Spoken like the career politician drawing two taxpayer-funded paychecks he is, House Speaker Pat Bauer (D) has rejected calls for a special session to deal with the property tax crisis. He said a special session is unnecessary and unlikely to produce any relief. Gov. Daniels is willing to call a special session if lawmakers will cooperate. It looks like it's time for someone in the Democratic Party to tell Bauer to get out of the way. What a public relations disaster he is.
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And I suppose your Republican House Minority Leader Brian Bosma is too busy huddled in Christian prayer with Eric Miller to comment meaningfully?
Bauer IS being obstructionist. BOTH parties have dirty hands when it comes to this tax issue, from elected reps to unelected library boards. Greedy hands abound.
But you have no comment on Mr. Bauer ? Everyone said the GOV needs to call a special session. Now the Majority leader says we do not need one.
Does either hand of the Democratic party know what the other hand is doing ?
Bauer is from the South Bend area. How much did property taxes increase in his House district?
It appears that Marion County is the only area to get hammered so why is a special session needed to solve Marion County's problems.
Marion dug it's own grave with overspending, abatements, bond issues and flat out irresposible government. The fact that commercial property was not properly appraised speaks volumes.
Why is it Bauer's fault that Marion County placed itself in this position.
COIT provided Marion County an out but the Mayor wants that money for other purposes than lowering the property tax rates. Is that Bauer's problem too.
I just love that picture.
The article clearly states that Governor Daniels has not called for or made a decision about calling for a special session of the General Assembly.
The same article also quotes State Sen. Kenley, Republican-Noblesville, who heads the State Tax Commission, as saying in regard to calling a special session, “The harder problem is the ability to come up with any significant immediate relief."
The responsibility for the outrageous increases rest with the Rep Majority's budget in 2005. Because they refused to guarantee a minimum to school corporations regardless of school enrollment, those corporations have had to try and keep up with price increaes for health care/ utilities and gas by raising property taxes. (Kenley was right this time.)
All the taxing costs have been shifted to local bodies and cities, because the General Assembly wants to continue the charade that they don't raise taxes. The very fact that we had to fight so much over cigarette taxes ( and yes, I would have put taxes on alcohol as well)shows that this state does NOT want to pay for what it gets.
I can't imagine how many homes will be put on the already glutted real estate market, because little old ladies can't pay the tax. If those older homes were being sought by younger families, then there would be a match. But a) everyone wants to live in a NEW home built on unzoning controlled edges of cities and b) young families can't pay the tax either.
The system is broken and will have to be fixed. But an expensive drawn out special session is not a smart way to do it. It just begs for a band-aid and allows for all kinds of mischief to flow through.
Be careful what you wish for.. you may get it.
What kind of critter is that sitting on his head?
It seems like the problem is worse in Marion County than elsewhere, but don't kid yourself that this is just a Marion County problem.
Of course, a crisis throghout the state that is a problem in Marion County is just a small problem for Indiana State Government. A big problem in Marion County that is a small problem in the hinterlands well, THAT'S a crisis which demands immediate legislative attention.
Our current tax woes seem to be a result of multiple, independent taxing authorities without much effective oversight or responsibility to taxpayers. Every politician I've talked with from the state-house down points to some other level of govt. California faced the same problem in 1978, and the same excuses. I think that they came up with the best solution: a 1% cap on property taxes. This approach is least likely to get bogged down into endless "studies" and "committees" that politicians use to kill an issue.
If the 2% cap on property taxes already approved by the legislature is OK next year, why not this year? Why not 1% the year after?
2% NOW, 1% LATER
Nice picture.....looks like a hog with a rat on his head.
If I ever lose my hair and put something like that on my head somebody please slap me.
Question: Has Wilson ever had a thought once in his life that wasn't knee-jerk, reflexive, party-line? Is there an ounce of independence or originality in his brain? Is there anything a Democrat could do that would earn his opprobrium? Anything a Republican could do to earn his praise? It's frankly sad to see someone who is clearly bright be so programmed and incapable of independent thought. JFK said we will be judged not only on whether we had the courage to stand up against our enemies but also when necessary against our associates.
Spend and tax Democraps. Who told these idiots they deserve a pay raise in the midst of this awful property tax crisis? It has become very clear the Democrat officeholders believe there is a bottomless pit to financing their salaries. We have been led to believe the city is bankrupt; services need to be reduced but, the Democrat controlled city-county council members want pay raises.
The 2006 county budget included salaries for 137 police officers with several blank pages. These positions have not been filled to date. Where is the money? Where is the savings from police and fire department consolidations? How much money should be left in the public safety budget?
Presently, the County can not afford to pay our police officers a well deserved pay raise, but the recently elected in 2006 Marion County Auditor, Assessor, Recorder, Clerk deserve a pay raise when they have not provided taxpayers service for one year to date.
The Marion County Surveyor, Coroner, and Treasurer will be seeking reelection in 2008. Their pay raises can be considered in 2008.
Until then, the mayor and ant city-county council should develop a budget which will include raises for police officers. If they can not appropriate enough funding for them, all other pay increases should be on hold. .
It looks like a comatose possum to me.
http://images.google.com/images?um=1&tab=wi&hl=en&q=jim%20traficant
beam me up, scotty!
giggle!
You will be living in a van!!!!!down by the river!!!!on a steady diet of government cheese!!!!
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