Vote ‘no’ on the IPS ballot referendum.

It was with great interest and a very sore lip that I read soon to be former State Representative Orentlicher’s opinion piece in October 5th’s Sunday Star. The great interest was due to the fact that I acknowledge the problems facing IPS and the need to correct them. The sore lip came having bitten it repeatedly to prevent myself from screaming at some of the opinions expressed and disturbing the peaceful quiet morning that my neighbors were experiencing.

Let us look at his arguments and the rationale behind them.

It is true that students will be more inclined to focus on learning, and not how hot and miserable it is, in a properly lit and air-conditioned classroom. But he misses the mark when he states that it is the lack of air-conditioning that prevents IPS from hiring the brightest and best teachers. The true drawbacks are pay and a perceived lack of discipline (both educational and behavioral) on the part of students, too little of the former and too much of the latter. Having taught at the college level myself many years ago, I can say that teachers want and need students that are motivated to truly seek knowledge and not just occupying a seat. Add to this the fact is that inner city schools can induce a fear for one’s safety, if not directly from the students, then from the surrounding neighborhood, you see brilliant young teachers seeking employment elsewhere.
Proper lighting, functional restrooms and roofs that don’t leak are absolutes. There is no debate that these are must have.

The biggest question regarding the ballot issue and the completion of the 2001 plan is the continued relevance of the plan in light of steadily decreasing enrollments. Part of the Phase 3 plan calls for the construction of two new elementary schools, I feel that we must request IPS to delay their construction until a comprehensive review of their necessity is conducted. Additionally, we must ask if all the buildings scheduled for renovation are and will be fully utilized in the next 10-20 years; if not, then the renovations for those buildings must be delayed until a review of the possibility of consolidating schools is completed.

Representative Orentlicher’s assumption that taxes will be lower, due to tax caps, in 2010 assumes that local assessors will not be pressured by local governmental units to raise assessed values to meet the levy since tax rates will be effectively frozen at 1, 2 and 3%. What he also does not state in his opinion is that IPS has assumed that the average priced house is worth $75,000. Statistics like this can be misleading without a full disclosure of all the statistical parameters and the assumptions that went into their generation. The average, or mean if you prefer, is $75000. What is the standard deviation of this number? The standard deviation is a measure how widely the individual values that went into determining the average differ. For example, let’s look at two cases. Case 1 has 6 homes valued at $10000, $20000, $30000, $60000, $125000 and $200000. The average is about $74000, but the standard deviation is also about $74000 indicating that there is wide variation in the values. Case 2 also has 6 homes but the differences in price are much less, $59000, $64,000, $69,000, $79,000, $84,000 and $90,000. Again the average is about $74000, but the variation is much less and the standard deviation is only about $12000. In the first case the tax burden is going to be born mostly by the two higher priced properties, whereas in the second case the burden is more evenly distributed. Which case is the most democratic (the philosophy not the party)?

Another measure often looked at is the median. The median is a value that divides the highest 50% of the values from the lowest 50% of the values. In Case 1 it is $45000, half the values are above $45000 and half are below it. $45,000 is the value that is exactly halfway between $30000 and $60000. In Case 2 the median is $74,000 the value exactly halfway between $69,000 and $79,000. Here we see that the median is a better reflection of the true distribution of values than the average when the values are highly different.

Finally, I should like to add that, although Representative Orentlicher’s motivations are noble and sprout from a concern about the need to adequately educate our children and comply with all federal and state requirements, he does not reside within the area served by IPS. He is in fact a resident served by MSDS Washington Township, and he should direct his concerns towards the lavish wasting of taxpayer money by that district’s unrealistic and grandiose building plans.

We, as taxpayers and citizens residing in the IPS district should reject this bond referendum and ask IPS to go back to the drawing board and develop a different plan to accomplish these much needed renovations, a plan that best serves the students and the taxpayers who must provide for them.

On November 4th find the referendum question on the reverse side of your ballot and vote “No”.

The Angleton Campaign For District 100 – The District In A Day

Join me on Oct. 25 for a whirlwind tour of the district as I hearken back to the days of campaigning without all the modern methods when candidates took to the “Stump” to get their message out. I intend to campaign from the back of a truck stopping at various places in the district to give a speech, pass out literature, and answer questions. This will be all the more impressive if we can organize a caravan of supporters to follow along and be present at the stops. The more of our own people we have, the more voters we should attract.

The exact itinerary for the day will be posted later, but if you plan to come out and show your support let me know as soon as possible (like before Friday Oct 10). I’m going to order Styrofoam skimmer hats for everyone to wear that day.

I really urge as many supporters as possible to come out that day. It's going to be a blast.

Now Is The Time For All Good Men And Women To Come To The Aid Of Their Party.

This post might be better entitled, "Where have all the Libertarians gone?"

In the 2007 Municipal election there were 1118 straight Libertarian Party votes, 3787 voters supported Fred Peterson and 12,275 voters selected Tim Maguire. This year we have several strong candidates who need all the help, both financial and volunteer, they can get. Where are these people who supported our candidates at the polls last year? How many times have we heard someone say, "I always vote Libertarian", and yet none of us who are active in the party knows them?

My friends it is time to put your money and your time where your heart lies. If even 10% of those who voted for Fred Peterson were to volunteer and make a $25.00 commitment, we can raise almost $9500 for the local party to use in candidate support.

Libertarians, your party needs you.

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.