Will anyone offer a good alternative (08/27/07)

Here's the choice: Anger or ideas?

Anger, some of it completely over the top, has been the favorite so far.

Property taxpayers are angry at government. State government is angry with local government and school boards. School boards and local government are angry at state government, pointing out that it's the state that sets the rules they have to live by.

But while it may feel good to vent, anger is no substitute for ideas.

And the ideas that have surfaced so far aren't encouraging.

Gov. Mitch Daniels, having presided over the whole mess, is hoping to parlay taxpayer anger into a blank check to revamp local government. Never mind that local government isn't the problem.

The governor would also like to use taxpayer anger to justify top-down consolidation of Indiana's local school districts. Never mind that school patrons already often feel alienated and powerless and don't want to give up local control.

But at least the governor is offering ideas, flawed and manipulative though they might be.

The loyal opposition hasn't tossed out anything yet in the way of a meaningful alternative.

In some ways, that's just the nature of politics. Several candidates have tossed their hats in the ring for governor, and they're all jockeying for position. Meanwhile, House Democratic leader Pat Bauer, owner of the worst toupee in Indiana, is in a position to play king-maker; and he knows it.

The net result at the moment is the governor's agenda or no agenda.

What's missing is a credible Democratic alternative that would spell out better ways to finance local government and public schools.

One idea might be to return to the principles of the Bowen property tax relief plan and dedicate two cents on the state sales tax to provide permanent property tax relief. That's just one idea; someone needs to come up with others.

And if the Democrats don't do it, the Republicans might out of sheer frustration with their chief executive.

Anger at the governor in GOP circles is at unprecedented levels.

Could the incumbent face a primary challenge from someone who believes there are better ways of governing than beating up on public schools and Indiana's courthouses and city halls?

Maybe.

But if that is to happen or if credible Democratic alternatives are to surface, ideas are going to have to take the place of mere anger. - J.R.[[In-content Ad]]