Extremists Or Citizens?

There will be a lot of Tea Party protests across the country today. It used to be that the Libertarian Party was out there at Post Offices every April 15, in groups of 15 or 20 protesters, to make their message heard and seen by those dropping off tax returns at the deadline. No more. It's going to be big stuff today across the country.

I'll be interested to see the narrative on the news, and the pictures that are shown. To hear it told, the Tea Partiers are at least in part, of entirely: racist, violent, incapable of correct spelling or grammar, mean-spirited.

I found an incredible post today, that compiles a litany of violent threats against the President. They are images from anti-war rallies, and threats against President Bush.

http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=621

I haven't seen a single placard in a Tea Party directly calling for the murder of the President, but you could see plenty in the anti-war rallies. I guess that was ok. The media was fine with burying these images, but can't wait to paint tax protesters as all the things it could have, and should have, painted the anti-war protesters. Want to know why people complain about liberal media bias? Feast your eyes.

In a tangential thought, where are the anti-war rallies now? Is it that Obama is extending the Bush wars in Iraq & Afghanistan that makes them ok? My team, right or wrong?

New Podcast - Libertarian Participation in Tea Parties

I sat down with Travis Zellers for the latest podcast. Travis is the membership coordinator for the Marion County Libertarian Party, and is helping to coordinate Libertarian participation in the Indianapolis Tea Party.

Listen via this link to the podcast archive.

Because the Tea Parties are non-partisan events in which Libertarians will be joining forces with a wide range of participants, just like the recent Revolt at the Statehouse, I was interested to learn what lessons were learned to control our message, and to avoid negative associations being cast on some participating groups.

Tea Party? Count Me In!

I will be participating in the Indianapolis Tea Party, proudly. Sure, the message isn't about 'taxation without representation' as it was in Boston back in 1773, but the spirit seems the same to me. It's about justice.

The Colonists objected because they lacked a literal voice in government and in the taxes that affected them, because it was unjust that they shouldn't have a voice. Tax protesters are up in arms primarily about the bailouts, started with the Bush Administration, and continued by the Obama Administration.

My position is that it is unjust to transfer wealth to private corporations, or individual citizens, to relieve them from the predictable outcomes of their bad decisions and often fraudulent actions.

I don't believe it was just that a single penny was sent to AIG, or Bank of America, or Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, or to any mortgage holder. I do not want to see the Capital Improvement Board bailed out in Marion County, either.

It was wrong to wantonly print money in order to give it largely to politically connected friends, calling it 'stimulus'. It was unjust to devalue our currency this way when the Bush Administration did it, and unjust again when the Obama Administration did. It doesn't work, besides.

In sum, democracy can be a real sham on freedom when some citizens are declared losers by a majority of representatives, and others winners. It's worse than taxation without representation, because you want to have faith that your representative is one who defends you, rather than sells you out to some corporate interest that contributed mightily to his campaign warchest. As the Franklin quote goes, 'Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner,' yet that's exactly where we are. Representatives gather to decide who should have his pocket picked, for the benefit of another.

That should make any decent person mad as hell. Hence, a protest.

There are a few lessons that seem to have been learned from the 'Revolt at the Statehouse' from a couple weeks back, where the result was diffuse, and the Libertarians were singled out for mockery. I like these items from the Indianapolis Tea Party website:

RULES FOR A PEACEFUL PROTEST
NO STICKS ON SIGNS (Statehouse Grounds rule)
No violence, no racism, no law-breaking
Absolutely no obscene words or gestures
Treat Law Enforcement Officers with respect
Do not block sidewalks and streets with your bodies or signs
Avoid conflicts and any physical contact with any opponents. Our 1st Ammendment Rights are their rights, too
Take the high road....be CIVIL at all times

SIGN IDEAS

FRIENDLY REMINDER:
Stick to the point and stay on message! No abortion, marriage issues, or Obama bashing signs. We need to come across united and focused
Use black, red, or dark blue markers for visibility
Anticipate the adversary’s tactics and create a few counter-point slogans

These are the kinds of things protesters at large economic summits could learn a thing or two about. Seattle and Quebec come to mind. And, even though I agreed with their basic position, Iraq anti-war protesters have often lost me on some of their messages. I'm glad to see an admonition not to attack President Obama. The important thing is to focus on policy, not people. (More on that later.)

Voting With Your Feet

One fabulous recipe for driving away wealth is to raise income taxes or property taxes. The more money a person earns, the more incentive that person has to leave so as to preserve their rightful earnings. When property taxes outstrip the perceived value of contributing to the upkeep of a neighborhood or a municipality, the higher the tax, the greater the incentive to find a place that will be worth the bill.

I've long said that people vote with their feet. I've done it twice in my life. My great-grandparents crossed an ocean to do it. One place I voted with my feet on is Indianapolis. I did it before the City-County Council, on Mayor Peterson's recommendation, raised the income tax. I did it before the property tax assessment issue came to fore. Thank goodness!

Even NuVo gets it:

When the deleterious effect of high taxes is apparent even to NuVo, then it's as plain as the nose on your face. Wayne Bertsch at NuVo.

I love the "World Class Mayor" bit on the t-shirt. Peterson likes to crow about making a "World Class City" and that high taxes are the price to be paid. What a load. When the murder rate is higher than Detroit's, Indy is not a World Class City in any sense, except perhaps Third World. The priorities are a wreck. Public safety should be fully funded while everything else plays second fiddle. It isn't the way things are done in Indy, so I left. Now that I'm making more money than when I lived in Indy, I'm damn glad I did, because it would be a crime to pay more for getting less.

The people who remain in Indy have to decide something: Do you want to have Indy as a cauldron of poverty and crime? Or, do you want to have increasing wealth and decreasing crime? It's a simple matter of policy, and while I'm no fan of the Republicans (because they create disincentives for wealth, only are slower on the implementation), the Democrats are quickly destroying Indianapolis. So, while too many partisan Democrats would rather fiddle like Nero and keep their people in office, will the independents be swayed to vote Libertarian? Or at least stop voting Democrat? (I can't even bring myself to say 'vote Republican'. They haven't earned it.)

I'll keep looking from a safe distance.

Hat tip to Hoosiers For Fair Taxation on the strip!

Excellent Time for a Protest

The NFL season opener is in town tomorrow night. The Super Bowl champ Colts host the Saints for a big deal game, with big deal entertainment on Monument Circle. (Kelly Clarkson is ok by me, because she had Mike Watt play bass on recent recordings.) The national TV cameras will be focused on Indianapolis.

What better time to dunk some property tax assessment tea bags into the canal? Details:

INDIANA TEA PARTY

NFL Opening GamePan Am Plaza - Across from RCA Dome.
Thursday, Sept 6th - Meet at 6pm.
Bring your assessment (or facsimille) to put in the giant tea bag.
At 8pm we march to the Downtown Canal to dunk the tea bag once more

I've heard some grumbling about this, along the lines of, 'why can't you just enjoy the moment and not try to give the city a black eye?' Har har, the city already has the black eye. Check out the murder count, murder rate, general crime rate, tax rates, wealth flight, and then see if people trying to right the ship is in fact 'giving the city a black eye'.

Sometimes, embarrassment is the only motivation for fixing obvious and huge problems.

Update: Matt Tully wrote a truly unfortunate column for the Indy Star, urging everyone to enjoy the 'circus' part of the 'bread & circuses' charade, essentially sneering at the tax protesters. From his column:

"We want to communicate with the rest of the country what's going on in our city," event organizer Melyssa Donaghy, also the city's best-known dominatrix, told me.

All I can say is, huh?

A little perspective, folks. Something tells me people in Dubuque, Detroit and Durango don't care about tax increases in Indianapolis. And I'm betting NBC will steer its cameras away from those protesting in the streets. But since you're going to be here, Kelly and Faith, I thought you could use a primer on what's going on.

A. Why must Tully identify Melyssa Donaghy as a dominatrix? Does he identify every person he writes about by their proclivities? Or, is this just his shabby attempt to smear her? That was rhetorical. Matt Tully lives to smear the earnest little people who endeavor to make our region a better place to live. I know, he's done it to me.

B. The point of shining the light of truth on the tax situation for people outside to see is not because they have an interest. It's because this event is a sham designed to prop up the gilded face of the city. Underneath the glitter is a hell of a lot of decay. The protesters are, as the kids say, keeping it real.

C. Perspective? It doesn't matter what the problems of New Orleans or the third world are. We live in Indiana. All politics being local, we work to make home a better place. If we ignored home and focused elsewhere, home would get worse. Why does Tully want home to decline? What kind of 'thinking' is that? Perspective, indeed!

Maybe it's just that the Star sells a lot of newspapers and draws a lot of website hits by running pictures and stories about the Colts, thus selling a lot of advertising. Maybe that's Tully's motivation for this slime-dripping hack job.

An Online Petition To Sign

This is pretty straightforward:

To: Indiana General Assmebly, Governor Mitch Daniels

We, the People of the State of Indiana do hereby DEMAND that our State Legislature act immediately to abolish property taxes and institute a fair system of taxation.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

Follow this link to sign online. I did!

Lazy Blog Entry

OK, not so lazy. I've been working my tail off. But here are some excellent items I've read lately. You should read them, too.

UnCivil Defence's take on the TSA screening bus riders for dirty bombs, anthrax, and other WMD's, I guess:

I am reminded more and more of my years in South Africa during the Apartheid era. I never thought I'd see the day come when I could make that sad comparison while living in the States.

Rex Bell's letter to the Richmond Pal-Item, on property taxes, and why they are what they are:

There's a good chance that we won't see any reduction in our taxes as long as a majority of voters keep demanding that government should oversee and manage every aspect of our lives from the cradle to the grave.

If you don't think it has come to that, just try to name three things that our government doesn't tax or regulate.

That's a worthy challenge. It is left as an exercise for the student.


Doug Masson's blog entry breaks down in six steps the twisted property tax mess caused in the Statehouse, via an article by Purdue economist Larry DeBoer. It's an excellent demonstration of how fixes can be worse than the problems in their effects. I liken it to driving a car on ice- the harder you jerk the wheel to straighten it out, the more you lose control.


Advance Indiana was the first to take Jen Wagner of the Indiana Democrats to task for her belittling treatment of tax protesters, from Saturday's "Tea Party". Jen Wagner is the Communications Director for the Indiana Democrats, and she posted a blog entry calling the 500 or so protesters, "attention-starved", in her blog Taking Down Words. Per Advance Indiana:

Having attended several of these protests, I can attest to the broad, cross-section of voters they attract, including Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians and independents. I frankly don't understand from a communications standpoint why Wagner would want to attack these citizen protestors. Is that good politics?

No, it isn't, and it isn't pro-democracy either. I can see disagreeing with the point the protesters wanted to make. But when the Communications Director of a political party sneers at people for participating in the political process by protesting- largely the domain of Democrats and leftists- she should at least get a mirror, and at best apologize. If there's one thing we need of Hoosiers, it's to shed their apathy and to participate. Wagner was way off-base in her commentary.

Go to Indy Undercover. It's always great stuff.

And then, it's back to work...

Indianapolis Tea Party

Hoosiers For Fair Taxation are organizing a tea party of sorts, on the canal in Broad Ripple. They ask those who believe their assessments are absurd to bring the printout so that it may be added to the giant 'tea bag' and dunked in the canal. Here are the details:

Mapquest link.

Your Home, Seen Through The Eyes of Others

Courtesy Tim Maguire, here's how it goes....

Your home, as you see it:

As seen by a buyer:

As seen by your lender:

As seen by your appraiser:

As seen by your Assessor:

Tim Maguire is a Libertarian candidate for City-County Council, at-large. Could any candidate but a Libertarian circulate this joke without a sense of deep shame or guilt? I think not.

Where To Cut First?

The City-County in Indy needs to cut somewhere. The arguments are always about where to do it. Every department head sees their department as the One True Necessary Governmental Agency, and their fiefdom besides. Every sepcial interest group that is served by a particular department holds it as sancrosanct. To paraphrase many great thinkers, there's nothing as permanent as a government office.

A few posts back, I showed a list of the Indy Government page. True, not every link was in fact a government office or program. At the same time, several links begat several more offices and programs. The point was to show that there is a lot of government. The point was to get readers to see the list and have at least a few of the departments seem so wholly irrelevant or of a wish list priority that suggestions could be made as to where to cut so as to more fully fund real priorities, such as public safety- without having to resort to a tax increase.

To me, there are two ways to achieve cuts.

1. The fastest is to decree a percentage budget cut. This eliminates the territorial defense of certain departments that comes with the proposed cutting or elimination of selected departments or programs. If there is the desire to spend a certain amount of money in order to bring public safety forces up to snuff, simply take that dollar figure and divide it by an equal proportion to each of the non-public safety budgets. Voila, there's the money.

Tightening the belts of the non-public safety departments and programs is something that should be happily done by them. It's a sacrifice to them in the name of the greater good. That's the hallmark of government, as I routine hear it told.

2. Target departments or programs for outright elimination. Again, select the amount of money needed to bring public safety up-to-date, and then eliminate programs and departments until you have your figure.

How to do this? Let the 29 City-County Councilors get a list of all the departments and programs. They review this list and vote a ranking, from 1 to 150 or whatever the number is. The votes are weighted by ranking. Public safety is exempt from the vote. Once complete, the lowest voted departments fall until you have the savings necessary to fund public safety.

If you think this type of vote is difficult to tally, keep in mind that the Major League Baseball Writers do exactly this every year in voting retired baseball stars to the Hall of Fame. A handful make the Hall, but those who fail to receive a certain basline number of votes are forevermore excluded from the Hall ballot. If baseball can tally priorities for something as innocuous as Hall of Fame status, certainly the City-County government can do so in tight financial times with the services it delivers.

More Tax Protest

A spineless committee of the City-County Council, in the face of mounting public opposition to the increasingly heavy tax burden in Marion County, assumed the sit-on-your-hands position and froze there, not taking a vote on Mayor Peterson's ill-advised tax hike for public safety. From the Indy Star:

"Now you stand up and ask for an income tax increase," said Jack Borgerding, who said the taxes on his Downtown home rose from $2,200 to $15,000. "Enough is enough."

In delaying a vote that would send a recommendation to the full council, Vice President Joanne Sanders said she wanted to see whether any of a half-dozen tax-relief proposals takes hold this week.

"This isn't happening in a vacuum," Sanders said. "There are other options being thrown out daily, and the situation is changing every day."

At stake is a plan to increase the county option income to pay for Mayor Bart Peterson's $90 million plan to improve public safety.

Here's an idea: CUT SPENDING ELSEWHERE! There is plenty of money to be found, simply in scaling back departments that are less important than public safety... which is to say, all of them.

And there are a lot of them. Take a look at all of the departments the City-County government funds, per the City's website:

Mayor
Arts
Diversity
Mayor's Advisory Council on Disabilities
Membership
Committees
Celebration of Diversity Award
Commission on Latino Affairs
En Espanol
Education
Charter Schools
Board
For Parents
For Schools
Accountability Reports
Putting Education First
Mayor's Youth Council
About
Excellence in Education Award
Character Achievement Award
Families
Housing
Jobs
Neighborhoods
Transportation

Council
Councillors
Biographies of Councillors
Meetings
Council
Committees
Minutes
Committees
Proposals

City
Administration
Human Resources
Employment
Benefits
EEO Statement
Equal Opportunity
MBE/WBE Program
Program Information
Certification
Forms & Resources
Vendor List
Administrative Services
Bond Bank
About Us
Board of Directors
Outstanding Debt
SRF Loan
Warrants
Notes
Official Statements
Rating Agencies
Controller
Purchasing
Bids & Quotes
Vendor Information
City Finances
City Budget
Monthly Financial Reports
Licensing/Barrett Law
Barrett Law
Taxi Service
Special Events Permits
Walk-Run Route Information
City Legal
City Prosecutors
Litigation
Counseling
Labor/Employment
Collections/Admin. Services
Paying Parking Tickets
IndyParks
Parks
Sports Complexes
Amenities
Winter Recreation
Programs
Arts
Administration
Public Information
Rangers
Forestry
Planning
Parks Board
Golf
Greenways
Metropolitan Development
Neighborhoods & Housing
Questions & Help
Code Enforcement & Inspections
Community Development Goals & Strategies
Neighborhood-Based Economic Development
Historic Preservation
Grants & Assistance
Resources
Initiatives
Businesses
Questions & Help
New, Relocating & Expanding Businesses
Resources & Tools
Initiatives
Development Process
Builders & Developers
Questions & Help
Permits
Inspections
Licenses
Pre-Development Requirements
Resources
Planning & Zoning
Question & Help
Boards & Commissions
Zoning & Land Use Petitions
Zoning & Petition Processes
Comprehensive (Land Use) Planning
Neighborhood
Transportation
Demographics & Statistics
GIS & Mapping
Documents & Plans
Resources
Resources
Documents
Maps
Applications & Forms
Statistics
Online Tools
Public Safety
Animal Care & Control
Animal Control
Kennel
Community
Volunteering
Emergency Management
Assistance
Preparedness
Homeland Security
Training
Hazards
Fire Department
About IFD
Stations
Divisions
IFD History
Recruitment
Indiana Task Force One
Administration
Training
News
Public Works
The Road Home
Project Information
Sidewalk Repairs
Snow Removal
Street Closings
Street Repairs
Traffic Signs & Signals
Residential Services
Abandoned Vehicles
Beautification
Dead Animals
Drainage
Illegal Dumping
Recycling
Services for Persons with Disabilities
Sewer Construction
Sewer Services
Trash Pickup
Protecting the Environment
Air Quality
Indianapolis Clean Stream Team
Land Quality
Wastewater Management
Water Quality
Business with DPW
Planned Public Bids
Specifications & Manuals
Waterworks
Governance
Board of Waterworks
Service Advisory Board
Resolutions
Capital Projects
Legal Documents
Management Agreement
Asset Purchase Agreement
Inter Governmental Agreement

County
Assessors
Auditor
Homeowner Services
Online Deduction Forms
Additional Deductions
Tax Rates
County Budget
Financial Reports
Cooperative Extension Service
Clerk
Court Records & Filings
Filings
Juvenile
Probate
Marriage Licenses
Child Support
Account Information
Election Board
Candidate Information
Election Information
Poll Worker Information
Voter Information
Forms
Commissioners
Surplus Sale
Community Corrections
Services
Residential Component
Home Detention Component
Advisory Board
Minutes
History
What's New
Coroner
Roles and Responsibilities
Organ Donation
Forensic Services
About I-MCFSA
Jobs and Careers
Disciplines
Human Resources
Information Services
About Us
IT Governance
Services
Geospatial Information Services
Business
Justice
Planning Council
CJPC Board Meeting Agendas
CJPC Board Meeting Minutes
Administration and Support
Indianapolis Violence Reduction Program
Transcriptionist Unit
Metropolitan Emergency Communications Agency
About Us
Board
UCON
Radio
911/CAD
PRMS/FRMS
Mobile Data
Paging
Comm Van
Project Updates
Radio Upgrade Project
Help Desk
Probation
Locations
Programs
Internship & Volunteer Opportunities
Prosecutor
Prosecution
Violent Crimes
White Collar Crime
Narcotics
Terrorism
Protection
Keeping Children Safe
Domestic Violence
Keeping Seniors Safe
Reducing Juvenile Crime
Child Support
Prevention
Tobacco Cessation
Zoning
Racial Profiling
Community Prosecution
FAQ's
Protective Orders
Witness Information
Victim Information
Citizens Intake
Other Areas of Interest
Cases of Note
Traffic Safety Partnership
Public Defender
Administration
Office Locations
Board of Directors
Divisions
Court Information
About Us
Recorder
Documents
Services
Sheriff
About the MCSD
Community Relations
Organization
In Memoriam
History
Jobs and Careers
Merit Deputy
Reserve Programs
Special Deputies
Public Services
Real Estate Sales
Jail Information
Visitation
Investigations
Surveyor
Information
Surveys
Treasurer
Property Taxes
Tax Sale
Voter Registration
Voter Registration
Elections
History

Courts
Circuit Court
Rules & Regulations
Resources
Law Library
Superior Court
Court Information
Court Listings
Rules & Guidelines
Resources
Law Library
Jury Pool

Metropolitan Police Department
About IMPD
Annual Reports
Departmental Policies
History
In Memoriam
Staffing
Crimes & Incidents
Crime Trend
Law Enforcement
Service Districts
Criminal Investigations
Traffic Enforcement
Special Units
Services
Citizens' Services
Outreach Programs
Employment
Sworn Employment
Civilian Employment
Internships
Get Involved
Crime Prevention
CrimeWatch
Volunteer Services
Youth Involvement

Cable Communications Agency
Cable Operators
Government Access TV
Reports
Operator Reports
Bright House Networks
Comcast Cablevision
Cable Agency Reports
In-Kind Reports
Programming / Production Reports
FCC Filings
Franchise Board
Board Meeting Minutes
Franchise Agreements

The best tax relief to the people is the slashing of a budget. Or three. Or 30. Think Marion County has enough government yet?

Anyone who says they can't find anything to cut isn't trying. As you review the list, ask yourself, "Is this a proper function of government?"

There are so many that aren't, but let's go with the truly obvious: golf and cable TV. Lose these immediately. Sell the golf course land today. A pretty penny will be reaped. Get out of the business of micromanaging cable tv. Let any operator do business in the County. The people will have more choices and lower prives through competition, and an entire bureaucracy will be gone.

That's a lot of savings, right off the top. Might even be able to put enough police on the ground to prevent the south side garage fires, or at least enough firefighters to put them out.

The City-County Council needs to find the spine necessary to cut spending. The Mayor needs to find the spine necessary to tax back his request for higher taxes and replace it with a call to eliminate unnecessary government so that the proper government- public safety- can be fully funded.

Another Day, Another Anti-Tax Event

This time, it's not a protest. There is a Meet-up Group for the Fair Tax plan. It convenes monthly to discuss everything from the fine points of the plan, replies for tough questions from skeptics, to public outreach planning. Here are the details and linkage:

What: The Indianapolis Fair Tax July Meetup
When: Tuesday, July 17 at 7:00PM
Where: Borders Book & Music / 8675 River Crossing Blvd / Indianapolis IN 46240 / 317-574-1775

RSVP at: http://fairtax.meetup.com/5/calendar/5910697/t/nr1_nr

Sunday's Property Tax Protest Creates "Petersonvilles"

I was not able to attend the 'Black Sunday' downtown property tax protest, but I was enthused to see the press coverage:

Indy Star: front page article.
Fox-59 TV: Lead story this morning, top of the hour. No direct linkage yet, but many clips about property tax issues currently.
RTV-6: AWESOME photo slideshow.
WISH TV-8: Article focused on affects on rental properties.

Most of these articles have video to accompany. Great imagery! The history buff in me was delighted to see the modern Hooverville, with the cardboard boxes and shopping carts as homes. Let's call them "Petersonvilles", shall we?

Today's event: Hoosiers for Fair Taxation, which held the first rally on the 4th of July at the governor's mansion, will demonstrate at 5:30 p.m. at the City-County Building in Downtown Indianapolis. Topic? No surprise: excessive local taxation and Mayor Peterson's proposed large county income tax increase at the public hearing at City Hall.

Add your shanty to the Petersonville!

Upcoming Anti-Tax Events

Here we are at post #1,000 at Kole Hard Facts, and it's a lazy thing on my part, but important info to pass along. It's a link to a post on Hoosiers For Fair Taxation's blog, outlining several events happening in the very near future, all designed to get the attention of our sleeping elected officials, and to jolt them into action.

Here's the link.

New Linkage

I have added linkage at the right to the Hoosiers For Fair Taxation blog, in the "My Fellow Hoosier Libertarians" column. They may not think of themselves as partisan Libertarians, but they certainly are working to advance liberty, which is what really matters to me.

Their efforts are extremely timely in light of the current property tax fiasco. They have activities happening within a few days. Check it out!

Property Tax Ruckus

When I'm in Indiana these days, I am frequently conducting title searches for AT&T. My starting point can sometimes be the Township Assessor's offices, when I need detailed property information to start before I go pulling deeds and plats at the County Recorder's Office.

So, what a hoot to research at the following Marion County township offices: Washington, Lawrence, and Warren.

The lines were longest and angriest in Washington Township. Understand that there is rarely any kind of wait for me to get to a public computer for research. At the Washington Assessor's this morning, there were two lines with four property owners each. Every waiting room chair was filled. Every cubicle had a deputy reviewing a property with the owner present. All- and I do mean all- were seeking to file a form disputing the new assessed value.

I overheard one man, at wits end, explaining the absurdity of his re-assessment. He bought his property in 2005 at $180,000. It was re-assessed at $240,000. For 2005. He was beside himself, explaining that his purchase represents market price. He was the market for that house in 2005! Shouldn't his purchase price carry the day? Made sense to me. I had great sympathy for him. I thought he was going to burst a vein in his temple.

This scenario was similar at Lawrence and Warren Townships, just not quite as angry.

It pains me that it requires this kind of pain for taxpayers to finally stir. It bothers me more that the nature of the complaints is merely the new assessments. The assessments aren't the root problem. The spending by municipal and county governments is out of control.

The Governor is now in on the grandstanding, hinting at a possible special session to address the problem of property taxes. Yes, there is some good the Statehouse could do- like eliminate property taxes altogether. They won't do that, though. They'll come up with some new shell game that allows the local governments to spend to their hearts' content while providing the facade of tax relief. From the Indy Star report:

"As governor, I will take every step I have authority to take to help Hoosier homeowners," Daniels said in a statement issued by his office Monday night.

Nice rhetoric. Empty rhetoric.

The calls to the Statehouse and the Governor are misplaced. Call the City-County Council in Marion County. Call Mayor Peterson's office. These are the people in charge of the budgets.

Bottom line: if Indianapolis and other local governments weren't spending so much, there wouldn't have been a push to update the assessments. Re-assessing was seen as a way to gain tax revenues without being perceived as raising taxes. It certainly is raising taxes. Really, especially in the case of those on fixed incomes, it isn't merely taxing, it's confiscatory.

Anyhow, I'm sort of glad the people are somewhat awakened to the absurdity of our tax burden. I'm dismayed that what the awakening suggests is that it's okay to tax us at an incredibly high level, but we draw the line when we stand to lose the house. Yikes.

Tax Freedom Day is a concept I have promoted on this blog and on my radio shows in the past. What is Tax Freedom Day? It is the day that we are through working to pay for government. After that day, you are earning for yourself and your family.

This year, in Indiana, you stopped working for the government on April 23. After that you were earning for yourself. State map.

That's nuts. And yet, we accept it. We only draw the line when threatened with losing our homes. Here's a telling quote from the Tax Foundation:

"Americans will work longer to pay for government (120 days) than they will for food, clothing and housing combined (105 days)," said Hodge. "Since 1986 taxes have cost more than these basic necessities. In fact, Americans will work longer to afford federal taxes alone (79 days) than they will to afford housing (62 days)."

My understanding is that the Boston Tea Party was staged over a 1% tax. Oh, to have that kind of vigilance today!

Go to the various tax protests happening Sunday and Monday. From the Star:

• Sunday: "Black Sunday" asks supporters to wear black to show unity and bring signs to Monument Circle from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Several groups seeking tax reform are organizing the event.
• Monday: Hoosiers for Fair Taxation, which gathered at the governor's residence July 4, will rally at 5:30 p.m. at the City-County Building Downtown.

Hoosier, or Illini?

It's hard to tell what state I live in these days, as I've been spending more time in Illinois lately than at home in Indiana. The absence is evident in the posts... or lack thereof. I've been on contracts in Danville, Decatur, Dundee- really, any place in Illinois that begins with a 'D'. It's good work, all for AT&T. I've worked 121 sites in the past 60 days or so.

Anyhow, I sadly missed out on Andy Horning's latest political activity, as I even spent the 4th of July working on the road. I am greatly encouraged that at long last Hoosiers are starting to feel a real anger about the state of taxation here. It's a shame it takes real agony to spur real action. But, if the public is at long last awakening, I take stock in it.

It's funny, when I moved from Ohio just 5 years ago, I was thrilled with Indiana, because compared to Ohio, this is a tax haven. Problem is, it's less and less true all the time. It's amazing to me how the situation has deteriorated in these five years, especially in the area of property taxes. Marion County has been astonishingly irresponsible in its' tax policies. It's as though Bart Peterson has a burning desire to drive all people of means out of Marion County.

Anyhow, here is some linkage to Hoosiers for Fair Taxation: Blog. It just launched recently, and has some interesting posts alrady, including one about a hardware store offering a new kind of 'for sale by owner' sign.

Indianapolis Fair Tax Meetup: Link.

Excellent YouTube video clips:

Part 1 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jv7BTWHolRc
Part 2 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6N_neK0XTuU
Part 3 of 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81vDJjNXTl8

(I'd like to say at this point that New Blogger sucks. One used to be able to post up videos hosted on YouTube directly, so that the reader could simply click. I guess it's because Blogger is affiliated with Google, and Google competes with YouTube, that this function is no longer available. Yep- New Blogger sucks.)