Last week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced its intention to scrap a two-year-long, $19.5 million project to create a new tax-filing website. The agency's Chief Information Officer cancelled the new website due to "the lack of a comprehensive enterprise strategy that considered industry best practices or advancements in portal technology, and budget challenges due to the significant expenditure requirements necessary to replace existing equipment." That's government speak for, "We let this project get out of hand by not employing proper oversight, and so, now the stuff we were going to buy to utilize our newfangled website won't work with it." You can read the rest of the agency's explanation in their report. Guess those new heights of customer service IRS was striving towards will have to wait a few years.

The Justice Department has reportedly come out in opposition to the request for appeal in the lawsuit Wilson v. Libby, et al.  The case was brought by Valerie Plame Wilson and former Ambassador Joseph C. Wilson IV against four Bush administration officials for the public disclosure of Plame's role as a CIA operative.

Sen. Lieberman (I-CT) has submitted an amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 which would withhold any “photograph relating to the treatment of individuals engaged, captured, or detained after September 11, 2001, by the Armed Forces of the United States” if the Secretary of Defense certifies that the release of the photos could endanger citizens or the armed forces.   This incredibly broad statement could cover photos of all detainees captured in any future actions taken by the U.S. military.  If passed, these government records which belong to the people would no longer be available under FOIA.

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published an in-depth report on Tuesday examining "a little-known provision in the federal economic recovery package" that could end up costing state governments $5.5 billion in business income tax revenues. Do not panic; luckily, states can avoid this disastrous loss of revenue by making some simple changes to their tax laws. Some states have already done so. Good for you, Florida, Maryland and Minnesota.