I have a question for the politicians of Cincinnati complaining that the IRS scandal is giving their city a bad name.  Can you show me where these offices are in your fair city? 

One of the arcane bits of information in this scandal is that the so-called IRS Cincinnati Service Center hasn't been in Cincinnati or even in Ohio for many years now.  Due to bureacratic inertia and the habit of taxpayers in sending returns to the same address year after year, the name Cincinnati Service Center stuck,  Taxpayers who send information to this office via the USPS still use the mailing address of IRS Service Center Cincinnati, OH  45999   Those who use a private delivery service, however, better address their submission to 201 West Rivercenter Blvd. Covington, KY 41011.

So why was the Cincinnati Service Center picked on?  The employees at this mis-named IRS Center were probably seen as convenient scapegoats for the administration because all applications for tax exempt status are, in fact, sent to this Service Center for their initial processing. From there the applications may be reassigned to local offices for follow up questions.  IRS  Service Centers and local offices do not set policy: They follow directives from Washington, DC.  That said, a few agents may be more zealous than others in enforcing policies, especially if an organization does not have skilled legal counsel. My own suspicion is that this is yet another example of this administration's highly parochial roots on display. In Chicago city low level bureaucrats are expected to take the fall for elected officials and top advisors.  Federal employees have different expectations.