anything.”
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