Tax Return Privacy or Congress not paying attention

[DRB]

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/11/22/tax.provision/index.html

Wording in the spending bill passed by the house of representaives...

"Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein."

After the House passed the spending bill, Democratic Senate staffers discovered that it contained a provision allowing the chairmen of the House and Senate appropriations committees, or their agents, to examine the tax returns of any American.

The Senate caught it and subsequently deleted the wording from their version that will now have to be re-passed by the House.

The interesting part is what McCain said

"If there is ever a graphic example of the broken system that we now have, that certainly has to be it. How many other provisions didn't we find in that 1,000-page bill?"

[Echo]

Yeah that quote is classic. How about it's their damn JOB to find that stuff? The fact that it's 1000 pages is not a valid excuse for not doing their jobs IMO.

[fluff]

Yeah that quote is classic. How about it's their damn JOB to find that stuff? The fact that it's 1000 pages is not a valid excuse for not doing their jobs IMO.

You're basically correct but it is extremely hard to read documents written in such circuituous language and remain awake, especially if they are 1000 pages long.

How many bills come before Congress each day?

[Echo]

You're basically correct but it is extremely hard to read documents written in such circuituous language and remain awake, especially if they are 1000 pages long.

How many bills come before Congress each day?
I think this one is important enough to take the time to read through carefully.

These guys are paid public servants, it's their job to do this. Every one of these senators and congressmen has a paid staff to help them.

I still maintain that there is no excuse for them not knowing the content of a spending bill they are voting on.

[Lexx D]

You're basically correct but it is extremely hard to read documents written in such circuituous language and remain awake, especially if they are 1000 pages long.

How many bills come before Congress each day?
That's the problem, almost non of this shyt gets read.

[BigHit-Maniac]

1000 pages for this POS bill?

Good grief. Does that mean that there's a 500 page instruction manual availible on how to use a roll of toilet paper?

[fluff]

I think this one is important enough to take the time to read through carefully.

These guys are paid public servants, it's their job to do this. Every one of these senators and congressmen has a paid staff to help them.

I still maintain that there is no excuse for them not knowing the content of a spending bill they are voting on.

No sh!t - they should all be important enough to be read thoroughly, otherwise who knows what slips through. The point is that there is only so much that is realistically possible. These guys are supposed to be representing their electorate, reading several of these bills at a time, staying up to date with current issues and understanding enough about all the aspects of law, finance and government to be effective. Perssonally I don't think it is possible at all. And that (I think) is the point McCain was making.

[binary visions]

Good grief. Does that mean that there's a 500 page instruction manual availible on how to use a roll of toilet paper?

No, that one was vetoed after it was given to G.W. and he still couldn't figure out how to use the dang stuff.

I agree with Echo on this one.. No excuses for not knowing what you're voting on. I work on a much smaller scale with this stuff every day, establishing company policies and procedures, and people would get bitchslapped by the FDA for saying stuff like, "But it was <xx> pages long! I didn't read all of it before I signed it, how was I supposed to know?"

On the other hand, the fact that the bill is 1000 pages is certainly a problem and should be addressed. There's only so much useful information that can be presented in a document that large.

[Silver]

Does anyone else know how long the Patriot Act was? Stuff like this happens every single day...

[Lexx D]

Does anyone else know how long the Patriot Act was? Stuff like this happens every single day...
Very very long. I started reading it the other day.........i didn't last long.

[JRogers]

Senators and Congressmen aren't paid to read this stuff. They are paid to pay staffers and interns to read this stuff. That's just the way it works and, really, is the only way it can.

[BurlyShirley]

when Im in congress, Im just going to Vote "no" on stuff that's too boring to read.

remember to vote for me someday guys.

[DRB]

when Im in congress, Im just going to Vote "no" on stuff that's too boring to read.

remember to vote for me someday guys.
That's a stance I'd vote for.

[zod]

National Sales Tax please............ (pretty please)

[Skookum]

when Im in congress, Im just going to Vote "no" on stuff that's too boring to read.

remember to vote for me someday guys.
i'd have to run against you....
:p

[TheInedibleHulk]

Yeah that quote is classic. How about it's their damn JOB to find that stuff? The fact that it's 1000 pages is not a valid excuse for not doing their jobs IMO.

These bills are intentionally made absurdly long, and part of the reason for it is to try to slip stuff like this through. If a senator actaully read every bill cover to cover, he would have time to eat, sleep, or vote on the bills. My uncle was on the oklahoma state senate and he would often have a bill with him to work on reading, usually about as thick as a bible.

[binary visions]

These bills are intentionally made absurdly long, and part of the reason for it is to try to slip stuff like this through. If a senator actaully read every bill cover to cover, he would have time to eat, sleep, or vote on the bills. My uncle was on the oklahoma state senate and he would often have a bill with him to work on reading, usually about as thick as a bible.
So, everyone needs to start reading the bills in detail. Once the process of passing bills comes to a grinding halt and/or only the short bills are passed through quickly, things will change. It's not like the country is gonna shut down because some bills can't get passed for a few weeks.

[valve bouncer]

. It's not like the country is gonna shut down because some bills can't get passed for a few weeks.
Doesn't congress have to approve the budget each year in America?

[DRB]

Doesn't congress have to approve the budget each year in America?

Yes every year. But they can and usually do put in place temporary spending measures to keep the government going if the budget can't be approved.