The Spirit of 2008

Last year July 4th saw Marion County homeowners protesting en mass in front of the Governor's Mansion. A year later many of us have seen our property tax bills increase by 100% or more. All of us are paying an additional 1% sales tax. The legislature has passed a tax relief plan that will not give us real help until 2010 at the earliest. So what do we do? Do we sit down and allow our elected officials run roughshod over us with a system that's anything but "Uniform and Equal", or do we do what we did last year when we let our voices be heard as one and demand accountability?

Regardless of my candidacy for public office, I will be there. For while many of those in Cottage Home who were cruelly assessed last year, have seen their reassessments drop by an average of$80,000 (which for some represents a 40% drecrease), my assessment only decreased $20,000(about a 10% decrease). This still leaves my assessment at slightly over a 300% increase. Couple this with a 3.75% tax rate my total tax liability is about $4500/year, still a 680% increase over last year. I have also noted that the reassessment has increased the over all tax liabilty of many of my neighbors and friends. The tax rate approximately doubled going from 2005 to 2006. Add to this, a doubling of the assessed values of many of the homes, and the overall result is that many of you have experinced a total increase of about 400%. One would have thought that the higher assessed values would have significantly drecreased the tax rate, but it didn't. So come on out and join your voice to what I hope will be the beginning of a true call for change in the way we tax the citizens of Indiana.

Who: Friends of Liberty and Justice for All
What: July 4 Celebration, as properly done
When: Friday, 4 July, 2008 from 10-11am
Where: In front of the Indiana Governor's Mansion at 4750 N. Meridian,Indianapolis