Paying for the jail, but not examining the real problem.

Mark brought it up, and there's a lot to talk about in terms of money. The Facebook thread is here.

Floyd County Council, Commissioners at odds over how to pay back jail debt, by Daniel Suddeath (Hanson's Old White Guys Just Like Him Journal)

NEW ALBANY — Floyd County leaders are split on how to spend millions of dollars in interest from hospital sale proceeds, as governing bodies have passed opposing resolutions with repayment of a bond to renovate the jail hanging in the balance.

However, in light of recent weeks, I think our junior editor Bluegill wrote something as or more important.

In previous meetings, the Floyd County Sheriff reported that, like most jails in the country, half or more of the jail population at any given time is there not because they’re particularly violent or dangerous but because they can’t afford bail. Reform of our bail system - something the prosecutor’s office can do - would consistently cut our jail population roughly in half. Any county official willing to spend that much money because a prosecutor won’t reform a corrupt class-based system ought to be run out of office, as should the prosecutor.

And if you look at arrest numbers in New Albany, they tend to skew heavily Black well beyond population percentages. Do you think any politician in this county has the guts to address that publicly and head on?

So, Floyd County clearly has a class-based “criminal justice” system disproportionately aimed at Blacks. And what are we arguing about? Which tax to use to pay for expansion of it.

Wait -- do you mean not one of Bill Hanson's old white male columnists thought to explore this side of the story?

For more: Overcrowded jails, wasted tax dollars: Let's reform cash bail in Kentucky — and the nation, by J. Herbert Nelson.

Somewhere Ayn Rand is fondling a bracelet made of Reardon Metal.

Teabagger poison?

Indiana's property tax caps get counties moving toward income taxes, by Lesley Stedman Weidenbener (Courier-Journal).

When the Clark County Council passed an income tax increase last month, it joined two dozen other Indiana counties working to shift their budgets away from property taxes, a move the General Assembly has encouraged for two years.

Expect immediate comment from my fellow local columnist, Debbie Harbeson, who yesterday took a scathing Libertarian cudgel to State Representative Ed Clere's Nov. 3 piece in the Tribune, Grant will boost entire community, in which Clere wrote:

Federal stimulus money is flowing into Georgetown. As a result, the town’s sewage will stop flowing down the hill to New Albany. It’s a big win for both communities - and a benefit to the rest of Floyd County and Southern Indiana.

Yesterday, Harbeson issued a challenge: Let’s clear the rhetoric.

Wow, it must really feel good to be federally stimulated. At least Indiana Rep. Ed Clere makes me think so. I’m sure he’s right because the deal he recently brokered as paid political middleman would certainly make some people feel good. I do have friends and family who will benefit from this forced transfer of funds from one group to another so it’s nice to know someone locally is being stimulated.

I feel like I should be reading these at a sports bar ...

Part Three: Live blogging, as communications by city officials confuses Li'l Stevie, but what's new?

COMMUNICATIONS – CITY OFFICIALS:

Steve Price questions overpayments to contractors (Kay Garry answers), and also something about sewer bids (not through Garry's office) ... Price says, it's not really directed at you (so why ask it) ... here goes ... avalanche time. What about the Tabernacle (Zurschmiede: "Not her, either.")

Price: "Carl, you're the assistant mayor, whatever ... once again we're written up ... it looks like there's no management."

Price: "Who's calling the shots ... I've been here six years" (pronounces Garner as Gardner -- he's been here six years, but can't pronounce people's names right).

Malysz: The England administration intends to address some of these. And, the statute doesn't speak to buying a building at sheriff's sale.

Coffey: "Circumvent" the process.

Malysz: "There is no process."

Anyone seen Robert's Rules of Order lately?

Malysz: We made money off the hurricane.

Coffey: "So you knew the storm was going to hit?"

Price begins questioning individual department head claims and says that he has no computer but still keeps records. Thinks that it is important in context of threats to shut the firehouses and lay off people.

Coffey: "I've never seen anyhting like this."

Coffey finally thinks to return the discussion to something relevant.

Diane Benedetti: Some flooding tort claims are being turned down. She'd like to ask Shane Gibson, but he has left the room.

Kevin Zurschmiede: Regarding another audit of records, the state says what they have before them tonight is complete, and what's more, it would be illegal to commission another one because that would be copying information that's already been done. State says: Tough shit; no politics; our audit is as good as anyone else's; faggitaboutit.

Coffey: "This (document) will tell you it's not a complete audit."

Coffey alleges that business paople just went to Indy today and were told that by golly, the city is mishandling tax monies!!

Is any audit a complete audit? The wildest of wild goose chases will remain a leitmotif of council obstructionism for years to come. I wonder if Erika scripted Coffey's off-the-Robert's comments here?

Coffey: "Citizens are very upset -- the question posed to me today, will the council do something?"

Of course, like the pumpkin patch and hambers, he doesn't say their names.

BUDGET DISCUSSION:

Next week hearings ... Coffey makes threats about balanced budgets no matter what! Jeff Gahan asks some questions. Coffey talks about approving and changing budgets, blames a variety of factors. Pat McLaughlin asks a question of Garry. Gahan wants to make decisions about 2009, then move to 2010. Very little of this makes sense to me.

Coffey: "We can't cut on 2009 ... have to appropriate, and cut on 2010."

COMMUNICATIONS – MAYOR

Glad Halloween is over ... "maybe the witch hunt will stop."

Talked to Charlie Pride, who said the audit's done. Police and fire are not properly funded -- underfunded. Mayor defends his people, and says he's glad that business people talk to Coffey. Downtown good, three businesses in the industrial park.

Mayor is angry at accusations. Leaves are being collected. City Hall talking to garbage people about replacing lids.

Budget ... police and fire are underfunded. Funded through general fund property taxes), and with the caps in places, the option of LOIT is offered (as recently passed in Clark County). In 2010, we'll be a million and a half short. I'm asking to fund the impending shortfall, and work with the county council to see that LOIT passes as in Clark. Not asking to cut or lose, but to lobby for LOIT -- "there's no other way out."

We've always had a shortfall -- lack of taxes, which is different than overspending.

Semantics?

For eight years, alays a shortfall. General fund is supposed to pay for operations, EDIT for economic development. Employees only pay LOIT.

"Sit there behind a table and throw anger at people ... bring it on."

Advocates for LOIT. Directs at Steve: "If you don't have a job, you don't pay LOIT tax."

Mayor rejects Price's mention of struggling people -- what's Price gonna do? What's his position?

Price: "My position is I'm not votin' for it," and waves the audit that he feels is incomplete.

Mayor: It didn't get this way in a year and a half.

"I want you to work with us, and we're here to work with you."

EDIT for 2010. After that, barring EDIT forever, then LOIT is a must. Mayor believes that the county officials will come to their senses and pass it.

"The city's gotta be run."

"Personalities we can take care of outside the room."

Price: "Some people want streamlined government ... warned y'all about bonuses ... I warned everyone about raises ... this council voted, I voted no."

Price: "It's not personal ... it's a philosophy."

Mayor: "Will you let me finish?" Pride says, better equipment needed. He takes that as a compliment. Urges Coffey to speak with Charlie Pride.

Price: Stormwater fees raised ... liens not recorded ... raised rates ... delinquent ... whatever it is, it's still money ... just my opinion."

Price is acting like a baby, but whatever; it isn;t personal, just a philosophy of infancy.

Coffey: Everyone pays EDIT tax ... I don't mind using it to shore up ...

More to come.

That's the essence of it.

It's and Evening News "jeer" about Clark County, but merely change a few numbers and it's applicable to Floyd County, too. Our county council spent a few hot minutes contemplating LOIT before abdicating its responsibility to lead and fleeing to the hills. It will be interesting to see if Clark County's does the same.

JEERS

... to Clark County’s budget woes. According to the most recent County Council budget meeting, there is as much as a $5.8 million gap in the requested budget — $18.7 million — and expected 2010 revenues — $12.9 million.

The county is finally discussing implementing a Local Option Income Tax, or LOIT, which would help, although not much for 2010. The question is, what took so long?

The answer is simple. When the state hamstrung local taxing entities with property tax reform and caps, it offered LOIT to the counties as a way to offset lost revenues.

With that, state lawmakers could say during election season, “we handled your property tax problem and didn’t raise taxes.”

The result is the county council now must raise taxes and take the fall for the state, because cutting one third of staff or services isn’t feasible.

— Editor Shea Van Hoy

Meg Ryan plays the part of the chiropractor's trade association ...

... and Larry McAllister just diddles about.



I suppose we should be happy it's Meg Ryan, and not Professor Erika.

References:

Proposed income tax dies in Floyd; County Council fails to call it up for vote, by Harold Adams (Courier-Journal).

The world turned upside down, but life goes on within the confines of the Open Air Museum (NAC).

The world turned upside down, but life goes on within the confines of the Open Air Museum.

Just in time for Christmas, Erika’s come tumbling out of the closet, and has at long last become non-pseudonymous.

DENHART: Vote ‘No’ on LOIT tax, by Vicki Denhart, Local Guest Columnist (Tribune).

I am writing in response to Detective Paul M. Haub’s article on Nov. 21. First of all, no one in our city is against the police and fire department. Some city and county employees need to stop making this a personal issue.

Stop making it personal? Okay, but back at Freedom to Screech, it’s troglodyte business as usual as the postal man gets personal with the city council.

TAXPAYER FIGHTING BACK....

This year the City Council gives itself a huge raise.

I'm trying to recall if I've ever included the cost of my health insurance as part of wages and salary when compiling the annual tax form. Anyway, Erika spells her contributing postal man’s name wrong: It’s Roudenbush, not Rodenbush.

Heck, what's a little "u" between accomplices?

Speaking of "u", as in u-turn, none of the raging LOITophobia matters, because the county council’s president and resident contortionist has reversed field so many times that the chiropractor’s organization has emitted a collective orgasm.

LOIT looks like dead issue, by Chris Morris (Tribune).

“I’m telling people I’m voting no,” said council President Larry McAllister, who voted for the tax last month.

Whoa ... let's stop and count the votes before anything drastic occurs.

Meanwhile, some people believe that the only constant is change. Those people don't live in the Open Air Museum, do they?

Dare WE loiter on LOIT? (Part 2).

Previously, and including a lengthy discussion: Dare WE loiter on LOIT? (Part 1).

To continue the discussion concerning the Local Option Income Tax (LOIT), I’d like to address the if’s, how’s & why’s of the benefits for the citizens of New Albany/Floyd County.

Having just completed the 2009 budget process for the city, which left us all spitting cotton and wondering whether or not there’ll be any point in calling 911 next year, the Safety Tax portion of the option seems to be a no-brainer.

But then one has to have ‘em in order to use ‘em.

For three years or longer both police & fire departments have been attempting to hold the line with less live bodies than recommended by any study I’ve seen to date. Yet the selfsame councilmen who readily pass along complaints from their constituents about the lack of protection & service are just as quick to target those departments as the prime culprits of wasted tax dollars.

“Park the cars!” “Take away their cell-phones!” “Cut out overtime!” “Put off maintenance!” All of these and more are the constant battle cry of those who at the same time demand and expect an immediate response to a need, be it real or perceived.

The local newspapers have run several articles during the last several days depicting views from various individuals on both sides of this issue.

FOP President and New Albany Police Detective Paul Haub presented what I thought was a good argument for passing the LOIT based on the ever increasing crime rate in our city.

Floyd County Republican Party Chairman Dave Matthews followed with an admonition that local government needs to trim even more from their budgets.

NAFC Chief, Matt Juliot expressed his concern about providing the quality of service that we’ve all come to expect from our fire department with no funds in his 2008 budget for overtime.

Then, to further confuse the argument, an article in Sunday’s Courier-Journal reports that the Indiana legislators are split on whether to make Their Man Mitch’s property tax cuts permanent, or take a “wait & see” position.

So, from the feedback I’ve gotten so far, the choice locally seems to be rolling the dice and taking our chances.

I’ll grant that’s the politically safe thing to do and I suppose that’s OK as long as it’s an acceptable risk that one's house doesn’t catch fire, one's family isn’t burglarized, or one's grandmother doesn’t need an ambulance or other services.

The question becomes: Now that the citizens have more money in their pockets, do our local leaders have the intestinal fortitude to pass the insurance policy (LOIT) that the state provided, or are they going to gamble our safety and security in hopes of a vote come next election?

Is it really a wise decision to "wait & see" how many homes get broken into or burned to the ground, or worse yet, how many helpless citizens die waiting or an ambulance to arrive?

The stuffed shirts in Indianapolis may be quite willing to take that risk.

I hope our local leaders have more concern for us than that.

Dare WE loiter on LOIT? (Part 1).

I’ve been striving for nearly a week to open a thread of discussion concerning the benefits as well as the costs of adopting a Local Option Income Tax.

The delay has been mostly due to confusion on my part as to what, how, and when of this option that Their Man Mitch so graciously left available to local government following his property tax reform initiative.

Never mind that such action has effectively hamstrung cities and counties around Indiana, while ensuring the state's budget is not only balanced but is able to show a surplus as well. But then that does look good on a resume if one’s political ambition is to descend on Washington, although I’m getting off point here.

So, to continue, not being satisfied neither with the explanations I’ve read in local newsprint nor heard from local politicos, I decided to go to online to the horse’s mouth, so to speak. What I quickly found was that as per most other research, one needs to know what to ask, how to ask, and whom to ask.

Having tried that approach there is still a modicum of confusion on my part, so I’m going to throw up what I’ve gleaned and open a discussion in the hope that clearer minds are out there to help clarify facts.

First of all my understanding is the LOIT option provides two primary benefits. The one being another 1% reduction in property tax that goes directly into the state's coiffures.

That fuels the first question: Does some portion of that one percent gain at the state level ever filter back down to the local level? If so, how & when?

The provision for a 0.25% Public Safety Tax looks to be self explanatory. These monies stay in the county to be used exclusively for funding additional police, fire & medical needs.

The third option is where I get confused. As I read the briefs this 1% option is billed as a Property Tax Replacement,” so now the question becomes: Does the word “replacement” mean that if a county adopts this option in conjunction with the above, they eliminate all property taxes and function on income tax revenue alone?

Or, does it indicate that adopting that option would merely result in yet another 1% reduction in one’s property taxes?

My position is if elimination of property taxes period is the goal and that is what the wording of the statute means we would be remiss in not taking advantage of the opportunity.

So now comes the argument that in doing so some will pay taxes and some won’t! To which I respond, “and your point is?”

Yet another source of confusion is the time frame in which a county must take action in order to reap the benefits of LOIT. I understand that there is a December 2008 deadline for adoption which brings forward these questions:

A) Must we adopt by this December or lose the option altogether?

OR

B) Must we adopt by this December in order to receive the funds for use in 2009?


OR


C) Does delaying until after the first of the year mean we won’t see them until 2010 or later?

There more questions to consider at the New Albany/Floyd County level, so Part 2 will be forthcoming.

----

Note: I've perused many sources but my best understanding thus far has come from this site:

Indiana's Local Income Taxes

The Gomer Pyle dictum: Profiles in (political) courage, or the random spinning of wheels.

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation, and publicly and privately, in season and out, avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas and their advocates, and bear the consequences.
-- Susan B. Anthony

Yesterday morning in the Courier-Journal, reporter Dick Kaukas sought to plot the county council's discordant lurching back and forth as it considers a final vote on the Local Option Income tax (LOIT). Kaukas might have saved words (and trees) by simply publishing on-line video of a novice trying to learn how to drive a stick shift. I've emphasized one key paragraph.

Floyd briefly pauses on tax plan; Final council vote likely to be Dec. 9.

… For a while, however, the council considered putting off the (LOIT tax) until next year.

The tax, providing 1 percent for property-tax relief and 0.25 percent for police and firefighters, won preliminary approval Wednesday by a 4-3 vote with the council's four Democrats voting yes and the three Republicans opposed.

But Friday morning, council President Larry McAllister, one of the Democrats, said he and other council members had received so many calls from opponents that he decided to pull the ordinance from next month's agenda.

Instead, McAllister said, he was persuaded by arguments to wait until after the next General Assembly session before enacting anything.

"We're going to wait until after the first of the year," McAllister said, adding that the council could revisit the issue at that time. He said he checked with fellow council members and they were in agreement. The tax had been scheduled to take effect Jan. 1 if it passed.

The three other Democrats who voted for the tax -- Ted Heavrin, Tom Pickett and Carol Shope -- said they were willing to go along with the delay.

Besides, Heavrin said, because of pressure from opponents, "I'm not sure we'll have the votes" anyway, although none of the Democrats said they had changed their position.

Asked about the possibility that one of their number would defect, Shope said, "That would surprise me" …

… That's where things stood -- for about an hour.

Then Teresa Plaiss, the county auditor, said she checked with Ice Miller, an Indianapolis law firm that advises county governments, and was told that if the council didn't act by Dec. 31, it would not be able to consider an income tax until after April 1, and no tax revenue would come in until October.

McAllister said that convinced him the ordinance should stay on the Dec. 9 agenda.

Dana Fendley, a Republican council member who voted no, said McAllister's shifts indicated he was capitulating to pressure, first from police and firefighters who support the tax and then from callers who opposed it.

McAllister said he was trying to be responsive to callers, but then realized that a delayed vote would result in too long a wait for any new tax money.

As Gomer Pyle once said, "Surprise, surprise."

Apparently the result of all this caterwauling has been an unfortunate case of whiplash, at least in the case of one council member, Carol Shope. As Mrs. Baird posted last evening at her The Voice of the People blog, she who abstained in July with respect to the previous LOIT proposal and then voted "yes" in November will opt for "no" the next time around, achieving a trifecta of bullet-dodging completism previously attained by city councilman Dan Coffey, among others.

SHE'LL VOTE NO

I saw Carol Shope tonight and she asked me to inform everyone I know that she will vote NO on the LOIT Tax at the December 9th County Council meeting.

If anyone reading can detect a pattern in these county council gyrations, can you please construct a flow chart so the rest of us can keep up?

County council turns hose on Erika, gallery erupts in laughter.

The senior editor refrained from last evening's county council meeting, instead opting for the Windsor's bar and lounge opening, where at least one co-conspirator was spotted whispering sweet nothings to a tumbler of bourbon. I concurred, but with beer.

There was much good news yesterday, gleaned from conversation with people who are bucking native pessimism and an unpredictable economy to invest, work hard, and make New Albany into the kind of place that can succeed, not fail -- where people can find reasons to move forward, not skulk backwards, whining and pouting like a whipped puppy.

We await leadership of the same progressive caliber from the city council ... and perhaps have spotted some of it emanating from the county council.

Floyd income tax clears first hurdle; New Albany, county would share revenue, by Dick Kaukas (Courier-Journal).

The Floyd County Council voted 4-3 along party lines last night to give initial approval to a new income tax totaling 1.25 percent ...

... Lee Cotner, the council's attorney, said afterward that the ordinance will require at least one more "yes" vote by the council at its meeting next month to take effect as scheduled Jan. 1. If the ordinance wins final approval, Floyd County residents will be paying an income tax of 1 percent -- which would go back to homeowners in the form of property-tax relief -- plus 0.25 percent for public safety, police and firefighters.

Deterred from self-immolation by a persistent light rain outside, pseudonymous blogger Vicki “Freedom to Screech” Denhart took her protest against taxes, public safety and contemporary civilization indoors, addressing the county council in an impeccably tailored “Erik the transgendered academic” costume.

He/she was joined by Joe Tanksley, and together they were identified by the CJ’s Kaukas as stalwarts of the Concerned Citizens for Anonymity … oops, make that “Accountability.”

It’s so easy to get the two confused.

Of course, there’s always a Price to pay when the topic turns to ways we might avoid further slippage into the 19th-century, and consequently, New Albany’s foremost spokesman on behalf of under-achieving torpor was in attendance, too.

"I am not supporting this," said the 3rd district councilman, who added that the new revenue might become a “slush fund,” whereas Grandma’s cookie jar is a better place than mattresses to hide those nickels and dimes in preparation for the rainy day blues.

How long 'til 2011?

Tribune jeers Wizard of Westside, editorializes in favor of LOIT.

We’re cheering the Tribune’s publisher for calling out New Albany’s perpetually caterwauling councilman, Dan Coffey, and we invite you to join in.

JEERS

... to New Albany City Councilman Dan Coffey for grumbling to Louisville media last week about the fire department’s purchasing of a rescue boat last summer. This is Coffey again showing his inability to lead.

Instead, he should review his council record. As a key member for years resisting any kind of development or revenue sources for the city, his time could be been better spent than complaining about a boat for public and law enforcement’s safety. (The old one wasn’t built for a river and it was a fire hazard. Plus, part of the cost will be recouped by selling the donated boat it’s replacing.)

But Coffey feels this is newsworthy because no one came and told him how exactly they would be paying for it. This situation isn’t about rules or laws. It’s simply that Coffey didn’t get consulted in a manner with which he would like — which has meant in the past standing before him at a Council meeting where he can grand stand by asking fallacious questions.

Yes, times are very tight and all expenses should be carefully vetted. However, Coffey’s latest diatribe continues to paint a portrait of our New Albanian version of Don Quixote.

— Publisher Steve Kozarovich

Good stuff, although it should be noted that the analogy with Don Quixote is imperfect, and not just because the Man from La Mancha’s fable is far more subtle and nuanced than anything connected to our city’s self-aggrandizing 1st district ward heeler and his underachieving career in politics.

Recall that Cervantes’ fictional creation derived his fantasies of importance by reading the many books on chivalry in his library … but has the Wizard of Westside ever read a book?

That’s what I’m saying.

Not content with one solid blow against the peevish dimpire, the newspaper’s editorial board also speaks considerable sense when it comes to the Local Option Income Tax LOIT), which is being considered by the county council this evening.

• EDITORIAL: LOIT tax merits serious review

County legislators simply have to do something like this (and so too will New Albany) when it comes to creating new revenue streams to cover shortfalls — a dominating theme in the next several years. It would be ideal if we could find revenue from tourists or visitors. However, until those plans are in place taxpayers will bite the bullet because our leaders haven’t exhibited enough foresight in recent years.

Two topics, one important point: Pleading penury is so easy a caveman (or Coffey) can do it, but finding an elected official willing to support ways of enhancing revenue so as to make the pie bigger is harder than finding a good beer past the turnstiles at Louisville Slugger Field.

Fine work, Tribsters. Keep it coming.