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October 03, 2007
Farr beyond reason
While my understanding is that the paper version will start hitting the streets on Thursdays, instead of Wednesdays, this week's Pulse is online today. In it, I opine briefly on the "crack tax" appeal and the cigarette border patrols. Tennessee Commissioner of Revenue Reagan Farr is undergoing deserved (in my view) criticism for pushing both of these efforts, and I imagine that it wouldn't feel so nice to be under such scrutiny. It might make one resentful of the media.
But one blogger — who also happens to be a Tennessee House of Representatives member — got Farr's attention in a very direct way. Rep. Stacey Campfield, a Republican legislator from Knoxville, got a phone call from an irate Reagan Farr.
I was out working this morning when at 9:01 (Nashville time) I received a call. It was Farr. I will try to recite this as best I can. Farr, to be kind, was not happy about my latest post He was practically yelling over the phone, demanding that I take it down immediately.Not a good tactic to take with me. I seldom, if ever, take down a post. If there is an error I will try to correct it or admit a mistake, but I don't like to take things down. Farr wanted me to go home and take it down any way.
Governor Phil Bredesen, says Nashville's City Paper, spoke out in support of his revenue commissioner today. Our state stance on tobacco is very mixed right now. The Governor and his administration want the tax money from cigarette sales, yet a ban on smoking in most public buildings went into effect this week. We want to reduce the healthcare costs associated with smoking, yet we depend on the taxes for other state programs. (Links via Volunteer Voters)
For more on this episode, see:
Michael Silence
Bill Hobbs
Government , Pulsations | By joe lance | 09:55 PM