Come on, Abdul. You know that if schools start getting pinched, you know that one of two things will happen: The local district will pitch a referendum; and the County Assessor will revisit the assessments. But yes- removing barriers would be excellent. That means, get the state out of the way, and let the money stay local, leaving local officials, often elected officials like school board members, to make decisions. One size does not fit all.

When govt’s first instinct is to fire teachers or firefighters, it’s a tactic designed to scare the populace into demanding the tax hikes administrators and elected officials want. We call this the Washington Monument Syndrome. It’s not you who’s cynical, it’s those elected officials.

Pascal, you think too much.

I’ve seen government up-close-and-personal. It needs a thorough house-cleaning. Now.

But the tax cap isn’t the way to do it. Our Constitution shouldn’t be amended for reasons that can and should be handled by the legislature. That makes me a strict constructionist, I guess. Judge Isiah Blackford and Oliver Morton and others, our forefathers, envisioned a healthier legislative climate. Altho their transport canal bankrupted the state, they and their brethren had some other good ideas.

If we’re amending for this, the easiest function of state government (income), why aren’t we questioning the real culprit–the Gang of 150? Recall that they had six years to fix the property tax nonsense, after Tax Court Judge Fisher made his ruling. They waited until the 23rd hour of the 364th day of Year Six. Each party controlled the House during that timeframe. Let’s face it” they’re too comfortable to make tough decisions.

Indiana probably has one of the safest legislatures in the nation. We let clowns hang around too long.

If we’re going to amend Constitutions, why not start with term limits? I used to hate them. But I’ll take them as the lesser of evils, and as an ugly but necessary tool to breathe fresh blood into our legislature.

The governor is term-limited. It’s only fair to do the same with the House and Senate. Bauer and Espich have been there too long. They ARE the problem. I’d point out that Rep. Espich has been the GOP budget/tax guru since he began in 1974. Six governors have passed through the Statehouse in his tenure. Seven or eight during Bauer’s.

That’s just ridiculous.

The citizen’s voice, has been excluded from this “debate” within the GA chorus. One local “result,” pre-floundering of the national economy, has been devaluation. More than a few of the seven thousand or so homes scheduled for demolition within Marion County, have valuation issues related to consfiscatory overcharges known as “property taxes.” Many properties which have been abandoned on the basis of avaricious overcharges excused as “taxes,” are in fact votes of non-confidence in those policies of greed; hardly investment grade policy making.

Disney World is great, but citizens shouldn’t be forced by tax, to adopt illusions of grandeur from misguided public servants; confused about the actual purpose of government. Public servants should work out the “little brother syndrome” on a therapist’s couch & not the peoples’ pocketbook which doesn’t belong to them.

There’s no coherent proposal (referndumb) on the table, to solve the property tax issue, discussion about which has been severely limited to govern-mental perspective, state vs. local; citizen dialects lost to bureau-speak.

There’s nothing citizen centered about the drafting process for referenda, a 1-2-3 commission schedule factored by a variable (government determined assessment), misuse of words like “revenue” where the word tax applies, etc.

One-two-three, top-twenty reasons… really? The game show is alive & well.

My bet is yes, your taxes will increase sooner than later.

A major concern ==Indiana a “home rule” state where the state government continues to impose more and more rules on local government. The tax caps are a prime example. And to the point of assessments increasing to make up for lost revenue—again, the state absolutely controls the formula for assessments in every taxing unit in the state, that is, the state sets the standards for assessment, sets the formulas, checks the figures, etc. with cost being very high as to verifying all assessments—so, no the assessments can not simply be raised locally to avoid the impact of the 1-2-3 figures.
Yes, some units of local government have not operated efficiently and yes, the state has continued to mandate more and more things the local must do without providing for any funding mechanism except the allowing for limited ability to impose local income taxes–which also must be approved by the state.

Jack: there aren’t five local units of govt. in this state that operate efficiently.

Make that three.

Indygo and the libraries have already petitioned the DLGF to tax over the caps, through the Distressed Units board. Don’t forget referenda amounts. All 1-2-3 does, is give you SSDD, with more blind alleys. It is 1973, all over again. Let’s just keep urinating property tax monies on the CIB (Corrupt, Inept & Brainless), too.

Your assessment doesn’t work or account for owners, whose opinions on value, aka “assessments,” were lowered a year ago only to be raised the following year, back to 2007 revolt levels. Get out there & you’ll discover it’s true.

In the new Halloween thriller, “Villages of the Referendamned,” citizens are horrified to discover the caps are mere buoys on a tax schemed slalom course; designed not by citizens, but consumers of tax.

Beyond that, & considering folks who’ve had the DLGF, expressly & contradictorily state, they had “no authority” to regulate taxing units (i.e. “conservancy districts,” etc.); your assessment is on the money- not.

Pascal,
Ask Morgan County Indiana about not having a fire department any longer. A person dies last week and EMS care was no where to be found. I do understand your issue over staffing, but NFPA requires a minimum amount of firefighters before an interior attack can be initiated. It all has to do with insurance regulations, lawyers and politicians. All civilians are welcome to sign a waiver and ride along on a shift with the firefighters to see what they encounter. If any of you would like to “ride out for a few house let me know. flipper

One who thinks much and well has little reason to think again.

I’ve been elected too. It isn’t what it’s propped up to be.

Every single unit of government in this state wastes money. We have townships because the legislature lacks the courage to buck a few folks who want to keep them. My home county has 25,000 or so residents, and six township trustees. And boards.

Schools waste as Superintendents direct.

Cities pad budgets to allow for pet projects. And while I respect public servants who work hard…walk over to the State Office Building complex some day–you pick the day–and walk from floor to floor. You’d be amazed art the inertia. It’s frightening.

Those who serve with no compensation have my admiration. But most of those boards and commissikons could get flushed, too, and few would notice.

We need a meat cleaver taken to the governmental structure in this state. Streamlining is one word. It’s a kind word. But for now I’ll go with that. We’re in love with government. We’ve got layers and layers of it. And even with no-compensation boards, there is tremendous cost. Too often, very complicated and important decisions are left to low-no compensation boards, and we get effed up all the time. Case in point” Boards of Zoning Appeals, right here in Marion County. I think they get $50 a day, which is peanuts. They’re only supposed ot approve variances where a statutory burden of hardship is approved. Yet variances get approved for some of the stupidest reasons, and the fallout is immense. Each dumb decision sets a precedent.

I’ve had it with Indiana govt. We have too much of it everywhere. It ends up being expensive, if only in efficiencies. Or, in my example above, in the case of precedents which kill smart development.

The great part about that is the voters can kill any of those extra tax dollars requested by referendum. Yes, the taxpayer gets control over their taxes. While the Wishard debacle sailed through on a highly misrepresented wording, I am willing to bet in the future people will not be so easily shmoozed and cajoled into going along with such shenanigans. And we will thus hold the line on our tax increases rather than have them shoved down our throats time after time with no recourse.

“The General Assembly shall provide, by law, for a uniform and equal rate of property assessment and taxation…” Article 10How long have our elected reprobates been violating our organic law? The Constitutional Question posed would also have the effect of legitimizing their unconstitutional acts — just as they did with their 2004 Amendment to Article 10.BUT, since most governmental units appear to be against the caps, that is reason enough for me to lean towards supporting them.Otherwise, I’m all for repealing our current government, and beginning anew:”WE DECLARE, That all people are created equal; that they are endowed by their CREATOR with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that all power is inherent in the people; and that all free governments are, and of right ought to be, founded on their authority, and instituted for their peace, safety, and well-being. For the advancement of these ends, the people have, at all times, an indefeasible right to alter and reform their government.” Article 1 (Bill of RIGHTS), Indiana Constitution

TA and others: repectively disagree with much of the rationale put forth here concerning local government as if one shoe or a few selected examples covered the entire world. Now if you want to allow for changes in county government then seek to get the enabling action passed by the legislature (I said enabling –not forceful as still would contend that is a local decision not necessary to be coming from the collective wisdom of the governor and legislature). nough said.

Otoh, suburban districts are donors.

Correct about DLGF failure to regulate conservancy districts. Know how many are not being properly regulated? Any idea on how to stop the illegal conservancy taxation? Has anyone found the “authority” in charge of regulating conservancy taxes? IBTR also disclaims any authority.

Here lies some problems with the property tax caps. I believe it is a truly bad way to fund education. Lets say you have 2 kids taking two different buses to school and you live in a house that cost $100 thousand dollars. Your property tax is only $1000.00 a year. Lets say it cost $3.00 a day to (I suspect a very low figure) a kid to bus each kid. It would only take 180 days for your kids to exceed your property tax (hey not all of that goes to the schools) amount and you get the rest of your kids education for free! Here lies the problem. Throw in districts where there is very little business and industry to subsidize education and it a receipe for disaster. Almost all suburban school districts were built so kids cannot walk to school. Center Grove, Franklin Township High School, Franklin High School are just three I can think of off of my head. Busing is eating up a large part of these districts costs. Yes, yes I know these idoit school boards spent way to much money on athletics (but the last time I looked I am paying a extra 2 cents tax for pro sports in Marion county) and buildings. I suspect you will see more condolidation among the districts in indiana and cost cutting.But is the state ready to take over schools districts that go bankrupt? I seriously think we are headed that way and it will not be pretty.

Too many local govt. units would vote to preserve their precious domains. With every domain there’s a brother-in-law running the street department, or a friend getting the legal business…too much of it duplicitous

They just don’t get it.

It won’t change anytime soon, Jack, so it doesn’t really matter. The last massive round of school consolidations took place in the late 1960s. With few exceptions, the results improved education and allowed efficiencies. But the political fallout was enormous.

I agree that property taxes are a very bad way to fund schools – or anything else. While I know it will not happen any time soon – I hope that eventually we will abolish property taxes entirely. It is the only type of taxation that I am aware of is not related in anyway to your ability to pay it. Income taxes are based upon what you earn. Sales and excise taxes are based upon what you spend. But property taxes can go up just because your house has increased in value.

Why does it not surprise me that the only federal government spending you attack is defense spending?

Based on what were the schools improved? Declining SAT scores and declines in every other measurable item including declines in ISTEP since its inception? What a nut case.
http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-christine-odonnell-is-right-about-1st-amendment/19692180 Here is another hat rack for you to hang your hat on,from an Indiana author too, telling you, TA, that being FOS, is what you are. A pretender to knowledge, a bluffer with blank hole cards, a credentialed fool, nonsense on stilts.
Posting here to save you embarrassment.