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WASTE NOT, TAX NOT?

September 27, 2006

Three egregious stories of government misfeasance prompt Prof. Maule to cry to the heavens, "So Explain Again What It Is That Taxes Are to Provide?"

He relates one story I hadn't heard:

The California Franchise Tax Board has had to notify more than two hundred corporations that their tax information was emailed by an employee to a distribution list that included journalists, reporters and other media employees. It was an accident, we're told. One media outlet which received the list, explained that it contained names of taxpayers and their identification numbers. The official position? "Clearly, this is an unfortunate incident." That's the reaction of a spokesperson for a member of the Board. Wow, we wouldn't have been able to figure that out for ourselves.

How could that happen? A state employee sent a spreadsheet with information obtained from audits... to a distribution list of reporters? I hope no ill-paid intern reporters are supplementing their income through identity theft.

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