Sanders shows boring returns
BERNIE SANDERS — bidding to become the first Jewish President — praised Pope Francis and two of his Catholic predecessors in a Friday speech denouncing global greed and the world’s wealthiest 1%.
The Brooklyn-born senator, speaking at a Vatican conference hours after his Thursday night debate with Hillary Clinton, addressed an audience of bishops, academics — and two South American presidents.
A hoped-for meeting with Pope Francis failed to materialize, the only negative on Sanders’ whirlwind swing through Rome.
“At a time when so few have so much, and so many have so little, we must reject the foundations of this contemporary economy as immoral and unsustainable,” the Vermont senator declared.
“Our very soul as a nation has suffered as the public lost faith in political and social institutions. As Pope Francis has stated, ‘Man is not in charge today, money is in charge.’”
Sanders was the lone U.S. presidential candidate asked to address the conference marking the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on social and economic justice.
Sanders, at various times during his speech, invoked Popes Francis, John Paul II and Leo XIII in calling for dramatic economic change.
“The issue of wealth and income equality is the great economic issue of our time, the great political issue of our time, and the great moral issue of our time,” said Sanders.
He was effusive in praising Pope Francis: “His words have gone way, way, way beyond the Catholic Church.” The Democrat/socialist appeared no worse for the wear after a trans-Atlantic flight that followed the Thursday night debate with Clinton in Brooklyn. The two face off this coming Tuesday in the pivotal New York primary. Sanders touched on many of the major themes of his White House run during the Vatican address. “Our youth are no longer satisfied with corrupt and broken politics and an economy of stark inequality and injustice,” said Sanders. “They are calling out for a return to fairness, for an economy that defends the common good by ensuring that every person, rich or poor, has access to quality health care, nutrition and education.”
Sanders was accompanied by his wife Jane and 10 other family members — including four grandchildren.
Pope Francis sent along a handwritten note of apology Friday after a tight schedule prevented the Holy Father from greeting Sanders and some other conference participants.
“I will keep them all in my prayers and good wishes,” the pope wrote.
During the conference, Sanders sat alongside Bolivian President Evo Morales. The South American leader, who did meet with the Pope, presented the pontiff with three books on the coca leaf — the raw source of cocaine. BERNIE SANDERS released his 2014 tax returns as promised Friday — and they’re about as boring as he said they would be.
Sanders and his wife earned just over $200,500 for the year and paid $27,653 in federal income taxes and another $7,903 in Vermont income tax in 2014.
The couple paid an effective tax rate of 19.6% on their federal taxable income of $140,994.
The couple also reported receiving another $46,213 in Social Security benefits, and made charitable contributions totaling $8,350.
Sanders had been under pressure from his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and critics to release his past returns.
“I don’t want to get anybody very excited,” Sanders said during Thursday’s Brooklyn debate. “They are very boring tax treturns. No big money from speeches, no major investments.”
President Obama also released his 2015 returns Friday, showing that he paid $81,000 in taxes on income of $436,000. The Obamas donated $64,000 to charity.