Be forewarned: The Tennessee Center for Policy Research is "not a legitimate group" -- so says that state's revenue department. It's in a huff because it doesn't want to give TCPR operating budget information about the Volunteer State's so-called "crack tax." "Tennessee's ‘crack tax' brought in $1.77 million last year and has added nearly $3.5 million to the state's coffers since it was first collected in 2005," according to the Reason Foundation. "The Tennessee law, which an appellate court has ruled unconstitutional, requires anyone possessing certain amounts of illegal drugs to buy tax stamps for the drugs' packages." TCPR has researched the topic and asserts, the cost of administering the tax exceeds revenue raised and, oh, yeah, that pesky Davidson County Chancery Court unconstitutional ruling. 

Enter stage tyrannical left. The Feb. 16 City Paper online reports, on Jan. 3, department director of communications Emily Richard emailed the department's general counsel and audit director: "Heads up: Several in the department are receiving calls from this group, re: the unauthorized substances tax. Please let your staff know this is not a legitimate group and therefore, we're not responding to them. Let me know if anyone in your group is contacted by them. (By the way, this is Drew Johnson's org.) Thanks." So, now it's gone personal, Drew being president of TCPR. The City Paper online further reported, Richard emailed the governor's director of communications and deputy press secretary: "The Tennessee Center for Policy Research has called several people in the department, including me, re: unauthorized substances tax. As you know, this is Drew Johnson's group. We are not responding to the calls."

There's more fun to this story, especially Richard's lie and the related silly reasons cited as to why TCPR is "not a legitimate group" (The City Paper online, Feb. 18 and 16, respectively). However, the final word goes to that rascally TCPR president Drew Johnson. Said he of these brazen public servants, "It doesn't matter if it's some guy in his basement wanting to call and know how much this budget number is," Johnson said. "It's not their role to decide who receives essentially public information...."