WASHINGTON – It has been recently discovered that America\’s taxpayers have been footing the bill for top US Postal Service (USPS) officials\’ tax preparation services since 1998 – a perk unmatched by any other federal agency.
This service (which includes financial advice, also paid for by America\’s captive postal ratepayers) had been performed for the USPS by Arthur Andersen before the firm went out of business. The USPS is now offering new contracts for the same services.
Grover Norquist, President of Americans for Tax Reform, noted with disgust "This is outrageous, but not totally surprising. The same postal service that constantly seeks higher and higher rates because it won\’t control costs has been helping itself to the money it shakes out of its users. It\’s happened before when postal executives awarded themselves bonuses as the USPS was hemorrhaging revenue. Now it turns out that they were devouring the ratepayers\’ money all along to hire their own accountants."
Norquist added, "If the postal service doesn\’t stop this wasteful and abusive nonsense, Congress should stop it on behalf of all taxpayers."