For the record » 2007 » June

Let’s KO the property tax system

aubreywoods — Thu, 28 Jun 2007 13:04:27 +0000

I’ve never been on the cutting edge when it comes to implementing new ideas.

For one thing, I’m just an Indiana boy who tends to be on the conservative side on a lot of issues. But after covering county government on and off for 20 years, I think it’s time we do away with the property tax system, which is extremely complicated for everyone even those who are charged with making it work.

Some contend the system is unfair and perhaps even illegal. I’ve seen county officials struggling daily to try to put together all the information they need to make the system work. It’s no wonder tax bills have begun to arrive later and later each year.There are other ways we could fund government services.

I‘ve never agreed with the Europeans on many issues, but I do like the idea of a value added tax where everyone pays a 20 percent tax on any purchase they make. That means if you want to buy a $100,000 car, you pay $20,000. If I only want to spend $10,000 on a car, I pay $2,000. It sure seems like a far better and less complicated system than our present property tax system with its many loopholes.

I’d even be willing to pay more income tax if I didn’t have to pay property taxes. I’m not offering any new solutions, but I think the property tax system has come to the end of its usefulness.

Courthouse security

aubreywoods — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 13:54:04 +0000

I’ve written a lot of stories lately about courthouse security or rather the lack of it inside and outside Jackson County two courtrooms.

Although county Commissioner Steve Gill and I have had some differences in the past, I do tend to agree with his assertion that we need to provide more security at governments buildings. We may not have the money to pay for it, but Gill’s right when he says we need to be proactive instead of waiting until something happens and someone gets injured or killed. In case you haven’t noticed, Jackson County’s changed a lot in recent years.

I moved here in 1986 and during the first 15 years I lived here we didn’t have very many murders at all.

Take a look at what’s happened here since January of 2005. We’ve had a 10-year-old girl, abducted, molested and murdered. We’ve had a man shot and killed from an overpass while he was on a family outing. We’ve also had a man beaten to death and a second man shot in the head. The times sure have changed and we need to do something about providing security.

One step that could be put in place at the courthouse in Brownstown would be to limit access to one entrance. Sure, its a pain in the you know where, but schools have been doing it for years.

Another day in court

aubreywoods — Thu, 21 Jun 2007 12:08:07 +0000

It will be interesting to see how Marina Gill fares in Jackson Circuit Court this afternoon during a sentencing hearing. Gill pleaded guilty earlier this year to three counts of conversion in connection with missing funds from an organization, Seymour Heritage Foundation, she once presided over. If Gill doesn’t receive jail time, there is likely to be an outcry from many people especially members of the foundatin. Many in the community have told me privately that they don’t think she will do any time and that they will be mad if she doesn’t.
The trial of Coleman M. King, the 18-year-old Crothersville man accused of beating Shory Hall to death in April, also was supposed to begin today. King had sought a speedy trial, but apparently has since changed his mind about how fast he wants it to happen because his lawyer recently sought and received a continuance.

Asking for a speedy trial and then changing your mind seems to be some kind of defense tactic used quite often as a means of trying hurt the state’s case by rushing it. I don’t know if it works or not.

It’s also no surprise that the Indiana Supreme Court recently refused to overturn the life sentence Anthony Stockleman received for abducting and murdering 10-year-old Katy Collman. It would be hard to find anyone on Stockelman’s side in this case.