The IRS Scandal, Day 1013

Kay Bell (Don't Mess With Taxes), Would a Cuddly Mascot Make the IRS Lovable? Not to GOP Representatives Still Looking to Impeach IRS Commissioner:

When you say "mascot" to an American, we immediately think of the characters and creatures associated with sports teams.

In Japan, however, mascots have more expansive, and official, roles. The Japanese are obsessed with mascots that range from happy animals to mutated foodstuffs to saucer-eyed humanoids that promote, according to a recent New York Times article, seemingly every town, business and arm of government in the island nation.

And yes, that includes Japanese tax offices. Osaka Prefecture, says the newspaper story, has two different dog mascots for separate tax departments. ...

Tax mascot for the IRS?  Maybe the IRS should consider getting a cute mascot to improve its image and endear it to taxpayers.

It would make all the agency's troubles go away, as people embraced the mascot and the tax efforts it represents. And IRS Commissioner John Koskinen and House Government Oversight Committee members could just hug it all out.

Or not. Some things truly are lost in translation.

Even though the IRS now faces new oversight rules under provisions in the omnibus fiscal 2016 government spending bill that became law on Dec. 18, 2015, some Republican House members of Congress say they will continue their efforts to kick Koskinen out of office. ... And while there's no official effort on the other side of Capitol Hill to remove Koskinen, some Senators seem to share the sentiment that action must be taken to curb IRS actions. ...

And that level of anger and animosity is not likely to be eased by an IRS mascot or, it appears, anything else.

• The IRS Scandal, Day 1012 (Feb. 15, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1011 (Feb. 14, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1010 (Feb. 13, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1009 (Feb. 12, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1008 (Feb. 11, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1007 (Feb. 10, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1006 (Feb. 9, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1005 (Feb. 8, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1004 (Feb. 7, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1003 (Feb. 6, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1002 (Feb. 5, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 1001 (Feb. 4, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 901-1000 (Oct. 27, 2015 - Feb. 3, 2016)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 801-900 (July 19, 2015 - Oct. 26, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 701-800 (April 10, 2015 - July 18, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)