Let me make a list of thankless jobs: taking out the trash, rooting for the Yankees and absorbing the knee-jerk hate and…defending the IRS. That last one…whew…not a pretty one. So, a tip of the hat to Citizens for Tax Justice.

To be clear, I don’t mind paying taxes. But, it’s still a tough job for a policy wonk in D.C. to take the incoming fire on an agency hated by the wing-nuts, and not one to inspire cuddly images. But, I love the CTJ’s point in response to the idiots who want to cut the agency’s budget:

The primary reason – which is pretty obvious when you think about it – is that every dollar the IRS spends on activities like audits, liens, and seizing property brings in more than $10 in revenue. In addition, the IRS is currently making substantial long term investments in its enforcement, modernization and management systems, for which the federal government (i.e., us taxpayers) receives a $200 return for every dollar invested.

Easy to remember.