Monday, January 11, 2016

The Scam Works Because the Assumptions are True

There is an "IRS" scam that rests on fear of the ability of the federal government to ruin your life over a crime you had no idea you had committed.

Tip to Instapundit.

When I worked for the state legislature, a colleague used to bring in his federal tax newsletter to share the latest outrage of IRS power to basically do what they want regardless of what is written down about what they can and can't do. And he was pretty left of center. It amazed him.

So yeah, the scammers found a rich vein to mine.

The scope of federal power is too broad and runs too deep when that fear is so easy to trigger.

Although respect for rule of law isn't an assumption we can make at the state level, I admit.

How has our governance come to this level?

I've said it before and I'll say it again, it's a fool's game for conservatives to try to tame the growing federal government, which is inherently intrusive and interested in expanding its power.

Better to take every opportunity to prune it back where appropriate.

Which would have a side effect of reducing the pressure the IRS feels to suck in revenue to feed the ever-growing Potomac Beast.