The Morning Rant: Minimalist Edition

One of the many failings of the Republican party has been its embrace of big business at the expense of the rule of law. Special tax breaks for individual companies, onerous regulation that favors large over small, and a host of other behaviors, all bought and paid for by lobbyists and the Chamber of Commerce and industry groups have conspired to penalize average Americans and small business that is one of the primary drivers of growth in our economy.

The most obvious and disgusting example is the desire of the captive Republican party to open the Southern floodgates and allow unfettered immigration while also giving permanent status to the 10s of millions already here illegally, all in the name of depressing wages and contorting the labor market.

But this is pretty vomit-inducing too. That the IRS doesn't already have simple on-line systems that would allow most Americans to calculate and file their taxes is a pathetic reflection of the stupidity and sloth of government. Add in the craven and corrupt desire of Congress to protect its donor class and we have this ridiculous bill.

Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing. Thank TurboTax.

Last week, the House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., passed the Taxpayer First Act, a wide-ranging bill making several administrative changes to the IRS that is sponsored by Reps. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Mike Kelly, R-Pa.

In one of its provisions, the bill makes it illegal for the IRS to create its own online system of tax filing. Companies like Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, and H&R Block have lobbied for years to block the IRS from creating such a system. If the tax agency created its own program, which would be similar to programs other developed countries have, it would threaten the industry’s profits.

“This could be a disaster. It could be the final nail in the coffin of the idea of the IRS ever being able to create its own program,” said Mandi Matlock, a tax attorney who does work for the National Consumer Law Center.

It is this kind of obvious, blatant and unrepentant unscrupulousness that destroys faith in government. Populism is becoming more and more attractive! Maybe a new term is in order...something that encompasses abhorrence of corporatism in the Republican (and...let's be honest, the Democrat) party and the desire to protect and defend our borders, our culture and the ideals of our government.

National Populism?

posted by CBD at 11:00 AM

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