There’s nothing worse than starting out the week with bad news, but here it is. All my early analysis of the property tax mess in Indiana is telling me not much is going to change after the reassessment.

At best, there may a 5-10 percent drop in your bill if you’re lucky. So if you got a 70 percent increase, you’ll get 10 percent off. Part of the reason is that most commercial and industrial property hasn’t gone up in value and government spending has.

I could be wrong, and I hope I am, but this is what the data is looking like. I was at the anti-tax rally in Broadripple yesterday where they symbolically dumped tea into the canal.

Once they get this news, they’ll probably go grab some politicians.

The Mayor’s Office is apparently complaining about the news and media coverage of the public safety tax increase, accusing a lot of us, me in particular, of sensationalizing the tax and going for the more inflammatory headlines and stories.

This is not the first time the Mayor’s office has complained about media coverage and it definitely won’t be the last. Politicians are notorious for saying how they wish they could take their message directly to the people and avoid the press altogether.

Mr. Mayor, here’s your chance.

I’m taking off the week of August 6 to spend time with my son. I have guest hosts slated to fill in for me on my morning radio show at WXNT-AM for each day except Thursday, August 9. It’s yours if you want it.

It can be you. It can be Steve Campbell. It can be Mike O’Connor. Anyone affiliated with your administration. You pick the person who can best articulate your vision for this city and defend your record and I will gladly give him or her the microphone. The only condition is you have to take calls and keep the show informative and entertaining. Other than that, it’s all yours.

Your staff has told me how more is spent annually on public safety than the new football stadium. You’ve told me how you are proud to have City-County Council Members like President Monroe Gray sit next to you and help you make decisions. You’ve told me that the city has used tax increment financing to rebuild impoverished neighborhoods and not just build hotels. You even told me how you felt the Marion County Coroner was being attacked in part because of race.

Here’s your chance to tell everybody else without a filter.

An as an added bonus, I’ll even throw in some space on this blog to make your case in writing.

Will you take me up on my offer?

Although Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said he would not cut funds from public safety, I am told that the Indianapolis Fire Department is having close to $800,000 taken away from it for now. The debate is whether the 800 grand that’s off the table is being cut or frozen. The city has already depleted its budget for firefighter overtime pay, so something like this doesn’t come as a total shock.

But from what I’ve been able to gather so far, nearly $250,000 is coming from the department’s shop budget, $80,000 is coming from Emergency Management and Special Ops, and also arson. Cuts or freezes in arson are surprising considering the rash of arsons that this town has had lately. A spokesperson for the Mayor told me she had no idea what I was talking about, so I’m using other channels to get to the bottom of this. When I know more, you will too.

Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson’s re-election campaign has unveiled its web site. On it the Mayor highlights his anti-crime plan, the first Peterson Plan and cultural development district. You can find it here, http://www.bartpetersonformayor.com

Shortly after yesterday’s news conference at Marion County Democratic headquarters, I spoke for a few minutes with City Council President Monroe Gray. We chatted informally for a few seconds and then Gray told me that I was very one-sided in my reporting of events here in Indianapolis.

I was a bit taken back by that. I’ll admit I have a unique platform between here at Indiana Barrister, WXNT-AM, RTV 6 and The Indianapolis Business Journal, but I don’t think I’ve been unfair to anyone.

I will admit to being one-sided, that side being the public and the taxpayers, but unfair? I don’t think so.

Whenever I am accused of being unfair, I ask one simple question? Was I wrong? And to this date, no one can answer that in the affirmative. When you do what I do for a living, people wait for you to make a mistake so they can pounce all over you. My job is to make sure they don’t get that opportunity.

Marion County Democratic Party Chairman Mike O’Connor called on Republican candidates for this year’s municipal offices to get on board the consolidation train. O’Connor said he found it odd that the same people who opposed government consolidation for the past three years are now calling for less government. He said if they want less government they should support Indy Works. O’Connor said Indy Works opponents were engaging in revisonist history.

When O’Connor took aim at State Senator Jim Meritt for opposing consolidation because he wanted to protect the township assessors, I politely reminded him that Marion County Democrats led by State Rep. William Crawford also did their part to oppose government consolidation this year, by not giving up the Township Trustee offices in their zeal to protect Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer, which was partially responsible for the Mayor’s plan not passing this year.

Now the history lesson is more complete.

I am hearing rumblings from a lot of citizens angry about this week’s increase in the county option income tax that they may file a suit to have the vote thrown out. The tax was raised to help pay for public safety. The advocates say when several members of the City-County Council voted for the tax they were violating Indiana’s conflict of interest law which says no public official can vote on a matter that they have a pecurinary interest.

Several Councilors are either police, firefighters or married to police or ex-firefighters. And since the tax increase was dedicated, in part, to paying for raises for police and firefighters as well pensions for retirees, the citizens say the Councilors should have all abstained from voting, like Republican Ike Randolph. When they find a lawyer willing to take the case, I’ll let you know

The fallout continues from Monday night’s controversial City-County Council meeting where lawmakers approved a 65-percent increase in the county option income tax to pay for public safety. Former City-comptroller Jim Steele, who was hired by the city to help pass the tax increase and help solve its financial problems, has turned in his resignation. Steele says he was appalled when Council President Monroe Gray tried to force Councilmember Ike Randolph to vote. Randolph abstained because he felt he had a conflict of interest because he would be voting on his pay raise as a firefighter. Steele also quit because Gray cut off debate without allowing amendments. Steele was comptroller for former Republican Mayor Steve Goldmsith. So much for bi-partisan solutions.

Anyone hoping for a special session from the Indiana General Assembly is probably better off hoping Lindsay Lohan will get her act together. The Senate Republicans don’t want one. House Speaker Pat Bauer doesn’t want one. And Governor Mitch Daniels would probably rather deal with the issue administratively for now.

If you put it all in perspective, there really isn’t a reason for lawmakers to come back now. There is no plan to deal with tax problem and everyone is in the hearing and public testimony phase. Also, with the tax reassessments that are being ordered that will provide individual taxpayers with some breathing room.

I spoke with Sen. Luke Kenley, Senate point man on taxes, and he told me he doesn’t think a special session would accomplish much. He added a special session would cost $100,000 a week and raise expectations of long-term reform. The only reason lawmakers would come back is if they wanted to turn the tax rebate check into a tax credit. Kenley says it’s more likely lawmakers would come back early and work then.

He says real change would likely come in the way the state pays for schools and child welfare and the state would have to take a look at properties exempt from taxation which also add to the burden of residential taxpayers.

Kenley says if he had his way, the state would pick up the costs of school’s general operating expenses and at least half of the child welfare costs. He says combining those with giving local governments other revenue option could lead to an eventual 50 percent reduction in property taxes.

The increase in the minimum wage goes into effect today. It goes from $5.15 to $5.85 an hour. The purpose of raising the minimum wage is to put more cash in the pockets of low-paid, and usually low-skilled, workers. Someone should have told that to the City-County Council last night as they passed the public safety tax increase, because now the people who can least afford it will have 65 percent more money taken out of their wages. And the people who did it are the ones who yell the loudest about the poor and disenfranchised. With friends like these…well, you know the rest.