European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday june 24, 1987 the stars and stripes c a Page Senate hears irs agents testimony told seizure fever gets promotions Washington a Veteran employees of the internal Revenue service Lold the Senate monday that their Bosses routinely ignore orders from Washington and Bast promotions on inc number of property Sei zures from delinquent taxpayers. Seizure fever catch it reads a sign on the door of an office in the los Angeles District said John pepping a Revenue officer assigned to that District. Some offices offer extra time off to those who have the most seizures lie said. You feel like you re working in a mental ins Titu  added Robert Miller of Ine Wheaton my. Of lice. Five irs Revenue officers with 100 years Tola serv ice whose chief Job is collecting delinquent taxes Testi fied before the Senate finance subcommittee that oversees the irs the panel is considering it taxpayers Bill of rights whose provisions include one Mak ing it illegal for lie Acney 10 use property seizures and Revenue collections As a basis for promoting employees. The Bill has 28 sponsors in the Senate and More than 70in the House. Sen. David Pryor d-ark., chair Man of Floc subcommittee said the fear of the irs is so great even in Congress thai some senators have declined to sign the legislation saying i Don t know that i want to Flag myself for an irs audit. The Bill would place the Burden on the irs to prove that every tax assessment is Correct require the Agency to read taxpayers their rights any time there is a Dis Pute and require prior notice and in Many cases a hearing before property is seized. Irs commissioner Lawrence b. Gibbs testified in april that the irs already prohibits promoting on the basis of seizures and collections. Pryor said it is Clear he policy is not being enforced by irs Field offices. As evidence he released a memorandum that Wil Bur e. Mckean chief of an irs Branch in the Balti More District had written to Bis group manager on feb. 17. The Revenue officers that Are performing above a Viti factory level will be rewarded and the onus hat Are not will be documented with corrective action taken Mckean wrote. Your midyear evaluations will be prepared in approximately in months. You will be evaluated on your accomplishments or Lack of accomplishments. Need i say More Jondle Hunter a spokeswoman at irs Headquarters in Washington said the irs forbids use of enforcement statistics to rate the performance of its Man agers or employees. It is Clear that the memo. Is in violation of this. We feel the Branch chief misunderstood the  Hunter emphasized however that the irs sees nothing wrong in asking Revenue officers to explain Why property was not seized from a delinquent taxpayer when it was justified. The Revenue Oft cars agreed that policies formulated by National Headquarters have problems filtering Down through lower level managers in the Field the procedures manual used by Revenue officers May say one thing but when it goes Down to our desk. It s nothing like what the manual says Rob Ert Brown of the Landover my office told the sub Corn Mil Lee. A number of taxpayers arc abused because of differences in How managers interpret the procedures manual. Miller said. It s now considered a Quality error if an officer does nut seize property to Settle a lax Bill he added. Miller who said he poin Ledoux to superiors in 1980 Ilia the irs has no right to order seizures when they Are not justified said that in recent months the irs docs seem o be making a turnaround docs seem to be heading in the right  he lot of an earlier Case in which a taxpayer who owned several businesses voluntarily handed Over a $100.odd Check for Back taxes and promised to pay the remaining $36,000 within a few weeks. The executive asked that the irs not damage his credit rating by placing a claim on his property. "1 said great. Sounds wonderful to me Miller said. But. The manager said no the Revenue officer added they re afraid to sign off on anything reason Able for the  the Subco Nilace heard from two businessmen who claimed they were victims of irs abuse. Daniel Maestri of Tontitown ark., said he had no recourse but to file for Protection under the bankruptcy Laws after the irs gave him less than a month to pay almost $55,000 in Back taxes. Alan of Tucker an inner City housing Radev Cloper in Denver said that Only two hours Afler giving him 10 Days to pay More than 532,000, the irs seized his Bank accounts. An Angler on Lake near Paris seems Happy with his silent approach to fish a sunny Way to sneak up on the fish of photo ing. An electric engine fed by solar pan Els supplies Power for the Small boat which can move around As soundlessly As the fish themselves. Vintage plane crashes at London show London up a Vintage world War ii Bristol Blenheim bomber the world s last flying Model of the plane used in Britain s Early defense against the nazis crashed at an air show Only two weeks after its restoration authorities said. The plane s three crewmen were not seriously injured in the crash before hundreds of spectators sunday but aviation officials said the plane was too severely damaged to Ever Fly again. It s a big historical toss one aviation enthusiast said monday. A spokesman for the British Aerial museum which restored the aircraft said one of the engines apparently failed on the plane painstakingly rebuilt Over 12 years from two rusting Blenheim Dis covered in a Canadian Field. The plane failed to pull up from a touch and go Landing Man Euver ripped through a Fence at the end of the runway and slowed to a rest on the 18th Fairway of a nearby Golf course As hundreds of spectators watched. The Blenheim was restored from pans taken from two rusting hulks found in a Manitoba Field. The Canadian planes had not seen combat during world War ii. The restorers of the ill fated Blenheim had planned to put it on display at air shows throughout Europe but it was making Only its second Public appear Ance when it crashed. Soviet firm Hopes to Export car to . By 91 Detroit up the soviet Union s Alk Auto Lac toy has plans to Export the first soviet car Ever to the United slates by 1991, automotive news said monday in Iti weekly publication. The front wheel drive compact known As the Mosovich 2141 in the soviet Union would be renamed for the . Market Alk president . Koloni Kov said. A Model destined for Western Europe Wilt debut in Belgium at the Brussels Auto show in january. The Export plans reflect a new soviet policy that allows the country s seven major car makers to pursue their own Export deals. A new engine also would have to be built for the . Version Kolons Ilov said. German car maker Volkswagen a May help Alk Lenin Komsomol motor works develop it under a Coop Era live agreement the publication said the car would have been ready for Western Export sooner but there were delays in negotiations Between the soviet automaker and Volkswagen. The soviets held talks with Volks Wagen japanese car maker Mitsubishi and italian car makers Fiat and Alfa Romeo More than a year ago to build a $1 billion engine Plant in Moscow to produce As Many As 300,000 i Bliter engines annually. Alk has since revived talks Only with Volkswagen concerning the engine production. Alk s Moscow factory has the capacity to build 180.000 cars a year with about half designated for Export. More than 70 Percy no of that half would be earmarked for non East bloc countries. In Moscow company officials said they would be interested in inquiries for us import distribution networks but has not begun soliciting them. We Are ready for talks an Alk spokesman told the publication. But talks will be More efficient when cars Are