Tag: IRS

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scandal or skin?

IRSbuildingwashington-redskins-600x361When initially pondering what current event to loquaciously pounce upon today, two events seemed especially notable.  And then it dawned on me how the two, eventually, seemingly somehow fit together…

First, the IRS scandal, as editorialized by USA Today…

As Congress investigates the IRS chicanery, the IRS has responded to a request for emails to and from Lois Lerner, who spearheaded the Tea Party harassment, by saying, basically, that the dog ate its homework.  Or, rather, the IRS claims, somewhat dubiously, that ‘a hard drive crash’ on Lerner’s computer led to the loss of emails to outside entities ‘such as the White House, Treasury, Department of Justice, FEC, or Democrat offices.’  You know, the very people she’s accused of coordinating her harassment with.

With those emails missing, it’ll be harder to prove whether Lerner’s Tea Party harassment might have been at the behest of other wrongdoers, perhaps going as high as the Oval Office itself.  But since government agencies seldom ‘lose’ evidence that makes them look good, reasonable people might suspect that there’s a cover-up going on.  After all, nobody thought that the famous ‘18½ minute gap’ on Richard Nixon’s White House tapes contained anything positive about White House involvement in Watergate.

National Journal’s Ron Fournier thinks that ‘you couldn’t blame a person for suspecting a cover-up.’  No, you couldn’t.  In fact, you’d have to be pretty gullible — or in-the-tank — not to suspect a cover-up.”

And second, Washington’s skin color, also as reported by the widest circulated print newspaper in the United States…

“Unprecedented pressure on the Washington NFL team to change its name reached a crescendo today when the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board canceled six federal trademark registrations owned by the team, ruling that the term ‘Redskins’ was disparaging to ‘a substantial composite’ of American Indians when the marks were granted between 1967 and 1990.

The 2-1 decision by the board does not mean the Washington team must stop using the name but gives opponents of the name another opening to hammer home their contention that the term is a despicable racial slur…

The Washington team retains its federal trademark rights pending appeal. And even if the club loses on appeal, it can continue to use the name, as it has for more than 80 years.  But without federal trademark protection, others could potentially use the team’s name and logos to sell merchandise with impunity, although owners of unregistered marks can still try to protect them through state statutes or common law.  The team has two months to file the appeal.”

The Intramuralist has multiple opinions swirling this day.  On the IRS… do you think if we failed to file our tax returns, we could use the same excuse? … and how good do we feel, knowing that this is the organization set up to oversee Obamacare?   On the Redskins… each of us deserves respect… but aren’t we again applying economic pressure in hopes of making a moral change? … is that effective?

Yes, I, too, wasn’t sure how the IRS & NFL went together — even though both abide in the same state — and then it dawned on me… Politicians and pundits pick and choose what to prioritize, obviously opting for what nets the better publicity.  In other words, they don’t talk about what they don’t want to talk about.

As if on cue, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) immediately, loquaciously pounced upon the Redskins, demanding change, charging the NFL owner with advocating “racism.”  On the IRS scandal, however, according to The Hill, Reid is taking a “wait-and-see attitude,” deferring opinion to others.

Some things we like to talk about — some things we don’t.  On the Intramuralist, we’ll talk about all things… even if they only seemingly, somehow fit together.

Respectfully…

AR

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trust erosion

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Who’s got the courage to stop it?  Who’s got the integrity to stop it?  Who will end the rhetorical spin and thus end the eroding trust we have in government?

 

As said well by CBS host Bob Schieffer on “Face the Nation” in February:  “When government officials insult us with spin they’re doing it on our dime, which is supposed to be used to operate the government, not to hold news conferences to tell us what a fine job people on the public payroll are doing.  As we learned during Katrina, self-serving spin at the first sign of crisis does not help the situation.  It makes it worse.  Because it makes it harder to believe anything the government says.  Real security is built on trust in the government.  That requires truth, which should be the beginning of government presentations, not the fallback position.”

From Katrina to current day, from Republicans to Democrats, our federal government is making it hard to believe anything they say.  They continue to “spin” instead of offer truth and be transparent.  What happened to the realization that truth and transparency are necessary components of integrity?  Do our elected officials have such tunnel vision, that integrity is a willing sacrifice?  Why do so exceedingly many believe in not telling the truth?  Note that this deception takes various forms:  lying, exaggeration, and omission.  Each is an intentional tactic in which the truth remains untold.  Our leaders may not lie, but perhaps they have a penchant for hyperbole.  Maybe they make up their own statistics and facts.  Maybe they are eerily silent.  Maybe they commission their PR people to craft better sounding answers to the most revealing, condemning questions.  Each equates to not telling the truth.  Each is a lack of integrity.

Like many of you, I’ve watched closely what’s happening in the IRS.  This is significant; if the IRS lacks integrity, we all could become victims of injustice — not just the conservative groups the IRS was previously, knowingly targeting.  But no one will tell us the truth.  No one will answer the questions.  People who are paid and elected by the public are not acting with integrity nor forthcoming with answers.  They are only, sadly generous with rhetorical spin.  From the IRS official Lois Lerner who again pleaded the 5th last week to Pres. Obama’s offering that there wasn’t even a “smidgen of corruption” in the process, no one is being transparent with the truth.  Note the following communications by Lerner, who still refuses to testify…

In September 2010, Lerner wrote:  “Ok guys.  We need to have a plan.  We need to be cautious so it isn’t a per se political project.  More a c4 project that will look at levels of lobbying and pol. activity along with exempt activity.”

A month later, in a speech at Duke University, referring to the Citizens United decision, Lerner said the Supreme Court “dealt a huge blow, overturning a 100-year-old precedent that basically corporations couldn’t give directly to political campaigns... The FEC can’t do anything about it.  They want the IRS to fix the problem… Everybody is screaming at us right now:  ‘Fix it now before the election.  Can’t you see how much these people are spending?’ “

Then 4 months later, Lerner wrote:  “Tea Party Matter very dangerous. This could be the vehicle to go to court on the issue of whether Citizens United overturning the ban on corporate spending applies to tax-exempt rules.”

Is Lerner guilty of something?  I don’t claim to know that.

Is the Obama administration guilty of something?  I don’t claim to know that either.

The Intramuralist has not nor cannot conclude that anyone is guilty of something specific.  I do, however, humbly submit that their lack of truth telling and use of rhetorical spin are dishonest.  Such a lack of integrity causes trust in our government to continue to erode.

Respectfully,

AR

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what keeps us from lying?

Too many times we turn off the news in disbelief and disgust.  Sometimes it’s ugly; there’s too much wickedness and wrongdoing in the world, as — save for one ’80’s pop song — most of us realize that heaven is not a place on Earth.

 

One of the more frequent motives for current head shaking is all the lies — or perhaps better said — all the potential lies.  The deceit.  The cover up.  The shifting of blame.  It’s almost robotic that when a person is accused of wrongdoing, they immediately claim responsibility rests elsewhere…

 

He did it.  She did it.  I wasn’t in charge then.  It’s his fault.  Who, me?  I’m a victim…

 

Not only is responsibility immediately deflected, most add an instant reason why another is actually to blame…

 

He doesn’t like me.  She’s out to get me.  He’s too young.  She doesn’t know any better.  They love persecuting Christians.  Bigots, that’s what they are…

 

… like the chairwoman of Louisiana’s Democratic Party, who said last week that much of the opposition to Obamacare is due to the color of Pres. Obama’s skin.  Please.  The Intramuralist read the legislation when proposed.  There is much to be concerned about (i.e. rising premiums, government overreach, care decisions based on cost — such as for the elderly and overweight…), but the concern has nothing to do with anyone’s skin color.  Ah, but lest I digress…

 

My point is that regardless of politics or personally awkward scenarios, there exists a huge potential for deceit.  As we watch the disturbing scandals unfold, for example, within the IRS and Justice Dept., the challenge is that we can’t tell who and when someone is telling the truth.  Friends, don’t let me infer that I believe all individuals are lying; the problem is that we can’t tell if they are.

 

And so we ask:  what keeps a person from lying?  Really.  What keeps us from being deceitful?  What stops us from sharing a little white lie or even a huge fib?  What within us stops us from shifting that blame elsewhere?  … or from just declaring “I don’t remember”? (… the current, least-damaging deceit method — because if we can’t remember, we can’t possibly tell the truth.)

 

Seriously, though, what stops us from lying?

 

It isn’t intelligence.  There is no moral compass automatically associated with intellectual brilliance.  James Frey, author of the autobiographical “A Million Little Pieces,” seemed highly intelligent when he appeared on “Oprah.”  Granted, it was fairly humbling when he had to admit that many of the events in his quite profitable bestseller were intentionally fabricated.

 

What keeps us from lying?

 

A position of power?  No.  The 37th President of the United States, one Richard M. Nixon, put that reason to rest.  Does the lie depend on topic?  Many claimed President #42’s lies under oath were acceptable because “everybody lies about sex.”  Did Pres. Bush lie about weapons of mass destruction?  Did Pres. Obama lie about Benghazi?

 

If we instead suggest that people refrain from lying because of that inner moral compass, I’m not certain that theory holds true either, as a close examination of society quickly depicts morality as increasingly relative.  Many of what was once considered wicked or wrong now seems actually accepted as good and pure and wise.  Friends, don’t misquote me; I am not suggesting that discrimination or disrespect was ever appropriately “considered wicked or wrong.”  My perception is that morality has become so relative that it’s logical to conclude that “to lie or not to lie” will also become a negative manifestation.

 

People lie.  People always have the potential to lie.  Even good people.  Unless we adopt a timeless teaching of truth that doesn’t sway with the winds of society, the potential for each of us to lie will only continue to increase.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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a concerned citizen

Today the Intramuralist shares an interesting observation.  I’ve noticed something.  Put away your partisan hats.  Squelch any innate motive to passionately pounce.  Follow me here…

 

Each of us likes to claim we are honest and full of integrity.  Most of us believe we actually are honest and full of integrity.  But even the person who is not will still stake such a claim.  Sometimes they are aware they are not but they know the claim looks good/sounds good/is good.  Sometimes they are not aware.  And friends, intelligence has zero to do with the awareness of integrity.  As oft repeated amidst these posts, wisdom and intelligence are not synonyms.  I have a son who has Down syndrome, and while he may not score as high on some intelligence tests, he has incredible wisdom.  Wisdom is by far more important.

 

So I continue to wonder why administration after administration stakes the claim that they will be the most ethical… most transparent… and most responsible executors of government.  And I continue to wonder why administration after administration is not the most ethical… most transparent… and most responsible executors of government.  Again, no partisan pouncing; “administration after administration” includes all parties.

 

I am currently concerned about the extent of the Dept. of Justice and IRS scandals.

 

The DOJ privately sought affidavits — signed off on by Eric Holder, the Attorney General  — claiming they needed secret access into phone lines and computers, citing the potential criminal behavior of reporters.  The Associated Press, CBS, and FOX News each reportedly (thus far) were tapped; one reporter’s parents’ phone records were seized; the DOJ cited the reporter as a flight risk.  But there was no criminal suspicion; there was no probable cause; the DOJ unjustly scrutinized them — secretly.   The DOJ acted illegally even though they are supposed to be the administrator of justice in the land.  Questions:  who will be next?  Where else will the Dept. of Justice unjustly act?  Will we know?  Who in the administration knew?  This is alarming.

 

What concerns me as much — and what should unsettle every citizen — even though the DOJ activity is alarming  —  is the overreach of the IRS.

 

After the rise of the Tea Party in 2010, the IRS intentionally targeted conservative groups associated with either the party or 2012 election.  The tax-exempt status of those organizations was either delayed or denied.  Existing group status was upheld.

 

If you are no Tea Party fan, perhaps the overreach concerns you little.  Perhaps quietly somewhere in the back of your mind you’ve thought somebody should keep those rebel-rousing patriots in place.  Therein lies the problem… the fact that some thought it was ok… that our federal government secretly used their power to squelch the citizens’ influence… and the conclusion —  just like the Justice Dept. — that if it’s a conservative group this time, there will be a next time… and it may not be a group you dislike.

 

Back, no less, to what looks good/sounds good/is good…

 

There is no positive way to spin these scandals.  In regard to the IRS, we know that the IRS and White House have known about this scandal for some time.  We know that the two toyed deliberately with how to break this story to the public.  We don’t know exactly who knew what when, as the answers continue to be ambiguous.  The former IRS chief, Douglas Shulman, can’t tell us how it happened…  “I can’t say that I know.”  The acting IRS commissioner, Steven Miller, doesn’t remember who was responsible… “I don’t remember, to be honest with you.”  And Lois Lerner, the director of the IRS division that actually singled out the groups, pleaded the 5th Amendment before Congress yesterday.  She said she didn’t do anything wrong; but then again, she refused to testify.

 

These are seemingly intelligent people, friends — in both the IRS and DOJ — but from our limited perspective, they have not acted wisely.  Their actions continue to be disturbing.  They are not being ethical, transparent, nor responsible.

 

Hence, more questions:  what other motives are in play?  Who or what are they trying to protect?  Are they still claiming to be honest and full of integrity?  Or do they even realize they are not?  “NOT” is the key word.

 

Respectfully,

AR

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the IRS

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