Mike Levin: “today when so many Americans have to dig deep to pay the taxes owed to Uncle Sam, it is particularly appropriate that we…”

“today when so many Americans have to dig deep to pay the taxes owed to Uncle Sam, it is particularly appropriate that we focus on the hundreds of billions of dollars the U.S. Treasury is shortchanged each year by those who abuse the tax system. Because it's not just the Treasury that is shortchanged; it's honest taxpayers throughout this country who end up picking up the tab. Tax cheats are an insult to the men and women who serve in our military, the children who attend our schools, and the millions who rely on Social Security. Tax cheats make it harder to maintain our highways, protect our borders, advance medical research, and inspect our food. Not only do they drain money from the Treasury, they help deepen the deficit ditch that threatens the economic well-being of our children and grandchildren. They also shift a huge burden onto the backs of the honest taxpayers in this country. It is also particularly appropriate to focus on the need to crack down on tax cheats during this time of year when Congressional appropriators decide how to direct the Nation's resources. Just last month, the IRS updated its estimate of the Nation's ``tax gap''--the difference between the amount of taxes owed by taxpayers and the amount collected. The total tax gap in 2001 is now estimated to have been between $312 billion and $353 billion, and some experts believe it's even higher. $350 billion is more than the government spent on all of Medicare last year.…”