Happy Tax Day!

I'm perusing yesterday's USA Today story (I picked it up in a restaurant! Honest!) about tax delinquents. A former treasurer of the United States, oh cool Dick Morris, ha! But hey, politicians are all animals... Anyway, two thoughts:

• My, how times have changed. Used to be that the IRS found a way to roll out some humongous tax penalty against some well-deserving deadbeat, just in time to scare the bejabbers out of all those of us who were thinking of listing our new hot tub as a business expense. Now we are reminded of how cheap and easy it is (or seems to be) for some people. Hey, if Dionne Warwick can stiff the tax collector, why can't I?
  

• But by contrast, I am surprised to find that public humiliation still works. Or so it seems, from a couple of paragraphs about the 15 states which have started publishing the names of tax deadbeats, apparently to some good effect. Maybe it is time to bring back the pillory. Might be a good use for all our surplus rotten vegetables.