Thoughtful citizens have grounds for concern. Trust in their representative government has declined, from 73 percent in 1958 to 24 percent in April, 2021, according to a PEW survey. Those studying the trend point to more than one cause.
None exceeds the distrust and disagreement surrounding taxes, taxation and public revenue — for good reason. Electioneering frequently turns on issues of raising or lowering taxes, on reducing or expanding congressional spending. Unending are the disapprovals: tax rates are unfair; billionaires and big corporations pay little or no taxes; the super-rich are taxed at the same rate as their dentist; unnecessary deductions and exclusions distort the system; the IRS prosecutes too few tax cheats. And, of course, Congress is incapable of pertinent reforms.
These allegations have another side. The False Claims Act (FCA), signed by President Abraham Lincoln, later amended and strengthened, is undisputed proof Washington has and can get it right. American taxpayers, 144.3 million (at last count) and the public interest are the FCA’s continuing beneficiaries. This is worth looking at.
During the Civil War, fraud occurred on all levels. Unscrupulous contractors sold the Union Army unhealthy horses and mules, faulty rifles and ammunition, rancid rations and provisions, among other schemes. In response Congress passed the FCA. It stated that knowingly making false claims to the government renders one liable for double the government’s damages, plus...
The SEC is accusing a Florida fund manager of pocketing seven times his allowed fees and misrepresenting investment holdings to mislead investors. In a complaint filed in the Middle District of Fl...