Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Metrobus - Ignoring DC traffic laws since 1976
A series of photos from my morning commute as a Metrobus makes an illegal turn from the very clearly marked "straight thru only" lane on Constitution Ave NW and 12th Street NW this morning at 7:50AM, cutting off the entire line of cars waiting patiently in the left-turn-only lane... I guess he decided he didn't want to/have to wait in the line like everyone else. In the process, he took up an entire turn-light cycle to make his illegal maneuver, stopping others from legally turning. He did kindly signal his (illegal) intentions, so at least everyone else knew to stay the hell out of his way, lest they get run off the road or into oncoming traffic on 12th street by his bus.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Memo to IRS: SUCK IT!
So, here we are, twelve weeks after submitting our federal tax return (mandatorily) on paper to claim the first time homebuyer tax credit ("FTHC"). Apparently, "Upload PDF" is a concept too advanced for the IRS workerbees to handle. They force you to file on paper so you can include a copy of the HUD-1 to reduce fraudulent FTHC claims. Really? Who actually has the balls to do that???
The online IRS "Where is my refund?" tool first said June 2, then June 14, and then as of this morning "Call". Helpful, very helpful. It must be nice to have a job where you just move deadlines out when you don't meet them. "We're the federal government, we don't give a sh1t, because we don't have to!" So this morning I figured I'd call. The IRS says that one of their data-entry monkeys likely made a mistake keying in our (mandatory) paper return, and it got sent to the "Error Correction" division. For FOUR weeks. Yes, that's right. Four weeks to correct a data entry error on a two page form. Also, you force us to file on paper, and then one of your drones has to type all the information in anyway? Obviously, these are highly competent and efficient federal workers we're talking about...
But that's not all - it then takes an ADDITIONAL 4-8 weeks to issue the refund once it emerges from "Error Correction". So we're now looking at July or August "maybe"... And of course the agent laughed when I asked if they'd be paying interest on the money they've now had the pleasure of using for six months and counting. They "did not anticipate the volume of paper returns" - really, asshats? You force hundreds of thousands of people across the US to file on paper, and then didn't anticipate the volume? Maybe you should have conferred with the Department of State - they had the same "unanticipated volume" a few years ago when the rules requiring a passport to go pretty much anywhere outside the US went into effect. If you really, truly need something FUBAR-d, just involve the wholly incompetent federal government.
The online IRS "Where is my refund?" tool first said June 2, then June 14, and then as of this morning "Call". Helpful, very helpful. It must be nice to have a job where you just move deadlines out when you don't meet them. "We're the federal government, we don't give a sh1t, because we don't have to!" So this morning I figured I'd call. The IRS says that one of their data-entry monkeys likely made a mistake keying in our (mandatory) paper return, and it got sent to the "Error Correction" division. For FOUR weeks. Yes, that's right. Four weeks to correct a data entry error on a two page form. Also, you force us to file on paper, and then one of your drones has to type all the information in anyway? Obviously, these are highly competent and efficient federal workers we're talking about...
But that's not all - it then takes an ADDITIONAL 4-8 weeks to issue the refund once it emerges from "Error Correction". So we're now looking at July or August "maybe"... And of course the agent laughed when I asked if they'd be paying interest on the money they've now had the pleasure of using for six months and counting. They "did not anticipate the volume of paper returns" - really, asshats? You force hundreds of thousands of people across the US to file on paper, and then didn't anticipate the volume? Maybe you should have conferred with the Department of State - they had the same "unanticipated volume" a few years ago when the rules requiring a passport to go pretty much anywhere outside the US went into effect. If you really, truly need something FUBAR-d, just involve the wholly incompetent federal government.
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