While facing budget cuts, the IRS nevertheless prioritized worker bonuses, union activity and the implementation of President Obama’s health care law over assisting taxpayers during tax season, according to a new report released Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee.There is nothing in this story that should surprise the experienced observer of bureaucratic behavior. We'd like the agency to keep what we value and cut what they enjoy. Of course they do exactly the opposite.
Standard bureaucratic practice is to cut those things voters will miss most when an agency experiences a budget cut. Why should they suffer when they can push the misery off onto us? Often what they perceive as a "cut" is nothing more than a refusal to allow their budget to rise by the standard growth percentage.
If a business unit tried this ploy the CEO would fire its head and bring in a mean new boss to kick tail and take names. In government this rarely happens, worse luck.
