Also, they were targeting institutions based on political ideology. Groups critical of the Administration were disproportionately audited, while groups friendly to the Administration were treated more favorably.-It’s also notable that the IRS denied these activities until they were forced to admit to them. Even now, as the full extent of their wrongdoing is unknown, they are announcing that they have “lost” emails from key players in this scandal from the relevant time periods. -This is Chicago-style politics at its worst, and a real discredit to the administration.
@Adrian Snare – When Government works properly they discover (through legal means) violators of laws and regulations and bring them to trial where the accused is entitled to legal protections.
No matter how Noble government officials think they are when they violate our constitutional rights to put the “Bad Guys” in jail; they are still criminals and should also go to jail.
This loss of email is so transparent as to smack of an utter disdain for the taxpayers that pay their salaries. If any company tried to pull this the government would throw the leadership of that company in jail.
We need to do away with the IRS completely and revert to a sales tax, or VAT. The reason the IRS stays in business is because politicians can continue to curry favor with their constituents by tweaking it on their behalf: Republicans with tax cuts and Democrats by soaking the rich. But it is the middle class that is forced to make up the short fall.
Lois Lerner needs to be sent to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law: Document tampering, Lying under oath, abuse of office, etc.
And her trial should send a strong message to any other government crony bent on doing evil in the name of helping their President. This stinks to high heaven.
@PainterArt – I absolutely disagree with you on this subject. You would take us back to the bad old days where Unions, News Outlets (mostly Democratic), and Government mouthpieces would have the only voice in town. We wouldn’t have even heard about this if it weren’t for Heroic Conservative News outlets calling this too our attention.
I don’t think the US Government workers Union or MSNBC would have bothered to mention this to us.
There are plenty who want to have the only say in town. Having the ability to buy a voice makes sure everyone gets to have a say.
The IRS is the most powerful and dictatorial agency, able to take whatever money they want, demand any records they need, and assume you are guilty until you prove your innocence. Barry using them to enforce his ideology is despicable and frightening.
Another Benson gem. We’re still talking about the IRS, instead of the fact that we have idiotic laws that allow political groups to disguise themselves as charities. This is about Tea Party groups that had to wait for tax exempt status, RIGHT? Why are we not upset about people using 501c3 to hide donor lists & write off political contributions?Well done, Conservatives.
@Uncle Joe – The problem isn’t that conservative groups were denied access to government protections offered to liberal groups.
the problem is that the IRS was politicized and allowed to pick and choose winners based on their political bent.
I’m sure you would have been screaming bloody hell if the situation has been reversed.
This can be fixed in two different ways. Either take away the 501c3 rights of everyone (I don’t recommend it but it can be done) or grant it to all groups without “Extra Scrutiny”.
But the Great and Powerful Zero thought he could use the IRS to punish his enemies which sounds vaguely familiar doesn’t it. It was wrong when Nixon did it and it is wrong now.
If those emails were as lily white as President 0 claims they would have been happy to flood the congressional inquiry with all of them. But funny how they got “Lost” when the pressure ratcheted up.
The only way to fix this problem is to do away with the current income tax and move to a VAT or Sales tax. It’s high time we stop singling out taxpayers for extra love from the IRS because they did well. I’m all for raising the price of everything: Food, cars, housing, electricity, gas, etc. by 10% or 12% or whatever the Government feels it needs but on every purchase. This would encourage savings and discourage consumerism. Oh I also think that tax should fall on Stocks and Bonds as well. That would discourage day trading and level the financial playing field for the small investor as well.
Oh and for those of you who say that it falls more heavily on the poor I call BULL#@!%. The guy who spends $1,000,000 in a year pays 100 times what the guy who spends $10,000 in a year.
Gypsy8 almost 10 years ago
What is continually ignored is that the IRS were only doing their job in enforcing the laws regarding the legal use of 501©4’s. And the detractors are screaming – Oh please give us a chance to screw the government out of tax revenue, don’t enforce the laws and the tax code. Why not focus on the wrong-doers rather than playing “gotcha” with those just doing their job?
Cinci Steve almost 10 years ago
Knowing this administrations penchant for snooping……..I really respect and admire the IRS :)
TripleAxel almost 10 years ago
Also, they were targeting institutions based on political ideology. Groups critical of the Administration were disproportionately audited, while groups friendly to the Administration were treated more favorably.-It’s also notable that the IRS denied these activities until they were forced to admit to them. Even now, as the full extent of their wrongdoing is unknown, they are announcing that they have “lost” emails from key players in this scandal from the relevant time periods. -This is Chicago-style politics at its worst, and a real discredit to the administration.
Mephistopheles almost 10 years ago
@Adrian Snare – When Government works properly they discover (through legal means) violators of laws and regulations and bring them to trial where the accused is entitled to legal protections.
No matter how Noble government officials think they are when they violate our constitutional rights to put the “Bad Guys” in jail; they are still criminals and should also go to jail.
This loss of email is so transparent as to smack of an utter disdain for the taxpayers that pay their salaries. If any company tried to pull this the government would throw the leadership of that company in jail.
We need to do away with the IRS completely and revert to a sales tax, or VAT. The reason the IRS stays in business is because politicians can continue to curry favor with their constituents by tweaking it on their behalf: Republicans with tax cuts and Democrats by soaking the rich. But it is the middle class that is forced to make up the short fall.
Lois Lerner needs to be sent to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law: Document tampering, Lying under oath, abuse of office, etc.
And her trial should send a strong message to any other government crony bent on doing evil in the name of helping their President. This stinks to high heaven.
PainterArt Premium Member almost 10 years ago
Don’t disagree with people comments, but the way to solve this is make money not equal free speech.
Mephistopheles almost 10 years ago
@PainterArt – I absolutely disagree with you on this subject. You would take us back to the bad old days where Unions, News Outlets (mostly Democratic), and Government mouthpieces would have the only voice in town. We wouldn’t have even heard about this if it weren’t for Heroic Conservative News outlets calling this too our attention.
I don’t think the US Government workers Union or MSNBC would have bothered to mention this to us.
There are plenty who want to have the only say in town. Having the ability to buy a voice makes sure everyone gets to have a say.
Mike Herman almost 10 years ago
I’m happy to know that the IRS considers 6 months the maximum time period I have to maintain records.
Mike Herman almost 10 years ago
The IRS is the most powerful and dictatorial agency, able to take whatever money they want, demand any records they need, and assume you are guilty until you prove your innocence. Barry using them to enforce his ideology is despicable and frightening.
Uncle Joe Premium Member almost 10 years ago
Another Benson gem. We’re still talking about the IRS, instead of the fact that we have idiotic laws that allow political groups to disguise themselves as charities. This is about Tea Party groups that had to wait for tax exempt status, RIGHT? Why are we not upset about people using 501c3 to hide donor lists & write off political contributions?Well done, Conservatives.
Mephistopheles almost 10 years ago
@Uncle Joe – The problem isn’t that conservative groups were denied access to government protections offered to liberal groups.
the problem is that the IRS was politicized and allowed to pick and choose winners based on their political bent.
I’m sure you would have been screaming bloody hell if the situation has been reversed.
This can be fixed in two different ways. Either take away the 501c3 rights of everyone (I don’t recommend it but it can be done) or grant it to all groups without “Extra Scrutiny”.
But the Great and Powerful Zero thought he could use the IRS to punish his enemies which sounds vaguely familiar doesn’t it. It was wrong when Nixon did it and it is wrong now.
If those emails were as lily white as President 0 claims they would have been happy to flood the congressional inquiry with all of them. But funny how they got “Lost” when the pressure ratcheted up.
The only way to fix this problem is to do away with the current income tax and move to a VAT or Sales tax. It’s high time we stop singling out taxpayers for extra love from the IRS because they did well. I’m all for raising the price of everything: Food, cars, housing, electricity, gas, etc. by 10% or 12% or whatever the Government feels it needs but on every purchase. This would encourage savings and discourage consumerism. Oh I also think that tax should fall on Stocks and Bonds as well. That would discourage day trading and level the financial playing field for the small investor as well.
Oh and for those of you who say that it falls more heavily on the poor I call BULL#@!%. The guy who spends $1,000,000 in a year pays 100 times what the guy who spends $10,000 in a year.