Letter to the Editor

Property taxes: What's fair is fair

Sunday, March 22, 2009

To the Editor:

The Indiana State Constitution says in Article 10, Section 1: The General Assembly shall provide, by law, for a uniform and equal rate of property assessment and taxation ..."

The bottom line is here in black and white they must by law provide an equal rate of taxation. The Indiana legislature thinks that they can pull the wool over everyone's eyes. Under no provisions in the Indiana State Constitution will you find the right of the legislation to tax one person's property at one rate and another property at a different rate.

My $300,000 property for business should not be taxed at $9,000 a year when your $300,000 home is taxed (with exemptions) at $1,800 a year.

To make matters worse is that under the guise of caring for our future generations, the governor and the legislature has decided to put forth a constitutional amendment that will cover their disregard for the sitting constitution. This amendment will not doubt change the words of Article 10 to allow them to determine who, in these troubled times, should and will pay up to three times as much as your neighbor.

These, our elected representatives, who have all been sworn to uphold the constitution of the great state of Indiana have with so little regard for the document itself and the people of Indiana have thrown away the right to be trusted to govern with our best interest in mind.

It is not a good idea to tax those of you who provide housing and employment at a higher rate. The legislators would pass an amendment under the cover of night rather than have the knowledge of their indiscretion come to light.

The idea that all men are created equal is something that we the people should hold onto without question.

All people's property should be taxed at an equal rate and our founders understood that even if our representatives do not.

Sincerely,

Matt Poole,

Lafayette, Ind.