IRS targets Tea Party

[JJ Husker]

OK, maybe I was stretching a bit. I would agree that the more out of line (and considering the lack of a current IRS Director- stupid) response belongs to Rubio at this point. However, I am sure BRB's summary of what is "going to happen" will prove out accurate. That is a safe bet regardless which party is defending and which is attacking.

 

I guess my level of indignation is a bit higher because I don't believe the IRS should be using political motivation in any manner, at any time. It really matters little if the orders were from on high (although that would make it much worse) or not. Hopefully it was just some over zealous low level employees taking matters into their own hands. Color me skeptical but I don't believe that kind of initiative is often found in government employee ranks. Hopefully the extent of this gets brought out in the open quicker and with much less effort than the Benghazi deal.

[carlfense]

I guess my level of indignation is a bit higher because I don't believe the IRS should be using political motivation in any manner, at any time. It really matters little if the orders were from on high (although that would make it much worse) or not. Hopefully it was just some over zealous low level employees taking matters into their own hands. Color me skeptical but I don't believe that kind of initiative is often found in government employee ranks.

We'll see.

[StPaulHusker]

This is bad from a politically motivated aspect but it's pretty far down the totem pole of who I would want the IRS to target if they were going to do this. I would rather they focus on people in Congress that don't pay their taxes. Then once that is cleaned up, go after political groups like this

[StPaulHusker]

Can I say totem pole without offending anyone? Because if there is a more sensitive term to use, I will do that.

[JJ Husker]

This is bad from a politically motivated aspect but it's pretty far down the totem pole of who I would want the IRS to target if they were going to do this. I would rather they focus on people in Congress that don't pay their taxes. Then once that is cleaned up, go after political groups like this

 

I agree but I don't think that job would ever get completed

[QMany]

IRS Didn't Just Hunt the Tea Party: Liberal Churches Also Targets

http://gawker.com/ir...es-al-504685119

[Someone]

OK, maybe I was stretching a bit. I would agree that the more out of line (and considering the lack of a current IRS Director- stupid) response belongs to Rubio at this point. However, I am sure BRB's summary of what is "going to happen" will prove out accurate. That is a safe bet regardless which party is defending and which is attacking.

 

I guess my level of indignation is a bit higher because I don't believe the IRS should be using political motivation in any manner, at any time. It really matters little if the orders were from on high (although that would make it much worse) or not. Hopefully it was just some over zealous low level employees taking matters into their own hands. Color me skeptical but I don't believe that kind of initiative is often found in government employee ranks. Hopefully the extent of this gets brought out in the open quicker and with much less effort than the Benghazi deal.

So, it seems that you are both indignate that some low level employees would do this and skeptical that they would have the initiative to do this. Is 'that kind of initiative" something that you want to see 'in government employee ranks" or not?

 

Often, public employees at the lowest level have a chance to apply their personal bias to any action that requires government approval buy slowing down the process. Most organizations have policies and procedures that prevent such biases from having an effect on the public. On the other hand, there is the IRS.

[StPaulHusker]

This is bad from a politically motivated aspect but it's pretty far down the totem pole of who I would want the IRS to target if they were going to do this. I would rather they focus on people in Congress that don't pay their taxes. Then once that is cleaned up, go after political groups like this

 

I agree but I don't think that job would ever get completed

Wishful thinking.

[StPaulHusker]

IRS Didn't Just Hunt the Tea Party: Liberal Churches Also Targets

http://gawker.com/ir...es-al-504685119

Well now what?

[carlfense]

President Obama on Monday morning called the Internal Revenue Service’s admitted targeting of conservative groups “outrageous” and said he “will not tolerate it.”

 

“This is pretty straightforward,” Obama said at a news conference. “If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that’s outrageous, and there’s no place for it. And they have to be held fully accountable, because the IRS as an independent agency requires absolute integrity.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2013/05/13/obama-irs-wrongdoing-is-outrageous/

[Someone]

Both sides are going to try to make political hay out of it. The Republicans are going to attack and the Dems are going to TRY to poo poo the entire thing and make anyone who is outraged by it look silly.

 

It will be interesting to see how far this goes.

Any examples yet of the latter?

[JJ Husker]

President Obama on Monday morning called the Internal Revenue Service’s admitted targeting of conservative groups “outrageous” and said he “will not tolerate it.”

 

“This is pretty straightforward,” Obama said at a news conference. “If in fact IRS personnel engaged in the kind of practices that have been reported on and were intentionally targeting conservative groups, then that’s outrageous, and there’s no place for it. And they have to be held fully accountable, because the IRS as an independent agency requires absolute integrity.

http://www.washingto...-is-outrageous/

I'm glad to see these comments from Obama. I'll be more glad when they are in fact held fully accountable. But I did find the bolded part extremely funny. Call me cynical but I'm not sure "absolute integrity" should ever be used in the same sentence with any federal agency. Seems like a bit of utopian dreaming in the year 2013.

[carlfense]

Call me cynical but I'm not sure "absolute integrity" should ever be used in the same sentence with any federal agency.

Unless you know people that I don't "absolute integrity" shouldn't be used in the same sentence with any group whether public or private.

[JJ Husker]

Call me cynical but I'm not sure "absolute integrity" should ever be used in the same sentence with any federal agency.

Unless you know people that I don't "absolute integrity" shouldn't be used in the same sentence with any group whether public or private.

 

Good point but I think when the integrity problems occur in the public sector, we have just a bit more right to be upset by them. I don't expect integrity in the private sector but we should be able to have that expectation with federal agencies. Unfortunately, that is where I would least expect to find it.

[JJ Husker]

The report on our local night time news is now saying this problem was not limited to low level functionaries in one branch. They didn't go into detail but seems it goes further up and is more widespread than first reported. Have to wait and see where it goes now.