The thought behind proposals (1/24/05)

Why did Gov. Mitch Daniels impose a 120-day moratorium on school construction bonding projects and call for tougher standards for such projects in the future?

After all, local projects — such as the one on the table for the Jay School Corporation — involve local dollars. Stalling them or eliminating them won't solve the state's fiscal woes.

Two answers come to mind, one practical and one psychological.

The practical connection surfaces when one looks at the governor's State of the State proposals as a whole.

One of the things Gov. Daniels suggested for getting the state's financial house in order was freezing property tax relief for awhile.

That's going to have a direct impact on folks' property tax bills over the next couple of years.

Given the fact that one of the state's steps will put pressure on property taxes, it only makes sense to find another place to release that pressure. The governor's moratorium would do just that.

The psychological connection requires looking beyond whether the government revenue problem is statewide or local.

Sure, state government and local government are two different things.

But the dollars come from the same source: The taxpayer.

If the state is going to call for some sacrifice — both in terms of spending cuts and in terms of a tax surcharge — then it only makes sense to create a climate in which sacrifice and austerity are the orders of the day.

None of that makes the medicine taste sweet, but it may make it easier to swallow. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]