Now that Donald Trump has been anointed as the Republican nominee for president, those who will be casting ballots in November should give serious reflection on Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns.
The candidate denying the voting public information about his finances of course raises the question of what is it that Trump wants to hide?
The general assumption, of course, is that he brags about his wealth and doesn’t want the average taxpayer to know that he does not pay any federal income tax.
But there are several other plausible explanations of what he wants to be kept in the dark:
1) He is a lousy golfer. His return shows that the bets he places on his golf game end up in claiming significant gambling losses.
2) He has bribed inspectors to overlook shoddy work on his construction projects (listed on the tax return as “individual contributions” to the American Society of Building Inspectors).
3) His medical expenses reveal that he had cosmetic surgery to enlarge his small fingers.
4) He is a cheapskate. The itemization of gifts and contributions to charitable organizations are both meager and few.
5) He is very generous to the wrong causes. The itemization shows substantial donations to the Ku Klux Klan and the 702 other Active Hate Groups listed by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The overall fact that the candidate refuses to release his tax returns for me translates into “Anybody But Trump!” A significant side benefit is that, in return, Secretary Clinton will release her very expensive speeches to Goldman Sachs.
Bob Longabaugh
Alton Bay, NH