Indiana

Put Your Tax Caps On*

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

If you’ve ever had any interaction with House Speaker Pat Bauer, you know it’s important to know when to read between the lines.  Yesterday was one of those days.

The Speaker said local governments hadn’t made the case against implementing property tax caps.  He pointed out that the locals have had a year or so to make their case and have failed to do so.

At best, the city of  Muncie had to layoff firefighters, even though some that could have been avoided with a little government reform and consolidation.

By saying the locals have failed to make their case, I honestly believe the Speaker is quietly maneuvering his caucus towards a vote to pass property tax caps.   Let’s face it, it’s something that is overwhelmingly politically popular and most citizens have little sympathy for government which they think take too much of their money anyway.  As a neighbor told me the other day “if I have to cut back, why can’t the government?”  I truly doubt the Speaker wants to publicly run against that sentiment.

Is the Speaker throwing the locals under the bus, maybe.  But if the locals want to avoid property tax caps, they better do something real quick because they’ve probably only have a couple weeks at best before lawmakers vote to pass tax caps.

*Once again, I don’t discuss property tax repeal because it’s not going to happen.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on January 06, 2010 (boomark / email).