We took action. By banding together we were able to get the state to force a new reassessment to correct what we know is wrong," Peterson says in the ad.
His GOP opponent, Greg Ballard, was quick to take Peterson to task. "The phrase banding together, I don't remember him attending any of the property tax rallies," Ballard commented. "That was pretty illuminating. Unfortunately what he is really trying to do is once again shift the blame to the state when the real problem is government spending here at the local level," Ballard added. Marion Co. GOP Chairman hit the Mayor even harder, calling his latest ad "complete fiction". "While he claims he is taking action against the property tax crisis, the reality is that he is responsible for spearheading the largest income tax hike in the history of Indianapolis," John said. "The fact is Peterson has done nothing to fix the tax crisis, but rather increased taxes 18 times in two years and has been borrowing money to pay daily expenses for the city," he added.
After Abdul Hakim-Shabazz took Peterson to task for "fudging the facts" on the issue of the reassessment order, Deputy Mayor Steve Campbell fired off an e-mail challenging his contention that Peterson played no part in the reassessment order by Gov. Daniels. Campbell claims Peterson was the first to raise the issue of a reassessment, but Shabazz fires back that is was the Governor who first raised the idea. I think we can all agree on these next two points though. Gov. Daniels is the person responsible for issuing the reassessment order. Mayor Peterson is the person responsible for the $90 million, 65% increase in the local income tax decision made after he knew Marion Co. homeowners were and still are facing record increases in their property taxes.
"You're", not "your"!
ReplyDeleteThanks, William.
ReplyDelete...and when will the faltering Republican campaign start running its own TV spots for Indianapolis voters instead of desperately blast-faxing political spin?
ReplyDeleteBallard, with no money and thus no TV time to counter the Peterson rubbish ads, is p.....g into the wind.
ReplyDeleteVoters don't read news releases from candidates but they do watch a helluva lot of TV.
Ballard could conceivably pull a win out of the ashes with about $250,000 for TV time the final three weeks before the election.
That's not going to happen.
New lesson learned for the day. TV ads equal political competence.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the lesson W.
Hey Wilson...apparently the Republicans don't have to do too much. As long as Peterson puts his fudged facts out there, those voters will remember ;) . We appreciate the Democrats shooting themselves in the foot time and time again. Heck, we don't even have to help them aim!
ReplyDeleteVara,
ReplyDeleteSad isn't it that TV ads dictate who our dictators will be in a so-called democracy.
It's no great secret that the Marion County GOP moneybags morphed themselves into defacto Demos when they found "the right candidate" in Peterson when he first ran for office. Bart is the GOP Old Guards' 21st Century version of Dick Lugar.
Bart's their man, always has been.
And yes, Bart's GOP highrollers do consider the voters in Marion County stupid.
The hell of it all is that they are absolutely right. When Bart airs ads that rank right up there with the late night infomercials hawking the Popeel Pocket Fisherman and Ginzu Steak Knives he knows they'll buy it.
Why does Greg Ballard not have more money? Howard Dean raised millions through grass roots efforts. If we all send Greg as much as we can ($1, $5, $10, $50, $100), he would have $250K in no time. Maybe I'm just wishing against hope...
ReplyDeleteYes 8:30, I agree that it is sad that style trumps substance for so many voters.
ReplyDeleteFacetiously speaking, I think that the writing was on the wall when the Columbia Club merged with the Downtown Athletic Club. It became quickly apparent that both sides were really more alike than they had ever thought possible.
After that, it was just a matter of how to split up the cash cow we all know as our home (Marion County).
This political ad genre actually began with Reagan's "New Day in America" and "Bright and Shining City on a Hill."
ReplyDeleteAnd his policies were the biggest tax-spend we've ever seen. Ever. In history. He spent us into oblivion. Trickle down indeed. "Factoids" spouted by a "Family Values" man who was (mostly) estranged from his own children.
But he had the money, the ad brains, and the moxey to paint his own picture. And America bought it. They bought it again in 1992 when Clinton won with less than 50%.
And that same mentality swooped into Florida in 2000 and stole an election. Because that's the way the ad boys painted it.
So that mentality has indeed trickled down to the Indianapolis mayoral race. Well color me surprised.
It rarely matters, in these climates controlled by artificial facts, whether we're actually better off. Or whether we're safer, or our city or nation are prospering.
The only thing that matters, is what the ad boys tell us.
Bart by 10 on Nov. 6. Or more.
Unfortunately, I think the previous poster is right, Bart by 10 or better. Because of the apathetic, lazy, uninformed and uneducated populace of this once fine city, we will get trash once again in the Mayor's office.
ReplyDeletePeterson's own city council meeting heard testimony from the assessors at the assessors budget meeting.
ReplyDeleteAll of them said that at the most there would be a 5% reduction when the new assessments are made at a cost of $1 million or more to the tax payers.
Peterson is a liar.
Again with the "liar" comment? Get a new line. That one's worn out, and untrue.
ReplyDeleteSo, we're going to go on the word of nien elected assessors? Each of whom is trying desparately to protect his/her job?
What's next? The Drummer Argument for Effective Poor Relief Administration?
Bad government is bad government. It's costly and we need to cut it out.
And let one countywide assessor, responsible to us all, administer the assessments.
At least we'd have uniformity.
"I think we can all agree on these next two points though. Gov. Daniels is the person responsible for issuing the reassessment order. Mayor Peterson is the person responsible for the $90 million, 65% increase in the local income tax decision made after he knew Marion Co. homeowners were and still are facing record increases in their property taxes."
ReplyDeleteDamm!!! Gary you're right on target again.
Old line or not, Bart is a liar.
ReplyDeleteThe comments won't stop until Bart stops lying.
BART LIES.
Not only is he a liar he isn't willing to go public and dispute the claims. He is a lawyer. Why isn’t he defending himself? Most lawyers would if the statements were false. If he though that he had a defense I’m sure we would have heard from him by now.
BART LIES. BART LIES. BART LIES.