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| Letter: Strip caps from Hoosier taxes |
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On Dec. 16 1773, a historic moment in our nation’s founding occurred, it was the Boston Tea Party. The citizens of Boston protested the unfair levying of taxes by throwing three shiploads of tea into Boston Harbor. The events of the Boston Tea Party in essence were the beginning of a revolution that resulted in the creation of The United States of America.
Our country received its humble beginnings on the basis of all citizens should be taxed fairly and with representation.
Tuesday, Jan. 5 marked the opening of the 2010 Indiana General Assembly. Ironically, almost 240 years later, the governor of our great state along with his republican comrades would like to put forward a constitutional amendment for an unfair property tax system that goes against the very foundation on which our country was founded. This legislation has been touted as a windfall in property tax relief with the word “cap” giving Indiana residents the false impression that their property taxes cannot go up.
Unfortunately, this is not the case, all that is required for a property tax hike is for your property to be reassessed; which in all likelihood, will happen again resulting in higher property taxes for all Hoosier property owners.
The 1-2-3 cap system shifts the burden of property taxes from homeowners to farmland owners, agribusinesses, and all small business owners. This system caps a person’s home at 1 percent, caps farmland at 2 percent and business property at 3 percent; it is not hard to see how the caps shift the price of local government and its services to the people who use the least amount of those services. Information from the Department of Local Govern-ment Finance (DLGF) from January of 2009 shows that 56 cents out of every property tax dollar goes to schools and the remaining 44 cents goes to local government. I fully support education in our state.
With the recession, the current property tax system has added to shortfalls in money for the education of our youth.
Farmland owners and business property owners should pay their fair share, but should not have to carry the burden for the entire state. Farmland received less than 1 percent of all property tax relief statewide. Additionally, unlike many businesses that will simply pass these increases along to consumers anyway, it is not possible for farmers to pass this burden along, since farmers are price takers for the food they produce.
I find it ironic that an administration that has prided itself in fiscal conservatism can promote a system that in essence is wealth redistribution, a concept touted by our President, which I am sure our governor and others supporting this becoming an amendment are not in favor of. If you are a landowner, farmer, or other business owner and agree that this is an unfair taxing system, please contact your local state representative or senator and let your voice be heard. Those at the Boston Tea Party fought to have representation. We are fortunate enough to have it but they need to hear from you on this issue.
Jon Sparks, President
Hancock County Farm Bureau, Inc. |
| 1/13/2010 |
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