One Southern Indiana seeks roadside assistance as "Indianapolis Voters Overwhelmingly Pass Nation's First Income Tax for Transit."

Think back to One Southern Indiana's epochal masterwork, the plan to leverage potential Regional Cities Initiative (RCI) monies by diverting the vast bulk of them to River Ridge, already the beneficiary of largess on a colossal and game-changing scale, rather than seeking to answer the most obvious prevailing question:

If all the jobs are to be in River Ridge, and if the aim of the RCI is regional cooperation, then is there a way to get workers back and forth between their region-wide homes and their jobs by public transit?

1Si's plan sank like the proverbial stone, although it surely would have amply wetted beaks among the organization's targeted corporate enrichment classes.

Now read the following, and contemplate Indy's chamber of commerce actually helping in this mass transit taxation initiative.

Imperfect? Of course it is, but it's a convenient way of illustrating yet again that when it comes to greater goods and modern ways of thinking, Wendy Dant Chesser's 1Si isn't just behind the curve.

It has nailed a deer, thrown a rod, blown two tires and currently awaits a tow truck, circa 1986.

Might as well break out the Champale while you're waiting, guys.

Indianapolis Voters Overwhelmingly Pass Nation's First Income Tax for Transit, by Irvin Dawid (Planetizen)

 ... Marion County may soon have the nation's most progressive tax dedicated to public transit, and only bus transit at that. In addition to the faith and business communities that backed the measure, Gov. (now V.P.-elect) Mike Pence deserves credit.
November 13, 2016, 7am PST |

"Proponents of a public transit ballot referendum to increase bus service in Indianapolis declared victory Tuesday night, hailing the income tax hike approved by voters as a long-term solution for the city's transportation woes and a benefit to workers and employers, alike," writes John Tuohy, Indystar transportation reporter.

"With 99 percent of precincts in the county reporting, voters favored the measure 59 percent to 41 percent," reports Susan Orr for The Indianapolis Business Journal (IBJ).

The transit question, which was included on all Marion County ballots, asked voters whether they wanted to give the City-County Council the authority to impose an income tax of up to 0.25 percent—25 cents per $100 of income—to help fund the Marion County Transit Plan. For a resident earning $50,000 a year, that 0.25 percent equals an additional $125 in annual income taxes.

The plan calls for $390 million in improvements aimed at strengthening IndyGo’s bus service—extending hours of operation, increasing the number of bus routes that run at 15-minute frequencies, and running every route seven days a week. The transit tax also would fund the operational costs of three rapid-transit lines, which feature buses that run more often and make fewer stops

As Planetizen editor James Brasuell detailed in August 2016, the public transit referendum, Public Question 2 on the November Marion County ballot was backed by the "ministers, priests and pastors in the Indianapolis Congregation Action Network (IndyCAN), who view "public transit [as] a social justice issue for low-income residents," writes Tuohy. But they also had powerful allies in the effort.

"We've spent 10 years working on this. I think its time has come," Mark Fisher, Indy Chamber's vice president of government relations and policy development, told IBJ.

Newspaper editorial board: "Floyd County should consider tax increase."

Back in the day, she'd/he'd been all over it. We've been abandoned.

Oddly, this editorial seems to have flown entirely under the radar. It doesn't appear to have been posted at Facebook, and so there are no outraged comments or self-immolation threats.

We're guessing that this one is Chris Morris's baby, as he customarily covers the county beat.

— The News and Tribune editorial board is comprised of Publisher Bill Hanson, Editor Shea Van Hoy, page designer Claire Munn, Assistant Editor Chris Morris and Assistant Editor Jason Thomas. Responses can be sent to shea.vanhoy@newsandtribune.com

Floyd County government recently has become the exclusive domain of Republicans, who possess an austerity fetish that makes German finance ministers look like hereditary Saudi playboy princes -- though it must be acknowledged that in the not so distant past, the Heavrinite strain of "Democrat" contributed much conceptually to the notion that revenue purely is an option.

Meanwhile, city government is controlled by Adam's merry band of DemoDisneyDixiecrats, who have contrived a borrowing-fueled capital projects bonanza designed to produce social media-ready photos of building porn with commensurate campaign finance-tie-ins. It may not be a tax increase strictly as such, but it's surely a huge credit card/TIF bond debt for future generations to service.

This is why a third way is so desperately needed hereabouts.

Not starvation, and not unsustainable extravagance, but spending sensibly on fundamental infrastructure needs that benefit the greatest number of users, and stand to support quality of life and economic development aims rather than work actively against them.

OUR OPINION: Floyd County should consider tax increase

 ... As the council moves forward on the 2016 budget, there needs to be a long-term vision to keep from having to put a Band-Aid on the problem each year. As one county official at a recent meeting said, “We just can’t keep kicking the can down the road.”

The council should consider a tax increase — which could come in the form of a Local Option Income Tax or a wheel tax.

Taxation thread at Facebook, and a newspaper columnist vacancy.

It probably will not surprise you to learn that my attitude toward Facebook has been one of highly personalized agitprop. Yesterday, I linked to my Thursday column, and wrote this:

‎Jeff Gillenwater wants to bid secessionists farewell. I believe secessionists should follow their own advice (to me) and move elsewhere. In Europe, secessionists want out of their countries, but not the EU. Clearly, we're all secessionists now.

Every now and then, a good discussion breaks out, and such was the case yesterday. As sometimes occurs, the topic shifted, in this instance to taxation, tax rates and tax reform. The thread still is going as Friday breaks: http://www.facebook.com/roger.a.baylor/posts/293759810724531?comment_id=1344041&notif_t=share_comment

---

Speaking of columns, Debbie Harbeson has written her last essay for the News and Tribune.

Ending my current relationship with this paper does not mean I will stop writing though, particularly since writing helps me learn and grow. I will probably be writing for more specific audiences — people who already understand and share similar underlying philosophies.

Well, it's the perfect timing for a Beer Money (2009-2011) newspaper column comeback. Never have the troglodytes been more annoyed as during my tenure crafting weekly impenetrable satire. Coach K, too.

I'm tanned, rested, ready and completely rehabbed: No PEDs, EPOs and HGHs are to be found in my urine sample ... though IPA, well, that's another matter.

Not sure about the tax, but a twilight self-immolation on Hauss Square would be richly entertaining.

Two candidates, both Republican, for county council seats visited NAC in the days before last Tuesday’s election and commented on the possibility of a local income tax.

Incumbent Dana Fendley disparaged council president Larry McAllister’s grip on the purse strings and indicated opposition to a tax. First-time candidate Larry Summers indicated he would be open to the idea. Both Fendley and Summers lost, three Democrats were elected, and now the council as currently composed will revisit the idea this evening ... with a floor show.

Floyd council to discuss income tax; Public can comment tonight before vote, by Dick Kaukas (Courier-Journal).

Seeking to offset declines in property-tax receipts, the Floyd County Council will consider a proposal tonight to enact a local income tax.

Council President Larry McAllister said members of the public will be given a chance to address the council before a vote on the issue. He said he decided to put the proposal on tonight's agenda because "we need the money.”

McAllister said an income-tax rate of 0.25 percent would generate about $4 million, to be shared with the City of New Albany, for police and firefighters.

In July, the council rejected a similar proposal for an income tax 3-2, with one abstention.

At that time, several council members predicted that the measure would be reconsidered because of the county's financial problems.

McAllister said he's not sure how a vote would go tonight, but added that he has received many telephone calls about the proposal from residents. "People don't want the tax," he said. "But we need the money."

County resident Vicki Denhart said some opponents of the tax plan will demonstrate and carry signs outside the City-County Building in downtown New Albany before the 6 p.m. meeting.

There’s no question that local government needs financial help, so the only unresolved matter remaining is whether the protesters will wear Freedom to Screech masks prior to flicking their Bics.

Burn baby ... burn.