Add IRS to tax agencies that should disappear

I read The Bee editorial board’s case to eliminate the state Board of Equalization. I’d take it another step. One could substitute IRS for every instance of Board of Equalization and Franchise Tax Board cited in that editorial. One would still have a solid argument with hardly a loss of accuracy.

Would The Bee also support eliminating the IRS? Income taxes are intrusive into the financial affairs of private citizens, prone to abuse of those who disagree with the government and expensive to administer. The abuses are mostly the same; the expense of it is largely as bad; the unfair treatment of people because of political differences is largely the same.

Just as the Board of Equalization is a vestige of the 19th century, the federal income tax is a vestige of early 20th century progressive politics that we still haven’t been able to shake.

This story was originally published April 6, 2017 at 1:55 PM with the headline "Add IRS to tax agencies that should disappear."