Two recent dramatic events have emphasized a chronic failure of our government.
The Treasury Department is unable to monitor the conduct of tax-exempt organizations because it lacks personnel and resources. As a result, phony charities such as the college admissions scheme were able to thrive and millions in tax revenue is lost.
The Federal Aviation Administration has deferred vital steps in the certification of aircraft to the manufacturer because it lacks the personnel and resources to do the job itself. As a result, the public is exposed to aircraft with serious questions regarding its air-worthiness.
The problem is not new.
The IRS has been underfunded for years to the extent that threat of an audit is minimized by its improbability. One can imagine the amount of tax revenue lost through the lack of enforcement. Numerous examples exist throughout the federal government, ranging from the Veterans Administration to the Centers for Disease Control to many more.
Faced with these threats to financial solvency and public health and safety, our Congress perpetuates underfunded agencies while repeatedly reducing taxes. The most recently proposed budget exacerbates the failure to set priorities that are logically related to actual needs.
And, oh, by the way, the national debt, like the space program, continues to reach for the stars.
RICHARD HESSE
Hopkinton