I recently read a book by Union native, Joe Ezelle. “To Hell With the IRS and to Hell with You Tax Man,” is a non-fiction collection of the author’s memoirs as during his career as an IRS Agent. The author served almost every field office position with the agency from entry level collector to supervisor. The very title of the book, which is mostly autobiographical is indicative of many of his experiences as he sometime confronted dangerous career criminals while performing his duties. Ezelle chronicles some of his most dangerous and well as some of his humorous experiences. Not only did Ezelle have to confront people who made it their business to evade paying their taxes, at times he found himself at odds with the bureaucracy he worked for. Competition within the agency was fierce, but the former middle-weight boxer was up to the task whether it was collecting taxes or inner office competition. Before joining the IRS Joe Ezelle played basketball and football at Union High School as well at East Central Community College. After earning his degree in physical education at the University of Southern Mississippi, he served four years in the United States Navy. He later earned his law degree from the Birmingham School of law. This writer found a new appreciation for the men and women we sometime refer to as revenuers. Not only is the job of an IRS agent often dangerous, it requires long hours and mounds of paperwork which must be letter-perfect. We often criticize the tax collector but without them, our taxes would increase to compensate for the shortfall created by the cheaters.
Ezelle’s book is well written and for me, passes the next line test. If I had not known better, I would have never suspected this to be his endeavor with pen and ink. Please allow me to recommend Joe’s book.
Ralph Gordon is a Past President Mississippi Writers Guild and a recipient of the William Faulkner Literary Award. You may contact Ralph Gordon at rgordon512@hotmail.com or 601-686-0174.
