And the state treasurer, guardian of the public treasury, really can't look the other way from that sort of thing.

Oh, I don't know - there are soooo many "other ways" to look.

Watch him try.

While the Treasurer as a constitutional officer is in charge of the state treasury, and responsible for the money the state has, I'm not persuaded that the state treasurer is in charge of collecting revenue.

I think the responsibility for collecting revenue, including sttae income tax revenue, falls to the Director of OOregon Department of Revenue (ODOR).

l;ast I looked, Director of Revenue was an appointive job under the Governor, and the tax questions - and responsibility - belong with Teddy K and whoever is running ODOR this week.

I don't think the Treasurer is even in the list of folks who can look at State of Oregon tax returns to see if "Joe Blow" properly reported income.

Thanks for that technical, and utterly stupid, analysis. I didn't suggest that Wheeler should audit his employees. I said that as the guardian of the public treasury, he should insist that his employees disclose publicly whether they had paid their taxes on the money they stole from the taxpayers.

Wouldn't that sort of violate the 5th Amendment? I think that Revenue has probably cause enough to audit the returns of all Treasury employees (and prosecute the crap out of any who failed to report even a dime of this petty graft) but I don't think any worker anywhere should be forced to disclose anything about their tax returns to the general public, esp. when doing so might mean incriminating themselves in having committed crimes.

Nonny, I believe that Wheeler has at least the responsibility of enforcing the ethic laws as well as statute laws of state government employees to follow all laws of the state, which is to properly report "per diem" allowances of his employees in his department. Sorry, I agree with Jack, too.

And the state treasurer, guardian of the public treasury, really can't look the other way from that sort of thing.

Then again, our U.S. Secretary of the Treasury couldn't seem to figure out his own taxes, yet is in charge of the Cabinet department containing the IRS. Apparently, tax scofflaws in tax court are arguing that they used TurboTax, just like Geithner, so they shouldn't be fined and penalized for their tax shortfalls. . . .

Hopefully Wheeler is more competent at doing his own taxes than Geithner was.

Nice recital of GOP talking points there, but the problems with Timmy G. are not his inattention to details on taxes --- it's that he lives, thinks, eats, drinks, and breathes nothing but the well-being of humongous entities like Goldman-Sachs, such that he's the one tax miscreant I believe when he says it was simply inattention to details. Truly, taking his mind off smooching his corporate masters' asses for even a second makes him uncomfortable, so doing so long enough to make sure he was squared away on his taxes was unthinkable.

THAT's the problem with Obama's financial picks, not the Faux news stuff about how they're tax cheats. Obama could make Liz Warren Secretary of the Treasury if he wanted to -- that he doesn't tells you everything you need to know about Obama and reigning in Wall St.

Wouldn't that sort of violate the 5th Amendment?

Wheeler should ask them. If they want to plead the Fifth, so be it.

...that he doesn't tells you everything you need to know about Obama and reigning in Wall St.

What I'd like to know is who's reining in Wall St. - I know who's reigning in Wall St.

...but, hey, you spelled "faux" correctly...

Nonny,

utterly stupid

touchy, touchy, hein?

incroyable!