Comments on: Put On Your Tax Caps

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 07:11:13 +0000

AS: Thanks for making the correction, Fox was the president of Jarvis' taxpayer assoc.

"New caps" are constitutionally awkward, when you consider that the GA has completely ignored Article 13, a real live existing cap.

Has anyone considered that compared with Article 13, new hyper-factored caps (1/2/3) are quite likely a tax increase (not to mention constitutionally questionable)?

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:11:13 +0000

By: pascal

pascal — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:28:36 +0000

“We need Legislators who spend less” is the comment of both a liberal and a relativist both of whom cannot view reality correctly and so imagine things. In TA's garden there are unicorns, elves, fairies, and “legislators who spend less”. Remember about TA, “”She got out because every damned one of those ethical complaints had teeth.”-TA declaring a fact that wasn't a fact but a falsehood. I don't feel today or any day, like letting lies pass by without retraction. TA ! Retract your lie?
Presumably, TA finished reading Sarah Palin's book and so knows that he mispoke. As wired as he is, he must be on the liberal network and have access to all those ethical complaints being gone over by AP'S thirteen fact checkers. So, he knows the truth of the matter but he can't bring himself to confess his error or speak truth to reality.
Liberals are funny that way. Legislators who spend less is relative to what? What are they spending less of? Realists who know the propensity of all governments to expand seek through Constitutions to limit governments. Realists don't lie or confuse stupidity with reality. Article XIII is clear, has plain meaning to anyone who can read. It sets a clear limit to government theft, a bright line, clearly understood by a literate people rightfully without trust in government and liberals, and other fools.
Anyone putting their trust in the Indiana Legislature would fall in that latter catagory. Anyone thinking TA is truthful needs to see a shrink. Mature folks confess their errors easily, rigidly ideological timeservers have a larger problem and so cannot. “She got out because every damned one of those ethical complaints had teeth.”-TA declaring a fact that wasn't a fact but a falsehood. I don't feel today like letting lies pass by without retraction. TA ! Retract your lie?
If we start with just this small one we can move on to the other areas where your feet are not quite on the ground.

By: Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:02:35 +0000

Howard Jarvis was the author of California's Proposition 13. His book I'm Mad As Hell is a good read.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 14:45:28 +0000

In 2003, Joel Fox, the author of California's prop 13, was the special guest of a tea party rally, held under an October sky on lawn of the War Memorial Mall.

It's very doubtful that Mr. Fox would now view Prop 13 as an adequate protection from the vagaries of a GA; special interest firewalls & referen-damnation.

If applied; Indiana's existing article 13, should provide citizens with adequate Constitutional protection without any further "tinkering" by the GA.

By: melyssa

melyssa — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:59:53 +0000

Otis wasn't convicted yet…just had to work at Aunt Bea's all day with a hangover! It was priceless.

By: guest

guest — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:40:50 +0000

Proposition 13 is actually one of the major causes of California's debacle. The cap system forced assessments of affordable housing to increase substantially contributing to 2 things. Remember when California Counties were flirting with bankruptcy. First, property tax (government) revenues shrank significantly (if not drastically) which led to the second point, causing a domino effect throughout the realestate markets by doubling if not tripling property values to make up the difference. Wait, within 15 years (if not sooner) property tax assessments in Indiana will increase well beyond what anyone would have expected due to Mitchs Tax Caps.

By: Dave

Dave — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:37:21 +0000

“Paging Dr. Matt Will, Craig Ladwig, Dr. Styring. Please report to the forum for clarity on the application of Article 13.”

By: guest

guest — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:28:21 +0000

Keep up the good work Abdul.

School Details Deep Cuts After Failed Referendum
Cuts Include Schools, Bus Drivers, Athletics
http://www.theindychannel.com/education/2196845...
WRTV Channel 6 News
POSTED: 10:42 pm EST December 14, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- Schools will be closed, athletics slashed and bus drivers will lose their jobs -- that's the grim outlook from Franklin Township Schools officials as the district tries to trim more than $4.5 million from its budget.

School officials outlined that plan at a school board meeting Monday night. Superintendent Dr. Walter Bourke said the moves are difficult, but necessary, 6News' Ericka Flye reported.

While some teaching positions will also likely be cut, school officials said their goal was to maintain class size and the overall quality of education.

A standing room-only crowd was dealt an emotional blow at the meeting when they learned the proposed budget cuts include closing two schools -- Acton Elementary and Wanamaker Elementary.

Sarah Hoffman, a teacher at Acton, had a tearful plea for board members.

"I'm hoping that you guys will really reconsider keeping us together as a community and look for other ways to appropriate funds," Hoffman said.

Bourke said the district must make drastic cuts because voters failed to pass a property tax referendum in November that would have given the district an extra $9 million.

The superintendent said the public had many opportunities before Election Day to learn about the consequences of not passing the referendum, yet it was soundly defeated with a relatively low voter turnout.

"We held over 20 community meetings and told everyone who attended," Bourke said.

In addition to school closures, some bus schedules would be reworked and cut and 44 bus drivers would lose their jobs.

Kitley and Edgewood Intermediate schools would be restructured. High school boys and girls golf would be cut, along with gymnastics. At the middle school level, golf, swimming, diving and cheerleading would be cut.

The proposal also requires high school bus riders to pay a ridership fee of at least $375.

Bus drivers said they're worried about their future, and parents with children who ride buses are concerned, too.

"Without the buses, I don't know how my child would get back and forth to school," said one parent.

School officials urged the public to post additional comments on its Web site, where board members will review them.

The board is expected to vote on recommendations at a meeting in late January.

In Lawrence Township, the school system will make up a budget shortfall by closing a middle school.

As planned, Craig Middle School will close, and all sixth-graders will go back to elementary schools.

Seventh- and eighth-grade students will move to the two remaining middle schools.

The district is trying to close a $3.2 million deficit it faces next year.

By: Aaron Smith

Aaron Smith — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:24:47 +0000

HJR 1 opponents are trying to make the case that Proposition 13, which passed on June 6, 1978, is somehow responsible for the current budget deficit woes of California’s government units. There is research on all sides of Proposition 13 where you can find strong support both for and against constitutional property tax caps. The fact of the matter is that Indiana is not at all like California – California has sustained government overspending by relying on overly-optimistic revenue projections, while Indiana’s government units have done a pretty good job of adjusting and living within their revenue means. It is nonsense to look at California’s budget woes as a reason to oppose HJR 1.