David Cay Johnston on IRS Dysfunction

Via DDay comes this article by David Cay Johnston in Tax Analysts regarding a revolt happening at two IRS offices in New York, where a veteran lawyer has sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee complaining about mismanagement there:

Jane Kim, a 10-year veteran chief counsel attorney for the Small Business/Self-Employed Division, wrote that "a sustained pattern of abuse" by chief counsel's supervising lawyers in Manhattan and Long Island, has led to "gross waste of government resources, gross mismanagement, violation of labor laws, and active abuse and retaliation against employees."

The complaint depicts a workplace culture in which favored employees are given light workloads, while their colleagues who pick up the slack face discipline and retaliation if they chafe at unfair treatment. Meanwhile management turns a blind eye to the problems -- when it isn't actively making them worse.

As a result of that negligence, tax cheats often get away without paying, taxpayers needing help go unaided, and good employees suffer more stress in an agency already struggling to deal with budget cuts and public scorn.

The whole thing presents a rather sordid picture.  Having been in Ms. Kim's position, I can certainly feel for what she's going through.

But I wasn't at the IRS when I was in Ms. Kim's position.  I was in private industry.  The fact is, there are a lot of people who succeed in their careers by kissing up and shitting down.  That's just the way of the world.  It happens in government as well as outside of government.  I am sure that there are a lot of people out there in both government and private companies that have experienced this kind of crap.  And yes, it has as big effect on productivity and destroys the morale of people on the receiving end.

The good thing from the perspective of Ms. Kim is that she has an outlet - writing to her legislators.  People in the private sphere more often have no recourse at all but to quit.  My experience has been that most people in high management positions get there by kissing up and shitting down.  Complaints are viewed as breaking that rule, are frowned upon, and usually fall on deaf ears.

I wish Ms/ Kim the best as her complaint is acted upon.  But honestly, I don't hold much hope.  Senior managers aren't the only ones who succeed by kissing up and shitting down.  Politicians do too.