Full investment disclosure

Discussion in 'Elections & Campaigns' started by Bridget, Jul 31, 2021.

  1. Bridget

    Bridget Well-Known Member

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    I found myself wondering today if the Bidens have stock in the big pharmaceutical companies, such as Pfizer. Which prompted me to wonder if everyone running for office should be required to disclose the names of all companies they have investments/stock in. Not a partisan issue, but seems like voters should be able to see any potential conflicts of interest. Maybe this is already being done and I just don't know about it?
     
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  2. Capt Nice

    Capt Nice Well-Known Member

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    trump wouldn't release his tax records and we're worried about what stocks are owned by the Biden's. What's wrong with that picture?
     
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  3. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    I’m okay with this. We can make it law so every candidate has to release that information or make sure it’s in a blind trust.
     
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  4. Bridget

    Bridget Well-Known Member

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    I am not concerned with tax returns (no matter which party they are from), just what corporations enrich them.

    What is a blind trust?
     
  5. Kranes56

    Kranes56 Banned

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    When a candidate takes all their stocks, bonds, investments, etc. and gives it to someone else to manage. That person in turn makes financial decisions on those investments without the candidates knowledge.
     
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  6. Capt Nice

    Capt Nice Well-Known Member

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    I'd love to know how much money trump owes some of Putini's olegarchs.
     
  7. Hey Now

    Hey Now Well-Known Member

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    Deutsche Bank actually "lost" records re loans to Trump. Go figure.
     
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  8. Monash

    Monash Well-Known Member

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    Firstly while disclosing investments should be mandatory for ALL candidates regardless of party disclosure of tax returns is equally important. This is because for the claims of all candidates from both sides of politics if there is a red flag in those returns (i.e. elaborate tax structures that reduce tax paid to absolutely minimum levels) then it completely undermines all the usual 'poli speak' you get form the candidate in question about taxes being to high, 'concern for the working class' yard yard yarda.... We all know the platitudes.

    So IMO it actually helps filter out candidates who are only there to game the system for themselves. (Note use of the word 'helps' not stops.) Anyway it puts heaps of pressure on the candidate concerned to explain themselves and makes their job of winning office harder. Which is always a good thing.

    Lastly. If I could I'd ban public companies from contributing to Political campaigns unless they first surveyed their stock holders to get a consensus as to which party the majority wanted the money to go to. That or let them to a basic 50/50 split. The former would I know be very complicated because so many shares are controlled by poled funds these days instead of individual shareholders. This means the onus to get a consensus would inevitably transfer across 'down the chain' to the investment and superannuation funds managing those shares on behalf of individual unit holders. So complex yes but I personally detest the idea of boards funding politicians in opposition to my personal voting preferences.
     
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  9. Rampart

    Rampart Banned

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    biden's and harris' financial disclosurtes are on line

    OGE-Form-278e-signed.pdf (joebiden.com)

    trump's are alsp on line. i'm a bit skeptical

    Executive PFD Form OGE Form 278e 2021 draft 01.14.21 clean.xls
     
  10. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Even politicians are owed a modicum of privacy. Stick to knowing about how they do their job. That is important.
     
  11. gringo

    gringo Well-Known Member Donor

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  12. Hoosier8

    Hoosier8 Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Seems strange that many are so concerned about investigating a billionaire President that lost money while in office and donated his salary is more important than congress critters that become millionaires on $174K a year salaries.
     
  13. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Lets do both. All candidates for all federal office disclose tax returns and investment holdings.

    ...aint gonna happen, of course. But it is fun to dream.
     
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  14. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    It would if people stop accepting what nonsense they try to force upon us.
     
  15. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    People love nonsense! Just look up lists of the most popular TV shows :D
     
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  16. Sappho

    Sappho Active Member

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    It's a perfectly acceptable, bi-partisan idea... In Australia, our politician's are required to disclose such things.
    As to Trump, the law went against him and therefore, the tax returns have been or must be supplied.
    I have no idea why you would conflate the two unrelated ideas.
     
  17. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    No thanks. I don't watch television at all. It kinda frightens me that I actually know people that think that stuff is real. ;-)
     
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  18. Darth Gravus

    Darth Gravus Banned

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    Well, we just found out that Rand Paul does....

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/rand-paul-discloses-16-months-030124977.html

    Sixteen months late, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday filed a disclosure with the Senate revealing that on Feb. 26, 2020, his wife, Kelley, purchased stock in Gilead Sciences, a company that produces an antiviral drug used to treat COVID-19.

    Maybe now we know why he was against every measure to slow the spread of the virus
     
  19. MJ Davies

    MJ Davies Well-Known Member

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    Trump is an infallible deity. Biden is mortal. Glad I could help. ;-)
     
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