Letter to Commissioner Mark W. Everson, Internal Revenue Service

February 5, 2004

The Honorable Mark W. Everson
Commissioner
Internal Revenue Service
1111 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20224

Dear Commissioner Everson:

I am writing to respectfully request that you reconsider the decision to have the Internal Revenue Service reduction-in-force plan enacted. If carried out, this plan would transfer over a hundred skilled New York jobs out of state and would violate the commitment the federal government has shown to keeping jobs in downtown Buffalo.

The implementation of this plan to centralize the IRS would affect over 160 federal jobs in New York State. Additionally, the reduction-in-force proposal would come at the expense of local taxpayers. The local job cuts proposed by the plan would mean that thousands of tax-payers in the state of New York would not receive the same quality of service from the IRS, because they would have to call a remote center in another state to reach an IRS Taxpayer Advocate. Taxpayers deserve better from the federal government, and New Yorkers should not get the short end of the stick.

Given the state of the economy in the area, and the tremendous job loss experienced throughout the state and nation in the past year, implementing this proposal would create a blow to upstate New York, and one I hope we can avoid. In addition,
I am concerned that if these IRS functions are moved out of state, taxpayers in the area will receive slower, lower quality service. I would implore you to reconsider this proposal.

I look forward to hearing from you soon to discuss this matter further.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Schumer
United States Senator

CC:John W. Snow
Secretary of the Treasury