Who Are They Running Against
It looks like some Indiana House Democrats are finding it easier to run against and opponent who isn’t on the ballot as opposed to their Republican challengers.
Scott Reske (D-Pendelton) says the taxpayers of Madison County should not have to foot the bill for the Capitol Improvement Board’s assistance to the Indiana Pacers.
In an interview with the Anderson Herald Bulletin Reske said, “The city of Indianapolis has pledged $33 million that they don’t have. I’ve been around long enough to know they’re going to show up at the state legislature wanting funding.”
Reske is not alone in his comments. In an interview with the Terre Haute Tribune Star, House District 45 candidate Jesse James said the deal was a “frivolous spending of taxpayer money,” and he “could not support using tax dollars to help a sports team with a multimillion-dollar payroll while Hoosier school budgets are being reduced.” James is running against Republican incumbent Bruce Borders.
Also over the weekend my contacts in Evansville tell me southwest Indiana House Democrats are making the C.I.B. an issue.
While I’m not crazy about the deal either, I didn’t know the C.I.B. was anywhere on the ballot. In addition these lawmakers must not understand how government finance works because the $33 million for the Pacers will come out of the C.I.B.’s existing budget and not the state general fund, so no school is losing any money because of the C.I.B. In addition, the city is taking a loan from the state which it must pay back.
I’m starting to think this is part of a coordinated strategy because these stories are starting to show up in multiple newspapers across the state, so it can’t be a coincidence.
Now don’t get me wrong, I do appreciate out-state lawmaker sentiment on using general tax dollars to bailout anything related to Indianapolis. If I were a lawmaker from outside Marion County, I would not want my tax dollars to go for Indianapolis projects, just like I’m sure they don’t want Indianapolis tax money to be used in their districts. So how about we do this, Democrats and Republicans should introduce a bill next session that requires that all sales and income taxes raised in a county can only be spent on projects in that County. That is the only way to ensure that the residents of one city or county will ever have to worry about bailing out another one.
And by the way, the operating expenses of schools are now paid for with sales tax dollars, so I’m sure Representative Reske and would-be Representative James are willing to make sure their schools are only funded with sales tax dollars from their respective counties and Marion County residents will never have to foot any of that bill.
Yeah, right. And a big giant monkey will fly out of my butt, too.
July 26th, 2010 at 11:51 am
“In addition these lawmakers must not understand how government finance works because the $33 million for the Pacers will come out of the C.I.B.’s existing budget and not the state general fund, so no school is losing any money because of the C.I.B.”
You obviously don't understand where the CIB got the money for its state bailout last year, which ultimately paid for the Pacers give-away. The sports tax district area was expanded to divert tens of millions of state income and sales tax dollars from the state's general fund to the CIB.
July 26th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Gary,
You are the last person to talk about what someone doesn't understand. I will gladly argue that money generated from downtown should be used for Indy needs first and let these other small counties pay for their own projects out of their own county coffers.
Speaking of which, what are doing reading this blog, much less posting here? I thought I had no credibility?
July 26th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Much of the content of Revolt at The State House was directed against the CIB and future bailouts. That was in March 2009. Some of the legislators paid attention.
July 26th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
” I would not want my tax dollars to go for Indianapolis projects, just like I’m sure they don’t want Indianapolis tax money to be used in their districts. “
Awesome.
July 26th, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Here is a perspective that you ignore:
Every capital, from DC to each of the 50 states, has unique needs, services and projects which cannot and are not carried out in the “outlands.” Admittedly, support of pro sport teams pushes that envelope.
But the expense for extra duties assigned to capitals, are often not picked up by the appropriate taxing unit. When local governments don't get all their capital-related expenses paid, it bleeds into other areas. Again, the pro sports team thing…well, that's not contemplated in this thought process, but you get the point.
This non-Indy legislative pandering has been going on for years. It won't stop soon. Republicans fanned it exhaustively during the Bayh and O'Bannon administrations.
Your observation is poignant, Abdul, but tardy. And hardly unique.
July 26th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Far from tardy TA, I've been an advocate of this since I came to Indiana. As far as uniqueness goes, good ideas should never be the sole purview of a handful of individuals, unfortunately they are most of the time.
July 26th, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Your school funding idea is interesting, but unconstitutional. I'm not sure that little tidbit ever stopped anyone. School fudnign has been a hot potato for a long time.
The real problem with governmental “capitals” is their monumental edifices are tax-exempt. Millions that would otherwise be on the tax roles, are not. Yet, the persons who occupy those buldings reuqire the streets, roads, sidewalks, fire, ambulance, police, public works, etc., that their operators pay nothing for…
In Brown County, for instance, a huge chunk of the land is tax-exempt–state and federal lands used for recreational purposes. That county houses America's most-popular state park, and the stress placed on local infrastructure is great. Sure, they benefit from it, but disproportionately.
Their school system has been God-awful for decades–a mess. It was taken over by the state for e brief period in the 80s. They have a hard time raising the needed funds because so much land is tax-exempt.
Mitch's school budget plan shuld help them. But it is way late.
Multiply that scenario over multiple infrastructure budgets for the City of Indianapolis, caused by state use without proportional payments.
Borders create interesting problems, don't they?
July 26th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
You know I have to point out something here. We read where the city or state is spending millions of dollars. Just think, 33 million dollars to the pacers. Most working people in Indiana or Indianapolis will never have even one million dollars by the the time they leave this earth. I amazes the figures thrown out in budgets these days. It must be nice to just pass a budget rather we have the money or not because we can always borrow and let further generations pay for it plus interest. Even thru I invest in many municipal bonds, I would like to see the government live within their means. Still I enjoy the interest of 4.5 to 5% tax free money. So keep the borrowing up please.
July 26th, 2010 at 5:23 pm
Of course the tax payers in counties outside of Marion County don't want to pay for the Pacers. Neither do the taxpayers in Marion County!
It is dishonest to pretend that the tax dollars that are being funnelled to the CIB isn't taking money away from other city and state needs.