Only half a debate

You’d need a scorecard to keep track of the changes made in property tax laws by the Indiana General Assembly over the past dozen years.
But only one of those changes is now on its way into the Indiana State Constitution.
The system first cooked up in 2008 now caps property taxes at one percent for homeowners, two percent for rental property and farmland owners, and three percent for businesses.
That has reduced property taxes for some homeowners — primarily those in metropolitan areas that have seen market values go up — but it has also shifted the burden to renters, farmers, and businesses.
Meanwhile its impact on local government and schools is still being measured.
Even those who support the concept have to acknowledge that we’re in the early stages of an experiment the full impact of which won’t be known for years.
So why the rush to enshrine the caps in the state constitution? Because that’s what Gov. Mitch Daniels wants as his legacy.
And the governor wants it enough that he has scared off potential opponents.
Both the Indiana Farm Bureau and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce — arguably two of the most powerful lobbying organizations in the state — have gone on record opposing the constitutional change. But they’ve also made it clear they’re not going to campaign on the issue.
No one wants to risk the legislative and regulatory wrath of a popular governor in his final two years in office.
Bad as the idea is, the Farm Bureau and Chamber will let this one slide by because the political costs of opposition are just too high.
So Hoosier voters will get a chance to vote on the amendment in November, but they’ll only hear half a debate. The governor will champion its approval in a series of campaign style ads, but those who recognize the amendment as both irresponsible and unnecessary will be largely silent.
And a dumb idea will almost certainly be approved at the polls. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]