One of the most notorious practices of the ancient world was tax-farming – private collection of alleged tax debts.

     Private tax collectors were notorious for assaulting citizens, seizing property, destroying homes, and raping women – with little-regard for what taxes were actually due.

     The Roman historian Livvy wrote "Where there was a private contractor, there was no effective public law and no freedom for the subjects."

     Ultimately, virtually all governments abandoned tax farming not out of compassion for their citizens, but because tax farmers ended up keeping most of the money, and their brutal practices were destroying society and creating utter contempt for the law.

     Now President Bush has proposed reviving this reviled practice. In his last budget proposal, Bush recommended that the IRS be allowed to subcontract collection of taxes to collection agencies – you know, those guys who call you in the middle of the night and demand you immediately pay a debt you never heard of before.

     This horrific proposal utterly destroys the government's promise that your private tax information would be kept confidential. In this age of epidemic identity theft, the idea of making your tax records available to collection agencies with no real protection for your privacy is truly frightening.

     Your tax records contain incredibly detailed information about you and your finances, a veritable gold mine for crooks and con men.

     In the past, IRS employees who allowed tax records to fall into private hands were routinely sanctioned, fired, and even criminally prosecuted.

     Now Bush wants to legalize this crime so the government can wring even more money out of you.

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