I'm Calling Shenanigans!

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that, even if the 2008 property tax bills are ready before the election, the Marion County Treasurer, Mike Rodman, may not mail them until after the election. Read the article linked below and if you're as outraged by this as I am, telephone and/or email his office to register your disapproval, and if this doesn't work use your ultimate weapon, VOTE HIM OUT this November.


http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080925/NEWS0502/809250489

Political Courage Test Results Available

The reponses to Project Vote Smart's Political Courage Test are now posted.

You can see mine at http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=109682.

You can look up all the Indiana candidates at:

http://www.votesmart.org/election_state.php?state_id=IN&go2.x=14&go2.y=7

The Angleton Property Tax Plan - Reason over Rhetoric

The Case For The Repeal of Property Taxes

• The inability of the current system to guarantee that assessments will be uniform and equal makes it impossible for Hoosier taxpayers to have confidence in their government.
• Property Taxes place an unacceptable burden on working and middle class families.
• No Hoosier homeowner should ever be in danger of loosing their home (as defined as the primary place of residence) due to the inability to pay property taxes.
• Property Tax Caps do not guarantee relief from poorly conducted assessments and the currently proposed caps (1% - 2% - 3%) are in direct opposition to the spirit of Article X of the Indiana Constitution.
  

Replacing The Revenue Currently Obtained

• Current replacement plans involve the use of a combination of sales and income taxes. I hereby suggest that sales taxes are not a viable choice as part of a property tax replacement scenario. In past years, state and local sales taxes were an option as a deduction on an individual's Federal Income tax. However, this is an either/or situation. You cannot deduct both. Beginning in 2008, state and local sales taxes will not be an option. Therefore, any plan which uses a combination of sales and income taxes will leave a significant portion of the taxes paid as non-deductable. I would even go so far as to repeal the increase in the state sales tax enacted in 2007.
• State and local income taxes are and will still be a deduction in 2008 and years to come. The best option is one based solely on income taxes. This will necessitate an increase in both the individual and corporate income tax. I do not believe in the so called "Progressive" tax schemes favored by the more "liberal" elements of our political system. All they are is a thinly disguised attempt at the redistribution of wealth. (For anyone who is interested in learning more about "progressive" tax schemes I suggest reading Karl Marx's Communist Manifesto.) Why do we constantly feel the need to punish success and hard work?
• How much will we need to raise State Income taxes? This still needs to be adequately worked out, but whatever the increase it must be uniform and equal for all of Indiana's taxpayers.
• At present their are three basic types of local income taxes; COIT, CAGIT and CEDIT. This is two too many. We need to simplify this confusing mix of alphabet soup into one simple tax.
• Finally, spending caps need to be enacted at both the state and local levels to control the growth of government spending.

Just Say Yes

One of the items on this November's ballot is a referendum on whether to eliminate the Township Assessor's office. I cannot speak to the quality of the assessments in all of Marion Co.'s townships, but the performance of the Center Township Assessor has been, in a word, abysmal. Things are so fouled up in this office that the County Assessor assumed responsibility for the reassessment ordered by Gov. Daniels. This all points to incompetence on the part of the elected assessor, Eugene Ackers. Unfortunately, we cannot afford to wait until his office comes up for election. We must act as soon as possible. I call upon the citizens of Center Township to stand up and vote for more efficient government and vote YES on Referendum 1, located on the reverse side of the ballot:

“Should the assessing duties of the Elected Township Assessor in the township be transferred to the County Assessor?”

Just vote Yes.