22 MAR 09: You Must Be Joche-ing
It wasn't simply any Saturday -- it was "Super Saturday." That's what the Internal Revenue office in Columbus called it, as staff members provided free tax assistance to low-income people. Trouble was, other I.R.S. employees went on raids the day before - and some people waiting for refunds might call that "Freaky Friday."
Agents from I.R.S. criminal investigation raided two tax offices, which had a ripple effect on several others. One of the targets was Joché and Associates on Auburn Avenue. We told you there was something funny about Danny Glover mispronouncing that name in the commercials....
I.R.S. agents stacked up several boxes, and took them away from Joché and Associates. Several computers were removed as well - so now we'll know for sure which employees wasted time watching the NCAA basketball tournament online.
Joché and Associates reopened the Auburn Avenue office Saturday, but only for a short time. One hour after the TV news stopped by, it was closed for the day. Employees needed to get bargains at local yard sales, while they had jobs to pay for them.
At another Joché office, an employee explained the raid with the same language the Internal Revenue Service used: it was "official business." In some big cities, federal agents aren't the only ones who use that phrase -- Mafia bosses do.
The I.R.S. explained "official business" is something on the order of a search or arrest warrant. So criminal agents apparently were hunting for something. Did someone stash away a pile of money he saved by switching to Geico?
But Joché and Associates may not have been surprised by the raid. An employee said the Internal Revenue Service warned last year a search could happen at any company which handles more than 500 returns. I'm tempted to say to that: better the auditors visit them than me.
The other target for I.R.S. agents Friday was Tax One on Buena Vista Road. Yet I happened to pass a Tax One office on South Lumpkin Road during the afternoon, and found it was closed as well. Perhaps the combined staffs gathered at a restaurant, for a tax-deductible "working lunch" and group hug.
A sign outside the Tax One office on South Lumpkin Road said it was closed for the day "due to circumstances beyond our control." Hmmm - does getting arrested fit under that definition? Well, maybe if you're really not guilty....
The Tax One on South Lumpkin reopened Saturday. But the office on Buena Vista Road had a sign directing customers to a Macon Road location - only it was closed as well. At least the business finally was living up to its name - you know, one open office.
People who had tax returns prepared by these companies probably are a bit concerned by the I.R.S. intervention. Were their forms mishandled? Are the refunds they're expecting really going to come? And why don't they raid the offices of AIG, and grab those big bonus checks?
Raids like this make me thankful that I still prepare my tax returns the old-fashioned way. I write them out myself, and don't even "e-file" using software such as TurboTax. That way, I wind up saving money - or in my case this spring, I pay out about 50 dollars less.
-> How did our Thursday night poker tournament go? You would have to ask, wouldn't you? Find out at our other blog, "On the Flop!" <--
THE BIG BLOG QUESTION on Columbus State University closed Saturday night. It showed 64 percent of our voters oppose the new policy, requiring most first-year students to live on campus (7-4). There's a second hidden message from this vote - few C.S.U. staff members read our blog, or they would have stuffed the ballot box.
"I think that this is crazy," wrote one opponent of the new policy. That writer predicted Columbus State enrollment actually will drop, instead of increasing. And she wondered "what Cougar Village thinks of this arrangement since they are set up for college rentals." Actually, the apartment complex might not mind - since sophomores are much more grown-up than freshmen.
Another voter in the week-long poll accused Columbus State University of "totalitarian" policies. I don't know if I'd go that far. They're not requiring first-year students to eat Einstein Brothers Bagels once a week.
But one supporter of the new policy wrote, "So many universities do it across the nation...." - adding on-campus living "provides some measure of structure for students." Since the Structure store at Peachtree Mall closed a few years ago, students need this more than ever.
Now let's see what else is making news on a gorgeous March weekend:
+ The Columbus NAACP called for the Georgia Attorney General to investigate the police department. This time, it's based on officer J.D. Hawk's call to a state trooper who pulled him over for speeding [8 May 08]. The civil rights group could have asked District Attorney Julia Slater to look into this - but she probably would have passed it on to someone from Albany, anyway.
(The police chief and former District Attorney Gray Conger decided Hawk said nothing threatening. But an attorney for trooper J.D. Perry says Hawk tried to intimidate Perry, by claiming he'd reveal something embarrassing at trial. Yet Hawk never did that in Recorder's Court 14 months ago - and you figure someone would have left an unsigned envelope at our door by now.)
+ Columbus Fire crews were called to a house on Maui Court. Neighbors claimed the homeowner was cleaning his carpet with something powered by propane. Next time, rent an industrial-strength shop vac that plugs in a wall.
+ A big crowd attended the opening day of the "Thunder in the Valley" air show. Organizers may be pleased to know when pilots roared over the place where my church congregation meets, the pastor compared it to the second coming of Jesus.
+ Blakely, Georgia held a "Peanut Pride" festival, weeks after the Peanut Corporation of America plant was closed due to salmonella. The roaches and rats in this part of the country simply get no respect....
+ The Columbus Cottonmouths clinched second-place in the standings, with a weekend sweep of Huntsville. Friday's 4-3 win came on coach Jerome Bechard's 40th birthday -- and the teams gave "Boom Boom" something he could appreciate, by combining for 122 penalty minutes.
+ Auburn tore up Tulsa 74-55 in men's basketball, to advance to the National Invitational Tournament quarter-finals. Coach Jeff Lebo said his team of "country boys have never been to New York." Uhhhh - after checking the roster, I have to ask how far out in the country Chicago, Houston and Cincinnati are.
+ Instant Message to all NCAA basketball watchers: Your blogger has picks posted in the "My Bracket is Money" game. Simply look for the name "Blog of Columbus" - where you'll find right now, my bracket is more like burnt toast.
BUT SERIOUSLY: Our best wishes to "Buckblog," an online friend we've made who blogged for several years in Columbus, Ohio. He's announced an end to his blog, because his wife is seriously ill. May his family be blessed with peace, perseverance -- and even better, healing.
SCHEDULED THIS WEEK: A complaint about five cars....
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