Big Red Car here in the ATX. The Boss is back from Mexico and he is sunburned to a crisp. [Boss, sunscreen even for you.]
So, the Big Red Car was watching the Sunday morning talk shows in anticipation of Super Tuesday.
There was a lot of chatter about tax returns. Tax returns and Mafia connections. The Big Red Car wants to mansplain it to y’all.
Teddy the Cruz
Ted Cruz has gone off the deep end on tax returns and what might be in Donald Trump’s tax returns specifically including the notion that Trump’s tax returns might reveal he had a relationship with the Mafia, ten, twenty, thirty years ago.
Newsflash, Ted, anybody who builds anything in Manhattan buys concrete or disposes of construction waste or deals with labor unions that are or were controlled by the Mafia.
Nothing to see here, move along.
How high rise buildings are built
Here’s the more important thing. When a developer (Trump is a real estate developer) builds a high rise, he hires an architect/engineers to design the project and a general contractor to build it.
These construction professionals have to hold a license. This is a license which real estate developers do no hold and may not qualify for at all.
As an example, when the Trump International was built in 2005, Donald Trump hired HRH Construction to build the project.
HRH, a general contractor, in turn hired subcontractors — such as ironwork companies to install the reinforcing steel and concrete placement and finishing subcontractors to work the concrete.
The concrete finishing subcontractor buys the concrete from a concrete vendor.
Lawyers would categorize these folks as primary contractors (the general contractor) and subcontractors (the concrete finishing company) and materialmen (the concrete supplier).
The developer has a contract “in privity” with the general contractor (HRH Construction in this instance) and no direct legal relationship with anyone else specifically including the concrete finishing company or the concrete supply vendor.
The general contractor has a contract with all of his subs including the concrete finishing company. The developer has no contractual relationship with these subs.
The concrete finishing company has a material purchase order with the concrete supplier/vendor. The developer has no contractual relationship with these materialmen/suppliers/vendors.
Again, the developer — in this instance The Trump Organization — has no legal relationship with the three times removed concrete supplier who was likely picked solely because of his ability to provide the right amount of concrete at the lowest competitive price.
Your tax return
Take a look at your latest tax return and see if you can find the following question: “Have you ever done business with Fat Tony Salerno and his concrete supply company? Even when you had your driveway redone at the lake house?”
You will not find that question as it has nothing whatsoever to do with your income taxes. It is not there.
Ted Cruz is full of ………. concrete ……….when he suggests that there is any connection between Donald Trump’s tax return and Cruz’s baseless and sleazy innuendo that Donald Trump did business with Fat Tony Salerno who had a mythical concrete company.
Check the Big Red Car on this cause maybe there is a question or two that the Big Red Car may have missed and maybe under Obamacare you do have to reveal any working relationships with Mafia members. Could be, right?
Tax returns
Mitt Romney, now an appointed stooge of the GOPe which brought you him and Jeb Bush and losing Presidential elections, has been whining about the presence — actually the “possible” presence — of a bombshell in Donald Trump’s tax returns.
You will remember that Mitt Romney bashed his jaw into President Barack Obama’s fist until finally the voters let him escape on the mercy rule. Mitt was accused, falsely, by Senator Harry Reid of having paid no taxes for ten years. Turned out to be a lie — Harry Reid, get it?
Mitt and Cruz famously a summary of gross income, deductions, adjusted gross income, taxes paid, and effective tax rate. They did no release their entire tax returns.
Bottom line it, Big Red Car
Here’s the bottom line for y’all.
1. Ted Cruz is full of concrete. There is nothing in Donald Trump’s tax return that will ever indicate he was involved with Fat Tony Salerno in any manner. That is not information contained on an IRS tax form.
2. Donald Trump is going to clean up on Super Tuesday and is going to sweep the field in almost every state. Cruz will win Texas but Donald Trump will get his proportionate share of the delegates.
This will position Trump with the Big Mo to take Florida a couple of weeks later. Right now, he owns Florida.
3. In the short term, Trump has absolutely nothing to gain tactically by releasing his tax information and he will not.
4. Ted Cruz is just about finished as a viable candidate.
5. Rubio will lose Florida to Trump thereby ending his candidacy.
So, there you have it, sayeth the Big Red Car. Taxes? Not going to mean anything and Trump will release his when there is a tactical advantage associated with that action.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car and I love income taxes.
I don’t like Trump very much, but really despise people looking in the trash cans to try to take someone down. The US Presidential race is starting to look like a pig race.
http://www.pigrace.com/
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I have known some very well behaved pigs and this crowd is not up to their standards by a long shot. Still, politics is an ugly and hateful business.
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
What’s your opinion of a President Trump?
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Possible but still not a certainty.
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
I meant something else. Let’s say Trump beats Hillary. What does the future hold with Trump as president?
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An obnoxious, bombastic guy who probably delivers on most of his campaign promises and who will never be a charm school grad but likely can get a lot of stuff done.
Likely very good on substance and gets an “F” on style.
You would like to be his heir but not his spouse?
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
Good stuff. A total riot — super funny!
Apparently Romney would have us believe, how can we be SURE there are no bombshells in Trump’s tax returns unless we SEE those returns? How? Moreover, similarly for what’s under his bed, what’s in his clothes hamper, what’s in his medical records, what’s in the center drawer of his office desk, …! How can we be SURE if we don’t look? Gads. What a total BS way to try to campaign.
Then there’s the claim that if Rubio loses FL, then there will be big bucks to have Romney run negative ads against Trump and try to beat Trump in NY, NJ, and CA. So, apparently Romney wants to try again, once again, over again, yet again, one more time, and his tax challenge was his first effort.
I kick myself until my leg and butt are sore from thinking four years ago that Romney was a good candidate. Better than O? Yes, easily. But actually good, as would expect from much of his background? No. In particular, the Romney 47% statement was just brain-dead. And Trump seems to be right, that Romney should have won that election.
Afraid Trump can’t beat Clinton, the Democrats Chosen One
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Taking the personal feeling out of it, I’d focus on these facts.
1. Trump gets to run against two opponents — Obama and Hillary. This, of course, assumes that Hillary is not indicted. BTW, if Trump is President, she probably ends up in jail.
2. Trump gets to summon up the anger against 8 years of Obama and the traditional anger toward Clinton. Remember that Bill Clinton never took a majority. It was all Ross Perot.
3. The entitlement of the Clintons since they left office is only more empowering and virulent.
4. The Clintons can’t rekindle the youth support that Obama had. It is just not polling.
5. Huge trust, integrity gap.
6. The Republicans are seeing a huge advantage in enthusiasm. I went for my annual Election Judge training (Republic District Chair #214) and learned that my district was up 80% in early voting — Republican primary, mind you.
The Dems were flat to trending down. Same precinct.
This district is one that votes 97% come election day.
I checked the early voter names and there are a lot of new names (the neighborhood is transitioning with empty nesters moving and high tech/entrepreneurial illuminati moving in).
7. This enthusiasm gap is going to be huge.
8. The blue collar guy who works with his hands has only real alternative and that guy is the guy who gave the Republicans the Senate and House and Statehouses and Governors’ mansions in 2014. They are even more angry and resolute.
This is an immigration and an economy issue. They are mad at Obama and Trump gets to run against Obama. Stupid Hillary said she was the “third Obama term” one of the truly stupidest utterances ever.
9. We are way too far out to compare negatives but Donald’s are slipping back to earth while Hillary’s are pretty damn stable.
10. I think the VP candidates may make a huge difference. Trump can put away Ohio and Florida if he’s smart. Hell, right now it looks like Trump could even take New York. Have to remember that Hillary has no deep roots in NY as she is a classic carpetbagger while Trump is a “native son.”
For those reasons, I suggest that the science is way far from being settled.
Hillary is not a good campaigner as witnessed by her losing to Barack Obama and her inability to put Bernie Sanders away.
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
> BTW, if Trump is President, she probably ends up in jail.
Or course she doesn’t. Obama hates the Clintons, but he’s “poor”. They’ve got money. He’s got pardons. They’ll work something out. It’s the Chicago way.
nice angle.
Leo won the oscar, republicans nominate a clown, the US finally gets a lady as president and we still read the musings of the big Red car.
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One for four?
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com
u gamble ?
A question I asked today is, is there even one state that Hillary can be sure of winning?
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Ted Cruz tries to divert attention from his evaporating campaign by linking Donald Trump and Fat Tony Salerno, the Mafia concrete supplier, and tax returns.
Huh?
You know that question where the IRS asks you: “Have you bought concrete from Fat Tony Salerno in the last year?”
It’s on page “never happened.”
https://themusingsofthebigredcar.com/lets-cut-the-crap-about-tax-returns-and-teddy-the-cruz/
BRC
https://www.themusingsofthebigredcar.com