These sorts of things are why my late great Grandfather called the IRS The Assassins" and wouldnt let you call them anything else.
Late last week we learned that the Barack Obama Administrations Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was subjecting conservative non-profit organizations to ridiculous levels of additional extra-legal scrutiny.
IRS: We Targeted Conservative Tea Party Groups With Extra Scrutiny Mistakes Were Made
The Administrations immediate reflex response was to lie about it.
The IRS apologized Friday for what it acknowledged was inappropriate" targeting of conservative political groups during the 2012 election to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. The agency blamed low-level employees saying no high-level officials were aware.
Except just targeting" may not be true.
IRS Accused of Leaking Confidential Tax Documents During Election
Except just during the 2012 election" and just low-level employees" isnt true.
IRS Targeted Conservatives as Early as 2010
Did the Administration tell the truth back then? Not so much.
In (then-IRS Commissioner Douglas) Shulmans responses he did not acknowledge targeting of tea party groups. At a congressional hearing March 22 2012 Shulman was adamant in his denials.
Theres absolutely no targeting. This is the kind of back and forth that happens to people" who apply for tax-exempt status Shulman said at the House Ways and Means subcommittee hearing.
These sorts of things are why my late great Grandfather called the IRS The Assassins" and wouldnt let you call them anything else.
This is one fundamental part of why we who want less government want less government the less government there is the less there is to be used against us.
The IRS is one of the most powerful agencies in the federal government with fearsome powers that the Department of Homeland Security can only dream of having. (Does DHS subject Americans to mandatory annual questioning about their personal lives family arrangements finances business practices travel etc.?)
It has a history of being used as a tool of political retaliation not only by the Nixon administration but at least as far back as Franklin D. Roosevelt. An agency with that kind of power with access to sensitive information on every individual business church charity and school in the country must conduct itself according to the very highest standards. The IRS does not.
So this is great news:
IRS to Hire Thousands of New Agents to Enforce ObamaCare
All of which casts a sinister pall on this:
Obamas Big Idea: Digital Health Records
The better for Big Government to eat you with my Dears. And will the Leviathan contain its overreach to the IRS? Of course not.
The Future of Government Power Grabs? Our Digital Data
Because Congress in many areas hasnt yet addressed the gaping hole of protecting our data from Big Government we are left exposed and subject to hay-yuge illegal power grabs.
Like President Barack Obamas illegal Network Neutrality order. Which gives the government access to the Internets spine and with it every website there is and all the data contained therein….
Like President Barack Obamas illegal Cyber Security Executive Order. The amount of data compiled in Cyber Security execution is massive and Big Government wants at it:
Part of the reason lawmakers have not passed even voluntary cyber reforms is that businesses and many Republicans fear optional measures eventually could become mandatory.
The executive order did not allay those fears… (T)he Republican head of the House Homeland Security Committee expressed misgivings about the policys potential for mission creep.
Another good start" towards ever growing Big Government grabs.
A privacy section in the documents outlines steps agencies must take to protect personal information while carrying out these activities. When private sector information is collected and shared with the government concerns often arise that customer information will be exposed or abused.
Like the Obama Administration shutting down bailed out car company dealerships based upon campaign contribution data. Like local governments in New York turning over for publication gun registration data. Like then-President and First Lady Bill and Hillary Clintons illegally obtained 900 FBI files getting him out of an impeachment conviction.
And now the IRS panoply of assaults.
And does anyone seriously think that all of this is all there is?
Oh and when the Leviathan isnt taking our information its using our coin to purchase it:
Do You Want the Government Buying Your Data From Corporations?
You want reform? Reduce the size scope and sphere of influence of government and they wont have the juice to do most of these sorts of things.