Midwest Patriots Rally for End to Property Taxes

By Mark Anderson

WARSAW, Indiana—Fleeced by confiscatory property taxes that threaten
to evict them from their homes, dissolve their farms and businesses and make them paupers in their own communities, more than 300 property owners turned out for a Sept. 20 rally by the Advance America organization that proposes to lock the property tax genie in the bottle forever.

Indiana could become the first state to get rid of at least most, if not all, property taxes, especially for the homes of Indiana citizens.

Young people wondered how they could afford to continue living in Indiana, Older couples wondered how they’re going to stay in their homes while paying the crushing property taxes that mainly fund public schools, where legions of administrators usually earn six-figure salaries, and expensive, often unnecessary school construction projects are rarely stopped.

Advance America founder Eric Miller, a former Indiana gubernatorial candidate who runs the outfit as a non-partisan educational organization, told the audience it’s time for Hoosiers to take a strong stand for property rights—on the long road to financial freedom.

“You’re only renting (your land) from the government,” Miller said. “They will take your home, farm or businesses and they will sell it.” But with this program, Miller said “We’re talking about how you can finally own your own home.”

While Miller did not mention it, the basic idea of property taxes described as “rents” can be traced back to the Communist Manifesto, which was ghost-written by Karl Marx on behalf of other interests.

Marx wrote in one of his 10 planks for communizing individual nations that the middle class must pay “rents” on their land permanently. Marx also called for an income tax; the inheritance or “death” tax; public schools; a monopolistic central bank and other communistic ideas that all are hard-wired into America today.

Miller said he has almost enough state legislators on board to win approval of a constitutional amendment that could strike a fatal blow against property taxes that have gone up 450%, $4 billion, since 1980. Indiana is trying to eliminate property taxes altogether because meaningless reforms that temporarily lower property taxes ultimately lead to even higher property levies.

In the state House, Miller needs 51 legislators on board and already has 43; in the Senate he needs 26 and he’s got 18. There are a total of 100 House members and 50 senators. A simple majority in each chamber is all that’s needed to propose a state constitutional amendment that would go to the voters for final approval.

Even in the best-case scenario, property taxes won’t end until 2012. The Indiana General Assembly must give its final approval no later than 2009 for it to be put before the voters in 2010. And because Hoosiers receive a tax bill according to the prior year’s assessment, the taxes assessed in 2010 are not collected until 2011. So the words “free at last” won’t come until 2012 at best.

Meanwhile, Indiana property taxes may increase 15% in 2007 and could double in 10 years. If the property tax system is not abolished and everything stays on its present course, a couple age 45, for example, paying $250 a month in property taxes on a $150,000 home (which is typical for Indiana) could see that bill rise to $500 a month at age 55 and $1,000 a month at age 65. You hit retirement age, your home mortgage is paid off but your tax bill is $12,000 a year.

A 1% hike in the state income tax (1.9 to 3.4%) and a 2% percent sales tax increase (4 to 6%) are being touted as “replacement revenue” if property taxes sunset, said Miller. He said Gov. Mitch Daniels is reportedly “open to the possibility” of nixing property taxes. Moreover, in the 2008 elections all 100 of the House members are up for reelection and half the Senate. Miller urged the Warsaw audience to make property taxes the top campaign issue.

(For more information or to ask questions, see repeal property taxes. comand advanceamerica.com online, or call 800-448-8683 or (317) 684-3300. Key contact information for the General Assembly is available.

American Free Press reporter Mark Anderson can be reached at [email protected] Watch future AFP issues for more on America’s welcome acceptance of biofuels and other energy alternatives, helping end our gluttonous addiction to foreign petroleum.

(Issue #41, October 8, 2007)