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12/01/03
In response to S.F. The glorious dream of getting off easy enough to pay only one more cent to the dollar in sales tax to get out of paying all the taxes we now have is just that… a beautiful dream. It will NEVER happen. Look at facts. Last year they cried we are broke…only about 3 months after boasting a the largest tax surplus in the history of the state. So, they raised the gas tax, sales tax, tobacco tax and so no. Keep in mind gas and tobacco took a DOUBLE tax increase at that point. Do not forget… we pay sales tax on gas just like we do on everything else. Some might not realize we do because the sales tax is figured in the price on the pump. Read it on the gas pump at your favorite gas station. You would think it would be unconstitutional to have to pay taxes on taxes…but, that’s exactly what we have been doing for many years. And yes…we do, in fact, pay sales taxes on the state gasoline tax that is figured in the price per gallon of gas. Same goes for people who buy tobacco products and alcoholic beverages that have alcohol tax on them.
Also, last year alone the state of Indiana took in many HUNDREDS of millions of dollars from gambling alone. Also ,as usual, many many hundreds of millions in gasoline tax. Many millions in tobacco and alcohol taxes. Then there is our states lottery … taking in untold millions every year ( which to get the gambling bill passed they promised us the profits from that would pay our children’s school book fees, fix our highways and roads, eliminate the vehicle excise tax and numerous other false promises that are NEVER going to happen.). Also, there’s the state and county withholding taxes out of everyone’s paychecks. And the vehicle excise tax we pay on every vehicle that gets a license plate (every year). Then, there is your present gripe…which none of us can criticize… property taxes. Last year they began the process to eliminate all tax breaks to home owners and doing the re-assessment to raise our property taxes even higher than they were… and even clearly stated the fact, "we WOULD se an increase in the amount of taxes our homes would be assessed for". Still with all that and ALL the other state taxes equaling BILLIOINS of dollars (EVERY YEAR) they are broke.
Perhaps the condition of the state revenue is because of very poor management. Like state Senator Becky Skillman told in a newspaper article …last year when they raised all the taxes…there is a large building in Indianapolis that used to be used for some purpose (that I have forgotten) and has been empty and unused for several years… but, every year, someone gets five hundred thousand dollars to maintain or for the previous use of the long time empty, unused, building. That’s half a million a year someone gets in their bank account, pocket or where ever they keep it. It makes me wonder just how many of this type of relative, or buddy, or even politician crooked deals are involved that made the largest tax surplus in the history of the state disappear.
Back to your question, NO, a one cent increase in sales tax will NOT get us out of ANY of all those BILLIONS they are stealing from us now. Why would they give up ALL those billions just to get a few measly millions from us when they already know they are going to get it ALL anyway. Face the facts… with the present political state representatives, state senators, and governor voting to tax us to death…they are NOT going to give us a break… except in OUR bank accounts, wallets…or wherever we would keep ours (if we had any). But they are going to make sure we don’t have to worry about where we would have to keep it.
The only thing we can do is to pressure our elected state officials, keep track of the bills they vote on, how each (in our own areas) voted on those bills, did they even try for tax reform to help us, have they tried to stop the waist of tax money and the free giving away to select individuals, as in the above example. If not get out and campaign to get those people out of office and elect new ones that will stop the tax madness (that has resurfaced from the old King George of old England) the very one that our forefathers escaped from and started our country. We don’t have to find and settle a new country…just check out just what our elected officials are doing for us… or to us… and get out and vote to get the duds out of there.
By the way…in the 95 re-assessment in this little King George county (Lawrence) they tried to raise my property taxes OVER 700 (SEVEN HUNDRED) percent. They had me taxed for my little one quarter acre including house… for an Olympic size, in ground swimming pool in the back yard (it was a nontaxable 3 foot by 12 foot kiddy pool). They also had me taxed for a FULL 2 story modern mansion. It is a very old one and one half story house (clearly stated on the property deed and ALL tax records in THEIR possession). Also they had me taxed for a FULL basement. There is NO basement. But they did get away with taxing me 25 cents per square foot for a crawl space under my house….there is NO crawl space under there. But, I was informed the state of Indiana allows them to either tax us for a basement or a crawl space…EVEN houses like mine that you can’t even get close enough to the ground to look under it without digging a hole big enough to be lower than the bottom of the house.
You would think that would be covered under the extortion or fraud laws… besides being unconstitutional. But in those cases when they argue with you…instead of making an attempt to find and fix errors in their paperwork, like they did me, all we can do is let them sell it for taxes then sue the county and all the crooked people involved in FEDERAL court to get back all we loose and get our home we love back from being unlawfully and unjustly stolen from us.
I REALLY dread this so-called re-assessment.
Anyway, the politicians WE elect got us in this shape and those we vote out to get good ones in to straighten out the mess and crooked stuff would cure the problem… if we could get enough people to quit waiting on everybody else to do it and check out the things I have mentioned and register… if they are not already … and get out and vote. Help campaign… NOT for a political party (voting for a political party instead of the individual is exactly what has got us in this mess we are in. When you vote for a political party…you ARE going to elect duds that should NOT be there.)…but, vote for the people who will change things back like it was meant to be in this country. ---B.P.
11/28/03
If the property taxes keep raising, normal hard working families can't afford to keep their homes and land and pay them. The elderly and people on fixed incomes are struggling and worrying about how they will pay them or loose their homes they have had for years. Your retirement years or so-called golden years are supposed to be worry free. You have worked 30 plus years, paid your dues and paid your mortgage, put your kids all threw school, scrimped and saved. It's a time to reflect and relax, not fret and worry if your home will be sold at auction if you can't afford your property taxes. And younger folks working hard to make ends meet and raise families in most cases just get by and then inflated property taxes on top of everything else. If you pay your mortgage payment, insurance, utilities, and all the other stuff, there's nothing left over for high taxes. I think its a shame they can't drop them completely or at least reduce them instead of increasing to an outrageous amount every time. And penalties if you don't get them paid on time are sharply added on. It's a never ending battle. Something should clearly be done about it! -- The Neelys
11/25/03
In the November 21, 2003 Tribune, Seymour's local newspaper, the Readers Forum
http://www.tribtown.com/Main.asp?SectionID=37&SubSectionID=79&ArticleID=8579
has a letter entitled "Would Sales Tax Increase Work?" written by John Paul of Huntington Indiana. He, like many others, myself included, are fed up with our legislators and their bungling of property taxes. Mr. Paul suggests that we place a referendum on the May 2004 Primary Ballot: "In exchange for permanent elimination of all state and local property taxes, do you agree to a maximum increase in the state sales tax to 7 percent?" I am curious - do you think this is a good or bad idea and why? Email me and tell me your views if you like.
In the 1995 reassessment, my property taxes rose 114% and screwed up my escrows horribly. They say that those living in old homes will probably be hit the hardest. Most old homes have old people living there who've already paid their mortgages. Many old people are stretching to make ends meet as it is. Our legislators shouldn't even have the power to break their backs with increased taxes.
I am also a landlord in addition to being a homeowner. Homeowners get certain tax credits/exemptions that renters do not. Owners of rental properties are not entitled to exemptions that homeowners get. So, by granting a "big exemption to homeowners" to offset the increase in taxes is only a half-baked solution. When I get my tax bill for my rental properties and see dramatic increases in property taxes, who do you think is going to pay? Well, until their lease runs out, I have no choice but to honor my rent amounts and not adjust for increased taxes. But, when the lease is up, I am not going to swallow the increased tax burden; at least not much of it. I will certainly pass this increase on in the form of increased rents. Who wins? I don't, the renter doesn't, but the county does!
I think it's high time taxpayers took a firm stand and eliminate property taxes once and for all! I think it's getting to be time for some civil disobedience! Enough is enough!
12/07/00
THE LESSONS OF PEARL HARBOR by U.S. Representative John Hostettler
The Sunday morning tranquility on the Hawaiian island of Oahu was shattered by explosions and gunfire. Sailors and civilians, many of whom were just waking up, were suddenly scrambling for their lives as hundreds of Japanese bombers and fighters rained down destruction on Pearl Harbor.
The United States was under sneak attack from a foreign power.
In one brazen and unprecedented action, Imperial Japan killed more than 2,400 Americans, wounded nearly 1,200 others, and destroyed or damaged 21 U.S. ships and 300 U.S. airplanes in a two-hour period. U.S. soil had come under attack and a shocked nation woke up to a world war.
Thursday marks the 59th anniversary of the December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. Prior to that date the nation was unprepared militarily and mentally for war. At the time, our men in uniform were forced to train using bags of sugar as bombs and trucks with the word "tank" painted on the side. There were extreme shortfalls in equipment, supplies and personnel. These facts encouraged Japan to pursue military action against the United States and enabled Japan, at least initially, to succeed.
It was the belief of the Japanese military leaders that if they could immobilize the U.S. Pacific Fleet in one fell swoop, the United States would be unable to recover quickly enough to undermine Japanese supremacy in the region. In other words, the perceived weakness of the U.S. military encouraged an enemy to attack.
It has been said that those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. It would be a shame - tragic, really - if we did not learn the lessons of that date which will live in infamy. We could do no greater dishonor to those who responded with bravery and sacrifice than to allow their grandchildren to face another war because we forgot, as George Washington said, that being prepared for war "is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace."
Today we're in danger of doing just that. Since 1987, active duty military personnel have been reduced by more than 800,000. In that same period, the Navy has reduced its ships from 594 to 316. The number of Army divisions was reduced from 18 to 10 and the number of Air Force active wings was cut from 24 to 12.5. Today, less than 3 percent of our nation's gross domestic product is spent on national defense, the lowest level since 1940.
Our adversaries are not unaware of these trends. Many are rearming at a rapid pace. Just last month, for instance, Russia sold to China the second of three destroyers whose sole purpose is to sink our aircraft carriers. While the assurance of swift and overwhelming U.S. military retaliation once served as a deterrent to our enemies, today's readiness woes could very well invite aggression.
In fact, it already has. In October, terrorists killed 17 U.S. sailors in an attack on the USS Cole. In August1998, the U.S. in were bombed, killing 258, including six Americans. In 1996, terrorists bombed a U.S. in Arabia, killing 19 Americans. These attacks were as brazen and intentional as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
Congress and the next administration have a constitutional duty to restore our military might to a level that serves as an effective deterrent to the dictators, despots and terrorists who would mean to do us harm. Our national security is enhanced, and our way of life protected, when we operate from a position of strength.
The lives of millions of Americans were turned upside down in one act of hostility in 1941. Americans responded with patriotism, valor and sacrifice, and they deserve our honor. You and I owe it to them not to forget the lessons of that infamous December day.
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