In the last 12 years, congress has cut the Internal Revenue Services’ budget by 20 percent. The much-maligned government agency charged with collecting taxes has struggled to keep up with Americans trying to file their taxes, answering fewer than 10 percent of phone calls during the 2021 filing season. As part of Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, the IRS will see ~$80 billion in additional funding, which has led some republicans down a dark conspiratorial path.
In short, they’re afraid that funding to the IRS equates to armed agents kicking down the doors of the wealthy demanding they pay their share, which if I’m being honest, sounds pretty good*. The IRS hopes to recruit 87,000 employees over the next decade, and the Biden administration claims they’ll target rich tax cheaters, rather than increasing audits on the working-class. But historically enforcement against the rich is much more difficult, as they’ll hire expensive lawyers and use tax code loop holes to stay clear of paying what the government claims they owe. I don’t trust Biden same as I don’t trust a roast beef sandwich that’s been sitting on the counter for four days. With that said, I have a hard time believing that anyone making $400,000 a year or less doesn’t need to be concerned about the increased funding affecting them.
*I pray no one reading this is ever visited upon by agents of the IRS, armed or otherwise. That sort of headache should be reserved for people like the Wilks brothers in Texas (see below)
Side Items
Vice published an interesting look into the ‘intersectionality’ of right-wing disinformation, climate denialism, and viral influencers like Ben Shapiro. I wasn’t previously aware of billionaire fracking brothers Farris and Dan Wilks, or their donation of millions of dollars to label climate science fake and reactionary, even hysterical. I haven’t met these guys personally, but it’s safe to say these are some unsavory dudes
The pentagon/pentagram announced yesterday a new initiative aimed at…killing fewer civilians. The action plan calls for fostering a military culture in which soldiers view preventing harm as a core part of their mission. How they’ll simultaneously do this AND dehumanize the brown people they’re killing remains to be seen
WATCH THIS SPACE: A federal judge in Fort Worth struck down a Texas law that prohibits adults under 21 from carrying handguns. That means 18-20 year olds in Texas can now legally carry guns, which in turn means we’re all in serious danger. Have you met an 18-20 year old recently? And from Texas??