Time: Sat Dec 13 16:20:38 1997 To: ice@coolmedia.net From: Paul Andrew Mitchell [address in tool bar] Subject: SLS: Rubin 'disturbed' by IRS violations Cc: Bcc: sls, friends, liberty lists References: ... about as seriously disturbed as he was when the neighbor's dog relieved itself on the recently polished chrome wire wheel of Rubin's Porsche Carrera convertible. /s/ Paul Mitchell, Candidate for Congress http://supremelaw.com At 02:23 PM 12/13/97 +0000, you wrote: >From: Mike Moxley >Subject: piml] Rubin `disturbed' by IRS violations > >Rubin `disturbed' by IRS violations > >Associated Press > >Angered by Internal Revenue Service practices that could have led to >taxpayer mistreatment, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin promises strong >action after an agency report found the use of enforcement quotas in the >Arkansas-Oklahoma office. > >``I am seriously disturbed ... that an emphasis on statistical goals and >expectations could have affected taxpayers' rights to fair treatment and >employees' rights to a fair evaluation system,'' he said in a statement >Friday. > >The IRS report was promised by agency officials in September as they >endured searing criticism at Senate hearings. It found the >Arkansas-Oklahoma office's practice of evaluating its agents by the >seizures and levies they made was unfair to both taxpayers and the agents. >It laid the blame for the policy on a ``service-wide climate.'' > >``This is an unacceptable finding and one that demands strong action,'' Rub >in said. > >The IRS, in a statement summarizing its report, found an ``over-emphasis on >productivity'' and that ``the district's goals and performance expectations >are focused heavily on specific statistical targets.'' > >This ``may have caused some employees to make sometimes serious mistakes of >judgment'' and ``take questionable actions,'' it said. > >Rubin did not specify what ``strong action'' would be taken, but he said >steps announced last week by the new IRS commissioner, Charles O. Rossotti, >were significant and ``an appropriate first response.'' > >Rossotti, who took over the agency Nov. 13, announced interim rules >requiring a senior-level review before agents seize taxpayers' cars, homes >or other property for nonpayment of taxes. Last year, the agency made about >10,000 seizures. > >The IRS had already stopped ranking its 33 districts by enforcement >results. With Friday's report, it announced several other steps, including >a requirement that an IRS taxpayer advocate review all cases in which a >taxpayer says a seizure would result in hardship. > >After reviewing the report, Rossotti said he was ``especially troubled >about the emphasis placed on improving collection statistics without an >equal emphasis on customer service and safeguarding taxpayer rights.'' > >The IRS has proved a major political headache for the Clinton >administration this year. It first was forced in response to mismanagement >to suspend the agency's massive project to modernize its computer system. > >Then, after initially resisting, it acquiesced to legislation that would >create an 11-member board, mostly of private citizens, to oversee the >tax-collection agency. The legislation, which also creates more than two >dozen new taxpayer rights, cleared the House, 426-4, last month and is >expected to come before the Senate next year. > >_________________________________________________________ >Michael Moxley The Patriot Web Site: >mmoxley@foto.infi.net http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/6627/ >__________________________________________________________ > > >
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