IRS workers poor on tax law advice – Getting tax advice from IRS employees has always been a bad idea. Most of them don’t have a clue as to the proper application of tax laws and regulations. I am constantly having to teach IRS employees the rules, including a current case with an Appeals Officer in Oklahoma City, who should be embarrassed by his ignorance of how tax returns are supposed to be handled, as well as the objective viewpoint his office is supposed to maintain.

As if receiving erroneous advice from IRS isn’t bad enough, they won’t even stand up behind what they tell people. Relying on their bad info is no excuse because the IRS’s official position is that everyone should know that their employees are ignoramuses, and anyone who relies on their advice is too stupid to feel sorry for. This is why, if you have a tricky tax issue at stake, you are better off paying a tax pro for advice. Then, you would have legal (malpractice) recourse if you were given a bum steer.

Dim and Dimmer in California – George Will on the RINO Schwarzenegger.

I watched the first hour of the debate yesterday and was amazed at how vehemently the socialist candidates (Huffington, Bustamante, and Camejo) were with their support of the Marxist wealth redistribution ideas of Arnold’s financial guru, Warren Buffett. Arrianna Huffington even wants to change the property tax rules to make them based on people’s income. Under her concept of attacking the wealthy, the evil rich should pay more in property taxes than the “poor” people on the same properties.

Peter Ueberroth seemed as if he was half asleep and was as dull and uninspiring as the French looking presidential wannabe, John F. Kerry. The only person who appeared in control of the facts and had any leadership charisma was Tom McClintock. He was very impressive. I don’t think my opinion of the debate would have been any different even if Arnold had participated.