Thursday, March 13, 2008

COUNTDOWN

Dear Fellow Taxpayers of New Albany,

In less than 48 hrs. our Indiana State legislators will produce a bill for the Governor to sign. It could be today, so time is allowed for assembling and retyping the bill for Daniel's signature, leaving Friday for their sound bites, partisan-speeches and the best spin they can attach to their efforts as becoming political spin meisters.

The entire short session has been fraught with partisanship over the property tax issue, because it was their participation in the dilemma that contributed to the worse tax debacle in Indiana history.

From the outcries and protests of last summer to the present, the overwhelming indications suggest a spin from lawmakers devised to convince Hoosiers they have done the best they can do, and while not perfect, will provide a massive tax decrease and relief for Hoosier homeowners.

Nothing can be further from the truth when they killed the property tax repeal bill SJR008 and took options off the table to protect their own system, while along the way gaping problems of a failed and broken system at every level of government were manifested in daily media headlines that were carried across state lines, adding to our embarrassment and the misery index of Indiana citizens.

Cynicism from media, farms, businesses, homeowners, assessors, mayors, and you name it, will be justified as Hoosiers become further unglued when they see the final product.

We know this because 95% of the work has been evidenced in these lawmakers' printed interviews and falls woefully short of true reform.

Do not be misled by the hype and front page headlines with a touted bipartisan production of a final cosmetic and constitutionally challenged bill.

We are in for a rough summer when your "gotcha bill" for last year arrives, and coupled with your new spring tax bill, will offer further distress over a Statehouse tragedy that plagues our residents, farms and businesses, as lawmakers duck out until January 1st, hoping to avoid facing our perpetual torture and the prospect of a November election disaster.

Brace yourself. Before seeing a doctor for an antidepressant and before you call the moving company, let's see if we can have a reasoned response!

Who should we blame? State and local democrats for our property tax mess...