Loading ...How Would You Vote?
There are two main referendum questions on the ballot for voters in Marion County. They basically are as follows…
- Should the assessing functions of the elected township assessor in the township be transferred to the county assessor?
- Should IPS float $278,000,000 in bonds for capital improvements for its schools?
So let’s do an informal survey, how would you vote if the election were held today?
October 13th, 2008 at 7:03 am
1 - Yes
2 - Only if it is absolutely needed. By the time the money is spent how many fewer students will be in IPS to take advantage of the work.
October 13th, 2008 at 8:28 am
1- Yes; 2-No
October 13th, 2008 at 8:35 am
1. Yes 2. No
And it should be made clear that should you vote for the school bond issue it is above and beyond the property tax cap. You will again be held hostage to higher property taxes by giving them back the freedom to tax your home. This was supposed to be about airconditioning- They can do that without this bond issue.
October 13th, 2008 at 8:40 am
1)Yes
2)No
October 13th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Yes
No
October 13th, 2008 at 8:52 am
Yes
Yes
October 13th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Yes–the assessors are smoking crack if they think they can pull the wool over our eyes any more.
I don’t live in IPS, but it would be a big fat no. I think Dr. White is trying mightily to make improvements, but this isn’t the way to do it. Granted, their buildings are not on a par with township systems’ buildings, and that’s unfair. But you don’t spend a quartr-billion dollars for parity. Not at this juncture.
A better question might be: can IPS be busted up and absorbed by the townships?
Decades of neglect to physical plant, have made this a real sore issue. But again, you can’t get completely healthy all at once, and not by buildings alone. It’s a culture of failure and fat budgets and too many staff people too far away from students.
The IPS kids have deserved better for a long time. This just isn’t the wya to do it.
October 13th, 2008 at 9:18 am
1> Yes
2> Don’t live in IPS so it doesn’t apply. If I did I would vote “NO”.
October 13th, 2008 at 9:54 am
1: Absolutely
2: Absolutely NOT! IPS loses over 1,000 kids evey year. They are shutting down schools, but they still want to build more? Add to that, these bonds will not be counted towards the tax caps!
October 13th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Yes for Marion County only so that criminal prosecutors could focus on just the one crook. Spending money on IPS as it is constituted is economic criminality. Spending more would just be stupid.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:35 am
IPS — absolutely YES! If Indianapolis is to become the city it can be, we have to support the children in our city. Dr. White is doing an incredible job creating fascinating innovative programs — IPS beat Park Tudor in the science competition — that rarely get discussed because pundits only see the problems, not the roads to the solutions. In addition, inner city kids deserve the same educational opportunities as the suburban kids — it’s called simple equity.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:36 am
yes
I don’t live in IPS; however, if I did, I would vote no
October 13th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Why am I not surprised that local officials are completely blind to what’s happening in the finance world? More bonds? It’s no wonder the school system is falling apart. The IPS administrators are smoking too much crack:
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http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200810110155/NEWS/810110305
‘Local governments seeking money for roads, schools and a host of other projects are finding it difficult to secure financing, leading some to put those projects on hold.
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The demand from investors for municipal bonds has dropped off a cliff in the past couple of weeks, sending interest rates higher and making it more expensive for governments and their taxpayers to borrow. As a result, some local governments are pulling out of planned bond offerings, hoping market conditions will stabilize before they need their money.
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“If you don’t have to have the money now, there’s probably a better time to issue,” said Toby Morris, a vice president of public finance for Northland Securities in Pierre. Northland underwrites bond issues and serves as a financial adviser to local governments.
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“Local governments seeking money for roads, schools and a host of other projects are finding it difficult to secure financing, leading some to put those projects on hold.
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The demand from investors for municipal bonds has dropped off a cliff in the past couple of weeks, sending interest rates higher and making it more expensive for governments and their taxpayers to borrow. As a result, some local governments are pulling out of planned bond offerings, hoping market conditions will stabilize before they need their money.
“If you don’t have to have the money now, there’s probably a better time to issue,” said Toby Morris, a vice president of public finance for Northland Securities in Pierre. Northland underwrites bond issues and serves as a financial adviser to local governments.’
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And what’s this business about traveling to Africa to find good schooling examples? Are we so far behind as educators that we need to find 3rd world solutions as a source for improvement? It reminds me of John Dewey traveling to the Soviet Union to construct an education model for US schools. All that gave us was indoctrination and the failed system that we have already. Are we planning to step back even further? I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if that was the plan. What surprises me is that people would stand around and watch it happen.
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As far as eliminating township assessors, you can’t treat a cancer with a band-aid. Relocating the tax assessors won’t get rid of them. All it’s going to do is make it more difficult for local communities to influence their tax rates. If you believe thayt your neighbors in township government are doing you wrong, just wait until it’s a stranger at the county level who’s making the decisions. My advice is to be very careful of what you ask for when voting to eliminate local representation - you might actually get it.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Yeah, I fear the quality of gov’t coming w/ consolidation, but not as much the this fiscal roller coaster of death we’re on that pleads and screams to spend less money, practically anywhere, NOW. I’m nearly ready to drive to the OBorga rally in Fort Wayne and enlist, at the concurrence of TA to roll IPS into the surrounding townships. Lordy! Repeat after me class: I DO believe in Change! I DO believe in Change! I DO! I DO! I DO!…..
October 13th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
1. Yes
2. No
October 13th, 2008 at 12:16 pm
1. Yes
2. Sorry ’bout your luck
October 13th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
1. Yes
2. No
October 13th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Yes to #1. No to #2. I know that it hurts some folks but we have got to start getting comfortable with the fact that life is not fair. Force districts within Marion county to forego spending on their bricks and structures and send it to IPS. Or bring all school districts under one, and eliminate millions in unneeded overhead costs, duplication of supers etc. Until we get to a point of pain, nothing, no anyone, will be forced to make changes to our current practices.
October 13th, 2008 at 5:13 pm
1. Yes. When are we going to get rid of these outdated government entities. I am not sure why we even need county government in most cases. In rural areas counties could be regionalized and clustered around a regional city. In urban areas counties and cities should be consolidated. These are not horse and buggy days where we all need to be able to get to the county seat and back before sundown. I am a Dem but one reason I am voting for Mitch is because, in this instance, he has a common sense approach to streamlining government. (Privitization is another matter.) JLT is out of touch on this.
2. Yes. IPS appears to me to be the one school district that needs some capital improvements. Maybe we could stay reasonable though. I don’t think any of the middle schools need a natatorium. But air conditioning might be conducive to learning.
These two issues are linked by the way. We also need to consolidate the school corporations in Marion county. I can’t imagine a city this size that continues with separate township schools. Not to mention ghetto-izes inner city schools by isolating them in the poorest section of town. What a waste of taxpayer funds on unneccesary duplication.
October 13th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
That’s easy:
Yes (to get rid of township assessors)
No (for the bonds - the school population is declining, for crying out loud!)
I’m with Tom: consolidate those schools county-wide!
October 13th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Boringgggggggggggggggggg!! You can do better than that, Abul.
October 13th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
YES
NO
October 13th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
With the caveat that I do not live in Marion County, I’m on the phone with a co-worker who lives in Broad Ripple. He would vote:
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Yes
No
October 13th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
1. Neither. Assessements should be contracted to a private assessment firm based on competitive bids. Eliminate the accessors office. One firm to assess the whole state.
2. Yes for IPS School. Two reasons. One, we spent $700,000,000 for Lucas for the Colts and what roughly $250,000,000 on Conseco for the Pacers. And we still owe $70,000,000 on the old RCA Dome. And for what, a bunch of millionaires to play in. Second, we feed and cloth(uniforms) most IPS student. Might as well give them a decent place to learn. IPS won’t be as nice as Lucas or Conseco.
3. Election held today, I’d vote for. Easy………… Mickey f%$@king Mouse.
October 14th, 2008 at 3:34 am
Both issues yes
October 14th, 2008 at 5:35 am
1) Don’t care. It’s been like it is now for 150 years. It wouldn’t make any difference, if the township assessors did their job, but they don’t. I’m looking at you, Warren Township.
You can’t even get appeals heard in under 3 years.
2) No, don’t throw away $9,000 per student on bricks and mortars. Close it down and voucher all the kids out to private schools. I went there way back when, it was a gulag.
October 14th, 2008 at 6:32 am
1) Yes, but not all the functions should be transferred over. The small claims courts should stay and use the sheriff department to do the duties of the constable.
2) No, not until there are meaningful cuts in IPS.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:08 am
1 - YES!
I have paid over $3600 in taxes on a 2006 tax bill that was originally $5000 and is now $2700 after a two-year appeals process…and even though my appeal was approved in JULY, the authorities still don’t seem to know where my money is.
here is the process.
1. appeal hearing with the township assessor
2. township sends the results to the county board.
3. county board makes their final determination.
4. county board sends form back to township (no doubt through the mail, even though they’re in the same building).
5. township sends the determination to me.
6. township sends the notice to the auditor.
7. auditor adjusts the tax records.
8. if a refund is due, auditor sends notice to the treasurer.
9. treasurer sends a check.
this referendum at least consolidates one step in this process. anecdotally, when i deal with this, the county assessor is the only office i can get answers from. everybody else has no clue or acts annoyed that i’m even asking for my thousand bucks back.
October 14th, 2008 at 10:29 am
No;
No.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:34 am
1.yes
2. no way
October 14th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
1.Yes
2. Yes
The longer you put off giving them the money to fix their schools the more it is going to cost in the long run. Some of these schools are on year round schedules with no air conditioning or they are not handicap accessible. For the schools without air how do you expect them in June/July/August to actualy get any educating accomplished? You want to point the finger at the low graduation rate but don’t want to give them the tools to try and fix it.
October 14th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
1- Yes
2- Absolutely NOT
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Quoting IPS Supporter: “In addition, inner city kids deserve the same educational opportunities as the suburban kids — it’s called simple equity.”
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Really? So, in your opinion, the inner-city schools that are supported by property taxes from many people that do NOT pay taxes, should be on par with the township schools with a more viable tax base?!?!?!
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How many ways can you teach someone that 2+2=4 ??
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How many ways can you read “See Spot run”?
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Following is the text from our Indiana Constitution, Article 8, Section 1:
http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/const/art8.html
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“Knowledge and learning, generally diffused throughout a community, being essential to the preservation of a free government; it shall be the duty of the General Assembly to encourage, by all suitable means, moral, intellectual, scientific, and agricultural improvement; and to provide, by law, for a general and uniform system of Common Schools, wherein tuition shall be without charge, and equally open to all.”
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“General and uniform”. Do you think that means that ALL schools should be identical? Could it be that they have a requirement to teach the same general cirriculum?
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“wherein tuition shall be without charge”. Well, I guess it’s without charge to the kids…not the actual people PAYING TAXES.
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We should be building cheap, easily maintained buildings…like Quonset Huts, for these so-called ’schools’.
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Further, we should NOT be hitting private homeowners with a property tax to support these schools. It’s the Constitutional thing to do .
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For the uninformed, there are several explicitly stated funding methods for the support of our common (public) schools. These are found in Article 8 Section 2:
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The Common School fund shall consist of the Congressional Township fund, and the lands belonging thereto;
The Surplus Revenue fund;
The Saline fund and the lands belonging thereto;
The Bank Tax fund, and the fund arising from the one hundred and fourteenth section of the charter of the State Bank of Indiana;
The fund to be derived from the sale of County Seminaries, and the moneys and property heretofore held for such Seminaries; from the fines assessed for breaches of the penal laws of the State; and from all forfeitures which may accrue;
All lands and other estate which shall escheat to the State, for want of heirs or kindred entitled to the inheritance;
All lands that have been, or may hereafter be, granted to the State, where no special purpose is expressed in the grant, and the proceeds of the sales thereof; including the proceeds of the sales of the Swamp Lands, granted to the State of Indiana by the act of Congress of the twenty eighth of September, eighteen hundred and fifty, after deducting the expense of selecting and draining the same;
Taxes on the property of corporations, that may be assessed by the General Assembly for common school purposes.
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Does ANYONE see anything about taxing homeowners? Nope! The ONLY tax on property listed are “Taxes on the property of corporations,…”
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Perhaps we should be teaching MORE on the Indiana and U.S. Constitutions in our vaunted public schools.
October 15th, 2008 at 1:28 am
1)Yes
2)No This will not even come close to repairing a FAILED school system!!!
October 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
1. Yes- Kernan and Shepard’s plan looks good to me.
2. Yes- fixing infrastructure isn’t sexy but it has to get done. I can’t believe the arguments above that essential repairs shouldn’t be made because IPS is losing enrollment. Hello? It’s not like there aren’t going to be kids living in IPS districts who need and deserve decent, safe, functioning school buildings! Fix the buildings now before we have an expensive crisis later.