And then there was this… (from the Associated Press…)
Lois Lerner, head of the Internal Revenue Service that oversees tax-exempt groups, apologized today for the IRS inappropriately flagging conservative political groups for additional reviews during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status.
Lerner said organizations that included the words “tea party” or “patriot” in their applications for tax-exempt status were singled out for additional reviews. Speaking at a conference in Washington, she said the practice was initiated by low-level workers in Cincinnati.
The Associated Press is also now reporting that senior IRS officials were aware in 2011 of this behavior. There are also reports that some Jewish groups were targeted. Wow…
Here is an organization that is by no means supposed to be partisan. And here in their supposed-to-be-nonpartisan existence, they intentionally decided to scrutinize specific conservative and religious groups more. In fact, in multiple cases, groups were asked to provide a list of donors for review, typically a violation of IRS policy. The IRS scrutinized activity based upon any overt, conservative leanings of the supporters. Hmmm… and one wonders why citizens continue to lose faith in government…
More and more government tends to emphasize “think like me.” “Join me.” “Do what I do.” “Refute the voices of those who think differently.” “Reject the two party system.” “One party is always right.” “I am always right.” Friends, one huge, massive, like-minded, political group has never proved nationally beneficial; historically, the accompanying power with a singular massive party leads to corruption and inefficiency, and yet so many still seem to strive for such a dominant arrangement. The partisan admission by the IRS is evidence of such corruption; it is also irresponsible and foolish.
Who asked them to do so? Who persuaded their partisan directive? Who guided them (as the Intramuralitst oft likes to say) to no longer oversee a united state of America?
According to Time Magazine — and a reaction on both the proverbial right and left…
“The IRS has demonstrated the most disturbing, illegal and outrageous abuse of government power,” said Jenny Beth Martin, national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots. “This deliberate targeting and harassment of tea party groups reaches a new low in illegal government activity and overreach.”
The revelation didn’t sit much better with groups on the left. “Even the appearance of playing partisan politics with the tax code is about as constitutionally troubling as it gets,” said Michael Macleod-Ball, chief of staff of the ACLU’s Washington legislative office.
So let me get this straight…
In addition to the known previous functions of the IRS, here is also now the government agency that is responsible for enforcing Obamacare. My sense is that few Americans are aware of this role. Beginning in 2014, this agency will be the one which requires each American to carry health insurance. We will have to disclose our personal identifying health ID number to the IRS — in addition to the nature of our insurance and any additional information the IRS decides to demand. The IRS is the enforcer.
Logical questions here, folks…
How can an agency that has admitted political bias be an objective enforcer?
How will we know the agency is free from continued corruption?
Great questions. I’m unfortunately fearful of the answers.
Respectfully…
AR