OK, here’s my diagnosis – the Dx — and my short-term prescription – the Rx.
First, the Dx …
Of course, the Tea Party and other conservative groups were targeted for political purposes.
Any claim of “efficiency procedures” or “inadvertent error” are simply ridiculous.
Of course, folks high up the food chain were involved … setting the broad mission (with Mob-like deniability) — “punish your enemies” –- and condoning the actions by failing to stop them them when they became well known.
So, what to do?
Here is how I’d get started righting the ship … the Rx:
Step 1: Appoint Rudy Guillani as Special Prosecutor to investigate and prosecute IRS wrong-doing, including – but not limited to political targeting.
Why a special prosecutor?
Well, I’m generally not a big fan of organizations investigating themselves.
This case is particularly prickly since Holder’s DOJ has zero credibility … less when he’s putting the hammer down on his buddy Barack.
Why Rudy?
Hard to ID anybody in government who has materially changed things for the better.
Maybe Rudy gets more credit than he deserves, but he left NYC in better shape than when he got it.
And, he has cred as an aggressive prosecutor.
= = = = =
Step 2: Fire everybody on the org chart’s direct line from the dirty duo in Cincinnati, up through the IRS Commissioner position … and, withhold all of their retirement benefits.
Steven Miller – the defrocked acting commissioner – said during the Congressional hearing last week that he accepts responsibility for the mess.
OK, let’s start there,
Obama took the bold move of making the dude retire 3 weeks earlier than he planned,
Whoop-tee-do.
Let’s put some punitive teeth into that dismissal.
Treat it like a dishonorable discharge from the military: no retirements benefits. Period.
Ditto for the all of the levels of management between the dirty duo and the wingnut commissioner.
Anybody in the line of command – from the first incident to now – gone … with no retirement benefits.
That includes Doug Shulman, the former commissioner appointed by Bush.
He’s gone with benefits. Pull the benefits.
Certainly includes the former head of the not-for-profit group … you know, the woman who got appointed to run the IRS crackdown on ObamaCare scofflaws.
Gone. No benefits.
= = = = =
Step 3: Discontinue all IRS bonuses until the Special Prosecutor completes his work … except, offer reward bonuses to whistleblowers.
I was surprised to see the long lists of IRS folks who routinely get bonuses.
I concede that the bulk of IRS employees are probably good folks just trying to do their jobs.
And, I’d betting there are many who are bursting, ready to spill the beans on wrongdoing around them.
Let’s give them some incentives to blow the old whistle.
Canceling bonuses until the ship is stabilized might coax some folks out of silence.
Keep quiet, and who knows when bonuses get restored.
Step forward and increase the odds of a a speedy resolution.
And yep, I’d offer bonus bounties for honest IRA employees who rat out the org’s rogues.
= = = = =
Step 4: For the duration of the Special Prosecutor’s investigation, have the “National Taxpayer’s Advocate” and the “Whistleblower’s Office” report directly to the Special Prosecutor.
= = = = =
Step 5: Hire a Bluechip consulting outfit to do a stem-to-stern review of the IRS’s organization and procedures.
Most important, have the consultant’s report to the Congressional oversight committee …
Stay tuned.
* * * * *
Follow on Twitter @KenHoma >> Latest Posts
May 20, 2013 at 10:36 am |
Not wanting to sound conspiracy-inspired, but there are enough data points to suggest it is conceivable to imagine of the following:
Step 6: After Blue-chip consulting outfit completes a stem-to-stern review of the IRS’s organization and procedures, numerous Blue-chip consulting outfit alumni are hired to lead the IRS.
Wait a minute – haven’t I seen a similar scenario somewhere before?
McKinsey UK National Health Service
Monsanto EPA
McKinsey Enron
Agro-industry FDA
Wall Street SEC
Am I too cynical?