Proving once and for all that any idea which should not have been done once is worth doing twice, the IRS' Wage and Investment Division repeated the excesses of the SBSE Division in Dallas and the LMSB Division in Kansas City.  Beginning in January, 2001,  W & I sent all its managers and  representatives from various NTEU chapters to a veritable potlatch of waste.  Unable to find enough hotel space in the City of Albuquerque, New Mexico ( yes, that's right, Albuquerque!)  W & I had to break the meetings into halves.  President, George Greenberg, represented Chapter 53 at the second session.  Doctors believe that with rest and proper medication they will be able to get George's blood pressure back down to normal in a few days.  We apologize for any similarities between this page and the earlier "SBSE Does Dallas," but, if the IRS can make the same mistakes twice, so can we!

John Dalrymple, really getting into this Chief of W & I stuff, called the tribe to order.  Notice that Dalrymple has lost the "Deer-In-The-Headlights" look which he had during that 1203(b) video tape he starred in.

Dalrymple did apologize for some of the imagery used by the local newspaper.  Apparently, they were not too happy to have the IRS come to town!

Nonetheless, the Chamber of Commerce spruced up the downtown area a little to make IRS managers feel welcome.

Of course, the IRS conference was held in the City's commercial district.

The New Mexico Convention Center and House of Ill Repute does not seem big enough to host a large gathering.  The mayor explained that in spite of the small size, the center is actually the same size as "some place in India."  Asked if he was referring to the Taj Mahal, the mayor admitted that he was thinking more of The Black Hole of Calcutta.

Because there were no hotels large enough to accommodate all of the attendees, many managers had to use the Fast Albuquerque Rapid Transit System (known locally as FARTS) to get to the convention center. One noted that it seemed appropriate given "all the bullshit we are hearing during the meetings."

While lacking such amenities as electricity and indoor plumbing, the union officials'  hotel did offer valet parking.

Willard Custer, Mayor / Sheriff and head bartender of the Purple Passion Saloon greeted the conference and told them that anyone who got out of line would be run out of town.

An exercise designed to test the logic of IRS managers involved giving them the parts of a wagon to see if they could put one together. This guy came the closest.

By Day Two, W & I management had let their own sense of self-importance reach new heights.

Also by Day Two, NTEU leaders had reached the conclusion that the conference was just the same old Song and Dance.

Plans for a W&I Barbershop Quartet Contest came undone when it was found that there was so much redundancy in the W&I structure that the smallest identifiable unit turned out to be 28 managers.  Unfortunately, few could sing or do much else.

Visiting union leaders learned from the local chapter that shootouts were better than grievances for settling disputes. "Give an IRS manager a loaded gun and he'll probably shoot himself," noted the Albuquerque chapter president.

Nevertheless, in spite of such useful tidbits, some union officials were so eager to get away that they willingly volunteered to be hung.

It is a little known fact that after the union leaders departed all of the W&I chiefs got together for a circle jerk.

The TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION DEPARTMENT:  The  photos and captions above were written prior to the meeting.  If we had waited until after the meeting we would have had even more ammunition.  For example, reproduced below, is a specimen of what we call Dalrymple Dollars.  Yes, the IRS actually paid someone to design fake money with John Dalrymple's picture on it.  How is that for an ego trip?  You would think the IRS should never have any kind of budget problems if they can piss money away on props.