Combs Hasn't Mastered Fine Art of Eating Crow
Eating crow is a fine art. Susan Combs hasn’t mastered it.
The state comptroller of public accounts has been ducking responsibility ever since revealing that her agency had put the names and Social Security numbers of 3.5 million people in a publicly available spot on the comptroller’s state website.
For a year.
Think anyone noticed what was lying around? Nobody knows, to tell you the truth. The comptroller flailed in the week after the announcement, firing some subordinates, sending her PR people to answer the sharp questions and attempting to blame the agencies that sent her the ...
Comments (30)
Neil Sapper
Thanks, Texas Tribune! How about an editorial that calls for Combs' resignation? THAT would be perfect!
Neil Sapper
Austin, TX
BurningFeet
Resign? As a high ranking Republican incompetent, I see a Senate run in her future. Or dare I say, President? Dare! Dare!
Wilkins Micawber
I was outraged by the breach of security, but even more so once I received The Letter.
Saturday, I received The Letter sent under the signature of Victor Gonzales, now former Director of Innovation and Chief Technology Officer at the Office of the State Comptroller for Public Accounts. (Until recently, I had no idea just how public those accounts are.)
I doubt Gonzales actually wrote the letter, or that the signature is his. The fact that the Comptroller would send out a letter under the signature of a former employee speaks volumes about the extent to which Susan Combs will go to evade responsibility for this massive, criminal breach of the public trust.
This letter is such a masterpiece of doublespeak that the comptroller should be paying royalties to the estate of George Orwell.
Susan Combs should resign her office at once, before being indicted for breach of public trust. This woman apparently has no shame.
Luis Vela Guevara via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Susan Combs need to show some class and resign right now. Clearly she does not understand leadership and responsibility.
Danna Myers via Texas Tribune on Facebook
People not taking responsibility? I see a pattern!!!
Francesca Di Poppa via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Well, of course she doesn't. She certainly does not get a good example from Perry.
Bob Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
If she plays her cards right in Texas incompetency leads to a governorship.
J.B. Bird via Texas Tribune on Facebook
She needs to learn this basic tenet of PR: If you have to eat shit, grab the largest spoon.
Bob Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
as an addendum, if she went out and shot a coyote in jogging shorts Texas would be like a baby with a new rattle no one would remember this in a week.
Bob Brown via Texas Tribune on Facebook
her in the shorts but I guess it works both ways.
TexasEd
Will Combs sent out some money and assistance when I have to fight to re-claim my identity in the future? What about the other millions of people? How about Combs placing HER information on my website for a year and see how she feels?
Justin Coons via Texas Tribune on Facebook
I got my letter yesterday. I'd send the state a bill for the new identity theft monitoring service I had to sign up for, but let's not kid ourselves. It's not like this state has the money to pay it.
poryorick
I love how the leaders in our state are all about taking personal responsibility until it's their turn. Likewise, it always seem like the conservative argument against ineffective, incompetent government is a self-fulfilling ideology. I have no doubt the electorate here will reward Combs with the Lt. Governorship for her troubles.
BiffTannen
That is what got me when I got the letter. When a company loses this type of data, they pay for a monitoring service. Texas just gives you a discount. Its not my fault, don't make me pay for it. I'm already paying dearly by working for the state in the first place.
Mike Murphy
I recently visited our 23-yr old son, and asked to log into his wireless network. His security was such that 1) the network was not visible, so you had to have the exact name and password, and 2) he had to specifically authorize my computer access via its system serial number. If a recent college grad can set up security like that on a wireless network, why the hell can't the Comptroller's IT folks properly secure a server with the kind of data this one apparently had on it?
And, yes, as a recently retired state employee, I received one of the letters, so I've filed a fraud alert with Equifax, and have added identity theft protection to my homeowner's policy. I think we need a new comptroller, and certainly some new IT folks.
BiffTannen
Mike Murphy, only one thing out of what you listed is secure. The other two are magic rocks that keep tigers away.
Disabling SSID broadcast is trivial to bypass. Any wireless system can be spurned into revealing its SSID. MAC addresses can be spoofed. The only 'secure' wireless is secured with WPA2-AES.
WUSRPH
There is no defense for Combs hiding behind her staff, but it is not a new policy at the Comptrollers. In fact, it was started by John Sharp. The policy was (and apparently continues to be) that ALL good news (we owe you money, our audit was in your favor, sales tax collections are up, etc.) went out on letterhead with a prominent heading of John Sharp, Comptroller of Texas Accounts, and in most cases were signed "John Sharp". All "bad news" (you owe us money, collections are down, etc.) went out on letterhead that said only Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and were signed by some underlining. Many of us who had been Comptroller employees (under BB) viewed this then and still now as a insult to the people who worked there. But when your goal is to "move on up" at all costs, anything appears to be justified..especially if it involves ducking responsibility for anything that might tend to make anybody, anywhere upset with you.
Tim Tukaram Spotswood via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Got my letter today. My life sucks so if they want to steal it... they deserve it.
TexasEd
Anyone know if your credit rating is affected by getting the free fraud alert placed in your file?
Mike Murphy
BiffTannen, you miss the point: the comptroller's office apparently didn't do anything to secure the data on this server. Yes, maybe my son doesn't have "perfect" wireless security; but the fact is that his network seems far better protected than that of the Comptroller. Even if only by "one" measure.
And, for your reading pleasure, I point you here:
http://www.macintouch.com/readerreports/security/index.html#d22apr2011
which discusses smart phones collecting GPS data wherever they go, and also the fact that certain police agencies are now using data sniffers to collect everything off your phone.
My main point remains the same: the Comptroller screwed up royally on this, and seems very reluctant to take responsibility. Let's all hold our breath while we wait for her to do so.
See, that didn't take long, the answer is that she won't.
Kirsten Dietz Voinis via Texas Tribune on Facebook
Ross nails it.
Mad and I vote
I saw this article on the NYT website and I have to say this is the best thing I've seen written about this whole fiasco yet. I have to give you kudos for saying what a lot of people have been thinking: Susan has taken a salvageable mess and turned it into a career-ender because of the way she has handled it. I think whoever is advising Susan Combs on how to spin this is the one who should be fired. If Combs had been the one to face the reporters instead of sending her spokesman; if she had taken the blame instead of accusing other agencies; if she had put her signature on that letter instead of making Victor Gonzalez sign it on the way out the door; and if she had pledged to reimburse the expenses incurred by those of us trying to mitigate any damage as a result of her incompetence -- then I would have a lot more respect for her and could forgive her. As it is, I think she needs to step down. Or at least come forward and take her lumps and get rid of her "outreach" people who must be utterly clueless about politics and good government.
Comptroller Employee
Yes! Finally, the truth is out about this. Of course, this is just one of many blunders this woman has made. She should step down and take her handlers with her.
Jo
Why would a subordinate have to resign?
And aren't YOU Ms Combs the one that is responsible? The article said that people were fired because of this. WHY? Your the one that is responsible, bottom line!. So you keep your 20k job and others are let go due to your negligence?
I guess the only thing that I can say about this, is "if you were doing YOUR job, you would find out that others weren't doing theirs!"
And YES I was one that got the letter from the comptrolers office. Interesting that it wasn't signed by YOU.
I just hope that there isn't a class action suit against the comptrollers office!.
Thom McInnis
Let's help her resign at the ballot box. This level of incompetence or bad behavior should not be rewarded.
jpt51
In failing to accept personal responsibility, Ms. Combs has demonstrated why she's unfit for her current, let alone the Lt. Gov. job. The minimum Ms Combs should have done is use the$1.8 million to purchase identity insurance for those affected and resign immediately.
Ross was too kind not to include her gallivanting over Europe last fall and returning to promote Formula 1 racing here to the tune of Texas taxpayers forking over $250 million for a one weekend a year event. As though that was going to help create jobs or be a good investment. Her support was really a political favor for billionaire Red McCombs. McCombs is the guy who paid $80K for bar-b-q for Perry's reelection. Where else but Texas can someone get a return of $250 million on an $80K gift? Elsewhere it’s called a bribe. I urge all to write their legislators requesting they enact a recall provision to the Texas Constitution.
I sure hope this story doesn't die come the new week.
tom brown
Hey, with only 27 people commenting it appears as if not too many people care one way or another. - SC
Mad Retiree
Susan Combs is ultimately the responsible party for the Breach of Security as Comptroller. She should resign from office after this horrific blunder under her watch as Comptroller. The Comptroller Office should be audited immediately because it is obvious that the accounting checks and balances are not in place at that state agency. Ms. Combs should step up to the plate and take ownership of her not doing her job and quit blaming those who work under her management. Have the guts to sign the letter that 3.5 million state employees & retirees personal identifiable information has been jeopardized. The State of Texas should pay for the fraud protection for the 3.5 million state employees and retirees involved in this security breach instead of pushing a couple of companies that will give a discount . It is interesting that one of the two companies was formed using Texas Enterprise Fund money from Governor Perry. Quit ducking and lawying low Ms. Combs and take ownership of your gross mistake and "RESIGN" from your office.
WUSRPH
Is it true that Texas Comptroller (sic) Susan Combs has a big sign on her desk that says:
"The buck stops way, way over there!"
Ir seems that she is more James Buchanan than Harry Truman!
Who Cares It's done
Understand that the 5 people that lost their jobs, they were then posted on the Gov Job bank and I guess she hired the ones that she brought in with her... Opps.. not saying that's bad. But that was the scuttlebutt!.
And to hear about Victor signing this letter when he already had gone on to another job.. Don't know if that's true or not. That's deplorable to even think that anyone did this.
Talk about shunning your responsibility!.
You sure haven't done a lot for any type of re-election.
Every one of the post's that I've seen have been up front and honest. Maybe you need to read what you've done, and the commotion created by not doing your job. If this was a minor thing that would be one thing, but it's not, it's a major one 3.5 million people!
Or did you just want to cause commotion because of the legislative vote that is coming down? Taking away longevity pay, making us pay more for insurance co payments?. Is this what it's all about?.
Has anyone noticed this? She waited until all the things that were going on to committee and final vote and this came out?.