DAalseth

SpamSandwich said:

foregoneconclusion said:

Congress controls the IRS budget, not the IRS. Out-of-date systems that fail = Congressional failure. 

The IRS could be shut down and the US could move to something like the "Fair Tax". I'm not convinced it needs to be updated or saved.

You always will need an IRS. Enforcement, Fraud Detection, keeping track of actual receipts for the GAO, dispute resolution. The IRS does much more than just process tax returns.

zimmie said:

Much like the ATF, the IRS isn't allowed to modernize most of its technology. They have been requesting the ability to automatically file tax returns for all US citizens for over a decade, but Intuit (and I'm sure other companies) spends a staggering amount of money every year lobbying Congress to block it.

EXACTLY right. Congress can rake them over the coals all they want, but it's Congress that won't let them update their systems. As a NASA administrator said during a hearing a couple of decades ago: "No bucks, no Buck Rogers". They were talking about this on the radio over the weekend. One idea that has been proposed: The IRS could pre fill out your tax form. You'd go online, and if you didn't see any issues you disagreed with, you'd electronically sign it. Poof, about half the people in the US could file their taxes in five minutes, and get their refunds automatically deposited within a business day. I mean the IRS HAS the data, that's what they use  to check your form. But as you said Inuit, H&R Block, and others fight tooth and nail against anything that would make filing simpler and easier.

Soli said

1) What are "Washington trial balloons"?

A technique used for many years by just about every administration. Tell a reporter "off the record" "from an anonymous source" something they are thinking about doing. Then wait to see what the response is. If the public, and Congress are supportive, or at least not too upset about it, then go ahead and announce the plan. If there are howls from the Hill and protesters in the streets then deny that was ever the plan. Mind you the reporter has to be slightly in on it. They know who told them, but they have to keep that secret so as to allow the administration deniability.

onepotato said:

God, I hope Jony doesn't have any input into the design of this machine. Otherwise we'll be seeing something that looks pretty and is totally unfit for pro use.

I just imagined Jony working for Caterpillar. Imagine the results. A D-9 you'd have to lay down on to drive.I think I might do a comic about this.

...You can be much more engaging with students with an iPad versus a Crapbook. If you're more engaging, you'll have much more successful students in the end. 

So if a school district wants to become beancounters and get a slightly cheaper device that in the end may not work out then they're more than welcomed to. We'll see in the long run which device works out better in the end. I have a feeling it will end up costing more in the end to own a Crapbook than we see. 

Absolutely correct. The trouble is that most public schools in the US, and Canada have had budgets cut and cut and cut. They are literally having to chose which essential programs to eliminate. There was an article on BBC this week called "Oklahoma teachers: 'Our education system has failed'" (You can look it up. I didn't include the link because links can be problematical when posting), that describes the problem well. There teachers are having to work full time outside of the classroom to make ends meet. Another teacher put it bluntly when she pointed out that everything in her room other than the furniture she paid for out of her own pocket. There is no money for supplies. There are no aids. Textbooks are often over a decade old. Classrooms with twice the recommended number of students per teacher. No school nurse, or counsellor, or even a librarian. This is the reality for education in the US. So yes when told they need to include computers in the classroom, administrators will look at Chromebooks as a real option. iPads are great but they just don't have the money.