IRS held expensive conferences, employees stayed in $3000/night suites

[Dan Druff]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ing/?hpt=hp_t2

At a House oversight committee hearing on the issue next week, lawmakers will focus on the August 2010 conference held in Anaheim, California, at a cost of $4 million. Several IRS employees stayed in presidential suites at hotels, the committee learned. Such suites currently cost between $1,500 to $3,500 per night.

Looks like the previous scandal involving the unfair scrutinizing of Tea Party tax-exempt applications is just of several examples of blatant IRS wrongdoing.

Truly gives new meaning to "Your tax dollars at work".

[PLOL]

My Mom worked for a CPA for many years and she said she'd always have companies get state audits from northern states (New York, Ohio, etc) in the winter because the auditors wanted a vacation in Florida while it was cold where they live. So they'd convince their bosses that they needed to audit a company in Florida and that it'd be worth it for them after expenses, even though it almost never was.

[smithbk]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ing/?hpt=hp_t2

At a House oversight committee hearing on the issue next week, lawmakers will focus on the August 2010 conference held in Anaheim, California, at a cost of $4 million. Several IRS employees stayed in presidential suites at hotels, the committee learned. Such suites currently cost between $1,500 to $3,500 per night.

Looks like the previous scandal involving the unfair scrutinizing of Tea Party tax-exempt applications is just of several examples of blatant IRS wrongdoing.

Truly gives new meaning to "Your tax dollars at work".

My mother-in-law worked in the Cincinnati office. She has been retired over a decade, so things have obviously changed a lot there. Back then, according to her, they didn't do anything unless Washington approved. (Also, it was impossible to fire anyone. Even a guy who took a dump on someone else's chair.)

[DirtyB]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

[anonamoose]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

Dropping 80% doesn't mean they're still not over paying for stuff. People find ways around restrictions at jobs all the time. Can't expense alcohol? Don't get an itemized receipt! Want to go to Hawaii? Make it a layover on your next international flight, they have the option on flight websites!

[DirtyB]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

Dropping 80% doesn't mean they're still not over paying for stuff. People find ways around restrictions at jobs all the time. Can't expense alcohol? Don't get an itemized receipt! Want to go to Hawaii? Make it a layover on your next international flight, they have the option on flight websites!

An 80% decrease is huge.

[anonamoose]

Dropping 80% doesn't mean they're still not over paying for stuff. People find ways around restrictions at jobs all the time. Can't expense alcohol? Don't get an itemized receipt! Want to go to Hawaii? Make it a layover on your next international flight, they have the option on flight websites!

An 80% decrease is huge.

Not enough

[Bootsy Collins]

The only suites that I know of that can cost that much are the "signature suites" at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. The taxman must have thought it would be a good time to bond with his kids that he was estranged from at the mouse house.

[big dick]

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...ing/?hpt=hp_t2





Looks like the previous scandal involving the unfair scrutinizing of Tea Party tax-exempt applications is just of several examples of blatant IRS wrongdoing.

Truly gives new meaning to "Your tax dollars at work".

My mother-in-law worked in the Cincinnati office. She has been retired over a decade, so things have obviously changed a lot there. Back then, according to her, they didn't do anything unless Washington approved. (Also, it was impossible to fire anyone. Even a guy who took dump on someone else's chair.)

so some dickhead shit on a co-workers chair?

[anonamoose]

My mother-in-law worked in the Cincinnati office. She has been retired over a decade, so things have obviously changed a lot there. Back then, according to her, they didn't do anything unless Washington approved. (Also, it was impossible to fire anyone. Even a guy who took dump on someone else's chair.)

so some dickhead shit on a co-workers chair?

Standard government worker procedure. My mom works at the VA as a nurse. One of her coworkers assaulted another coworker. Got sent home for the night, was back to work the next night. Week later she stole pills from the pharmacy at the VA. Got a paid week off. Returned and fought the same coworker and got a warning.

[GrenadaRoger]

the irs is currently strapped for money....my wife works there and getting office supplies or laptop repair/replacement is an ordeal, and the IRS can't get the inhouse tax return software used by field auditors to work with Windows7 (they are stuck with earlier versions of Windows) because of inadquate programming staffing--also, for all IRS employees there there's been no cost of living adjustments for the past 2 years, no token performance awards (less than $500 annual an employee earnging one) and the managers are not getting bonuses---right now staffing for the IRS is down 6% for the year as there is a hiring freeze and workers leaving are not being replaced. And there's the sequester requiring 6 days off without pay

its because this debt ceiling is having an impact

what this all means is the IRS will not be able to do as many audits of wealthy individuals or businesses (those are complex and the most labor intensive)--there's an diminishment of tax enforcement occuring with this category of taxpayer

by contrast, the administration of tax collection and auditing against wage earners, the middle & lower income taxpayers, is highly automated--there's been little disruption of enforcement against this class of taxpayers

so here's yet another way the income tax system of the country is not the progressive system it purports to be

[anonamoose]

the irs is currently strapped for money....my wife works there and getting office supplies or laptop repair/replacement is an ordeal, and the IRS can't get the inhouse tax return software used by field auditors to work with Windows7 (they are stuck with earlier versions of Windows) because of inadquate programming staffing--also, for all government employees there there's been no cost of living adjustments for the past 2 years, no token performance awards (less than $500 annual an employee earnging one) and the managers are not getting bonuses---right now staffing for the IRS is down 6% for the year as there is a hiring freeze and workers leaving are not being replaced. And there's the sequester requiring 6 days off without pay

its because this debt ceiling is having an impact

what this all means is the IRS will not be able to do as many audits of wealthy individuals or businesses (those are complex and the most labor intensive)--there's an diminishment of tax enforcement occuring with this category of taxpayer

by contrast, the administration of tax collection and auditing against wage earners, the middle & lower income taxpayers, is highly automated--there's been little disruption of enforcement against this class of taxpayers

so here's yet another way the income tax system of the country is not the progressive system it purports to be

fyp

[Dan Druff]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

What occurred in 2010 is indicative of the entire culture of the IRS.

It's not like 2010 is ancient history. If the excessive Anaheim conference took place in 1988, but just came to light now, you could say, "That was 25 years ago. Most people from that era are gone, and it's a whole different situation at the IRS now."

For IRS employees to be spending nights in Presidential suites on the taxpayer dime is more than just a miniscule issue, and you have to wonder how this sort of thing could have ever occurred. Something was (and likely still is) very wrong with the culture over there. Even if the expenses have dropped significantly in the past 3 years (due to the government budget cuts referenced by grenadaroger), that doesn't mean the problem is solved. It just means that they're temporarily not funded well enough to waste the money that they used to.

I am not sure if the recent Tea Party stuff was politically motivated or just the IRS trying to cut corners, but both of these stories have unearthed serious problems with the organization, and sweeping changes are really necessary.

[Rollo Tomasi]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

What occurred in 2010 is indicative of the entire culture of the IRS.

It's not like 2010 is ancient history. If the excessive Anaheim conference took place in 1988, but just came to light now, you could say, "That was 25 years ago. Most people from that era are gone, and it's a whole different situation at the IRS now."

For IRS employees to be spending nights in Presidential suites on the taxpayer dime is more than just a miniscule issue, and you have to wonder how this sort of thing could have ever occurred. Something was (and likely still is) very wrong with the culture over there. Even if the expenses have dropped significantly in the past 3 years (due to the government budget cuts referenced by grenadaroger), that doesn't mean the problem is solved. It just means that they're temporarily not funded well enough to waste the money that they used to.

I am not sure if the recent Tea Party stuff was politically motivated or just the IRS trying to cut corners, but both of these stories have unearthed serious problems with the organization, and sweeping changes are really necessary.

tip of the iceberg

By Associated Press, Published: June 2 | Updated: Monday, June 3, 3:28 AM

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service, already under fire after officials disclosed that the agency targeted conservative groups, faces increased scrutiny because of an inspector general’s report that it spent about $50 million to hold at least 220 conferences for employees between 2010 and 2012.

The report by the Treasury Department’s inspector general about conference spending is set to be released Tuesday. The department issued a statement Sunday saying the administration “has already taken aggressive and dramatic action to reduce conference spending.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politi...647_story.html

[Avon Barksdale]

And everyone just keeps taking it in the ass, year after year.

Fuck an IRS.

[bukowski72]

Female Head of the EPA given awards for her male alter ego.

Lisa P. Jackson left the EPA last month to take a job with Apple. She also worked for that scumbag John Corzine.

"Richard Windsor never existed at the EPA, but the agency awarded the fictional staffer’s email account certificates proving he had mastered all of the agency’s technology training — including declaring him a “scholar of ethical behavior,” according to documents disclosed late last week."

...In a set of emails released to Mr. Horner earlier this year Ms. Jackson appeared to using the email to pretend she really was Windsor.

Mr. Horner argues that the secondary email matters because it wasn’t clear that EPA was searching those records in response to open-records requests for Ms. Jackson’s emails. Mr. Horner said that EPA didn’t really begin to produce emails from the Richard Windsor account until after he exposed that address."

Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...#ixzz2VAxqzMhf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisa_P._Jackson

[v12cl]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

No link to source?

Seriously though, you are willing to defend the IRS, in any way, shape or form? #usefulidiot

[Dan Druff]

It sounds like somebody fixed the problem years ago-

"Sweeping new spending restrictions have been put in place at the IRS, and travel and training expenses have dropped more than 80 percent since 2010 and similar large-scale meetings did not take place in 2011, 2012 or 2013."

But feel free to focus on old, miniscule shit and ignore the massive issues in front of us.

No link to source?

Seriously though, you are willing to defend the IRS, in any way, shape or form? #usefulidiot

The source was the same article, but that statement came from the IRS acting commissioner, so take it with a grain of salt.

But I do agree that the IRS simply cutting travel expenses 80% since 2010 does not necessarily mean that the problem of criminal excess spending is solved.

Did the IRS get to the bottom of what happened there?

Have they completely restructured the way they spend money on conferences? Another part of the report found that the Anaheim conference had 2,700 employees attending, and that they were all simply given a per diem allowance for hotel and food. (Per diems give employees a fixed amount of money for hotel/food expenses, and what they do from that point is up to them.) While per diems are very common for company travel, it's not correct to do when you have 2,700 employees going to one spot. At that point, you have major negotiation power to get great group rates at area hotels, but instead the IRS just gave everyone a per diem, which became very expensive. I assume the Presidential Suites went to some of the higher-ups in the IRS, who probably weren't on the per diem.

When a scandal like this is discovered, you need to make sure the following action is taken:

1) Get all of the facts.

2) Fire the employees who committed the egregious behavior, discipline the others who contributed.

3) Institute strict new policies to where it cannot occur again.

The acting IRS commissioner saying, "Spending is down 80% since 2010" is not a proper answer to the situation. He also said they didn't hold such large-scale conferences in 2011-2013, but not that they WOULDN'T in the future, just that they haven't.

A proper answer would be, "We have already taken care of this matter interally. We no longer hold large-scale conferences, negotiate competitive group hotel rates whenever possible, do not allow any employees to stay in above-standard hotel rooms on the taxpayer time, and restrict all attendees to those essential to be there. All activities at our conferences from now on will be strictly business-related. We have identified those responsible for these unfortunate excesses, and they have been terminated."

That would be an answer.

I took the current answer to mean, "We haven't done this since 2010 because we haven't had the money, but we've done nothing to address these abuses."

[4Dragons]

B might have some insight into this: I wonder after the '08 election when Monsignor Obama declared that it was forbidden for Fortune 500 companies to have lavish corporate retreats in Las Vegas and those words pretty much dropped the bottom out of LV; how much of the business as a percentage went from private corporations holding events in Vegas to government agencies holding their 'rah rah' sessions in Sin City? It almost feels like Reid gave Obama the ass reaming of a lifetime and the solution was to start holding overpriced, taxpayer funded extravaganzas in LV to replace all of the private money he single-handedly wiped out?

[smithbk]

My mother-in-law worked in the Cincinnati office. She has been retired over a decade, so things have obviously changed a lot there. Back then, according to her, they didn't do anything unless Washington approved. (Also, it was impossible to fire anyone. Even a guy who took dump on someone else's chair.)

so some dickhead shit on a co-workers chair?

Yep. (Sorry, should have said took a dump.) Hopefully the recent budget constraints lead to 80% less excrement in that office.