PUT UP OR SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP
The critics are already coming out of the woodwork to attack Governor Mitch Daniels’ property tax reform/reduction plan.
The plan would reduce property taxes by 35 percent by 2009 by capping a home’s property taxes at one percent of its assessed value, raising the sales tax one percent, the state would assume the costs of child welfare and school operation costs and putting in place local control board to keep tabs on county spending.
For those of you who want to be big critics, I will concede one point. The devil is always in the details and those will have to be hashed out. However, now is the time to put up or shut up.
If you want property taxes eliminated, bring a plan to the table that actually adds up.
If you don’t like the one percent increase in the sales tax that would allow the state to take more than $900 million of the property tax rolls, what’s your plan?
If you don’t want the state to take over school operation costs or child welfare because you’re worried locals won’t have as much control over those programs, what’s your plan?
If you think the spending caps are too rigid for local governments and they need more flexibility, what’s your plan?
If you have one, great. Bring it to the table and let’s have an honest discussion.
Otherwise will you politely go somewhere and sit down and be quiet and allow mature, responsible adults to solve this state’s problems.
