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Gov’t workers rack up $29 billion in credit card charges
www.humanevents.com ^ | 6/5/2013 | MD Kittle

Posted on 06/05/2013 10:18:22 AM PDT by kimtom

(article photo)

MADISON — There was, arguably, an important overlooked point in an audit last week that showed the Internal Revenue Services’ “lack of aggressive steps” in addressing misuse of government-issued credit cards IRS employees use when traveling.

Almost a side note in the report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration was the fact that in fiscal 2011 the IRS travel card program had issued about 52,000 individually billed travel card accounts. That’s more than one card for every two IRS employees, a workforce that totaled 97,717 staffers at the end of 2012.

The first question: Why does the IRS need so many credit cards? At a total of $121 million in related charges in fiscal 2011, that’s a lot of travel on the taxpayer’s dime – much of which was spent auditing taxpayers.

In responding to Wisconsin Reporter’s question, the IRS sent out the same statement it had sent to media et al., concerning the Treasury Inspector General’s latest audit.

“As the report indicates, the IRS’s travel card program controls are generally effective with delinquency rates below one percent,” the agency stated. “Though the vast majority of cardholders used their travel cards in an appropriate manner and paid their bills on time, the IRS appreciates TIGTA’s recommendations and we have already implemented a number of them, including monitoring daily ATM limits. We are working to improve our controls and appreciate ........

(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: corruption; creditcard; fraud; irs; irsscandal; irsscandals; sourcetitlenoturl; waste
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....and who spends the money and who gets the money?
1 posted on 06/05/2013 10:18:22 AM PDT by kimtom
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To: kimtom; maggief; penelopesire; SE Mom; thouworm

Want to see copies of the statements!


2 posted on 06/05/2013 10:22:32 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Obama: "Born in Kenya" Lying now or then!)
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To: kimtom

I think this means that we are on the brink of a new form of tax system!


3 posted on 06/05/2013 10:24:48 AM PDT by PATRIOT1876 (The only crimes that are 100% preventable are crimes committed by illegal aliens)
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To: kimtom

More than most countries spend on defense. Enough to eradicate malaria world-wide. Probably enough to build a specially-adapted home for every disabled and wounded veteran in the United States. Good thing we’re rich, huh?


4 posted on 06/05/2013 10:25:39 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I'll raise $2million for Sarah Palin's next run. What'll you do?)
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To: kimtom

No credit cards for government workers. No travel except for the FBI. White Hut travel allowance cut 90%.

No treasury department funded health care, meals, cafeteria, haircuts, NOTHING!

These people are unmitigated bastards!


5 posted on 06/05/2013 10:25:55 AM PDT by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: PATRIOT1876

The IRS needs to pursued like the dangerous animal it is to the point of extinction.


6 posted on 06/05/2013 10:26:51 AM PDT by IbJensen (Liberals are like Slinkies, good for nothing, but you smile as you push them down the stairs.)
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To: kimtom

Doing important business such as this: IRS visits Sacramento carwash in pursuit of 4 cents http://forums.officer.com/t142661/


7 posted on 06/05/2013 10:28:06 AM PDT by Rusty0604
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
“..than most countries spend on defense. ...”

good points

How easy it is to spend someone Else’s money

8 posted on 06/05/2013 10:29:39 AM PDT by kimtom (USA ; Freedom is not Free)
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To: kimtom
We are working to improve...

Just as "we are looking into it"

"We are deeply concerned"

"make no mistake we are monitoring the situation"

"We won't rest until..."

Just getting damn sick of the constant excuse making, efforts promised, and NOTHING EVER done as we circle the toilet drain collectively!!

9 posted on 06/05/2013 10:34:35 AM PDT by EGPWS (Trust in God, question everyone else)
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To: kimtom
... including monitoring daily ATM limits ...

They can use a travel card at an ATM? I thought when one was traveling you charged expenses to leave an audit trail.

Back when I had a travel card at work you didn't get reimbursed without submitting appropriate receipts. We also had to pay the credit card bill on time, even if the reimbursement check was late.

10 posted on 06/05/2013 10:35:32 AM PDT by ken in texas (The Obama Excuse: They never told me and I didn't ask.)
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To: EGPWS

We could start a drinking game using these phrases . . similar to BS Bingo. I’m not sure my liver would approve though.


11 posted on 06/05/2013 10:42:43 AM PDT by BipolarBob
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To: hoosiermama

52000 cards and 121 million is about 2300 per. Could be 520000 statements.


12 posted on 06/05/2013 10:43:19 AM PDT by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
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To: kimtom
I heard something the other day about some IRS hack having stayed for a week or so in a $3500/night hotel room.Good God...I've stayed in hotels in major cities of the world (here,in Asia and in Europe) that were very comfortable indeed (in fact,bordering on luxurious) that cost around $100/night.Just a year or so ago I stayed in a hotel in Honk Kong that I'd literally call "palatial" that was $110 (US) a night.

Thirty five hundred a night? If I ever meet that scumbag I'll spit in his face.

13 posted on 06/05/2013 10:44:47 AM PDT by Gay State Conservative (Leno Was Right,They *Are* Undocumented Democrats!)
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To: IbJensen

RE: No credit cards for government workers. No travel except for the FBI..

Yeah we don’t need all them military types traveling all over the place!! < /sarcasm>


14 posted on 06/05/2013 10:45:25 AM PDT by big'ol_freeper ("Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid" ~ Ronald Wilson Reagan)
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To: IbJensen
No treasury department funded health care, meals, cafeteria, haircuts, NOTHING!

You should have heard "Runt" Paul this morning whining that they can't cut spending because Obama won't let them. I wanted to scream, yes you can. If he believes that they can't cut spending, then I guess we have the king I feared we would if obozo got elected.

I have no confidence in the election process anymore so losing the House and Senate are well within the realm of possibility, in my opinion.

I likely will be dead before the worst of it, but hang on kids you are in for a rough ride.

15 posted on 06/05/2013 10:58:38 AM PDT by itsahoot (It is not so much that history repeats, but that human nature does not change.)
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To: Gay State Conservative

“”...so in a $3500/night hotel ..”

It is the way the launder the money.


16 posted on 06/05/2013 11:16:42 AM PDT by kimtom (USA ; Freedom is not Free)
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To: IbJensen

When “fibbies’ travel they frequently shoot people. Best they be left at home. Then, too, your letter carriers need to deliver. They rarely shoot anyone.


17 posted on 06/05/2013 11:21:47 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: Gay State Conservative
I've arranged smaller conferences at the same hotels where IRS was running larger conferences at the same time. They make arrangements to control entire floors. One conference we were planning needed to be moved up or back a week to avoid the IRS which had rented the entire hotel. BTW, it's easier to change hotels than menus and travel dates.

What all of that means is that if someone does a total audit on IRS conferences going back 10 years they'll find IRS rents an awful lot of roof top presidential suites.

I doubt they actually pay that rate though.

BTW, when you do blocks of rooms you get a meeting room for every so many rooms ~ and that can be competitive if there's another party trying to have a meeting in the same hotel. I doubt we've heard the end of the presidential suite thing but I'd put my money on it being less of a scandal than it's being made out to be.

18 posted on 06/05/2013 11:28:00 AM PDT by muawiyah
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To: kimtom

Just another vehicle by which 0bama escalates America’s drive towards bankruptcy. 0bama’s mantra is ‘spend spend spend!!!.. spend that Sumb!tch into bankruptcy!!!!” I’m sure 0bama wakes up everyday shocked that America isn’t dead yet. Close but not quite there. He’s itchin’ for the excuse to declare Martial Law. Itchin’ like crazy!


19 posted on 06/05/2013 12:39:42 PM PDT by GeorgeWashingtonsGhost
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To: IbJensen

No pensions. RESTITUTION. JAIL.


20 posted on 06/05/2013 1:20:41 PM PDT by FES0844
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