Saturday, July 28, 2007

And Down She Goes












A jumbo-sized teabag was lowered into Broad Ripple Canal this morning at a symbolic "Indiana Tea Party" organized by Hoosiers for Fair Taxation and attended by close to one thousand protestors, some dressed in period-clothing reminiscent of the original Boston Tea Party. Politicians of all stripes showed up to lend their support to the protest, including GOP mayoral candidate Greg Ballard (R), Rep. David Orentlicher (D) and several City-County Council candidates. Ballard, Orentlicher, and council candidates Ginny Cain (R), Cody Kendall (D), Adam Longworth (R) Timothy Maguire (L) and Kent Smith (R) made their presence known. Orentlicher, despite a few hisses from the large crowd, was able to speak and promised to work for real reform in the legislature. Ironically, City-County Councilor Ryan Vaughn (R) was a no-show at a protest conducted in his own district. His Democratic opponent, Cody Kendall, spoke out against Mayor Peterson's 65% income tax increase, which Vaughn also opposed during last Monday's raucous council vote. Protestors filled Central Avenue, shutting it off to traffic without any assistance from police. In fact, police were noticeably absent today unlike previous tax protests in recent weeks. Hats off to Melyssa Doneghy and Hoosiers for Fair Taxation for the great job in organizing today's protest.
WTHR has a story here.
WRTV has a story here.
WISH-TV has a story here.
The Star has a story here.

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wilson,, I see you in the background. Your the liyyle guy with the big ego and no Brain.!!!!

Wilson46201 said...

Nah ... I'm OK with my taxes (paid up too!) ... I had more important things to do today like trim my dogs toenails and alphabetize my spice shelf...

Anonymous said...

CC Councilor Cain spoke too. She has never voted for a tax increase. Hats off to her! It really was a lot of fun.

Doug said...

Who is the yahoo that came to the Tea Party as a pirate? Just someone really into cos-play? Why not come as Harry Potter with a sign that says, "Expelliarmus Property Taxes!"

Or, if it's Peter Pan he's into, maybe Tinkerbell. Clap harder! If you *truly* believe, then we can pay for government without any taxes.

Sorry, I understand that this is symbolic and in response to extraordinary tax increases for some people. (And some pretty decent tax decreases for others -- inventory tax payers, for example).

But, events like these don't seem to make too fine a distinction between "I hate taxes" (juvenile) and "We need to cut government by reducing or eliminating x, y, and z; and pay for the remainder through taxes a, b, and c." (rational). But, the former obviously has a broader emotional appeal than the former. So, as a matter of politics, I understand why the simpler, I hate taxes, approach would be used.

Gary R. Welsh said...

His sign says, "Don't get hooked on property taxes." Get it, Doug?

Anonymous said...

A lot of nice support from people who saw the signs "Honk, if you're pissed about taxes", who honked as they drove by.

A little more pre-publicity might have increased attendance.

And, OMG! wilson46201 forgot an apostrophe. Luckily, I was sitting down, else I might have fallen down laughing. :)

Anonymous said...

Looks like a nice event. Thanks for the Pix. It's difficult to judge the size of the crowd.

Costumes are strictly to get attention. I get it, even if I don't agree. The rest of Doug's message is spot-on.

I've heard Ginny Cain multiple times. Honestly, if she didn't leave a string of bread crumbs I'm not sure she could find her way back to the council meetings. She sat through many, many budget cut meetings last summer, and looked, and sounded, completely lost.

It's not enough to vote against a tax increase. You've got to know where to cut, or how to raise additional revenue, or--and here's the kicker--understand the budget process. And I'm not talking about "cut the deputy mayors"--altho some of that might be good. Come up with real, meaningful cuts. What large expenditures could you live without?

Sadly, our council is not blessed with folks who could pass a 5-question T/F test on municipal budgets. Neither party owns all the brains, or the goofs, on this point.

Anonymous said...

Monroe could pass the test.......if he had the answers!

Anonymous said...

She sat through many, many budget cut meetings last summer, and looked, and sounded, completely lost.

It's not enough to vote against a tax increase. You've got to know where to cut, or how to raise additional revenue, or--and here's the kicker--understand the budget process. And I'm not talking about "cut the deputy mayors"--altho some of that might be good. Come up with real, meaningful cuts. What large expenditures could you live without?


She likely came to realization that there is NOTHING she could do. Face it, your various branches of government will always be top heavy. No amount of screaming or research or anything will ever change this. It will only change once things finally hit the wall and the credit card is maxed out.

Anyone who even thinks about serious cuts will just get voted out of office. Then what? You get folks like this Keller guy making promises to everyone just to get voted. You want a major cut, close the parks. Get rid of half the administration in the police department. Lots of admin type jobs could easily be done with a civilian making $35K/year and no take home car. Same thing with IFD. How about closing some libraries.

Maybe you are getting the picture. Even saying any of the above will get one voted out of office. Only until the sheeple are taxed out of their homes, their life style, etc. will they finally get it. A select few are finally getting it, but it will be a hell of a lot easier to just up and sell their homes and move away from the problem (Marion Co.).

The liberals claim all the sheeple want government health care. That is until you start taking out a few more hundred per pay check, then see just how many want it. Living in blissninnie land is great, as long as someone else is paying for the bliss.

Wolfrham Hart said...

At least some commenters can't complain about race or religion this time. Thanks to the photos you can see a multicultural turnout of black Americans, white Americans, Asian Americans, and multiple clergy of different religions. I'm pleased that some commenters can't say this is some white bread Republican rally or some other nonsense. I took lots of photos for proof.

Homeowners, landlords, tenents, elderly, young parents, single people, well to do, middle class, and not so well to do were all there at the rally. Thus showing this issue affects all regardless of socioeconomic, racial, or relgious status.

It's a shame more people and commenters weren't there. It's quite fun to exercise your right to petition your government.

Unless David Orentlicher comes up with the plan to solve the property tax problem I don't see him surviving his next election. His district always has narrow margins and the voters are angry at him. I felt sorry for him there.

At least the rain held off until after noon.

Remember people: we get the government we deserve so stop being lazy with your votes.

Anonymous said...

Re Wolfram Hart's comments:

Of course the voters are mad. This is a frustrating situation for everyone. But I don't think they are mad at David Orentlicher per se, though -- just the unjust situation. They may yell his way, but that's because he is willing to be there and give them the opportunity to tell him (nicely or not) what they are thinking (nice or not).

That said, it would not surprise me if he helped craft a solution to this tax fiasco. He is a very smart and hard-working representative.

One small correction: Also: Orentlicher only had a narrow margin his FIRST election (37 votes/less than 1%). In 2004, he won by 6%. In 2006, he won by 12%.

Doug said...

>>The liberals claim all the sheeple want government health care. That is until you start taking out a few more hundred per pay check, then see just how many want it.<<

Health care might be different in that most of us all ready pay a big chunk to the insurance company every week or month or whatever. The real question is whether universal health care is going to cost much, if any, more than what we're all ready paying. Because, per capita, Americans are already near the top in the world in terms of health care expenditures and yet we're somewhere around Costa Rica in terms of what we actually receive.

Anonymous said...

To get back on point, that was a nice showing by those who attended, but more will need to be done. One or two protests will not a revolution make. The city destroyed YOUR police department, nothing was said. The city took away YOUR right to vote in the primarys, nothing was said. The city ignored YOUR voice on the COIT increase, nothing was done. Soon they will come for your home because you cant pay the tax, it will be too late. I hope this does not happen but they rely on the fact that IGNORANCE is BLISS. I hope you as citizens start demanding to see things like the 07 and 08 City Budgets and attend all the CCC meetings and voice your opinion as you did at the last one. Otherwise all of your efforts will be for nothing. They hope that this will all be forgotten by the end of next month. What will you do????

Anonymous said...

This is off-topic, but it's nice to see Mmoja Ajabu having turned his life on a course for the better.

Anonymous said...

I saw Mmoja in the pix, too. I believe he finished a divinity degree and is a minister at Light of the World.

He's had a troubled life. Here's hoping he's conquered his demons and is at peace with himself.

I watched some TV News video, and unless that film was deceptive, this was not a large crowd. But no one ever accused Indy TV news editors of good news judgment.

Anonymous said...

"The real question is whether universal health care is going to cost much, if any, more than what we're all ready paying. Because, per capita, Americans are already near the top in the world in terms of health care expenditures and yet we're somewhere around Costa Rica in terms of what we actually receive. "

It's not perfect, Doug - but the downfall of universal care is the 15-hour wait you get to endure for a broken wrist. Then the 3-month wait to see a surgeon to move tendons around, who has to re-break your wrist to do it. Then you get in line for PT. Lines, lines, lines. We overpay for healthcare in America, no doubt about it. But you get the care when you need it, and it isn't rationed out by some fifth-column beauracray.

Anonymous said...

The same MKNA that supported the 1.5 billion in IPS capital projects? The very same bond issue that the chamber of commerce supported?

They're paying for the government that they voted for.

I lost sympathy when I sold out shortly after the failed remonstrance. The logic of voting for that project for a school system that none of my neighbors even sent their own children to amused me.

And for heavan's sake, has anyone in Washington Twp. actually tried to talk to Joline?

Nothing is more truthful than the simple fact that you're getting, and now paying for, the government and services that you and/or your neighbors voted for.

Anonymous said...

I was at the rally. There were probably 500 people there. Considering that people have lives, the fact that they continue to show up to these -- with families in tow -- is pretty powerful. One thing I noticed, people are using these to get ideas and to get organized. Even if the numbers are not huge, it's making the news and I bet more concrete actions come as a result. One thing, I bet more people are ready to $upport Ballard now. That's at least what I was observing.

Wilson46201 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

to the person who claims people are not mad at orentlicher, um, THEY ARE. those of us in his district as seeing people who not only voted for him but campaigned for him turning against him. they are mad with good reason. his mailings are an insult "property tax relief in 2007." what has he done? nothing. holding town hall meetings? too late! oh, he said he was looking forward to reading a wall street journal article. with a decent republican candidate, he will go down next year. oh, no julia on the ballot to draw out the straight ticket dem crowd either.

Wilson46201 said...

Sorry to prick your delusional bubble but according to official statistics from the former County Clerk (Republican) only about 10% of the voters of either party vote straight ticket...

Anonymous said...

"It's not perfect, Doug - but the downfall of universal care is the 15-hour wait you get to endure for a broken wrist. Then the 3-month wait to see a surgeon to move tendons around, who has to re-break your wrist to do it. Then you get in line for PT. Lines, lines, lines. We overpay for healthcare in America, no doubt about it. But you get the care when you need it, and it isn't rationed out by some fifth-column beauracray."

Lame attempt at spreading insurance company talking-points.

My doctor ordered a medically necessary tonsillectomy this winter and I had to wait 5 months to have it because my insurance company fought paying it and my insurance-approved hospital took their sweet time scheduling it.

Back to being over-taxed now and little to show for it.

Anonymous said...

The Democrat Political Machine got elected here and transformed Indianapolis into a Socialist State.

Look what The Democrat Machine has done to us: raised TAXes more than ever in the history of our city!!!

What do we get for our taxes? A safe city? No, judges turn criminals loose every minute of the day with our revolving door 'justice' system.

The Colts (who get arrested more than their percentage of our city's population) get a new stadium...

All criminals know that they can attack runners on the Monon Trail, rape and beat the elderly, rob us, burglarize our homes, beat us, and hurt us...with impunity.

After all, what will happen? They will go to the Arrestee Processing Center and be released in hours.

Socialism is: "Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy."

In Indianapolis the Democrat Political Machine thinks it owns our hard-earned money and is planning and controlling our economy by taking our TAX money and SPENDing on the rich (Colts stadium, Simon headquarters, putting a bar owned by Democrat cronys in a taxpayer-owned building) and taking from our paychecks.

I ask, after putting Democrats in power, are we living in the Indianapolis or in a Socialist State now owned by The Democrat Machine?

Anonymous said...

We must vote the Tax and Spend Democrat Machine out!

Anonymous said...

Nothing is more truthful than the simple fact that you're getting, and now paying for, the government and services that you and/or your neighbors voted for.

I have always heard that lots of people in MK, Broad Ripple, Rocky Ripple, and Butler-Tarkington lean left, very left. If this is true, I am finally glad their demands for bigger and bigger government is finally coming back to bite them. The simple fact is that they will either have to support massive cuts in government, or higher income taxes. Either way, if they want a progressive Indianapolis, they are going to have to pay for it.

Anonymous said...

Post Rally Comments:

When I rode my bike around my neighborhood and rallied neighbors for the first 4th of July Press Conference by the People, for the People...a lot of us got mucked up.

Now it is not just me, Andy Horning, and the fair tax directors who are doing everything. We have a solid inside core of people that gets larger with each rally.

We all met for beers and pizza after the rally at my house and put lots of exciting plans on the table. We're optimistic that property tax will be repealed in Indiana and that we can force government to stop spending.

We're forming a women's group too because some of our upcoming protests are sensitive and we feel they will be more effective when held just by women and children.

Just tune in daily to HoosiersForFairTaxation.com for news and information.

If you want to join our women's group, please let me know. My phone number is 317-938-8913.

Thanks Gary for doing such a great job reporting the rally. I was so tired after all I put in for the rally that I didn't check the news until today (Sunday).

Anonymous said...

Post Rally Comments:

When I rode my bike around my neighborhood and rallied neighbors for the first 4th of July Press Conference by the People, for the People...a lot of us got mucked up.

Now it is not just me, Andy Horning, and the fair tax directors who are doing everything. We have a solid inside core of people that gets larger with each rally.

We all met for beers and pizza after the rally at my house and put lots of exciting plans on the table. We're optimistic that property tax will be repealed in Indiana and that we can force government to stop spending.

We're forming a women's group too because some of our upcoming protests are sensitive and we feel they will be more effective when held just by women and children.

Just tune in daily to HoosiersForFairTaxation.com for news and information.

If you want to join our women's group, please let me know. My phone number is 317-938-8913.

Thanks Gary for doing such a great job reporting the rally. I was so tired after all I put in for the rally that I didn't check the news until today (Sunday).

Anonymous said...

Post Rally Comments:

When I rode my bike around my neighborhood and rallied neighbors for the first 4th of July Press Conference by the People, for the People...a lot of us got mucked up.

Now it is not just me, Andy Horning, and the fair tax directors who are doing everything. We have a solid inside core of people that gets larger with each rally.

We all met for beers and pizza after the rally at my house and put lots of exciting plans on the table. We're optimistic that property tax will be repealed in Indiana and that we can force government to stop spending.

We're forming a women's group too because some of our upcoming protests are sensitive and we feel they will be more effective when held just by women and children.

Just tune in daily to HoosiersForFairTaxation.com for news and information.

If you want to join our women's group, please let me know. My phone number is 317-938-8913.

Thanks Gary for doing such a great job reporting the rally. I was so tired after all I put in for the rally that I didn't check the news until today (Sunday).

Anonymous said...

"...stop spending..." ?

"...women's group..." ?

Uh-huh. I see. Riiiiight.

Re-read the last post and see if you don't feel just a little "Through the Looking Glass" wierd. Theatre, or serious public discourse?

It got news coverage because costumes always work, and the news editors in this town are lazy.

If it'd been judged solely on the content of the speeches, it would've been a small mention on the news.

When you're ready to start talking realistically about where you'd cut and what taxes you'd use, and to what extent, hold a news conference. With men AND women. Becuase I wasn't aware that this serious issue was gender-specific. Or gender-exclusionary, for cryin out loud.

Anonymous said...

It is a catch 22 for those that say lower spending. We have those that say - Show us specifically WHERE you will cut spending. But then the average citizen does not have ACCESS to the line by line detail of any budget to suggest a specific cut.

I know - I tried to do just that in another forum and got beat down by the so called "Experts" by expressing some suggestions with just the information the average citizen has access to.

Pike Voter

Anonymous said...

Jay - insurance company talking points? What I said was totally valid. I didn't come to the defense of any insurer. Saying "socialized medicine is a bad idea", like I did, is not the same things as saying "Insurace companies are awesome!" I'm not really defending either side, I just prefer things the way they are here. I've experienced both ways of providing healthcare, and like the way things work Stateside better.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else hear anything about Gividen not paying his taxes? Can't say I'm surprised.