Refunding tax money shows lack of vision for state
Talented corporate leaders provide value to their shareholders by implementing good projects. When corporate managers give back money to their shareholders, either in the form of special dividends or a share buyback, they are essentially admitting that they have a shortage of good ideas or the ability to carry those out. So, what does it say when our politicians want to give back tax money? Are there no projects left that would improve the lives of Georgians that our politicians can identify and carry out effectively? Does the governor have no ideas, or does his administration lack confidence and competence? Most Georgians who pay attention can identify improvements needed on state programs and functions. Perhaps we need politicians with a better vision of Georgia who can enhance the prosperity of its citizens.
HOWARD KAPLAN, ATLANTA
IRS is broken bureaucracy, can’t be fixed with more funding
I appreciated your article on the dysfunction of the IRS. It is by far the most broken bureaucracy imaginable. However, the article didn’t point out that if you have a tax issue or owe money to the IRS, then be prepared to go down a wormhole.
Even if the IRS is not open, they charge you interest and penalties. They miss their own deadlines and continue to charge you. The IRS makes frequent mistakes with the onus put on the taxpayer to correct. Their back-office systems are broken to the point that you never know how much you actually owe. If you contact the IRS, you will have to wait for hours on the phone to get a live customer service rep. And the reps can be extremely rude.
In short, the IRS simply can’t be fixed with more funding. And the idea of giving the IRS more power to intrude in the lives of the average taxpayer is a scary one indeed.
JAMIE WIMBERLY, ALPHARETTA
