You can call it what you like, but a user fee is still a tax. An income tax that is to be used for property tax relief is still a tax. It's just putting money in my right pocket only to take it out of my left. Taxpayers aren't that stupid!
A wheel tax, public safety tax, food and beverage tax, county option income tax. These are all taxes that are being bandied about by our elected officials.
Where are your spending cuts and what have you done to reduce the size of government?
Trips to Hawaii and Japan under the guise of governmental business, $8 million plus banquet hall and clubhouse, leased cars, cell phones, overpaid consultants, filling up your personal car with gas at the county pumps. The waste goes on and on and all on the taxpayers' dime.
HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH OF OUR TAX-US-TO-DEATH ELECTED OFFICIALS?
The choice then should be simple. THROW THESE RASCALS OUT ON TUESDAY, MAY 6TH AND VOTE FOR BETTER, MORE RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
RECAP OF TEAM HAMMOND MEETING
About 65 people attended the Team Hammond Taxpayers Group meeting on Tuesday night at the Woodmar United Methodist Church.
During the introduction, Jim Premeske displayed documents obtained from county officials dispelling accusations originating from the mayor's supporters.
Featured guest speaker Mary Ellen Slazyk gave a brief history of school construction in the School City of Hammond and an update on the new high school. The School City currently has a construction bond debt of $289 million dollars. Add the cost of the new high school, remodeling of Gavit, and interest of $70 million, and the school city is looking at construction bond debt of nearly half a billion dollars. Ms. Slazyk also touched on the remonstrance petition. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, at the administration center. She encouraged everyone to attend and let the school board and administrators know they do not support a new high school when the school city is already swimming in debt.
A preview of the 2008 May 6th primary was the next order of business. Jim Premeske went over sample ballots of both Republican and Democratic candidates giving critiques of primary candidates, their past legislative records and any other noteworthy items of interest. He stressed it was important to get the word out about voting for quality candidates who are interested in real reform.
Candidates John Garcia, Nancy Moore Tiller, Raymond Fletcher, Cy Huerter, Fernando Urzua and George Janiec also were given time to speak about their candidacies and their platforms. They all spoke about the need for streamlining government, cutting unnecessary expenses, and making property tax reform permanent. They also talked about becoming more accountable to the voters who elect them. Wes Miller, Founder of Team Hammond, and Janet Venecz, wife of Hammond Democratic Chairman, Phil Venecz, were also in attendance on Tuesday night supporting Team Hammond's goals of good government and property tax reform.
Forming a Lake County Tax Alliance made up of interested citizens throughout Lake County was also brought up. The local option income tax will come before the county council before year's end, and citizens will especially need to put pressure on County Council members Tom O'Donnell and Ted Bilski to vote against the income tax. No matter what part of Lake County a person is from, it is time to band together to fight against the income tax in addition to more permanent property tax reform.
Remember, if you want real change, you have to change the way you vote on Tuesday, May 6th!
Just because someone is an incumbent doesn't automatically make them the more qualified candidate. Vote for the candidate who will best serve YOU and not the special interest groups, lobbyists and the party machine. YOU deserve better!
During the introduction, Jim Premeske displayed documents obtained from county officials dispelling accusations originating from the mayor's supporters.
Featured guest speaker Mary Ellen Slazyk gave a brief history of school construction in the School City of Hammond and an update on the new high school. The School City currently has a construction bond debt of $289 million dollars. Add the cost of the new high school, remodeling of Gavit, and interest of $70 million, and the school city is looking at construction bond debt of nearly half a billion dollars. Ms. Slazyk also touched on the remonstrance petition. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 8, at the administration center. She encouraged everyone to attend and let the school board and administrators know they do not support a new high school when the school city is already swimming in debt.
A preview of the 2008 May 6th primary was the next order of business. Jim Premeske went over sample ballots of both Republican and Democratic candidates giving critiques of primary candidates, their past legislative records and any other noteworthy items of interest. He stressed it was important to get the word out about voting for quality candidates who are interested in real reform.
Candidates John Garcia, Nancy Moore Tiller, Raymond Fletcher, Cy Huerter, Fernando Urzua and George Janiec also were given time to speak about their candidacies and their platforms. They all spoke about the need for streamlining government, cutting unnecessary expenses, and making property tax reform permanent. They also talked about becoming more accountable to the voters who elect them. Wes Miller, Founder of Team Hammond, and Janet Venecz, wife of Hammond Democratic Chairman, Phil Venecz, were also in attendance on Tuesday night supporting Team Hammond's goals of good government and property tax reform.
Forming a Lake County Tax Alliance made up of interested citizens throughout Lake County was also brought up. The local option income tax will come before the county council before year's end, and citizens will especially need to put pressure on County Council members Tom O'Donnell and Ted Bilski to vote against the income tax. No matter what part of Lake County a person is from, it is time to band together to fight against the income tax in addition to more permanent property tax reform.
Remember, if you want real change, you have to change the way you vote on Tuesday, May 6th!
Just because someone is an incumbent doesn't automatically make them the more qualified candidate. Vote for the candidate who will best serve YOU and not the special interest groups, lobbyists and the party machine. YOU deserve better!
Sunday, April 27, 2008
THE POLITICIANS DUPED YOU, THE TAXPAYER, GOOD THIS TIME
The activists tried to warn you. We tried to tell you what would happen. We warned you were going to end up paying even more and warned the politicians' spin machine and the media would try to sell you higher taxes couched in rhetoric that you are getting "relief". The protests dwindled to just a few hardcore activists at the end. Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana explains it clearly today.
FROM ADVANCE INDIANA:
"When a student fails to turn his homework into the teacher on time, he receives a failing grade. When your elected officials fail to complete their work on time, you pay for it. A Star report today indicates that most counties have not submitted the information the state needs to set property tax rates, including Marion County where the delays will cost taxpayers $30-$50 million in interest costs for the money local governments will have to borrow on a short-term basis to cover spending obligations. "That means homeowners may not know until late summer or fall what they'll owe, while local school districts, towns and other government agencies scramble to cover expenses in the interim," the Star reports. Marion Co. Treasurer Mike Rodman tells the Star tax bills might not go out until November--conveniently after this year's election. Maybe we should start withholding paychecks from the government officials responsible for timely submitting this information to the state like the City-County Council just did with the Marion County Coroner until they do the job they've been ordered to do under Indiana law."
From Hoosiers for Fair Taxation
Sunday, April 27, 2008
FROM ADVANCE INDIANA:
"When a student fails to turn his homework into the teacher on time, he receives a failing grade. When your elected officials fail to complete their work on time, you pay for it. A Star report today indicates that most counties have not submitted the information the state needs to set property tax rates, including Marion County where the delays will cost taxpayers $30-$50 million in interest costs for the money local governments will have to borrow on a short-term basis to cover spending obligations. "That means homeowners may not know until late summer or fall what they'll owe, while local school districts, towns and other government agencies scramble to cover expenses in the interim," the Star reports. Marion Co. Treasurer Mike Rodman tells the Star tax bills might not go out until November--conveniently after this year's election. Maybe we should start withholding paychecks from the government officials responsible for timely submitting this information to the state like the City-County Council just did with the Marion County Coroner until they do the job they've been ordered to do under Indiana law."
From Hoosiers for Fair Taxation
Sunday, April 27, 2008