All Counties Are Not Created Equal.

The Indianapolis Star is reporting that the House Ways and Means Committee will not hear the Fire Merger Bill SB280 eliminating the possibility of a mandated merger of the Marion Co. Fire Departments in forseeable future. House Ways and Means Chairman Bill Crawford had supported such legislation last year when Mayor Bart Peterson was in office, but has now changed his mind after reading the Kernan-Shepard report. He now thinks that any attempts at any type of township consolidation should occur for all 92 counties, be it fire department, assessors etc.

"I don't think we need to move county-by-county. I think we need to wait until next session, when hopefully we deal with all 92 counties and there's uniformity on consolidations," he said.

So my question is this:

Is he that stupid or is he just playing out partisan politcs?

All counties are not equal in their needs and capabilities. Let's compare two counties.

The first county we'll call Marion. Marion is an urban county with a high population density. Each fire department has multiple stations throughout their service areas. Merging these departments would not invovle great distances or logistical problems.

Let's look at the second county which I'll call Clay. Clay is a rural county with a low population density. The county seat, Brazil, has a professional fire department. The rest of the county is served by volunteer departments which are not paid. Clay is long county and consolidation would be a logistical nightmare.

Clearly these two counties are not the same. So why does Rep. Crawford think they can be treated the same?

The "Prince" of Center Township

Andre Carson's main claim to the 7th District Congressional seat is that the previous holder was his grandmother. Whenever the question of qualification arises being the grandson of Julia Carson is the first point given. The caucus of precinct committemen that nominated him did so primarily out of loyalty to his family name. His followers point to his work with the state excise police and his position on the Indianapolis City-County Council as evidence of his further qualification, both positions obtained because of heredity more than merit. I come not to disparage the man himself. He is the product of his environment and I wish him no ill will. I do, however, wonder about the almost rabid devotion of his supporters. There are many that would compare his nomination to a coronation of the heir apparent. I would remind those individuals that give such fealty that this is the United States and we obey the wisdom of our Constitution.

"No title of nobility shall be granted by the United States" – Article 1 Section 9

"No state shall enter into any treaty…or grant any title of nobility." – Article 1 Section 10

This is reinforced by the Constitution of the State of Indiana

"The General Assembly shall not grant any title of nobility, nor confer hereditary distinctions." – Article 1 section 35

Time to Face Off

March 11th is approaching.

What do we know about the candidates for the special election.

Isn't it time to find out?

It's time for the three candidates to debate. The public deserves to known where they stand on the issues.

Won't Get Fooled Again

We'll be fighting in the streets
With our children at our feet
And the morals when they worship will be gone
And the men who spurred us on
Sit in judgement of all wrong
They decide and the shotgun sings the song

I'll tip my hat to the new constitution
Take a bow for the new revolution
Smile and grin at the change all around
Pick up my guitar and play
Just like yesterday
Then I'll get on my knees and pray
We don't get fooled again

The Who

Friday, Feburary 1 2007 - Indiana Statehouse

A crowd had gathered to attend a rally that had ostensibly been organized to promote the efforts to repeal property taxes. The sponsering organization, Advance America, and its founder, Eric Miller, have been among the leading voices in the tax repeal movement. But, Advance America, has, in my opinion, a darker, more sinister side. Under the guise of protecting "family values", Advance America has an agenda that would restrict personal liberty, subvert the Bill of Rights, and regulate some citizens of this state to second class status.

Even so, I was glad when they weighed in on the side of tax reform. It was, for me, a situation similar to that faced by Winston Churchill, a dedicated foe of Communism, when Hitler's Germany invaded the Soviet Union. Churchill at the time remarked on his new ally, "If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favourable reference to the devil in the House of Commons. "

It has often been said, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend". This is not always true. Sometimes, the enemy of my enemy can be a useful ally, but if that ally has his own agenda that ultimately is incompatable with our own belief structure and values, then that alliance must be vigilently monitored. This is most vividly illustrated by another quote from Sir Winston. After the war, Stalin had reneged on his guarantees of free elections in the counties that became known as the Eastern Block, and Churchill described it in his customary elequent way, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."

Thus, Friday's rally at the stathouse became one in which the emphesis was shifted from tax repeal to support for the amendment banning "Gay Marriage", which goes far beyond that in its scope. An attempt to protest the change of direction away from taxes was shouted down. With "friends" like these, it is doubtful that any real momentum on repeal is possible. Even reform is in jeopardy as the elected minions of Mr. Miller have introduced amendments to bills that would make them unpalitable and unpassable. The alliance crafted to fight an unfair tax is in danger of splitting apart much to the delight of those politicians who think that they know, more than we, what is best for us.

I call upon all men and women of men and women of good conscience must do what they feel is correct, even if it hurts us economically. To do anything else is cowardice. Remember:

First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist,
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn’t speak up, because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak up for me.

Variation on a poem attributed to Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

If the alliance is fractured, it is solely the responsibility of Advance America and it's leader Eric Miller for trying to bind these two issues together.

Sometimes the Wheels Do Turn In the Right Direction

Today's Indianapolis Star reports that the County Assesor's Office has taken over the reassessment in Center Township.

"Bowes said his office has taken over the reassessment in Center Township because of “a question of staffing and skills” of that township assessor’s office.The majority of the work in Washington Township is still being done by the township assessor’s office.The residential work in Center and Washington townships has been complicated, Bowes said, by the fact that many older homes there have increased in value. He said those increases may not have been accurately reflected in the first reassessment after the state moved to a new market-based approach."

As a resident of Center Township I have been speaking out about this sorry state of affairs since the first assessment was released and the taxes on my home went up 850% while many of those of my neighbors minimally increased. I regret that this may mean that many of my neighbors may find their reconciliation bills are going to be higher than they originally expected, but perhaps they too will finally see the need to join the rebellion.

Call for Entries - A Libertarian Art Show/Fundraiser

Call for Entries

"The Art of Politics"

The Libertarian Party of Marion County invites you to create an original piece of art for the upcoming art show "The Art of Politics". The Libertarian Party believes in the First Amendment and welcomes your artistic opinion on politics. The Show will open during First Friday April 4th at Deano’s Vino Restaurant in Historic Fountain Square. It will hang through April. The work should be priced between $50- and $300 (a portion of the commission will go to Deano’s Vino and the Libertarian Party of Marion County. Please submit 2-D ready to hang and 3-D sculpture. Since this work will be shown in a public establishment we reserve the right to qualify the appropriateness and size of the work submitted. For more information please contact Jenny Elkins at 916-4202 or jse64art@sbcglobal.net.

Who Will Speak For The Middle Class?

It is with great amusement that I have followed the antics of the Indiana House Ways and Means committee. The overriding theme is one of protecting the status quo, looking out for the interests of government and special interest groups at the expense of the citizen taxpayers. The biggest loser in this farce is the average middle class taxpayer.

The middle class taxpayer, without reference to race, religion or any other demographic except economic status, has borne the burden of our ill-conceived tax system for far too long. It is the middle class taxpayers who are most endangered of loosing their homes due to the capricious assessment system. It is the middle class taxpayer that is being squeezed for every penny the government can get out of them. It is the middle class who are keeping the system afloat.

In 1965 President Johnson proclaimed the Great Society and declared War on Poverty. Has the cycle of poverty been extinguished over the last two generations since then?

Various Presidents have supported the so-called War on Drugs. Are illicit drugs any less available?

We are currently involved in a War on Terror. Will we ever be able to completely eliminate the threat of one group or another that objects so strongly to a political or religious viewpoint that they will unleash a series of guerrilla attacks to further there own cause?

Perhaps we should get our government to openly declare a War on the Middle Class so that it too might meet with the success rate of these other "Wars", for the undeclared war is killing us.

So, who will speak for the Middle Class?

We must learn to speak for ourselves. We must speak loudly and with conviction. We must let our government know that we are not afraid of them any longer and that those whom we elect should fear us.

Who will speak for the Middle Class?

I will, and I urge each of you to do so too.