Charlie, or "el senador " as he is known by the locals, at his villa in the Dominican Republic
Charles Rangel, champion of the common man, wants to introduce legislation to extend the power of the IRS. Charlie believes that there are far too many tax cheating Americans taking advantage of loopholes in the tax code. He wants stiffer penalties for tax evaders, even for citizens who make honest mistakes on their returns. Really?
The median income for Harlem residents, which are the people Charlie represents, is estimated to be $26,000. And although Charlie is somewhat tight lipped about his own income, Congressional members earn $174,000 a year. Now, that’s not chump change, but Charlie seems to be really good at stretching a buck.
Did Rangel simply forget that he had at least $250,000 in a Congressional Federal Credit Union IRA and at least $365,004 in mutual funds? Did it slip his mind that he owned a villa, ”casita” No. 412 on the Caribbean Sea at the Punta Cana Hotel in the Dominican Republic. He must have forgotten that he earned $75,000 in rental income from the Dominican vacation home that he did not disclose.
He sold a Florida condominium in 2007, but an amended report covering that year makes no mention of that sale. It is not listed on his 2008 financial report. Rangel’s use of several rent-stabilized apartments in an exclusive Harlem apartment building, as well as fundraising on behalf of the Charles B. Rangel Center for Public Service at City College in New York City are also under investigation. I could go on, but I think you get the point. All in all, over $660, 000 dollars in unreported income for the man who oversees our tax structure. LONG LIVE THE KING OF HARLEM !