Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup

By William Teach August 28, 2022 – 9:46 am

Patriotic Pinup David Uhl

Happy Sunday! Another great day in the Once And Future Nation Of America. The Sun is shining, the squirrels are raiding my neighbor’s bird feeder (and looking very pleased with themselves), and I have zero expectations of the Giants doing well, so, no pressure! This pinup is by David Uhl, with a wee bit of help.

What is happening in Ye Olde Blogosphere? The Fine 15

  1. Green Jihad says winter is coming (for electricity bills)
  2. Greenie Watch covers Japan restarting nuclear power plants
  3. Weasel Zippers discusses Biden unable to say who’s paying for his student loans bailout
  4. The Other McCain wonders what time it is
  5. The O.K. Corral covers fighting over a Moon Pie
  6. The Lid discusses Americans having trust issues with the FBI
  7. The First Street Journal covers if Black Lives Matter really matters in liberal cities
  8. Noisy Room notes the Biden admin ignoring human organ trafficking cartels
  9. neo-neocon covers Biden’s newest Iran deal
  10. Moonbattery features NY’s governor telling citizens to move to Florida
  11. Jihad Watch notes lefties getting a Little League game shut down because Christians were there
  12. Gen Z Conservative discusses Texas banning Woke corporations from doing business with the state
  13. Geller Report notes Biden calling Republicans “semi-Fascists”
  14. DC Clothesline discusses the coming wave of lawsuits against those who performed trans surgeries
  15. And last, but, not least, Common Cents Blog notes Republicans leading the generic ballot

As always, the full set of pinups can be seen in the Patriotic Pinup category, or over at my Gallery page (nope, that’s gone, the newest Apache killed access, and the program hasn’t been upgraded since 2014). While we are on pinups, since it is that time of year, have you gotten your Pinups for Vets calendar yet? And don’t forget to check out what I declare to be our War on Women Rule 5 and linky luv posts and things that interest me. I’ve also mostly alphabetized them, makes it easier scrolling the feedreader

Don’t forget to check out all the other great material all the linked blogs have!

Anyone else have a link or hotty-fest going on? Let me know so I can add you to the list. And do you have a favorite blog you can recommend be added to the feedreader?

Two great sites for getting news links are Liberty Daily and Whatafinger.

Read: Sorta Blogless Sunday Pinup »

Posted in Patriotic Pinup | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

NY Times Is Very Concerned That Republicans Aren’t In Perpetual Outrage Over Trump Search

By William Teach August 28, 2022 – 8:45 am

We very much appreciate their concern, however, unlike Democrats, we cannot stay in a state of perpetual outrage, and now it’s the time to let it play through. However, we don’t forget. Like, that the DOJ was concerned about the material all the way back in January, yet, waited till August to ask for the search warrant, then waited 7 days to implement it (paywalled Times article here)

Republicans, Once Outraged by Mar-a-Lago Search, Become Quieter as Details Emerge

In the minutes and hours after the FBI’s search of former President Donald Trump’s residence in Florida this month, his supporters did not hesitate to denounce what they saw as a blatant abuse of power and outrageous politicization of the Justice Department.

But with the release of a redacted affidavit detailing the justification for the search, the former president’s allies were largely silent, a potentially telling reaction with ramifications for his political future.

“I would just caution folks not to draw too many conclusions,” Gov. Glenn Youngkin of Virginia, a Republican, said on Fox News. It was a starkly different admonition from his earlier condemnations of what he said were “politically motivated actions.”

Some Republicans will no doubt rally around Trump and his claim that he is once again being targeted by a rogue FBI that is still out to get him. His former acting White House chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney, said on Twitter that “this raid was, in fact, just about documents,” which he called “simply outrageous.” Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz. and an ardent Trump ally, was on the right-wing broadcaster Newsmax denouncing the FBI as politically biased, though he notably did not defend the former president’s possession of highly classified documents.

But generally, even the most bombastic Republicans — Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, Lauren Boebert of Colorado, Jim Jordan of Ohio — were at least initially focused elsewhere. Greene was posting on Friday about border “invasions.” Boebert noted on Twitter the anniversary of the suicide bombing of U.S. service members at the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. Jordan was focused on an interview with Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook founder. None tweeted about the affidavit.

There are plenty of things to be outraged over. The Times failed to mention what the Facebook issue is, namely, the FBI played political games in warning Zuckerberg that the information on Hunter Biden was “Russian disinformation.” Perhaps Green was concerned that documents show that the Biden admin is still releasing COVID positive illegals at the border. It’s rather important that U.S. service members were killed a year ago due to Biden incompetence, is it not?

And voters are again distracted by Trump in the political spotlight, even as Republicans try to direct their attention toward the economy and soaring inflation when the Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell said efforts to control rising prices would exact pain on Americans.

All of this could mean that enough Republican voters grow weary of the division and drama around Trump and are ready to move on.

We wouldn’t be distracted if the FBI hadn’t performed a dawn raid for what appears to be political purposes, and, come on, Democrats and their pet media haven’t stopped talking about Trump since he left office. Don’t expect Republican voters to move on, though. We can remember everything without the type of never-ending apoplexy Democrats engage in. There are so many issues in Biden’s America that it’s hard to focus on everything, it’s hard to continue the constant outrage. Meanwhile, if you look at the NY Times this morning, all the articles on the Mar-O-Lago raid are way down the page.

Read: NY Times Is Very Concerned That Republicans Aren’t In Perpetual Outrage Over Trump Search »

Posted in Current Affairs, Donald Trump | 50 Comments | Trackback URL

What Does It Cost To Replace A Chevy Volt Battery?

By William Teach August 27, 2022 – 3:00 pm

Anyone think that something like this will freak out the middle and working class folks being forced to get EVs?

A couple things. First, that price is not out of line. It’s kind of in the middle of what the battery packs cost. Second, let’s not forget that the Volt is not an EV, but, a plugin hybrid which has an 8.9 gallon tank. Third, and this is very concerning, they car only has 70K miles. That’s going to cause a lot of consternation in the used market. Who would want to buy, say, an EV coming off lease with 30-36K miles for a hefty price, then look at almost paying for the car again a few years later? And, remember, all those articles about people saving money by going to an EV are talking about keeping the vehicle for 8-10 years. Me, I’ll put on 8-10K a year. Most aren’t me and drive 12-15K a year.

Some Automakers Didn’t Take Climate Change Seriously. California’s New Gasoline Car Ban is Making Them Face Reality

Automakers like GM and Ford were giddy about electric vehicles (EVs) at the Detroit Auto Show back in January 2018, with plans to plow billions of dollars into building zero-emission cars. Fiat Chrysler, on the other hand, signaled they would sit out the transition. “I don’t know of a [business] that is making money selling electric vehicles unless you are selling them at the very, very high end of the spectrum,” Sergio Marchionne, the company’s then-CEO, told attendees at a press conference, according to The Detroit News. Rather than plow money into a rapid electric transition, he said, Fiat Chrysler would remain “technology neutral.”

Marchionne died later that year, and the company—now renamed Stellantis—eventually came around on EVs, rolling out new electrification pledges and concept vehicles. But with California’s move this week to rapidly phase out sales of new gasoline cars in the coming years and ban them by 2035, the business’s prior foot-dragging may have cost them, especially when it comes to meeting near-term targets to sell at least 35% zero-emission vehicles in the state by 2026.

So, essentially, one company was mentioned as being reticent, probably understanding what their customers were looking for and could afford. And, yes, the profit level for these will be a lot higher for the manufacturers and dealers. GM and Ford, especially their dealers, would love to get away from their massive discounts, which often bring the net profit to nothing/small loss (believe it or not, we all often sell cars for a loss. We tried not to discount to more than a $500 “bracket” deal). Selling at a nice profit? Sounds great to me!

American politicians have tried for years to force car companies to make the switch that science demands. Way back in the early 1990s, California attempted to make automakers develop and sell zero-emission vehicles, a mandate that resulted in the launch of the country’s first mass market electric car, GM’s EV-1. But the effort cratered under sustained pushback from the auto industry and the George W. Bush Administration. (snip)

But despite that perceived lack of ambition, California’s new mandate at least puts elected officials in a position of dictating the speed of that electric transition to the industry, rather than the other way around. The state’s gasoline vehicle ban adds a stick to the new economic carrots for EVs passed in the Biden Administration’s recent climate bill—in this case, an up to $20,000 fine for every car sold in violation of the state’s electrification targets. That means not only rewards for companies that took the climate crisis seriously enough to invest early in electric vehicles, but also real repercussions for players like Stellantis that ignored the urgent need for emissions action to squeeze a few more dollars out of their gasoline cars and trucks. And at this stage of the game, with humanity’s chances of keeping the planet’s temperature rise below 1.5°C slipping away, those consequences are long overdue.

This is not really the Socialism module from the Democracy model: this is way to the right in the Authoritarian model, hence, Progressivism is nice fascism. They are doing this for your own good, and controlling the economy, up to and including owning the means of production, with the force of government to make you comply. They will make you buy an EV, and, if you do not want to, well, you can walk, bike, or take the bus, peasant.

Read: What Does It Cost To Replace A Chevy Volt Battery? »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Global Warming | 16 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 27, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is a beach disappearing from climate apocalypse, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Don Surber, with a post on student loan ingrates yawning at $10,000

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

Surprise: Democrats Are Trying To Kill Manchin’s Side Deal

By William Teach August 27, 2022 – 10:30 am

You had to know this would happen even before the “Inflation Reduction Act”, ie, Build Back Better ver. 4, was passed, right? Joe apparently didn’t, or he didn’t care. And some Democrats were trying to kill the side deal immediately after the IRA (great acronym, since it blows things up) was passed. Joe basically sold out West Virginia, and the voting citizens may well remember this when Joe next comes up for election

Democrats clash over Manchin side deal, raising shutdown risk

Liberal lawmakers are pressing Democratic leaders in the House to not include a side deal undercutting environmental reviews worked out with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) in a short-term measure funding the government.

House Natural Resources Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) is circulating a letter asking leadership to separate the Manchin deal out from a continuing resolution that would temporarily avert a government shutdown.

“Don’t attach it to a budget, to a CR, must-pass legislation and therefore take this essential Republican agenda and have Democrats pass it,” he told The Hill earlier this month.

The issue is expected to come to a head in September, when lawmakers return from recess, as Democrats try to secure funding for the government and prevent a shutdown.

How are you feeling about your agreement now, Joe? It wouldn’t be surprising in the least if enough Democrats sign on to spike the Manchin deal

The deal was part of the agreement Manchin made with Democratic leaders as they won his support for their now-passed climate, tax and health care bill.

Under the deal with Manchin, worked out by President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the trio agreed “to pass comprehensive permitting reform legislation before the end of this fiscal year,” which ends on October 1. The provisions are designed to expedite energy and infrastructure projects subject to environmental reviews.

That sets up a potential shutdown crisis if progressives block a funding bill over the inclusion of the permitting reform language and Democrats can’t find the votes elsewhere.

I don’t think it will just be Progressives blocking due to inclusion of the deal. House leadership may simply pull it early.

Grijalva acknowledged that it would likely be difficult for many members to vote against funding the government.

“This is not trying to torpedo anything. This is saying the [continuing resolution] and the budget is critical, yes, but let’s do this other one where everybody is accountable,” he said.

Yes, it will torpedo it. Because if they move it to a separate vote, it won’t get one. Will Republicans be willing to have a “clean” vote on it if they retake the House and Senate? Doubtful. They may have a vote on it, as they would support it, with a bill that kills off parts of the IRA, such as the IRS funding.

Democratic leaders would face a difficult choice between passing a clean continuing resolution and potentially angering Manchin; convincing their own members to shed their environmental concerns and back the Manchin side deal; or leaning on GOP votes to prevent a shutdown.

Do they care about angering Manchin? No.

Read: Surprise: Democrats Are Trying To Kill Manchin’s Side Deal »

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Former Sen Jeff Bingaman Says We Need Both Parties To Fight Climate Change (scam)

By William Teach August 27, 2022 – 7:15 am

The other day is was Joe Lieberman who took this tactic, while also forgetting to mention what measures he’s taking in his own life. Now we have Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) giving it a whirl

Successfully fighting climate change requires the support of both parties

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 contains Congress’s largest investment to date to deal with climate change. It passed without a single Republican vote. Before this, Congress’s most significant effort was in 2009 with enactment of ARRA (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) during the first month of President Obama’s first term. No House Republican voted for the ARRA, and only three Republican senators did.

It wasn’t always this way.

When climate change first appeared on the national agenda the commitment to deal with it was bipartisan. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, President George H. W. Bush stated the U.S. position: “Let me be clear on one fundamental point. The United States fully intends to be the world’s preeminent leader in protecting the global environment. We have been that for many years. We will remain so.”

We’ve also learned quite a bit more about it being a complete scam. Back in 1992 I believed, and back in 1992 people weren’t utter fanatics pushing hardcore Modern Socialist policies on the subject

Before 2010, some Republican members of Congress provided leadership to deal with climate change. In 2003, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.), took the lead in introducing the first major bill on the issue in the Senate. In 2007, three Republicans (Ted Stevens of Alaska, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania), joined me and three other Democrats in introducing the Low Carbon Economy Act. It proposed to set up a cap-and-trade system, but without all the complexity included in the House-passed bill.

Mentioning super squishy Republicans who were always happy to help out Democrats is not the best idea.

But opposition to dealing with climate change became a litmus test for Republicans seeking their party’s nomination in the 2010 midterm election campaigns. In June 2009, the Waxman-Markey cap-and-trade bill passed in the Democratic-controlled House. To defeat the legislation, the Koch brothers, through Americans for Prosperity, worked with others from the fossil fuel industry to galvanize members of the tea party to oppose the bill. They succeeded. The bill died in the Senate in the face of a threatened Republican-led filibuster.

Yes, yes it did become a litmus test. If you want to implement measures that do not increase taxation and fees and cost of living, ones that decrease freedom, liberty, and life choices, yeah, we’re going to oppose them. I’m pretty sure most Skeptic are just fine with moving towards cleaner energy methods…I’ve said many times I am not a fan of coal, and would love to reduce petroleum, which is dirty (not talking about CO2)….and I’m not against hybrids and EVs. I’m against using governmental force. Especially when the people like Bingamen pushing this stuff are a) not negatively impacted because they’re rich, and b) always fail to mention their own actions in their own lives. Bingamen forgets to mention his own.

Much more needs to be done. In Congress Democrats should not be the only ones committed to protecting the global environment. Until Republicans also are willing to support constructive policies to address climate change, our efforts to reduce emissions to stabilize the climate will continue to fall short.

Republicans are fine doing things for real environmental issues. ‘Climate change’ is not one, and, why does it always have to be Republicans who comply? Why do Democrats never have to give something? It’s very much a cult: you must follow our Beliefs or you’re Evil.

Read: Former Sen Jeff Bingaman Says We Need Both Parties To Fight Climate Change (scam) »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Democrats, Global Warming | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

DOJ Releases Some With Black Marks Giving Unknown Rational For Mar-O-Lago Raid

By William Teach August 27, 2022 – 7:00 am

This totally helps, right?

It’s very. very, silly

(Breitbart) The Department of Justice (DOJ) affidavit seeking the search warrant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) raid on former President Donald Trump’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, was unsealed by a federal judge Friday afternoon.

The affidavit, signed by a special agent with the FBI, contends that after reviewing 15 boxes of material that Trump handed over voluntarily to the government, the DOJ determined that classified information had not been stored properly and that there might be more of it at Mar-a-Lago. “The FBI’s investigation has established that documents bearing classification markings, which appear to contain National Defense Information (NDI), were among the materials contained in the FIFTEEN BOXES and were stored at the PREMISES in an unauthorized location,” the affidavit said.

“Further, there is probable cause to believe that additional documents that contain classified NDI or that are Presidential records subject to record retention requirements currently remain at the PREMISES. There is also probable cause to believe that evidence of obstmction will be found at the PREMISES.”

This was so concerning that the FBI took 7 days to raid MOL after the warrant was signed. And they were Very Concerned that some of the boxes were poorly organized. Seriously.

But, my favorite part was about how they were not stored properly. Something which the FBI knew about, and could simply have provided guidance to Trump and his people. There was apparently no need to raid MOL since late January 2021. And there was no need now. If they were that concerned, they could have popped in for a frank discussion on how to store them properly. A dawn raid with dozens of agents toting actual military grade weapons, searching Melania’s closet, making a big show for the news media, it was optics for the unhinged Democrat base

The agent did not personally know that there was defense-related information in the documents with alleged classification marking, but said that “[b]ased on my training and experience, I know that documents classified at these levels typically contain NDI.”

So, the judge signed off based on a crystal ball reading? Oh, more fun

Read: DOJ Releases Some With Black Marks Giving Unknown Rational For Mar-O-Lago Raid »

Posted in Current Affairs, Donald Trump, Joe Biden | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

We Now Know The Perfect Temperature For Your Home, Which Is Bad For ‘Climate Change’

By William Teach August 26, 2022 – 3:00 pm

Is there are reason people need to keep coming out with this stuff? Things like

And then all the “I moved to/visited X and this is what surprised me!” ones. And this

You Can Stop Arguing Over the Thermostat: This Is the Optimal Temperature for Your Home in Summer and Winter

You can officially settle arguments over your home’s thermostat settings—during the hottest and coldest months of the year—for good. We asked two heating and cooling professionals to name the exact temperature your thermostat should read during the summer and winter, keeping in mind comfort, environmental impact, and energy efficiency.

Two!

When the heat of summer kicks in and your home’s air conditioning kicks on, you likely make a mad dash to the thermostat to keep comfortable. According to Michael Lopes, the Operations Manager at Reliance Home Comfort, make sure you’re not tweaking that dial too much on your hunt for cooler air—and, ultimately, you don’t have to. The perfect summer temperature for your home is roughly 70 degrees Fahrenheit. “This is a comfortable temperature for most people, but many things can influence how that feels,” he says—after all, a humid 70 degrees feels a lot different than a dry 70 degrees. (snip)

On the flip side of the dial is winter, which requires us to bump on our heating units. Fournier, however, advises customers to keep their thermostats set on the lower side. “During the winter months, I’d suggest keeping your heating system set at around 68 to 70 degrees,” she says. “This may seem a bit low, but it is ideal to avoid overworking the system to heat the house. If you raise the temperature too much, your unit will struggle to stay at this higher temperature while competing with the cold weather outside, causing unnecessary strain on your HVAC.”

OK. Me, I keep it at 72 in the summer, that’s my comfort level. Because of where the thermostat is, and that my bedroom faces east, the bedroom typically is about 70-71. Winter, I like 69. They also recommend turning the heat down to 65. Heck no, not going to want to get out of bed. Anyhow, you do you. But, of course, there’s something else

According to Lopes, what feels good to you isn’t necessarily best for the environment (or your energy bill). “Environmentally-friendly temperatures are a few degrees different than what feels comfortable,” he says. “Smart thermostats might show you an ‘eco’ or ‘leaf’ icon when you are set to an environmentally-friendly temperature. This reduces energy usage, but you might need to wear a sweater in cold months or keep a fan handy in the summer.”

A recent report from Energy Star, which is affiliated with the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy, affirms this; the company recommends settings that go well beyond 70 degrees come summertime: According to the energy company, 78 degrees is the ideal eco-friendly thermostat setpoint—a number that creeps up to 82 degrees overnight (and 85 degrees if you’re not at home!).

By eco, they mean climate doom. Who wants to bet that most of the ones recommending this do not keep their own homes at these temperatures?

Read: We Now Know The Perfect Temperature For Your Home, Which Is Bad For ‘Climate Change’ »

Posted in AGW Idiocy, Global Warming | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach August 26, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is an area drying up because Other People won’t take mass transit, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Da Techguy’s Blog, with a post on death panels in Canada.

As a sidebar, I do find photos like this rather ridiculous. You’ve gone to an interesting spot, and, rather than enjoy it, the idea was simply to take a sexy selfie, then probably leave.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

IRS Administrator Fails To Specifically Say Those Making Under $400k Will Avoid The IRS

By William Teach August 26, 2022 – 10:30 am

Current IRS Administrator Charles P. Rettig decided to write an opinion piece meant to soothe and convince those making under $400k that they will not be targets of the IRS expansion, but, can’t quite say that they won’t be targets. Don’t forget that in tax cases, you are guilty until proven innocent

IRS sets the record straight: We’re going after tax evaders, not honest Americans: Op-Ed

As the nation’s tax administrator, the IRS plays a unique role in our nation. It can be a difficult job. After all, does anyone really like paying taxes? Of course not. But they’re essential to fund the roads we drive on, the schools our children attend, support our military and so much more. Unfortunately, given the nature of this work and historical stereotypes, the IRS is often perceived as an easy target for mischaracterizations of what IRS employees do — and that’s exactly what’s happened in recent weeks.

The recent debate over providing badly needed funding to the IRS is filled with outright false suggestions about what the agency and our hard-working employees do — as well as how the additional resources will be handled.

The bottom line is this: These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small business or middle-income Americans. The investment of these important resources is designed to support honest, compliant taxpayers. Our investment is designed around a Treasury directive that audit rates do not rise relative to recent years for households making under $400,000.

We all want a fair and impartial system where everyone contributes their fair share, no more and certainly no less. A robust, visible tax enforcement effort focused on high-end tax evaders and those supporting them is a priority. Underpayments by tax evaders shift the burden of operating our great country onto honest, hard-working Americans who follow the law.

Focused on high earners, but, not exclusively on. There’s going to be a whole lot more people making underpayments who make less than $400k, be it small businesses or individuals.

With this new law, honest taxpayers will see badly needed, meaningful service improvements at the IRS. The IRS should be able to answer the phones and process information — including tax returns — in a timely manner. Enhanced IT systems and taxpayer services will mean that honest taxpayers will be better able to comply with the tax laws, ultimately resulting in a lower — yes, lower — likelihood of being audited and a reduced burden on them.

It works the other way, with all those extra employees being able to go through everyone’s tax filings with a fine tooth comb. You’re making $50k a year and blew off filing on the 1099 income of a $700? They’ll find out. Rettig goes through some “falsehoods”, which, really, are mostly just political talking points, including

False Statement: The additional funding will be used to hire more auditors to “shake down” average taxpayers.

Reality: False. Wage-earning taxpayers like firefighters, construction workers, teachers and police officers are among the most compliant taxpayers, given that their incomes come from Forms W-2 and 1099. These resources are absolutely not about increasing audit scrutiny on small businesses or middle-income Americans. Instead, the additional resources will also be focused on large corporate and high net-worth taxpayers to enforce laws already on the books that the IRS does not have enough resources to pursue.

What, exactly, does “audit scrutiny” mean? The IRS doesn’t need to go full bore with an audit, they can simply pull out that fine tooth comb for the small business owner. Don’t forget, a lot of small businesses have gross profits of over $400k a year, but, their net is much lower than $400k. Those large corporations and high net taxpayers have very good accountants and lawyers to make sure they’re in compliance, along with paying as little as they can per the tax code.

False Statement: This new funding will allow overreach by the IRS, putting agents on every street corner and prying into people’s personal financial lives.

Reality: False. This funding will allow the IRS to better serve the nation’s taxpayers — and ultimately meet the critical needs of our country. Our employees care and, like others in government, take an oath to support our country. We take pride in hiring veterans, people with disabilities and people from all walks of life and from every corner of our country. Many of our employees, including myself, are members of a military family. And all of our employees reflect the taxpayers we serve.

An oath like those at the FBI with their differing structure of investigation and justice? How about when the IRS targeted conservative groups? Which they admitted to? Does anyone seriously trust the IRS? Or the government? You can find all sorts of examples when the power of the federal government went after one of the little people, because it’s a whole lot easier than going after the rich and powerful, be they individuals or companies.

A couple of the comments at the article

  • In their eyes, everyone is guilty though because with the myriad or rules and regulations there must be a mistake in there somewhere even if it’s only $1. And they know it.
  • To a hammer, everything looks like a nail. To an IRS agent, everyone looks like a “tax evader”. How about meaningful tax reform instead?
  • With the ridiculous complexity of the tax code, anyone can be a “tax evader”. There are way too many gray areas, especially if you have a small business. They will be going after everyone.
  • This is utter nonsense. Once the IRS system identifies a potential discrepancy they go after everyone, regardless of income. The rich have lawyers and accountants protecting them. The little guy is at the mercy of a typical government bureaucrat.
  • After talking off record to several IRS agents, they laugh at the notion that people make mistakes. Everyone is guilty. They will let you know about an error two years later after penalties have been multiplying without your knowledge. Giving them more power will only make it worse.

That last one is rather important, because those penalties from simple mistakes can turn into serious money. All those extra employees will allow the IRS to find all those minor errors the middle and working class folks made by accident. The IRS doesn’t need you to come in to be audited: a simple letter will do.

Read: IRS Administrator Fails To Specifically Say Those Making Under $400k Will Avoid The IRS »

Posted in Taxation | 35 Comments | Trackback URL
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