[Bxbhtjnr]

When ideology gets in the way of logic, a lot more is generally lost than won. If this money goes uncollected, it amounts to a bailout for tax cheats. So much for being a nation of laws.

Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/0..._n_847741.html

As part of the budget deal hashed out on Friday evening, lawmakers agreed that no additional federal funds would be used to hire new IRS agents.

Then on Monday, the Government Accountability Office publicly released a study showing that, as of the end of fiscal year 2010, roughly $330 billion in federal taxes had never been paid -- an amount that, if collected, would represent nearly nine times the amount of savings as the budget itself.

The dual developments aren’t shocking. Despite evidence that a single dollar spent on enforcing the tax code could result in up to ten dollars in revenue, politicians, naturally, are reluctant to align themselves with tax collectors. And yet, the sacrificing of funds for IRS agents in the continuing resolution deal underscores a particular problem that seems bound to confront fiscally conscious lawmakers.

“Cutting back on IRS enforcement could easily cost the treasury much more in revenue than it saves,” said Chuck Marr, Director of Federal Tax Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

[tsovimnpb]

Well, that's just stupid. They'll cut funding for law enforcement, poor kids, nuclear waste disposal, FEMA, emerging infectious disease, border security and community health centers, but won't hire people to get $330 billion dollars of our tax money.

Stupid is as stupid does.

[Chooriwrocaey]

And you can't fix stupid.

[juliannamed]

Par for the course lately,