Needle in a Paper Stack

The clock is ticking and the paperwork needs to be finalized. It is almost time to vote. The stack sits as tall as a phone book -- pity those poor souls who have to read it.

Read it? Hah. We'll just slip this little addendum in. No one will notice this needle in this stack of paper:

From now on, no matter what any other law says, the chairmen of the House and Senate Appropriations Committtees (or anyone they name) shall be granted free access to the tax records of anybody they wish.

Of course that's not what it really said. It's not enough, after all, to stack the paper high, you have to make the language inscrutable so even those few brave souls who do venture to read it will lose the meaning in the obtusity. Here is what his actual paragraph said:

Hereinafter, notwithstanding any other provision of law governing the disclosure of income tax returns or return information, upon written request of the Chairman of the House or Senate Committee on Appropriations, the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service shall allow agents designated by such Chairman access to Internal Revenue Service facilities and any tax returns or return information contained therein.

Thank you, Rep. Ernest J. Istook (R-OK).

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