Rallies - Too Much Fun

Sorry I haven’t written in quite a few days. It’s been rather hectic, especially going to so many property tax rallies.

I went to the Indiana Tea Party in Broad Ripple last Saturday where a few hundred people showed up. They put their tax bills in a giant “teabag” and lowered it into the canal. It was great. We also registered quite a few people to vote, handed out dozens of bumper stickers (“Had Enough? Vote Ballard”), and signed up lots of volunteers.

On Monday night, I went to Advance America’s rally at Jonathan Byrd’s Cafeteria in Greenwood, hosted by Woody Burton. About 800 Marion County and Johnson County people showed up. They were treated to a terrific slide show presentation by Eric Miller on the questions surrounding property taxes. Eric also showed the audience how many and who in the State Legislature supported eliminating property taxes in Indiana. Several of those legislators who support elimination were in attendance to include Patricia Miller, Jon Elrod, David Frizzell, and Larry Buell. Eric noted that the Mayor of Indianapolis wasn’t present, but then said that his opponent, me, was. Some nice, long applause. It was a good moment.

What many people are finally beginning to see is that the only way to “reform” property taxes is to get rid of them. I know from my many years in the Marines that a government program’s main function is to grow. I’ve said before that Indiana keeps trying to reform these taxes by reducing their effects, but the real long term effect is a drain on wealth and investment. Property taxes are not a good indicator of ability to pay, and they dramatically hurt senior citizens who have done everything the right way, just to have their home of twenty, thirty, or forty years taken away from them.

Most of you know that I have called for the elimination of property taxes. Private property is part of what makes America great and separates us from many other countries. It’s not truly “private” property if the government can take it from you. I’d rather see a better mix of sales and income taxes. I know many of you want a straight sales tax, but I’m not there. I think that on a state level, it is too regressive and would hurt the poor too much. But property taxes have got to go.

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