Michelle Malkin » Tax cheat Rangel caught on tape: “Why don’t you mind your goddamned business?”

Tax cheat Rangel caught on tape: “Why don’t you mind your goddamned business?”

By Michelle Malkin • March 9, 2009 06:01 AM

Our intrepid Hot Air TV special correspondent Jason Mattera is back on Capitol Hill! You’ve watched him corner smear merchants Jack Murtha and John Kerry, ask William “Cold Cash” Jefferson for bribe-freezing tips, and roam the Democrat National Convention in an orange Gitmo suit exposing far Left insanity. This time he catches tax cheat Charlie Rangel and confronts him about his mounting ethical and financial scandals.

Charlie Rangel’s message for Jason – and for all you bothersome taxpayers wondering about his shady rental property deals, publicly-subsidized Cadillac, and unpaid taxes:

“Why don’t you mind your goddamned business?”

Because, you damned corruptocrat, you are a servant of the public — not the other way around.

Paging Nancy “most ethical Congress ever” Pelosi. Paging Nancy Pelosi…

(Cross-posted at Hot Air); special thanks to camerawoman Alyssa Cordova

Posted in: Corruption

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#643791

On March 9th, 2009 at 8:41 pm, RabbidSquirrel said:

Unions always seem to be the biggest “Boogie-Man” when people start talking about the Nation’s economy.

Maybe so and that was a good educational essay.

I’ve been a union guy before (not by choice), I grew up while my parents were in a union and Ive done what you have done in a much smaller capacity. I have two close relatives that push for Wal-Mart to be unionized.

I’ve established my position many times here in the past: In general I am opposed to unions but in specific situations I find them of value.

They just hold no value to me personally. I dont see the need that I should have someone else look after my ‘well being’. I dont want someone else to tell me to sign a piece of paper or that I will not get a job. I dont want someone else to know my vote unless I want them to know it. I dont want someone else to negotiate for me. I dont want someone else to tell me when I am going to go on strike.

I can negotiate my own salary and benefits for myself. If I dont have a good enough package, then I train myself for a different career and new employment. Or I can start my own company.

BUT NO ONE TELLS ME IF I AM GOING TO CROSS A PICKET LINE OR NOT. I may find a strike worthy…. or I may not. I make that decision, not a union. Dont call me a scab or not be my friend/co-worker when a strike is over. You can debate your position or you can ask me nicely, but never forcefully or through intimidation try to stop me.

I wont tell someone to not be in a union – so no one should try and tell me that I need to be in a union.

Its all relative
#643797

On March 9th, 2009 at 8:52 pm, RabbidSquirrel said:

Daily life is just one simple SWOT analysis.

Mixed with a little Risk Analysis and Threat Mitigation
#643808

On March 9th, 2009 at 8:59 pm, T-Bone said:

The point is that things are different now. Managers learn in college and on the job the value of employees. They understand the Human Resource Asset model. They see that turnover is costly and impacts the bottom line. Training, hiring, lawsuits, etc are negative aspects of employee turnover. I am not being all inclusive here. Not all managers get it or want to get it. I think that a much larger number of top managers do understand it nowadays than they did in the early days of Unions in America.

There are also a lot of laws on the books from OSHA, to wage & hour, to discrimination that help to protect the employee that were not there in the past. I don’t think it has happened all of a sudden. I think it is still evolving today but huge improvements have been made in management/employee relations. Many, as pointed out by Retfireman, because of the influence of Unions. However, Unions have also created a divide in Management/employee relations. It is certainly more difficult to run a company when you need to get the involvement of another “management team” of Union reps. I can see an instance where their expertise could be helpful but also where their ignorance or differing goals create an obstacle to running the company and make it less competitive in the marketplace. I still think Unions have their value & their place but are not valuable in every place.
#643814

On March 9th, 2009 at 9:07 pm, chapoutier said:

Managers learn in college and on the job the value of employees.

They may know the value of employees (plural), but that does not mean they value the individual employee. Capitalism in its purest form assumes all parties have equal bargaining power to enter into contracts, be it for goods, services, or employment. Now obviously equal bargaining power is more aspirational than realistic, but often times the ONLY way to acheive anything close to equality for the employee is to pool his relatively small amount of power with many others in the same situation.

Of course, this can mean the pendulum swings too far the other way (as seems to be the case with the UAW, at least) but it doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.
#643871

On March 9th, 2009 at 10:36 pm, William said:

Interesting.

Typical Charlie Rangel; smarmy, arrogant, and self centered as usual.

Rangel’s arrogance, condescension, and self righteousness leads to his predictable behavior, and the virtually predictable response.

Rangel did not disappoint.

I doubt that the Democrat Congress will raise a finger to employ any punitive action against Rangel, nor will they want to discuss this “dirty laundry” in public.

Result?

Rangel goes untouched, the people continue to get the thumb in the eye, and the leftists-liberals-Democrats continue to ruin a once great nation at the political-governmental level.

By the way, will Rangel and the Democrats now have us investigaged and harassed for voicing our opinion on this blog?
#644008

On March 10th, 2009 at 3:31 am, GaMidnightRider said:

Mr. Rangel… It is my GOD#$ME business.. you work for me. As I see it you owe me money.
#644024

On March 10th, 2009 at 5:39 am, RetFireman said:

Again, the biggest contribution that Unions make in this day and age is the fear of a non-union shop GOING Union. Suppose that today Unionism was outlawed.If we all woke up today and read that for whatever reason, Congress wrote a law declaring that Unions are illegal and disbanded all Locals throughout the country, making all existing contracts null and void.

Do you honestly think for one moment that these places that either are Union now, or could be Unionized, would still maintain the level of benefits and pay that they are receiving right now?

Do you honestly believe that there is any company/corporation in this country that would VOLUNTARILY give their employees certain time limits for lunches and breaks, offer health insurance, vision, dental? Would they volnteer to set up some sort of retirement that they match out of their own pocket?

Do you believe that GM would keep the current amount they are paying their employees, along with benefit packages if they no longer had to abide by their contracts? If Toyota suddenly no longer had to fear the IAW they would be paying their employees anything above minimim wage?

Do you believe a City would voluntarily pay the wages along with bennies to their Firemen and Policemen? Do you honestly think that if there was no bargaining contract and the IAFF just dried up and blew away one day that a city, county or district would spend the millions of dollars a year on equipment, safty gear, apparatus etc. if they no longer needed to?

To say that owners and management learn n college not to take advantage of their employees and thus will always operate out of compassion and with the goodness in their hearts is nothing but a rosey fluffy cloud view of how the businesses would be run in paradise.

The reality is that none of those things would EVER just happen out of goodness, kindness, and all that.

It is the Unions or the fear of becoming a Union shop that makes these happen. It is the Unions who lobby Congress to make these labor laws that protect the worker.

Ut is difficklt to imagine a world where Unions do not exist, but there are plenty of countries around the world that opperate disgusting businesses with deplorable conditions. I am sure you can find at least one business there that offers all the things you say they would and do not worry about Unions.

No one is permitted to force anyone to join a Union. It is perfectly legal to work here and not have to be a member of a Union and still benefit from the contract that the Union bargained for their members.

There are many careers where you would be damn glad to belong if things go bad or when it comes time for a raise. Just off the top, police and fire would be NOTHING if we had to go it alone.

Again, it is not Unions that are bad. It is the individual locals and National/International executive boards that have become greedy and self-important.
#644025

On March 10th, 2009 at 5:49 am, RetFireman said:

Of course there is always a chance that when uber-Libs come into power, that they could always change legislation and force people to join Unions and word it in such a way so as to get passed the Supremes, or the perfect storm of Uber-Libs in Congress, Oval Office and majority SCJ’s. God help this country should that something happen to enough Justices over the next couple of years. There truly would be no stopping Obama and the Marxists/Socialists from irrevocably destroying this country and turning it forever in the the USSA. Pray daily for the continued health of the Justices and all those keeping us from plunging headlong into the abyss.
#644100

On March 10th, 2009 at 9:34 am, happyscrapper said:

On March 10th, 2009 at 5:49 am, RetFireman said:
Of course there is always a chance that when uber-Libs come into power, that they could always change legislation and force people to join Unions and word it in such a way so as to get passed the Supremes, or the perfect storm of Uber-Libs in Congress, Oval Office and majority SCJ’s. God help this country should that something happen to enough Justices over the next couple of years. There truly would be no stopping Obama and the Marxists/Socialists from irrevocably destroying this country and turning it forever in the the USSA. Pray daily for the continued health of the Justices and all those keeping us from plunging headlong into the abyss.

The bill to stop the confidential vote for/against unionizing is going before Congress today. Obama and all the libs are in the union’s back and front pockets. It is a done deal. We are screwed, and so is anyone who dares vote against unionizing. Forcing employees to vote for the union, Obama style. A huge nail in the coffin of capitalism. More companies moving overseas. Obama is insane. I hate that man.
#644112

On March 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am, NJ-Aviator said:

Why wasn’t this on every prime time and 11pm news program in New York City?
#644175

On March 10th, 2009 at 10:26 am, happyscrapper said:

On March 10th, 2009 at 9:40 am, NJ-Aviator said:
Why wasn’t this on every prime time and 11pm news program in New York City?

You need to ask? It’s called “cover-up for the dems”. They all are culpable.
#645911

On March 11th, 2009 at 3:10 pm, iowavette said:

It would be worse if Rangel was using tax-payers dollars to buy an import versus a Cadillac. Of course my senator drives about a 20 year old Buick, last I knew. My congressman probably drives the equivalent, just like their constituents.