I got diagnosed with exhaustion and dehydration this week.  I’m blaming the IRS.  Thursday I completely lost my mind, tore up my flip-flops (throwing them at the t.v.) and went straight to the brink of death. The Crazy Wagon keeps on rolling this week and I am trying to jump off.  

The Congressional hearing on the IRS Conference Spending featured testimony from Faris Fink, IRS Commissioner and 32-year IRS veteran.  Why he still has his job, is beyond me.

In 2010, the IRS decided to have a “leadership” conference in Anaheim, California to the tune of $4 million.  They made videos, with one spoofing Star Trek, that cost a measly $60,000 and in other instances, IRS employees that attended the conference and lived in Anaheim double-dipped, getting paid to eat in essence. Do you understand why my flip-flops look like they’ve been through the shredder?

January 1^st of every year, I take mental inventory of all that is and has to go on in the upcoming year. Birthdays in January, February, April, May and July…anniversaries, family reunions and weddings. And usually like a bolt of lightning, I remember Tax Day, April 15^th - exactly one month before my birthday. How much do I owe? Where are my receipts? How much did I make last year? The butterflies in my stomach stay there until I get the taxes done which is usually in February sometime. Like anyone else, I’ve had my issues with the IRS, but it never crossed my mind that they were abusing the privilege of counting our money. 

The flip-flop throwing commenced when, during the hearing, Mr. Fink stated that he did indeed, stay in the presidential suite of some luxury hotel.  I run a business. I’ve worked for other businesses. Luxury-anything has never entered the conversation. Along with a picture of some IRS worker sitting in a hot tub during this same convention, it is noted that they “lost” receipts, so $4 million, give or take a few hundred thousand.

I have turned in taxes without the appropriate paperwork, including receipts. And not because I did not have them, but they were not included in the envelope by mistake. Trust me, I paid for that mistake. These clowns, on the other hand, sat in front of our elected officials and pretty much flipped them the finger.  Yes, Mr. Fink apologized, and stated more than once that he felt embarrassed by the whole thing. But really? I apologized and still got fined.

How are we expected to trust these people? Next year Obamacare kicks in full-tilt.  Guess who’s responsible for making sure that it runs smoothly? Yep, the IRS. Are they going to accidentally lose your paperwork and let you slide? 

As far as I’m concerned, the IRS owes me.  They owe me for lost wages (Thursday and Friday), the Excedrin I took, the gas for the trip to my doctor’s office, and the money I spent on Pedia-Lyte (for dehydration).  In all about $400….oh yeah, plus interest, just like they do the rest of us.

All of us are working hard for the few dollars we get. At the very least, the IRS should be able to budget just like we do, keep receipts like we do, and negotiate the best deals they can for everything…just like we do. If not, what are we paying them for?