Property Taxes and Politicians

Isn't it wonderful when voters awake from their eternal slumber when you hit them in their wallets? When the Governor spoke today, he did what everyone wanted to hear by ordering a reassessment of property taxes. Now, we need to see if the rest of the legislature can truly come up with a permanent solution to the unfair property tax system we have in the State of Indiana.

However, before we can sit back and relax, let me drop a few facts on you. The City of Indianapolis has some serious bills to pay that are seriously overdue. This isn't a complete list and the numbers may be a little off like Patrick Bauer's toupe', but here is a list of the money we, the taxpayers, owe.

-RCA Dome $46 million (We owed $35-40 million when it was completed in 1984). It will be imploded in two years, but we'll still owe the money
-IPS Schools $500-800 million ( The schools have been crumbling since court-ordered busing)
-Police/Fire Pension $450 million (Our last three mayors have been underfunding the pensions so they wouldn't need to raise property taxes).
-Lucas Oil Stadium $725 million ( Fortunately, it will be funded by new taxes that are not property related, but those new taxes could have paid other obligations. By the way, the Colts receive most of the revenue from the new stadium while we pay for it.)

Just those costs will add up to about $2,500 for every man, woman, and child plus interest over the next 20 to 25 years even if you never step inside the new stadium or attend a class in IPS.

Here is the challenge the politicians have. Fifty percent of Center Township pays little or no property tax. The City of Indianapolis, State of Indiana, IUPUI, White River State Park, The Domes, Circle Center Mall, Anthem, Lilly, Simon Property Group, Indiana Convention Center, and whoever else who was able to cut a deal to locate downtown pay little or no property tax. Most of those properties reside on ground that previously was occupied by small businesses that did pay tax, but most relocated to a lower tax environment or went out of business. That means there is less property to pay a huge bill.

So, what is the solution? I feel that Indiana needs to replace all property taxes with a consumption tax. It is working in developing economies around the world and it would truly be a bold step for Indiana to lead the nation rather than follow.

What do you think? I'd like to know.

Why Live in Indianapolis?

It certainly isn't Chicago or New York City, but it has been a good place to earn a living and raise a family. I've lived on the east , north, and south sides of the city. Since the offspring have left the nest, the Mrs. and I have lived downtown for the past six years. So, what's been my favorite? They all have their own unique advantages.

- The east side a great place to grow up. Almost anything you need is no more than a bike ride away.
- The north side is "nicer". The houses are bigger, the shopping is better, but you need a car for every member of the family. Nothing is close to where you live.
- Living on the south side is like being in "Pleasantville". It is a very uncomfortable place to be if you're a Democrat.
- I'll reserve my opinion of the west side since I have never lived on that side of town, but I will say it lacks the neighborhoods like Irvington, Kessler/Meridian, and Garfield Park.

So, what is it like to live downtown? For starters, most downtown residents have not lived here their entire lives. Quite a few were born in another country. We have neighbors from Scotland, Mexico, England, Singapore, Turkey, Argentina, and Nebraska. Most are professionals of one kind or another, very few ever had children, and all are quite at ease being around someone different from themselves. Actually, they enjoy it.

So, in closing, for the few who read this thanks for your time. The sun is setting and I'm going to go share a bottle of wine with whoever is out in the courtyard.

Hello Indianapolis! (that's me on the right)

I'll start my first blog with a little about me. I've lived in the city except for four very interesting years in Bloomington during the Vietnam War, Watergate, and women learning to become something other than teachers, nurses, and housewives. Ironically, I married a nurse who eventually became a teacher, but much more than a housewife. She gave birth to my three wonderful sons, raised them to become fine young men while changing my perspective about the world.

When I left Indianapolis, Bloomington was a long way from home. How wrong can you be! While my offspring traveled around the world, I was grinding out a respectable living working in the family business in Indy. They were experiencing things I read about in the encyclopedia. Well, as a result, I've learned about the world away from Indy through them while I've become somewhat of an "Indy Geek".

So, in my coming posts, you will hear a lot about the how, when, where, and why's of Indianapolis balanced by my offspring and loving wife's much different perspective from outside the state lines

HAPPY BIRTHDAY POPS!

I hope you like blogging. Let me know if you ever have any questions. Like I said, you got a lot of Indy info in your brain - why not monetize it and have a little fun along the way.

It goes without saying, but you should delete these posts before you officially launch. I would send an email to as many people you know linking to your blog.

Ideas for Your First Post

Here are some ideas for your first post:

- Restaurant and local shop reviews (Elements, dog food store, cafes, spas, etc.)
- Traffic construction
- New buildings being built or torn down (airport, residential developments, stadiums, schools)
- State tax policies or other government legislation
- Sports (professional, college, and high school)
- Performing arts reviews (musicals, concerts, etc.)
- Local event insider information (wine event, food festival, museum special exhibitions, etc.)
- Corporate news (new jobs in town, new plants being built, etc.)
- Historical perspectives on the city


It always helps if you can insert pictures with your posts to bring them to life a little more (just click the picture button in the blog editor and follow the directions).

<-------- I've aligned this one to left so that the text appears on the right side. You can also center it or right align it in the options. You currently cannot add videos to your blog yet. However, you soon will be able to upload videos the same way you upload photos (just click on the filmstrip button in the blog posting editor and follow the directions). Note: Make sure to "label" each post with a theme so that your readers can easily search your posts for the information they want to find. "Labels" are like post-it notes that you tag to each blog you write. You can add more than one label to a post. The different labels you create will appear on the right hand column of your blog. When readers click on a label, it will show all blog posts that have that post-it note attached. So, unlike folders where a Word doc can only exist in one folder, a label allows a blog post to exist in two places. It also helps to link to other stuff you read on the Internet (in the post editor, highlight the text you want to place the link in, click the chain link button above, and then enter in the URL link). For example, you could write an opinion on something from the Indy Star. You could say, "The Star wrote an article about the tax hikes in Indy. But here is what they didn't tell you...."

In addition, I have added Google Adsense ads on the top and right hand columns of your blog. They search the text that you write, pull out relevant keywords, and then show ads that match what you are writing about. The ads will become more relevant the more you write, which means more clicks and dough in your pocket! So blog early and often if you want some traffic and some extra pocket change.

FYI, most avid bloggers write one post (50 words to 400 words on average) two to five times a week. You certainly don't have to write that much (or at all if it doesn't appeal to you), but I thought I'd let you know so you have a comparison.