

Protesters on Tuesday in West Palm Beach. / Joe Raedle, Getty Images

Our Founding Fathers were fearful of a powerful federal government because it was a threat to liberty. The recent Internal Revenue Service scandal is the foreseeable and inevitable consequence of a too powerful federal government, and the validation of the mission of the Tea Party movement that stands firmly for a limited national government.

When our Constitution was being written, our leaders were wise enough to know that concentrated power inevitably leads to abuse. So they constructed a system of government that greatly limited the function of Washington to enumerated powers, and they imposed a system of checks and balances to keep those powers under control. That the president's former chief adviser, David Axelrod, recently used "the government is so vast" excuse is unwittingly an indictment of a bureaucracy run amok.

The Tea Party burst onto the political scene in 2009 in reaction to seeing both political parties succumbing to government expansion, excessive spending and an unsustainable national debt. Concentrating money and power is a recipe for national disaster, and the IRS scandal is a perfect example. And looming behind it all is ObamaCare -- an epic disaster waiting to happen.

When the IRS story broke, it seemed immediately plausible to us. As the Tea Party Express conducted its national bus tours, we heard local Tea Party groups from all over the country complaining about IRS delays with inappropriate and intrusive questions. This unfairness was so pronounced that it was obvious that there was a deliberate attempt to suppress these groups. Unsurprisingly, the mainstream media ignored and dismissed these legitimate grievances as false conspiracy theories.

As the proverbial camel's head gets under the IRS tent, the predictable collapse is starting to happen. While originally dismissed as the escapades of a couple of rogue agents in the Cincinnati IRS office, we know now that officials in Washington were at least aware of the scandal very early on, and maybe are even more culpable than that. It is clear that congressional inquiries about improper behavior were pushed aside and material facts were not disclosed. The cover-up had begun, which is always a sign that there is more bad news coming from the IRS.

This scandal is indicative of a federal government that has expanded beyond control. The only cure for an overgrown government is to reduce the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government. Since absolute power corrupts absolutely, it is the system, not the individual, which is to blame. It is an unavoidable consequence of human behavior for those with unchecked power who ultimately turn to abusing that power, regardless of whatever noble intentions they may have.

As Thomas Jefferson famously said, "Bad government results from too much government." We cannot continue expanding the government without consequence. American freedoms and privacy are being violated to serve the whims of government bureaucrats who feel empowered by the system. If we are going to get serious about protecting ourselves from government overreach, we must be willing to temper the invasive power of government.

There is a very good way to reduce the necessity of a huge IRS, which has also been tasked with enforcing ObamaCare. The president is increasing the size of the IRS at a very time when people are less inclined to want them to look at their private health care records.

The solution to both problems is straightforward. We should repeal ObamaCare and use more market-driven solutions to improve our health care system. And, we must finally address the 800-pound gorilla in the room, comprehensive tax reform. Both actions would substantially reduce the size and power of the IRS and the first step in reining in the size, cost and intrusiveness of the federal government.

Sal Russo is chief strategist for Tea Party Express.


Copyright 2014

Read the original story: IRS scandal symptom of intrusive government: Column

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