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

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