Miscellaneous

Grab that cash with both hand and make a stash

To the happy relief of reader Bill W., Hillary has finally released her tax returns. Between 2000 through 2006, along with their 2007 estimates, she and Bubba had a meager income of $109 million. The returns show that they've paid more in taxes than most of the super wealthy, which is good on them, I suppose (in 2005, folks making over ten million paid about 21% in tax, while the Clintons paid an average of 31%, plus they made almost 10% in charitable donations). The bulk of their income, unsurprisingly, came from Billy C, who pulled in thirty million in book income and a whopping fifty mil in speaking fees (he made 352 speeches in 2005, including two speeches in one day which got him almost half-a-million).

Unsurprisingly, folks are now pouring over the data with a fine-tooth comb, seeing what head lice falls out. So far, the focus seems to be on the $15 million Bill got from a Los Angeles investment firm, with folks wondering what Bill has done for the firm's investors (which include the rule of Dubai) to get such a nice chunk of change. Hillary's spokesman says Bill's simply offered investment and funds advice. And some ABC News blogger is trying to make a stink over the fact that they've made loans to family members, although that seems like a whole lot of nothing to me. In any event, we can certainly expect more questions over the coming days, but so far, aside from the big size of the numbers, there doesn't seem to be much of a story here, to my non-accounting trained mind.

Full post as published by Quiz Law on April 07, 2008 (boomark / email).