Referenda Madness
To be honest, I am not a big fan of voter referenda. I think when we elect people to make decisions, that’s what they should do. Talk to voters, study the issues, make the decision and live with the consequences. However, sometimes there are decisions so big, that you don’t want to jump off that bridge alone and you need the voters’ assistance. So with that said, let’s have a vote on mass transit once and for all and be done with it.
This week, Marion and Hamilton County leaders, as well as the business community came out with a $1.3 billion plan to expand bus and rail service in the two areas. It would be financed, in part, by a .03% increase in the local option income tax which translates into $50 for every $10,000 you make annually. Seeing how $50 is my monthly cigar budget, I can’t really complain about that part of the equation. Also what made me more open to the idea is that we are spending $1.5 billion on the I-465 Accelerator between I-74 and I-70 on the west side, US 31 between Carmel and Westfield and the never-ending Indianapolis version of the hillside strangler, I-69 and I-465 on the northeast side of town.
Now that said, I perfectly understand the hesitancy of some people to spend that kind of money on mass transit. Factors such as population density, financing, and ridership are all legitimate concerns and proponents are going to have to make their case. However, Indiana lawmakers should allow for a vote. I say this because lawmakers have no problem allowing referendum for other matters. Some extremely important, such as when local governments need to get around property tax caps, i.e. school construction and Wishard hospital. And some not so important issues like the marriage amendment. So to me it’s a little late to get cold feet on letting the people of Marion and Hamilton County decide whether they want to pay more for mass transit.
There is a legitimate question on how the referendum should take place. The two main players in the mass transit discussion have different views on how it might work. Indiana House Ways and Means Chair State Representative Jeff Espich of Uniondale prefers a voter referendum and then a vote by the local city or county councils. State Senate Budget guru Luke Kenley prefers the local governing bodies make the decision. Either way, both men agree in letting the locals decide.
Republican State Senator Mike Delph of Carmel has come out against the proposal. He released a statement saying, “I am opposed to my constituents in Marion and Hamilton Counties paying more income taxes to fund an unproven Mass Transit system. If the so called leaders in the business community believe so strongly in this proposal, let them lead by example by raising private dollars. They can start by looking inward to their own revenue. It is easy to ask others to pay for your expenses. User fees and free market capitol need to be tapped in advance of any effort to raise taxes. And to date to my knowledge such a plan has not been advanced.” I don’t fully agree with Delph’s statement, but I think he should vote “yes” to get it to the voters in his district and then vote “no” when he goes to the ballot box. By the way, history is Delph’s favor. An analysis by the shows that since 2008, there have been 71 school referenda to raise taxes either for the general fund or construction fund, 30 passed and 41 failed.
Giving the voters the opportunity to voice their opinion on a project this huge is not only reasonable but the right thing to do. Proponents are going to have to fine tune their messaging on this one and remind people what we’ve spent on road construction to alleviate traffic in some areas only to have to come back and widen the roads again. They are going to have really synthesize and crystallize their arguments to make the sale. As well they should on something this huge. But at the very least, Indiana lawmakers should give the voters of Hamilton and Marion County the power to make this decision, since they are the ones who will have to live with the consequences.
