The title of the article reads "IRS to pay $70M in employee bonuses" and goes on to explain that because of our monetary woes and the institution of sequestration that these types of expenditures (of discretionary funds) should be canceled. This according to a directive written by Daniel (Danny) Werfel when he worked at the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Werfel must have forgotten all about that as he is now the acting IRS Commissioner, and is apparently planning to hand out 70 million American taxpayer dollars in "bonuses."
In the State Department I can tell you that we don't get bonuses - even in good financial times. We do have a system to offer awards (accompanied by a monetary component of usually no more than few hundred dollars) to employees who have really gone above and beyond in support of diplomacy. This practice has been suspended until further notice.
Seems we have a case here of rules applying to one, but not the other...which to my mind undermines the principle of equal treatment for all, an ideal integral to what it means to be American.
I also do not think government employees should receive bonuses of any kind. That is more appropriate to a for-profit organization where one's efforts have directly impacted the bottom line and increased the company's profit. Government is not a for-profit organization, or at least it should not be.
But this article begs the question, just what does one do at the IRS to warrant a bonus?
In the State Department I can tell you that we don't get bonuses - even in good financial times. We do have a system to offer awards (accompanied by a monetary component of usually no more than few hundred dollars) to employees who have really gone above and beyond in support of diplomacy. This practice has been suspended until further notice.
Seems we have a case here of rules applying to one, but not the other...which to my mind undermines the principle of equal treatment for all, an ideal integral to what it means to be American.
I also do not think government employees should receive bonuses of any kind. That is more appropriate to a for-profit organization where one's efforts have directly impacted the bottom line and increased the company's profit. Government is not a for-profit organization, or at least it should not be.
But this article begs the question, just what does one do at the IRS to warrant a bonus?
