By Ken Zuk
"....harder times are still to come." - Larry DeBoer, Purdue Dept. of Agricultural Economics -- Crestview Middle School, February 8, 2010
This statement from professor DeBoer, summed up the first formal, truly personal, economics lesson of my life. The effects of property tax reform on all of us, has, is and will be good, bad and ugly. To explain this, the Long Island, New York native used his 11 page lesson - filled with graphs, percentages, and long lists of county tax cap percentages in proving that Huntington is in a very interesting, financially precarious place in its history. The 3 billion dollar Daniels Shift, (my words - not his), from property taxes to sales taxes mixed in with optional locally imposed income taxes did not equal out. Not enough sales tax revenue coming in, (because of the recession), and we kept on spending like it would suddenly appear. And this, "You can't collect income taxes from a laid off factory worker," a quote from a former Huntington City resident.
Continue reading "...harder times are still to come." »
BY CINDY YEITER
With my 15 years experience in the Treasurer’s Office, eight of which I was the Treasurer; I felt my knowledge of the tax side combined with the check and balance of the financial side would make a good fit to enable me to run for Office of Huntington County Auditor.
We’ve seen many changes with taxes since 2003. I’ve been on the front line trying to help people understand how taxes have evolved into what they are today. The education of taxes has always been a responsibility I took seriously, so that people could understand what is going on. If there were exemptions that could lower taxes, I’d always point it out.
Continue reading "Cindy Yeiter Files as a Candidate for County Auditor" »
(This was orignially a comment but thought it was better suited for it's own post.)
By Don't we look stupid
Is closing the auditor's office (Kathy Juillerat) for a super bowl party really true? If so, it is an extreme case of arrogance. To flaunt such behavior indicates no inhibition what so ever in what usually is paramount and patriotic---the appearance of an ethically run public office. The entrenched political families of this community routinely behave in ways that would embarrass people of proper ethical upbringing.
Continue reading "More suffering ahead?" »
The Huntington TEA Party will be having a TEA Party meeting at Life Church on Friday, Feb.12, 2010 from 7-9 p.m. Featured speakers are YOU! - Open Mic Night for the Public, Richard Mourdock - Indiana State Treasurer will speak on the Constitution and a Tribute to Abraham Lincoln, Micah Clark of Indiana American Family Association - "How to Influence Your Legislator", Indiana FairTax - Find out more about it, Cindy Gamrat - "What is the Huntington TEA Party, Political Party or Patriot Group? - You Decide", Jim Wilson - "The Influences of Our Founding Fathers".
Continue reading "Huntington TEA Party this Friday @ 7:00 p.m." »
BY GARY L. SNYDER
It now appears the "Real Republicans" have moved what up to now has been a mostly covert battle against the local TEA Party movement, to a more overt operation. What used to be a "just ignore them and they will go away" attitude by the "Real Republicans" has now moved to all out hostility towards the "Not Real Republicans" by the face of the Huntington Republican Party.
Why would they do this you ask? Pretty simple if you think about it. Power! You see an orchestrated effort by the Huntington Republican party to minimize attendance at TEA Party events: "Hey, most of those people were from out of town," or "They scared me with their speeches," are just some of the comments heard from our Huntington Republican elite.
Continue reading "Real Republicans vs. Not Real Republicans" »
BY MARY OBERLE HUBLEY
An interesting development: Michael Reagan, the late President Ronald Reagan's son and a respected columnist, has just signed on as Honorary Chairman of the Fair Tax Association. Mr. Reagan joins Joe the Plumber, Chuck Norris, Huckabee, and, most recently Rep. Mark Souder, in his commitment to pushing through legislation to change our broken tax system by enacting the Fair Tax. Said Mr. Reagan:
"Thirty years ago, my father, Ronald Reagan, provided real and positive change for the United States. The Fairfax will provide the same kind of free enterprise-driven economic growth: a simplified tax system (just a postcard!); greatly reduced taxes for honest Americans; with millions of new jobs and a realistic way of dealing with the massive and rapidly growing deficit."
Continue reading "Fair Tax Meeting February 18th" »
BY GARY L. SNYDER
HuntingtonPolitics.com recently submitted a public document request for copies of checks and signed contracts between the City of Huntington and Stoffel Concrete for the time period of January 2001 through December 2008. The time from covers the entire period that Stoffel was the police chief plus the additional year of 2008. The response from the City was as follows:
"Here are the lists by years of checks written to Terry Stoffel for Stoffel Concrete for work done at the city in the years requested. I didn't have anything in the year 2000. I also don't have any contracts or written documents to that effect". - Christi Scher, Huntington City Clerk Treasurer
The results show Stoffel Concrete made over $118,182 while Terry Stoffel served as police chief, which is part of the city administration and while his father served on the Huntington Board of Works. There was another $4,898 earned by Stoffel Concrete in 2008 while Terry Stoffel was not the police chief for a total of $123,080.
Continue reading "A conflict of interest x 123,080" »
(INDIANAPOLIS) Dr. John McGoff officially became a candidate for Indiana's 5th Congressional District today. After filing his Declaration of Candidacy with Secretary of State Todd Rokita's office, he delivered a statement regarding his campaign.
Continue reading "McGoff Ready to Finish What He Started: Defeat Dan Burton" »
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