It was a simple statement but still it hurt. "SEE, this man eats with sinners and tax collectors." They hurt because I was one of those tax-collectors. Tax collectors are never popular.

"Adopt a flat tax," said Steve Forbes in the primary campaigns, "and dismantle the Internal Revenue Service."

"I'm proud to be paying taxes in the United States," said Arthur Godfrey. "The only thing is ” I could be just as proud for half the money."

"President Clinton says he looks forward to the day a citizen can call the IRS and get the right answer to a question," says Jay Leno. "I look forward to the day I can call the IRS and get a voice that says, Sorry, that number has been disconnected.'"

And there was that famous reply that boxer Joe Louis gave when a sportswriter asked, "Who hit you the harde…