Decatur Schools Referendum - Preamble

With this entry I am starting a series on the May 6 Decatur Schools Referendum.  The District administration says that a $ 0.2986 per $100 net assessed value addition to the property tax bills would generate about $3.85 million per year for them. 

I have not made up my mind on how I will vote on this measure.  I do, however, see many issues that the community needs to discuss, as each voter decides their position.  Harm can come from this referendum.  Harm can come if it is not approved.

It will take a few entries to lay out what I see as the issues.

The next entry will be on accountability and how we find ourselves in this predicament.  Next I will show taxpayers how to easily figure what this referendum would cost you a year and how to register to vote and be sure you are registered in time for May 6.  I'll follow that with individual entries addressing the arguments 'for' the referendum, arguments 'against', and issues that do not neatly fall in either camp but should be considered.

It is important to mention that there is a new Administration in Decatur.  Dr. Matt Prusiecki, Superintendent, and Kirk Farmer, CFO, have been transparent and happy to share whatever numbers and information I have requested.  This is a breath of fresh air, for sure.  I am positive that this transparency and accessibility applies to each resident of our community.  If you want to avail yourself, there is information on the District website, phone numbers, an FAQ section (which I will post as a link in the sidebar to this blog), and a list of referendum presentations by Dr. P. 

I am sure I will leave things out.  Feel free to add your own thoughts and points of view in either the comments section or by sending them on to me at hadenoughindy@gmail.com.

This referendum is very important, no doubt.  If you do nothing else, be sure you get registered and be sure you vote on May 6.  You don't get to voice an opinion on May 7 if you don't vote on May 6.

Illuminating What's Wrong with the Marion County Democratic Party

One race on the slating card for tomorrow's Marion County Democratic Convention clearly demonstrates everything that is wrong with the County Party.  Slating, of course, is meant to eliminate any Primary contest.  The excuse for our County being the only one in the State and nearly the only one in the Country to slate candidates for the spring ballot is that folks 'who know the candidates best' make the better decision over the electorate.  Meanwhile, the County Chairman is busy recruiting temporary Precinct Committeemen, Vice-PCs, Ward Chairs, and Vice-WCs to vote in tomorrow's slating exactly like he wants them to.

The race for County Clerk is important to everyone.  The Mayor's job is the only one that is more demanding and more extensive than is that of the Clerk.  Beth White, the current Clerk, has done a phenomenal job in her tenure; but term limits bar her from continuing.  At her side has been the able Myla Eldridge, for many years the person actually running the elections.

Eldridge is clearly the best candidate.  She knows what the job entails and has excelled at it.  She is exceedingly competent - exactly what you want in a public servant in a demanding job.  While under her watch, Eldridge and White have improved the election process leaps and bounds. 

The Clerk also has responsibility for all of the records of the Superior Courts, marriage licenses, probate, child support, and campaign finance.  It will be a nightmare if any of these gets messed up.

Eldridge's opponent is the current Coroner, Frank Lloyd.  He has been totally incompetent.  He started his tenure by firing Pathologists who later won a discrimination lawsuit against the City because of it.  Autopsies take too long.  Getting a death certificate from his office is a challenge.  Body parts, unmentionable ooze, stench and indignity of human remains have been cited under his watch.  He hasn't shown up at Council hearings to present and defend his budget for years.  For some reason, he is the only one who gets a pass in being held accountable.

If elected, Lloyd would either have to be a ghost employee or the County would face severely damaged elections, court proceedings, and messed up child support issues.  He has been an utter failure as Coroner.

Hopefully for all of us, there will be fewer hand selected voters at tomorrow's slating and more elected PCs and V-PCs who will vote for good, capable, government by voting for Myla Eldridge.

Interesting Domain Name Registrations

Those familiar with domain name registration know about WHOIS, where one can query any web address and find out who the registered owner is.

I got to wondering, and found a couple of interesting web addresses that have been registered, but which do not have websites attached to them - yet.

HogsettforMayor.com is registered to Ross Wells, who LinkedIn shows works in Government Affairs for Frost, Brown, Todd here in Indy.  It was created on August 15, 2012.  Unless renewed, it is set to expire on August 15, 2014.

DeLaneyforMayor.com is held by Domains by Proxy, which provides private registration of domain names so that the true owner's name and contact information is not readily available.  The domain name was created on November 18, 2013.  DeLaney's Indiana House campaign site, EdDeLaney.org, is registered to a Denver Abernathy at Promethius Consulting, an IT and website design service company here in Indy.   That domain name was registered back in 2008, renewed for only a couple of months on November 25, 2013, and is currently set to expire on February 28, 2014.

ShortforMayor.com is held by Frank Short of Short Strategy Group.  It was created on November 15, 2013.  This registration, unless renewed, will expire on November 15, 2018.

Coincidences?

Ameriplex Donates 50 Acres To Land Trust

Holladay Properties, owners and developers of the AmeriPlex Industrial Park situated in Decatur Township, has donated 50 acres of land to the Central Indiana Land Trust.  The Land is mostly wooded and Flynn creek runs through two of the three parcels.

Most of this property runs along the north side of Flynn Road.  This donation will serve to keep this land as a lovely public Preserve to buffer the residents of 'old' Camby from the whirl of the industrial Park.

In their press release, Cliff Chapman, interim director of the Land Trust, says "This is one of the most valuable gifts of land to a land trust in Indiana's history."  The land is valued at $4.3 million, but Chapman attaches value from the endangered bat species that thrive in the area.  The Land Trust "will enhance the area with plantings of native trees and shrubs, as well as other restoration work that will encourage Indiana bats and other wildlife to use the property.  To support these efforts, Holladay also is donating $125,000 for a stewardship fund."

This is an outstanding development.  The community has long wanted a park use on this property, and the donation to the Land Trust will ensure it will be a nature preserve for the enjoyment of generations to come.

Pretzel Logic

If two adults love each other, they should be able to wed, and thereby obtain all of the legal benefits and obligations of any other married couple.  I truly do not understand why we even have to have a discussion about it.

Here in Indiana, however, we aren't talking about legalizing wedlock for same-sex couples. 

We aren't even talking about banning same sex marriage, since that is already the law.

No, Indiana has set the wayback machine to Neanderthal days, and is 'debating' enshrining the ban on same sex marriage in the State Constitution.

Yesterday the Indiana House Judiciary Committee took testimony regarding a bill that would require a referendum to decide if the Constitution should be amended.

We heard from a number of people how their Jesus Christ and their Yahweh required this bigotry against same sex couples as a core principle of their religion.  It was as if their religion would collapse if this bigotry was not enforced by Constitutional amendment.

I suspect that these same folks would be appalled if a group of Muslims were trying to enact sharia law into the Indiana Constitution.

It is the same reaction I have to their attempt to enshrine their personal religious beliefs in that same Constitution.  I find their attempt abhorrent, appalling, and against the founding principles of our nation.

For all the world they sound like the aggrieved parties; that somehow they suffer from the intolerance of others who do not share their intolerance of gays and lesbians.  Their pretzel logic draws a direct consequence to their ability to practice their religion from the lack of a Constitutional ban on same sex marriage.

I've said it before, if you don't like same sex marriage, don't do it.

Among America's founding principles is that the rights of a minority should not be abridged by the whim of a majority.  As the Eric Millers of this world see the majority opinion shifting away from their bigotry, they push ever harder to make their societal view legally unchallengeable.  They are willing to cast about outrageous lies to create a climate of fear against the marriage of gay or lesbian couples.

We cannot let Miller and his ilk succeed.  One amendment proponent testified yesterday that life is too short.  Yes, it is.  It is too short for real people who live now, and who simple want to be able to say 'I love you' and 'I do'.  Why is that so hard to deal with?

Property Tax Relief - How the City/County Has Faired

I don't usually 'do' twitter.  I'm on a steep learning curve yet in that realm.  Not to mention how I'm not prepared for such short notes.  But an exchange between Matt Stone of IndyStudent blog 'fame', and Matt Tully of IndyStar 'fame' (and another man I don't know but very likely has his own arena of 'fame') caught my attention.

Tully was claiming that the 'small' tax increases since the property tax caps were instituted did not make up for the lost revenue.  Stone disagreed.

Stone is correct.  The short view is simple enough.  The state took over more than $100 million in City/County obligations - Family and Childrens Services and pre-1970 police and fire pensions.  The former was $99.6 M in 2007 and $107.5 M in 2008.  I could not find numbers for the latter.

The tax caps give relief to the taxpayers.  But, any taxpayer relief is equal to tax revenue that cannot be collected - referred to as 'circuit breaker' penalties.  The City/County did not see any circuit breaker reduction in its property tax collections until 2009.  That year the City/County collected $278 M in property taxes AFTER subtracting $26 M in circuit breaker penalties.  The circuit breaker penalty has steadily grown, but so too has the net property tax revenue actually collected by the City/County.  For 2014 it its expected that this unit of government will collect $306 M in property taxes AFTER subtracting $55 M in circuit breaker penalties.

This was not the only thing happening during this time.  Let us not forget the reason Ballard was elected Mayor in the first place was because then Mayor Peterson raised income taxes for a new 'public safety tax'.  The reason for this tax was to cover the pension obligation.  Once Ballard was inaugurated, his fellow Republicans in the State Legislature agreed to take that pension problem off his hands - freeing up some $74 M in 2008.  Total income tax revenues to the City/County have fluctuated mildly since then, running from $247 M in 2009 to $239 expected in 2014 - not much difference in the scheme of things. 

With the Great Recession ebbing, income tax receipts and property tax receipts should be climbing once again as we move forward from here.

So, before you swallow the City's PR machine's woe-is-me, tax-caps-are-so-bad, line of bull, check out the real numbers.

Standard & Poor's Statement on Indy Bond Ratings

From Standard & Poor's website, this statement on their drop in rating for various Indianapolis bonds.  Please note the emphasis in red is mine:

CHICAGO (Standard & Poor's) Dec. 17, 2013--Standard & Poor's Ratings Services said said that it lowered its issuer credit rating (ICR) to 'AA' from 'AAA' on Indianapolis, Ind., based on our recently released local general obligation (GO) criteria. At the same time, Standard & Poor's lowered its ratings on the city's GO and ad-valorem property tax-backed debt to 'AA' from 'AAA', certificates of participation (COPs) to 'AA-' from 'AA+', and moral obligation-backed debt to 'A' from 'AA'. The outlook on all debt is stable. The 'AA' ratings are based on ad-valorem property tax pledges, subject to state circuit-breaker legislation. The 'AA-' rating on the COPs reflects annual appropriation risk, and the 'A' rating on the moral obligation debt is based on the city's moral obligation pledge to replenish debt service reserve funds, if needed, subject to council appropriation. Standard & Poor's also lowered its long-term rating to 'AA-' from 'AA' on certain moral obligation debt, reflecting the rating on the insurance provider (Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp.) now being higher than the underlying rating. "The 'AA' rating and stable outlook reflect our assessment of Indianapolis' very strong budget flexibility and liquidity," said Standard & Poor' credit analyst John Sauter, "along with its strong management." Another supporting factor is its adequate economy. Offsetting factors include the city's:

Weak budgetary performance, factoring in forecasted deficits for fiscal years 2013 and 2014; and

Weak debt and contingent liabilities position, mostly reflecting high direct debt.  

"We do not anticipate any of the positive factors wavering within the two-year outlook period," added Mr. Sauter.  

Rating improvement is likely contingent on an improved management score and more balanced budgetary performance in the near term (compared to projections), particularly given we do not anticipate the debt and contingent liability assessment or economy assessment to improve in the near term. Should the management and budgetary performance assessments improve, a higher rating would be likely.

Hmm.  "mostly reflecting high direct debt".  The Ballard administration will be adding more and more debt as fast as it can and as much as it can before they are out of office.  Maybe its time the Council reflect on this high debt load and make Ballard pay off some before he hands the next generation more.