Ms. Symington Regrets

When Gaye Symington holds her press conference Monday (the topic of which has not yet been disclosed and the suspense is fairly killing us) someone from the media might ask her about the tax privacy issue.  Last August, Ms. Symington, in her capacity as Speaker of the House, issued a press release in which she stated:

I agree with the Secretary of State that there is a basis for concluding that the property tax adjustment information is private and should not be disclosed ...
In January, if questions remain about whether the information should remain private, we will take action to insure that property tax adjustment information will remain private.

Well, January has come and gone. The desultory session over which she presided has come to an end.  And the matter of taxpayer privacy?  Well, add it to the "Unfinished Business" list.  Something to fix once she has been elected to a higher office.

 

Comments

[Promises]

This is another in a long line of promises that the Speaker makes, but fails to keep. I eagerly await George Cross' defense of the Speaker's failure to keep this promise, as well as the promise to stand up to the NEA on Act 82.

[G. Cross]

Passing laws requires at least three steps. Passage by the House; passage by the Senate; and the signature of the Governor. The House was not the problem with the statewide-education-property-tax bill privacy issue. Without the help of all three parties, a bill just does not make it. Help was lacking from both the Senate and the Governor's office. BTW, I do not recall a big clamor from Governor Douglas to "fix" this problem. Of course, at my age memory is sometimes challenged.

[Promises]

George, you seem to imply that Republicans were somehow at fault for this problem not getting fixed.

If memory serves (and my feeble mind may be failing me too), I believe that it was the Republican caucus that led the charge on this issue last year. Republicans offered several solutions, and all were voted down - this year and last year. I seem to remember that the Governor supported these solutions.

So that covers off the House Republicans and the Governor, which leaves the Senate. Isn't the senate controlled by a Democratic super-majority (one that can even suspend rules without Republican votes).

Your argument is long on spin and short on substance George. But nice try. Stick to bird houses.

[G. Cross]

Promises, Promises, you are stretching. I did not mention Republicans anywhere in my note. Certainly House Republicans (RU1?), especially those who struggle to find any reason to dislike our education finance system, were all over this little problem. However, it also appears that the Govenor's shop was not making the issue any part of this year's end-of-session deals. Thus, I will still stick with the idea that Symington tried, but got no help from either the Senate or the Governor. The House just can't do all the work!