Things that made you Facepalm today (Political Version)

[Shaps]

I swear to fucking god... can't make this up.. along with the Rail thing they passed on Friday (when they know it's a slow news day because of the weekend)... they also...

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/c...224311100.html

"California approves rule phasing out big diesel trucks"

"New big rigs and buses that run on diesel would not be sold in California starting in 2036, according to new rules approved by state regulators Friday to wean the state off fossil fuels and combat climate change."

"But it's related to standards the Biden administration already approved last month to phase out diesel-powered box trucks, semitrailers and large passenger pick-ups. If the EPA approves California's rule, other states could later adopt the same standards."

Bit by bit...

I'll ask a hypothetical... how do you control a large, widely distributed populous, over a massive geographically varied country?

Just do that as a thought exercise... see what you come up with how you would do it... and get back to us...

But hey... it's only a hypothetical... no conspiracy theories going on... so don't get bent out of shape.

[Shaps]

I'll give you one last (There are thousands of interconnected actions occurring - but I'm not going to do all that work for you), then getting off of here for the day... but let's just see if you can start putting things together...

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/gran...171922111.html

"Granholm supports requiring U.S. military to adopt all-electric vehicle fleet by 2030"

"Energy Sec. Jennifer Granholm says she supports efforts to require the U.S. military to implement an all-electric vehicle fleet by the year 2030, telling lawmakers that she believes “we can get there.”

Few interesting things to glean... but, for those with even a modicum of rationality... this piece of the puzzle should be self-evident.

[Solkern]

Did I say that? Do you really think the IRS needs as many people as the Marines? Stop nitpicking... you know what I'm saying, and I'm getting tired having to point this stuff out.

Fun point... just the other day... can't make this shit up....

https://www.yahoo.com/news/californi...133146333.html

"California takes aim at freight train emissions, bans non-electric train engines"

"The so-called In-Use Locomotive Regulation makes California the first state to tackle freight train emissions which represent just 0.5% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to federal data."

""Locomotives are a key part of California’s transportation network, and it’s time that they are part of the solution to tackle pollution and clean our air," CARB Chair Liane Randolph said in a statement Thursday. "With the new regulation, we are moving toward a future where all transportation operations in the state will be zero emissions."

Interestingly...

https://www.floridarail.com/news/whi...-rail-freight/

"5. California: Rounding out the top five is California with 64 million tons of rail freight loaded annually. The Golden State is the most populous state in the country and has a large and diverse economy. From agriculture to manufacturing, there are many industries that rely on rail transportation in California."

All just a coincidence...

“In terms of hiring, CI hopes to be able to hire 300-350 Special Agents during the course of this entire fiscal year – and we lose between 150-175 agents every year to retirement and attrition,” Cole said. “So even 350 agents would only net us a gain of 150-175 agents over the course of an entire year.”

Wow a net gain of 150-175! The are arming the entire IRS!

https://www.reuters.com/article/fact...-idUSL1N2ZT296

[Parkbandit]

“In terms of hiring, CI hopes to be able to hire 300-350 Special Agents during the course of this entire fiscal year – and we lose between 150-175 agents every year to retirement and attrition,” Cole said. “So even 350 agents would only net us a gain of 150-175 agents over the course of an entire year.”

Wow a net gain of 150-175! The are arming the entire IRS!

https://www.reuters.com/article/fact...-idUSL1N2ZT296

We don't need to spend 80 billion dollars more on the IRS is the point.

[Seran]

I know exactly what it is... it's their CI division. They've always had one... the point is adding 80k+ new agents, of which will be an increased armed police force that oversees peoples taxes.

If you think adding 80k+ agents (170k or so total)... making the IRS larger than the FBI (35k), the whole DOJ (115k in 40 components), and as large as the Marine Corp (177k active in 2022)... will lead to anything good for the general populous...

Then you're just insane... especially since the majority of all taxes are done electronically and by computer....

So you tell me? Do I not pay attention... or does this just not make any sense?

People really should do their own research... instead of me having to literally spell out everything for them.

You're literally not explaining anything other than hyperventilating over the IRS finally getting the funding it needs yo enforce existing tax law.

The figure refers to all employees, not solely auditors
The 87,000 figure comes from a 2021 Treasury report that estimated the IRS could hire 86,852 full-time employees over the course of a decade with a nearly $80 billion investment -- not solely enforcement agents.

And all those new employees can't be hired overnight. The money will flow to the IRS over a 10-year period.

"The reality is the $80 billion boost would be spread throughout the agency, with money flowing to enforcement, taxpayer services, operations, and modernization," wrote Janet Holtzblatt, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center.

The Inflation Reduction Act dictates that about $45.6 billion will go toward strengthening enforcement activities -- including collecting taxes owed, providing legal support, conducting criminal investigations and providing digital asset monitoring. But the IRS has not specified how many auditors will be hired.

More than $25 billion is allocated to support IRS operations, including expenses like rent payments, printing, postage and telecommunications.

Nearly $4.8 billion can be used for modernizing the agency's customer service technology, like developing a callback service.

Roughly $3 billion is allocated for taxpayer assistance, filing and account services.

Many new hires will be replacements
Many of the new hires will be replacing staff that the IRS has already lost or is expected to lose through attrition in coming years.

Last year, then-IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told lawmakers that staffing has shrunk to 1970s levels and that the IRS would need to hire 52,000 people over the next six years just to maintain current staffing levels to replace those who retire or otherwise leave.

[Seran]

We don't need to spend 80 billion dollars more on the IRS is the point.

The CBO estimated that doing so will reduce the deficit by over 200 billion during the next decade, why are Republicans so against enforcing tax law and reducing their deficit?

[Solkern]

We don't need to spend 80 billion dollars more on the IRS is the point.

80bln over ten years but anyways, how did you come to this conclusion? Because the IRS said they need it to close the tax gap, where we lose like 600bln a year.
But I’m sure you know better than them.

[Parkbandit]

The CBO estimated that doing so will reduce the deficit by over 200 billion during the next decade, why are Republicans so against enforcing tax law and reducing their deficit?

I can't think of a single instance of where the CBO actually estimated something and it was correct.

[Seran]

I can't think of a single instance of where the CBO actually estimated something and it was correct.

Your mistrust of the government and facts has no actual bearing on the veracity of the statement.

[Parkbandit]

80bln over ten years but anyways, how did you come to this conclusion? Because the IRS said they need it to close the tax gap, where we lose like 600bln a year.
But I’m sure you know better than them.

"It's only 80 billion dollars over 10 years!" -Solkern 2023

There has to be a point where our government stops spending money we don't have. We're at 31.5 TRILLION dollars in debt currently. There's literally no way we will ever pay this debt off and we are going to come crashing down as a country. Liberals like you are salivating at the opportunity for the destruction of this country because then they hope they can make it into some socialist utopia.

But the thing is.. the dumb and lazy people will be the first ones that will end up dying in this utopia.. because their usefulness will be over.