Apparently local governments in Madison County don’t get the new reality. When the state put limits on property taxes it was meant to help working-class families keep their homes. It was not meant to allow local taxing units to go on a taxation spree. The city of Anderson lost 20,000 good-paying jobs because politicians listen to corporations not taxpayers. Our leaders allowed homegrown industries to move out of the country to avoid taxes, health care plans and good wages for their workers, who, by the way, then buy their products. As we lost population the Anderson Community School Corporation kept building new schools instead of consolidating.
We need fire and police services, and these folks do a great job! However, with all the extra modern equipment and more officers on the beat, Andersonians keep shooting each other and dropping out of school. These things are all economy related. Education and job opportunity help keep violence down.
All the new taxes in the world won’t fix our new reality. We live in a global economy where American workers are expected to compete against slave labor in markets such as China where workers earn a few dollars a day. The growth on the south side of Anderson is a good sign, but it will not fix the real problem.
Until cities have the money they need to quit spending, like the average family has had to do. I have watched Alexandria’s downtown disappear as the jobs dried up. Until we stand up to corporate greed and change poor foreign trade policies we are on a long hard slide into permanent recession. In the meantime taxes must remain stagnant like our wages. I hate to be negative, but we haven’t seen the worst of this and local leaders need to tighten their belts.
Letters
Viewpoint: Local governments should face reality
- Letters
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Letter: Public should have say on library space
As taxpayers, does the public have no say-so what happens with their tax dollars? With some proper schedule management, those existing meeting rooms can fulfill everyone’s needs.
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Letter: Election fraud tales turn voters away
Columnist Maureen Hayden asked, “Why did 3 million Hoosiers choose not to vote?” She gave a few reasons but I can think of another one.
How about election fraud? -
Letter: Elected officials should buy insurance
I may be wrong but I thought the city and county were hurting for money, and that’s why services keep getting cut or eliminated. One thing is evident. There is no shortage of money for lawsuits.
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Letter: Source of inequality is not economic
The truth of the collapse of a living-wage economy for working-class America is a social catastrophe and, increasingly, a severe embarrassment to free-market ideology.
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Letter: America following road to tyranny
Global elitists behind our government have methodically been guiding our government toward the New World Order.
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Letter: Let’s work through the problems
On May 14 I attended the county council meeting in hopes that I could understand what is happening in the legislative branch of our Madison County government. What I saw was politics at its worst and I cannot applaud either party.
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Letter: Columnist Brown ignores truth
It’s hard to understand why The Herald Bulletin carries columns by Susan Stamper Brown, who has such a blatant disregard for truth in her conservative propaganda.
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Letter: Taxpayers should thank the ‘few’
Are those who worry about the loss of the wheel tax concerned about the roads or about their jobs? Most of them could care less about people’s needs.
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Letter: Government officials should answer to us
We, the people, have allowed government officials to lead us into the crazy one world order. But, is it working? Well, look at the results.
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Viewpoint: Schools, volunteers reach out to pre-kindergartners, parents
On behalf of Born Learning Connection as service of the United Way of Madison County, I would like to thank all Madison County elementary schools for their generous support in making Blast Off to Kindergarten a countywide success.
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Letter: Public should have say on library space
