NTEU Calls On Bush to Refile IRS Nominee

By ARI PAUL

While most Americans were scrambling to finalize their tax returns, National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen M. Kelley urged President Bush to reconsider the nomination of an employee representative on the U.S. Internal Revenue Oversight Board.

COLLEEN M. KELLEY: Wants Bush to reconsider.

In a letter to the President April 11, Ms. Kelley said that the nominee, Kenneth Carfine, was unqualified for the position.

Outside His Expertise

"Mr. Carfine currently holds the position of Fiscal Assistant Secretary at the Department of the Treasury," she said. "As the elected representative of all bargaining unit eligible employees at the IRS, I am unaware of any employee representation role that Mr. Carfine has ever played at the IRS."

She continued that the President should withdraw his nomination and instead re-nominate the "current holder of this seat, Robert M. Tobias, former NTEU president."

One of Ms. Kelley's priorities as NTEU president has been to end the IRS's practice of using private tax-collectors instead of hiring more people at the agency. A bill that would abolish the practice is being considered by the House of Representatives.

"It is imperative to reverse the severe cuts in IRS staffing levels and begin providing adequate resources to meet these challenges," Ms. Kelley said in a statement last week.