EDMOND — House Speaker Lance Cargill has weathered several accusations and insinuations in the past year, but the revelation Sunday that he has failed to file his personal income tax returns for two years is utterly discouraging. Cargill was one of five legislators named by The Oklahoman as having failed to fulfill this civic duty.
At best it is incredibly careless and irresponsible for state leaders to shirk even the most basic of civic responsibilities in this manner. In some instances certain lawmakers appear to have gone well beyond the bounds of flimsy excuses and are treading dangerously close to criminal negligence.
What’s worse is that Cargill supported and voted for the mechanism that provides for notification of all state employees who are not keeping up with their tax obligations. So it’s not as if he didn’t know that failing to file his forms could be revealed.
His response was that this terrible mistake was the fault of his accountant and miscommunication. How gullible does Cargill believe we are?
In all of the political hubris involving Cargill, there was always the glimmer of hope that this bright, skilled politician would prove his naysayers wrong. It looks as if we can no longer count on that hope.
In a society built on respect for the rule of law, we demand better of our neighbors and ourselves. Public servants should be no different.
