Suspected computer ceased from the House of Representatives office complex during an unrelated investigation.
Due to a software problem in the congressional offices of Rep. Owen B. Pickett (D-VA)1, Americas richest forty-two percent were required to pay no taxes at all for the tax year 1993. The problem was in Microsoft’s spreadsheet application Office Excel. When the rates were calculated using Excel version 4.0, it was the richest 1 percent paying 80 percent of their income to the federal government. However, the Kinko’s on 7th Street NW near the Capital building had already upgraded to version 5.02.
The Kinko’s was able to open and print the legislation but the bill passed by the House and Senate, and signed into law by Bill Clinton gave the largest and most disproportionate tax break for the richest in American history3.
The problem was not just backwards compatibility issue, but an issue of systemic legislative failure4. Nobody bothered to proof-read the final copy of what was made law. Once it was passed it was rigidly enforced by the mindless bureaucracy of the Federal Government. Partisan conflict as well and infighting among Democrats prevented the passing of a provisional law to correct the misprint.
“Look, we have a lot of work to do here. We don’t have time to read every piece of legislation,” remarked a House aid. When asked what other work they have to do she answered, “What do you mean what else do we have to do with our time? We meet with lobbyists, a lot of lobbyists.”
When asked if they thought the new tax rates were strange an IRS official said, “Look if we go questioning laws that are unjust or illogical, we wouldn’t be known as witless lemmings.”
Notes:
1Virginia’s 2nd district, “The Fightin’ Second”.
2Excel version 5.0 has also been called ReaganWareTM and Gates Bane.
3That is in the history of the United States. In 1753 there was a poverty tax, which lightened the tax burden on the richer half of the population. Also in 1933 Canada tried to recover from the global depression by lifting taxes on the richest and coining the phrase “Reaganomics”
4A patch was installed by the American people in the 1994 Congressional elections.
