Musings 57--They look at my tax returns

I was all ready to accept John G. Roberts Jr. as the new supreme court justice when I read the headline about the Bush administration not wanting to turn over Roberts' tax returns to the senate judiciary committee.

I had come to the conclusion that Mr. Roberts would be an ok justice. He did not seem to be a raving right wing lap dog like some others are. But...then I read the headline on Drudge. (See Link) To say I went ballistic would be putting it mildly--just ask my wife.

Every time I apply for a loan at a bank I must give the bank my tax returns. Every page of my last three years are examined. I know because I have done this quite recently. I also know that they want to look at deductions on every page. I attempted to just give a 2-page copy of my 1040 to the bank and they laughed at me. I made a copy of every page, both state and federal, and handed it over. It came to about 16 pages. So much for privacy. In the words of the bank manager, "If you want the loan, give us the tax records."

Now I had nothing to hide, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. There was ample information about my finances on the 2-page 1040 form without them seeing every piece of paper that I filed. The bank manager smiled and said, again, "If you want the loan, give us the entire tax records." So I did, and I got the loan.

John Roberts wants to be a Supreme Court Justice. I figure that he is no better than me when it comes to taxes. If I had to pony up, so should he. I think it comes with the territory. To paraphrase my bank manager, "If you want the job, give up the tax records."

If I have to lay my life open to borrow 50 cents, then a guy looking for a lifetime appointment should have to at least do the same. If he doesn't want to, then he can get the hell out and go back to where ever he came from.

It is real simple. Tax returns and I am for him. No tax returns, and I hope the dems eat him up.