Someone To Blame

Susan Combs seems to be taking the blame for the situation that occurred but somehow I'm sure she will get off scott free. She will probably get a slap on the wrist.  If this lawsuit is won it is obviousl guarenteed that Ms. Combs herself will not have to dig into her own pockets.  A $1000 pay out to about 3.5 million Texas residents.  Wow! That is amazing.  At a time like this, where is that substantial amount of dough going to come from?  Does anyone know?  Are Combs and the state prepared to deal with problems related to the security breach that occur more than a year later, perhaps even two years later? According to some identity protection experts, data thieves often sit on stolen information for up to two years before using it, to avoid raising immediate suspicion. Combs said it depends. She also does not think there will be a liability issue but that's a question for the Texas Attorney General's office.

Combs now says she takes full responsibility for the data exposure. Some of her initial comments had criticized the way agencies sent the data to the Comptroller's office. Today she says, "We're the last door. We're it. And as head of the agency, I am responsible." She says she's not thinking about her political future right now. "My job is to not worry about anything political. My job  number 1  is to accept responsibility." As for spending her campaign funds, Combs said it is appropriate that she absorb the cost for identity restoration for people who have had their information stolen and used.
This is the agency that collects taxes for the state of Texas. It doesn’t have a lot of tax information about individuals, since Texas doesn’t have a personal income tax. But it’s got a lot of sensitive and proprietary information about the businesses in the state. The agency’s officials have made an explicit deal with those taxpayers: Send us the information we need to make sure you’re paying the taxes you owe, and we’ll never share it with anyone unless they’re either a tax collector or in law enforcement or in the Legislature that’s right, Texas legislators have the legal authority to peek at your books.