Integrity—the
Independent Party
“This is not about the usual partisan
slugfest. This is about the integrity of
our system of government and our ability to trust, which is to say our ability
to function.” Peggy Noonan, WSJ
I, like you, am disgusted with the shameful and
trust-destroying tactics of a few employees inside the IRS. And let me be very clear at the start: This scandal at its core is not about democrats
or republicans acting badly. Using the
most visible, the most pervasive, and the most powerful agency in our federal
government at any time under any administration to manipulate, control, direct,
withhold approvals or in any way purposefully act in preferential and biased
ways is just simply wrong! In short what
has happened in the targeting of Americans to negatively impact their tax
status confronts us with the realization that lack of integrity of a few is a
serious character deficiency.
Yes, there are and will be more congressional hearings. Perhaps an independent counsel will be
engaged to investigate. And maybe that’s
necessary. But there is something else--
something more dynamic, more fundamental, more contagious and much more
effective—that must show up. Integrity!
Integrity is neither democrat nor republican. While our newspapers and newscasts have
peppered us with the negative aspects of this scandal (and rightly so), little
or nothing has been said about the super majority of the 100,000 or so IRS
employees who are just as disgusted as the American public over the activities
and reports of wrong doing. I believe
that these people--this super majority--are decent, honest, law abiding, and
committed employees doing the right thing.
But they must show up. They must
step forward and display their integrity.
To paraphrase the words of Barry Schwartz in his book
Practical Wisdom (The Right Way to Do the
Right Thing), the ethical decision facing employees with their integrity
intact is not about right things that clash, better and best, or choices between
bad and worse. The tough decision to be
made is whether one, two, a dozen, a hundred or more employees will, without
the compulsion of investigations and hearings step forth and say “enough is
enough, this is what happened, and we’re sick of it.” Integrity on display to all Americans and to
the world. That can and should happen.
In early June Danny Werfel, recently appointed head of the
IRS appeared before Congress and acknowledged the following: “We must have the trust of the American
taxpayer. Unfortunately, that trust has
been broken. The agency stands ready to
confront the problems that occurred, hold accountable those who acted
inappropriately, be open about what happened, and permanently fix these
problems so that such missteps do not occur again. It has to start with recognition that a trust
has been violated.”
How would it look if integrity in the IRS showed up in the
words and testimonies of the vast numbers of honest and decent folk inside the
IRS? Talk about trust being revived and
restored to an agency that sorely needs it.
Wow, it would be transformational throughout government, would impact
positively business and commerce and might spill over into all aspects of
American enterprise.
You in the IRS who are in the vast majority and who are
trustworthy, honest and decent folk, it’s time to rock this nation with the
power of integrity. Step forth, do the
right thing, tell us what really happened and let’s begin the restoration of
trust in the IRS and government. You can
and must do it.
David Costello
Ad astra
Per aspera
