[dfwgator]

Good! Why should I play by the rules, while others get away with it.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Actually, public humiliation isn't a new idea. In the old days, governments posted the names of debtors in town squares or newspapers.

These days it seems that having one's name published on such a list would be more like a badge of honor than a scarlet letter.

Having one's name published as a child molester, wife beater or deadbeat dad is one thing, but a tax cheat?

It's too bad the zealous government functionaries don't turn their attention toward reducing the waste which raises the cost of government to the point that it causes large numbers of people to cheat on their taxes.

But then this would require honesty in government...

[Ancesthntr]

But privacy advocates are worried that innocent people could show up on the lists, and that it may be hard to get names off lists after folks have paid up.

I can't wait to see the lawsuits that result from the inevitable mistakes. Methinks that these lists will come down very shortly after they go up.

[proxy_user]

This has nothing to do with cheating or tax evasion.

All these people basically agree they owe money, but can't pay right now.

If all debts in this country could be collected immediately, people wouldn't owe so much.

If you want to give them an incentive to pay quickly, charge interest.

[EGPWS]

At least 13 states have discovered a way to get delinquent taxpayers to pay up -- shame.

Somehow I have the feeling that to a willfully delinquent taxpayer, shame isn't going to be an issue.