Texas Ethics Commission Software

A few weeks ago I downloaded software provided by the Texas Ethics Commission to report all donation receipts and campaign expenditures. I then watched the 40-minute video also provided by the Commission about how to properly account for each of the financial transactions in to and out of the Elect Ed Kless campaign coffers (or in my case, coughers).

I am using Windows 7 and in order to install and subsequently run the software I have to turn the User Access Control (system security) to its lowest setting and be connected to the Internet. If I were a paranoid anti-government type person I might think they are trying to take control of my computer. Oh, wait, I am a paranoid anti-government type person. ;)

In any case, today is the deadline to file my campaign financing report with the Commission. If I do not file by today, I would be subject to fines of at least to $500. Not having that kind of money, I have diligently entered all the required information and successfully submitted it to the state.

Throughout the entire process I have been thinking, “I wonder what Thomas Jefferson would think about this?”