Reply To: Political Statements
@JoAnn: Yes, I know you’re ex-military, which is why I was surprised.
BTW, in the interest of full disclosure, I should say that the uber-efficient “Collect the Revenue” program I mentioned is only half of our agency’s mission. The other half is a big money-suck called the “Protect the Public” program, which spends taxpayer money willy-nilly on frivolous things like product integrity (e.g., making sure that your 2004 Merlot isn’t made from last year’s red table grapes – something similar happened several years ago), and protecting businesses from unfair trade practices (like mobsters forcing retailers into exclusive contracts with their distributors – yes, it still happens).
We’re protecting citizens from those who want to rob and exploit them. So, do we deserve funding? What about the FDA? Or the CDC? They protect citizens too. Where do you draw the line?