I am always nervous, questioning my own beliefs, when I find myself in agreement with editorial stands taken by writers in The New York Times. Today I found myself in that unusual posture not just once, but twice.
Obama & Moral Duplicity
In a column entitled "America's Quest to Collect Taxes Abroad," Times columnists finally came close to being correct about what Obama is doing to Americans right to employ tax havens, to wit:
"The United States claims the moral high ground on taxes. But to some foreigners the combination of a crusade against foreign tax havens and the insistence that overseas companies help with American tax collection shows 'breathtaking moral duplicity.' Those were the words of Wegelin & Company, a Swiss private bank, as it pulled out of the United States. Not everyone would go that far. But Julius Baer, another Swiss bank, said it could live without American clients, and Lloyds Banking Group in Britain has started ditching some as well."
More Obama Promises Broken
And on The Times editorial page, in the lead entitled "Patriot Act Excesses" it was rightfully suggested that as the it considers renewal of parts of the patently unconstitutional PATRIOT Act, "That should be a chance for Congress to give serious consideration to curtailing some of the excessive powers it granted to the executive branch during the Bush years — without enough consideration in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 and later."
Obama repeatedly attack the PATRIOT Act and called for its revision as a candidate -- and immediately abandoned that stance once elected.
Instead of serious consideration, before today was over, the Senate Judiciary Committee, (where reportedly White House aides were working with so-called "conservative" Republicans), had thwarted most attempts by Democrats to restore the civil liberties Bush's PATRIOT Act destroyed.
Strange bed fellows, indeed! (For a copy of my newly revised PATRIOT Act Report, click here).
On to Washington!
But the surprise is that Bob Bauman is going back to Washington -- not in any official capacity this time, but rather to speak at a meeting on Tuesday, October 20th, at the Cato Institute, the important topic being: "The Case for Tax Competition, Fiscal Sovereignty, and Financial Privacy."
His Serene Highness
Other speakers include H.S.H. Prince Michael von und zu Liechtenstein (right); my former House colleague, Hon. Dick Armey of Texas, chairman of Freedom Works and former Republican Majority leader, U.S. House of Representatives; Bruce Zagaris, partner, Berliner, Corcoran & Rowe; Anthony Travers, chairman of the Cayman Islands Financial Services Association, and tax haven expert, Professor Richard Teather, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom, among others.
I would be pleased to see you there - from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Tuesday, October 20th, at the Cato Institute. Click here for information and registration. All are welcome.
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