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Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 

The print edition can be purchased at Amazon. from any other book seller, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News


IRS chief warns of bad service due to budget cuts

IRS Commissioner (and Democratic Party shill) John Koskinen has warned in an agency-wide email that the tax agency faces a short-term shutdown and increased bad taxpayer service because of Republican-led budget cuts.

“The effect of these cuts will hurt taxpayers and our tax system,” he wrote. He said the cuts could force the IRS to shut down operations for two days later this year, resulting in unpaid furloughs for employees and service cuts for taxpayers. But in the near-term, the commissioner said cuts in overtime and temporary staff hours could cause delays in refunds. “People who file paper tax returns could wait an extra week — or possibly longer — to see their refund,” he wrote, adding: “Taxpayers with errors or questions on their returns that require additional manual review will also face delays.”

Why am I reminded of the claims of federal agency heads everywhere just before sequestration, claiming doom and gloom should it take effect? None of their claims proved true. Sequestration did nothing to harm government operations and actually saved the taxpayers a load of money.

Koskinen is full of it. This email by him is only intended to pressure Congress to give him more money, so that his agency can continue to abuse anyone who might express opinions hostile to the Democratic Party.

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7 comments

  • Rick

    Cut service for the taxpayers, but I am sure there will be millions for parties and executive retreats.

  • Edward

    What happened to all the money that they saved by not making faux “Star Trek” videos?

    Rick is right. Just as with most bureaucrats looking to build their (unearned) empires, he threatens to harm the citizen population rather than cut back on any of the perks of his office. Public servant? Not in this case.

    So much for the “Service” part of their name.

    Their recent Tea Party scandal demonstrates that they are very willing to create extra work for themselves. Maybe this part of their “corporate culture” should be changed so that the employees work more efficiently and effectively. After all, they are still working through some of the Tea Party applications:
    http://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/irs-harassment-of-conservatives-continues/

    Commissioner Koskinen clearly never had to work in the real world, because budgets get cut all the time, out here. The competent leaders deal with it. The incompetent apparently end up running the IRS.

  • Jake V

    The IRS currently provides bad taxpayer service. Will anyone be able to tell when it gets worse?

    It would be much easier to flatten the tax system, lower the tax rates, and do away with most deductions. And then get rid of the IRS.

  • pzatchok

    I am sure this has nothing to do with the HUGE amount of extra paper work required by Obama care.

    But they better blame it on the Republicans no matter what.

  • My experience with the IRS has been uniformly positive. Requests for information and forms have been met courteously and promptly, and help has been timely. I have not had to deal with the agency in its enforcement capacity, much as people who don’t commit crime tend to have a more positive view of police.

    That said, I fully expect as people ‘find out what’s in it’ with Obamacare, IRS will go from good cop to very, very bad cop.

  • PeterF

    Those dastardly republicans! This is just the start of all the bad things that will happen in the next two years because the republicans control the congress! The taxpayers are going to suffer just like the veterans had to suffer when they shut down the government over the debt limit! I bet the are even planning to shut down the government this afternoon for about two and a half days…

  • David M. Cook

    Here’s the first sack of excrement to go directly to jail!!! Why don’t the Republican leaders have this guy (John Koskinen) testifying before congress? Just let him take the 5th, then throw him in prison. Only the threat of incarceration will prevent these crooks from doing this again!

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