The next one............... A scandal a minute these days How explain those four Americans killed at this country’s diplomatic post in Benghazi last year? It was the result of a protest that developed into a riot—until it wasn’t. Blaming their deaths on a spontaneous demonstration that got out of hand didn’t fool people for very long, but the administration kept repeating that line. Even though our envoys were killed in a well-coordinated assault by a terrorist outfit. It was such a convenient explanation during a presidential campaign in which the incumbent was claiming he had those evil terrorists on the run. Eventually the party line had to be changed because, to use a Nixonian phrase, it had proven “inoperative.” Then the IRS was caught singling out all kinds of conservative groups for special treatment, and not the favorable kind. A congressional committee keeps investigating that bit of tricky business in an IRS branch in Cincinnati and keeps finding ties to Washington. More to come. You may have heard that this administration has been going after the press too. At first the attorney general said—under oath—that he didn’t know a thing about it and would never contemplate such tactics. Now that his signature has shown up on a legal filing authorizing that kind of witch hunt, he says, well, he didn’t actually prosecute any reporters. Just spy on them, and accuse one of being a co-conspirator and flight risk? Then there’s the under-reported but just as troubling news that the secretary of Health and Human Services—the Hon. Kathleen Sebelius—has been lobbying selected health-insurance companies for donations to help sign up folks for Obamacare. Health-insurance companies she’s supposed to regulate, not pressure. There are more scandals coming out of Washington these days than . . . than there are orange cats in Arkansas. And every day seems to bring another scandal. And another. And another. Have you heard the latest? Or at least the latest as of this writing. There may be four or five more on today’s front page that we’ll get around to once we catch our breath. Not since King Richard (Nixon) or maybe Bill Clinton, aka Slick Willie, have there been so many leads for an inquiring press to follow. Here’s the latest one, at least at press time: The IRS has spent more than $48 million on 225 conferences over two years (from 2010 to 2012), plus a lot for expensive travel arrangements and perks in general. Before we ourselves get audited, let’s stipulate: Conferences are a part of the business world. One has been going on in Northwest Arkansas this week. (Welcome, all y’all Walmart folks!) Doctors, dentists, lawyers, clergy . . . they all attend conferences. Even lowly editorial writers have been known to attend national conferences here and there. Like the one in Little Rock in 2008. The difference: Those folks don’t depend on your tax money. The IRS does. Forty-eight million dollars. According to an inspector general for the Treasury Department, the IRS spent $4 million on one conference alone. That must have been some conference. But all those pricey speakers have to be paid. Not to mention the “event planners,” who collected more’n six figures. (Even though, according to the inspector general’s report, the IRS has its own event planners.) Then there were the upgrades for hotel suites, and of course promotional gifts. Those cost tens of thousand of dollars alone. And drink coupons for the attendees. Cheers! (Those running conferences for thirsty editorial writers know better than to keep the open bar going too late.) To itemize some, and only some, of the more impressive items on the IRS’ expense account: —At a conference for managers in California three years ago, some attendees stayed in rooms that go for upward of $3,500 a night. —The agency spent $50K to produce two videos—one of which teaches attendees how to do something called the Cupid Shuffle dance. Well, sure. Love doesn’t come cheap. —The IRS contracted with 15— fifteen!—outside speakers for one conference. Price tag: upwards of $135,000. Including somebody who got $17,000 for painting pictures of Michael Jordan and U2 singer Bono. Why? To motivate those in attendance. Those IRS people, it seems, require a lot of expensive motivation. Ah, yes, your tax dollars at waste. ^ Cheer up, Mr. and Mrs. Taxpayer. Heads are rolling. Or at least some hair is falling. For some people. Okay, a couple of lower-level workers. Maybe even an occasional Lois Lerner before she takes the Fifth. After the uproar over all this spending, the IRS did look into matters—and it took action. Two officials were put on administrative leave. For accepting free food. At a party in a private suite . . . at one of those IRS conferences. It seems the IRS just won’t tolerate this kind of behavior. The employees were said to have taken $1,100 worth of free food and other items not specified in reports. There, that’ll show ‘em. (Don’t try this at home by taking $1,100 worth of dubious expenses on your next income tax report.) The acting IRS commissioner, one Danny Werfel, said in a statement that the “agency stands ready to confront any problems that occur, hold accountable anyone who acted inappropriately and permanently fix these problems so that such missteps do not occur again.” Missteps? Ever hear of a $48 million “misstep”? Whatever the IRS’ faults, it does have a gift for understatement. As for actually correcting all these egregious, uh, missteps, we’ll be waiting, Mr. Werfel. The whole country will be waiting.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Jun 2013 03:18:36 +0000
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