Some 21,000 health professional who participate in Medicare owe more than $1.3 billion in backtaxes, the NYT reports today. All the money would have been recovered if Medicare officials had decided to participate in a program that withholds government payments to contractors who owe backtaxes. The Defense Department and many civilian agencies take part in the program. So instead of simply withholding some money from wealthy doctors who benefit from government programs- one of whom reportedly owes $3 million in backtaxes- this administration is hiring well-connected private debt collectors who get to make enormous profits at taxpayer expense to go after low-income elderly people who owe small tax debts. This administration's priorities for tax enforcement are just as perverse and preferential to the wealthy as anything else it does- kudos to the New York Times for taking notice.