Letters
Viewpoint: Gov. Daniels should reconsider property tax caps
It takes courage to admit failure to deliver as promised
By Bob Kraft
Indianapolis
Congratulations to Gov. Mitch Daniels for acknowledging that the experiment in wholly privatizing the delivery of welfare services by the state’s Family and Social Services Administration was not working as he had hoped and for taking positive steps to correct the situation. It takes courage for anyone, but especially a high-profile political figure such as our governor, to admit publicly that a program for which he or she was responsible failed to deliver as promised.
To his credit, Gov. Daniels’ tenure has been marked by innovation and action. But even as he has proceeded with an aggressive agenda, there have been times when he has demonstrated the flexibility to reconsider and adjust his position as new information or public reaction dictated. Canceling the IBM contract with FSSA is the latest example of this. He demonstrated similar flexibility when he decided not to pursue the Central Indiana “commerce connector” highway when the public failed to embrace his vision of a 21st century transportation network.
Times change; circumstances change; the economy changes. When those changes happen, government needs the flexibility to react. That’s why it is so difficult to understand why our governor, who has demonstrated the courage to acknowledge that major policy initiatives don’t always play out as anticipated, is so adamant that the 1-2-3 property tax caps — which are already placing severe hardship on many local units of government — should be locked into the state’s constitution.
Indiana Farm Bureau and its members heartily endorse the governor’s initiative to control spending at all levels of government. We agree that measures to rein in excesses need to be pursued. At the same time, we recognize the danger in irrevocably committing to any initiative before its ramifications are fully understood. We don’t want Indiana to end up like California where overly ambitious property tax controls have driven the state into virtual bankruptcy.
Therefore, while we applaud Gov. Daniels for his courage and wisdom in addressing the FSSA situation, we ask him to exercise similar conservative discretion and reconsider his endorsement of the constitutional amendment to render the 1-2-3 property tax caps irrevocable.
Bob Kraft is director of state government relations for the Indiana Farm Bureau Inc.
- Letters
-
-
Letter: Canine training camp was success, too
The veterinarians and staff of Devonshire Veterinary Clinic would like to thank the members of the Anderson Training and Obedience Club, Madison County 4-H Club and the Madison County 4-H Dog Obedience Club for making our first canine training camp a success.
-
Letter: In-school suspension not the solution
If teachers would spend as much time teaching as they would sending kids to in-school suspension for a small logo on a shirt, our kids might rank higher on tests, etc.
-
Letter: More vacant buildings need razed
In the Sunday, Aug. 29, The Herald-Bulletin, the editorial staff opined that the former Emge buildings and stockyards should be razed.
-
Letter: School board should support new district
Anderson Community Schools board member Jean Chaille says she’s disappointed that the previous school board didn’t address funding shortfalls sooner.
-
Letter: Many involved in Colts camp success
I would personally like to extend a huge thank-you to everyone in our Anderson “family,” without whom training camp would not have been such an amazing success.
-
Letter: Embrace the best of all three schools
The suggestion to get rid of the mascot and name of Anderson High School and start over, using not the Pirates, Scots or Indians is plain wrong.
-
Letter: Israel deserves peace, recognition as nation
It is time for Palestinians and their leaders to truly recognize Israel and raise their children to have jobs — and not Jihad.
-
Letter: Outcome in Iraq still in question
Well, I’m certainly relieved that we finally won the war in Iraq
-
Viewpoint: Liberal thinking encourages failure, mediocrity
George Bernard Shaw once said, “When you run a government where you rob Peter to pay Paul, you will always get the support of Paul.”
-
Letter: Tea partiers get their news from Fox
Quite a few of the letters posted recently have a tea party slant. Apparently these people get their information from Fox News.
- More Letters Headlines
-
Letter: Canine training camp was success, too
