Sunday Musings

Today's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette notes that "the Chinese government confiscated 8,000 rolls of toilet paper and 20,000 packages of tissue paper that were to be sold during the Chinese New Year and that were adorned with unflattering images of [Hong Kong's] pro-Beijing chief executive." Who do they think they are? The IRS?

I'm really, really glad I don't live in China. I'd wind up in jail for sure.

How 'bout that Brian Williams! He's laying low until the Liar-gate kerfuffle blows over. I'd say his credibility is pretty well shot. I won't miss him, though -- we don't watch the letter networks' national news. There are some good gigs at him circulating around Facebook -- this is one of my favorites:

I've also seen depictions of him at Iwo Jima and with Abe Lincoln, among others. Heh.

The girl dogs have been getting a little pushy when it comes to our snacks:

"Hand over the cheese dip and no one gets hurt."

That's all I've got. I think I might go take a little nap.  See ya.

There's a Whole Lot of Back-scratching Going on in DC

Lest you think that government entities don't "talk" to one another out of some misguided desire to maintain citizens' privacy, allow me to share this little tidbit and disabuse you of that Utopian notion.

Pepper and I are doing a re-fi on Moogie's Manor. Our lender set it up to qualify to run through Fannie Mae (and Fannie Mae is not even a real federal government entity, you understand) for secondary market purposes. To make her happy and feed her enormous ego, one must submit some thirty-odd pages of Application to Miss Mae, including one's most recent tax return.

Here's where it starts getting a little complicated.

Due to some investments and partnerships, we always get an extension to file our 1040s until October. This means the last Returns we have on hand at present are for 2012. Not 2013. Fannie Mae was not happy about this. Even though she has nothing to do with collecting taxes, she wanted to talk to her buddies over at the IRS to be sure we had filed an actual Extension and weren't just slacking and failing to file. She scratches her IRS-Bud's back and they scratch something of hers. I mean, the revenue we pump into the IRS is shared by the whole government, right?

Anyway, there's some silly federal rule designed to protect the privacy of we insignificant citizens, and Fannie Mae isn't permitted to talk to Internal Revenue without the citizen's permission. So, she has a handy-dandy form that the citizen "may" sign that says, in essence, "Sure! You gubmint guys chat about me and share anything about me with one another that your nosy little bureaucratic hearts desire! Live it up!"

Let's stop here briefly to reflect upon the fact that Fannie Mae has nothing to do with collecting or disbursing or determining the amount of taxes that anyone pays. Let's further reflect upon the fact that whether you file your tax returns has nothing to do with whether you can re-pay a loan.

Then let's think about the fact that your loan application will be peremptorily rejected if you refuse to authorize Miss Mae to snoop into your IRS records to satisfy her overactive curiosity and/or to give her ammunition to rat your slacking butt out to the IRS. Even though she has zero to do with taxes!

Did we sign it? Well, duh. (But only after a colorful rant about crony government and Big Brother by my roommate.) Just don't let yourself be fooled into believing that there's a functional firewall among government entities that protects we, the people.

And do not get Pepper started on Fannie Mae. He's been mumbling something about a class action lawsuit.

A Smidgen of This, a Smidgen of That, and a Heapin' Helping of BS

So.  It seems that the Congressional Ways and Means Committee released a few choice internal IRS emails today from Lois Lerner's government account. It would be an extreme understatement to suggest that the content indicates a "dislike" of Conservatives on Ms. Lerner's part. The HuffPo reports:

In one email, Lerner called members of the GOP crazies. In the other, she called them "assholes." The committee redacted the wording to "_holes" in the material it released publicly but a committee spokeswoman confirmed to the AP that the email said "assholes."

Congress and the Justice Department are investigating whether the IRS improperly scrutinized applications for tax-exempt status from conservative groups.

(See also The Daily Caller and The Daily Beast.)

Now, wait a minute. I thought Justice has declined to wade into this scandal. Yep. Justice is dragging its feet, arms, torso, and skull. House Judiciary Committee Chair noted (emphasis mine):

“Earlier this year, unnamed Justice Department officials leaked information to the Wall Street Journal suggesting that the department does not plan to file criminal charges over the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups,” he added. “On Super Bowl Sunday, President Obama stated that there was ‘not even a smidgen of corruption’ in connection with the IRS’s admitted targeting of conservative groups based upon their beliefs.”

I think there's more than a smidgen, a pinch, or a dollop of corruption and malfeasance on the Hill.  There are at least two participants in the communication released today, and it's unlikely that they're the only two who adhere to the opinion so eloquently expressed therein. There's clearly a whole culture of corruption and vengeance in the IRS, and they've already wielded the power of the Revenoors as a bludgeon. Does anyone really think, with a straight face, that the White House doesn't have at least nine fingers in this pie?

But, is it possible that these magic emails (and here I thought all Lerner's emails were lost, or corrupted, or stolen by aliens) will get Justice off the pot and force the appointment of a Special Prosecutor for the IRS scandal?

Unlikely.

Perhaps the media and the White House should be pounding on impeachment for Holder instead of Young President Impotent.

Maybe just a smidgen.

Sage Advice

Dog Days heat has snuck up on us. Mid-90s with heat indices in the 105 range. That makes my brain go into sleep mode.

I can't think about the wave of  "migrants" poised at the border. I can't think about Lois Lerner skulking around DC, dodging a Contempt of Congress arrest warrant. I can't think about that guy who occupies 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. I can't think about the impending robo-call onslaught that's getting ready to crank up for the mid-term elections. I can't think about the colossal number of days we have left before football season. I'm glad I don't have to think about World Cup soccer anymore for four years (seriously, have you ever seen a wienier trophy?). I can't think about Mysti maybe being expecting. I can't think about having to squeeze into a swimsuit next week.

So, I guess I'll just post something amusing that I stole from Facebook:

Heh.

Mr. President, Call Off the I.R.S.!

Home again, home again!

And already emailing the Young President.

It seems that the I.R.S. will tax BP's restitution payments made to those affected by the Gulf oil mess at the same rate as ordinary income. What a nice little windfall for empty government coffers at the expense of people losing their livelihoods, cultures, and property!

Having recently flown over the Gulf a couple of times and personally witnessing the vast expanse of that abomination, I can attest that there is no easy fix on the "horizon" (pardon the unpleasant pun).

And with all the new info we peons get day by day (such as the government was made aware of problems with the Deepwater drill site as early as February of this year, yet took no action), and tropical weather brewing in the Caribbean and Gulf, a certainty is coming into focus: as a region of the United States of America, down here in the Gulf South we're screwed.

Without even getting a teeny weeny smooch. Or even a Value Meal dinner at McDonald's.

So, I'm joining in FairTax.org's mass email effort to ease a little of the pain facing all those folks whose lives have been irreparably damaged: Mr. President, CALL OFF THE I.R.S.!!!

Here's my version of the email template:

Re: IRS Reg to tax oil spill payments: Gulf South v. NYC

The people and economies of the Gulf Coast states have suffered enough because of the catastrophic oil spill, but the worst may not yet have been seen. It is neither
fair nor just that the IRS will now tax the relief checks paid out to residents by British Petroleum.

I begrudgingly accept that the Gulf South isn't as important to you or your administration as the northeast; nonetheless, please direct the IRS to forgo any taxation of these relief payments as was done in New York after the 9/11 attack.

Mr. President, this is the right thing to do for our fellow countrymen.

Please act now to direct that these payments go untaxed so that those who have been so hard hit are not asked to give more out of empty pockets next April 15th.

The magnitude of this disaster justifies this compassionate exception to the rules.

(For clarity, Sir: "com·pas·sion (km-pshn) n. Deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. See Synonyms at pity." Emphasis mine.)

Most sincerely,
MoogieP

You can send yours here, if it strikes your fancy. Let 'em have it!