David Paul Kuhn recently wrote about an interesting new approach to tax collection in the Keystone State:
Pennsylvania has a common problem. Hundreds of millions in unpaid taxes. And it needs that revenue. The state took the offensive with a $3 million ad campaign.
The television ad begins with a satellite view of earth. A serene computerized woman’s voice is heard. It sounds like a female version of HAL from the film and novel “2001.” The fictional Heuristically programmed ALgorithmic Computer. Yes, that HAL. There is a target in the ad. It’s centered on a homing beacon. The computer zooms in on the United States. Female HAL: Your name is Tom. You live just off of Fifth Street. Nice car, Tom. Nice house.
The satellite zooms. Target trained on southeastern, Pennsylvania. Beeping. Female HAL is locating you.
Female HAL: What’s not so nice is, you owe Pennsylvania $4,212 in back taxes. Listen, Tom. We can make this easy.
Zoom. We see a topographic city view. Beeping.
Female HAL: Pay online by June 18 and we’ll skip your penalty and take half off your interest.
Zoom. It’s a neighborhood block. The target is now on Tom’s house. Birdseye view. Beeping.
Female HAL: Because Tom? We DO know who you are.
Cut to text: FIND US BEFORE WE FIND YOU.
The target buzzes over the word “YOU.”
Creepy. And one does not have to believe black helicopters circle overhead to draw Orwellian conclusions. It’s reminiscent of Will Smith and Gene Hackman running from the rogue National Security Agency in “Enemy of the State.” The satellite follows them. Big brother knew where they were too. Pennsylvania’s problem is real. The state budget depends on $190 million from its tax amnesty program. It is yet another state starved for cash. Lawmakers are debating massive layoffs for state employees. Pennsylvania is pushing for tax revenue to fill the gap. Thus far, it’s working. In the first week, about 13,000 tax-amnesty applications were completed online. After all, female HAL knows where “YOU” are. The ad is a caricature of itself. It’s how Jon Stewart’s “Daily Show” would skewer some crazed conception of Orwellian America. But like Pennsylvania’s problems, this ad is also all too real.” http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2010/05/04/pas_orwellian_tax_hunt_theyre_tracking_you__105413.html
