In its latest iteration, the EPA is emulating the Sheriff
of Nottingham and his tax collectors. Where in hell is Robin Hood when we need
him??? I've been highly suspicious of the agency since start-up in December
1970. It is NOT even a Cabinet department but tries to mime the power of the
IRS. At the time of its inception, I remember thinking that it would be a very
good haven for radicals and token tree-huggers and that "feather-bedding" and
"political cronyism" would soon become the modus operandi."The Environmental Protection Agency has quietly claimed
that it has the authority to unilaterally garnish the wages of individuals who
have been accused of violating its rules. According to The Washington Times, the agency announced
the plan to enhance its purview last week in a notice in the Federal Register.
The notice claimed that federal law allows the EPA to "garnish non-Federal wages
to collect delinquent non-tax debts owed the United States without first
obtaining a court order."The notice went on to say that the EPA had fast-tracked
the new rule, enabling it to take effect September 2 unless the agency receives
enough adverse public comments by August 1. The EPA said the rule was not
subject to review because it was not a "significant regulatory
action."The EPA has claimed this new authority by citing the Debt
Collection Improvement Act of 1996, which gives all federal agencies the power
to conduct administrative wage garnishment, provided that the agency allows for
hearings at which debtors to challenge the amount or the terms of repayment
schedule. In response to the report, an EPA spokeswoman also
pointed to a Department of Treasury rule from 2011 outlining debt collection for
various agencies including the EPA. "Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) would apply only
after EPA attempts to collect delinquent debts and after Treasury attempts to
collect delinquent debts through other means," the spokeswoman told FoxNews.com.
The spokeswoman added that the agency would provide notice "prior to any
action," giving the debtor the opportunity to "review, contest or enter into a
repayment agreement."The plan has drawn protests from conservatives, including
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who told The Washington Times, "The EPA has a
history of overreaching its authority. It seems like once again the EPA is
trying to take power it doesn’t have away from American citizens.”The conservative Heritage Foundation claimed that the
rule gives the EPA "unbridled discretion" over the process of challenging fines.
David Addington, group vice president for research at Heritage, told the Times
that the rule not only puts the burden of proof on the debtor, rather than the
agency, but also allows the EPA to decide whether a debtor even gets a chance to
present a defense before picking whomever it chooses to serve as a hearing
officer.The amount of money the EPA has collected in fines has
increased steadily since President Obama took office. In 2012, the agency took
in $252 million in fines, up from just $96 million in 2009."BOHICA!!! Jim Morris
Twilight
Imagery, Inc.
