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Indiana panel set to start review of $205M tax error

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A leading legislator said he expects the State Budget Committee to take some time reviewing a second computer programming mistake made by the Indiana Department of Revenue that short-changed local governments by about $205 million.

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Luke Kenley said he didn't anticipate immediate action during Friday's budget committing meeting and that the panel would seek more information about the error disclosed last week and another mistake found in December where the state had lost track of $320 million in corporate tax revenue.

"The question is whether this is indicative of a deeper technology problem, or a deeper audit problem. Or is it the result of a management issue?" Kenley, R-Noblesville, told The Indianapolis Star. "Until we found out the answers to those questions, I'm not sure how far we want to go."

The revenue department's commissioner and two top deputies resigned or retired following disclosure that the $205 million in local income tax money had been mishandled and not distributed over the past 14 months. The state is sending that money with interest to the 91 of Indiana's 92 counties with local income taxes.

The budget committee already had been scheduled to hear a report from the State Board of Accounts on a mistake the Department of Revenue acknowledged in December. In that case, an unrelated programming error left $320 million in corporate tax that had been collected over several years but not properly deposited in the state's general fund.

After the second mistake, Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration and GOP legislative leaders said an outside audit was necessary.

But State Budget Director Adam Horst said that hiring the auditor now would be premature, before state officials had a chance to answer questions from the budget committee.

The committee, made up of four legislators and Horst, is to meet at the Ivy Tech Community College campus in Madison.

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  • No Confidence in State Finances
    "The question is whether this is indicative of a deeper technology problem, or a deeper audit problem. Or is it the result of a management issue?" Kenley, R-Noblesville, told The Indianapolis Star. "Until we found out the answers to those questions, I'm not sure how far we want to go."

    Isn't that what an audit determines?

    Clearly the state finances are completely out of control and the checks and balances system is broken.

    The true question is who conducts this outside audit.

    Doubt the State Board of Accounts is up to the task considered they have not uncovered either of these massive errors.

    Perhaps a private firm with legal consequences for inaccuracy like non-partisan Big Four Firms, Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young,Pricewaterhouse Coopers, or KPMG.

    Half a billion dollars of errors typically results in someone going to jail.



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  1. First, the Athenaeum is going to have to get past the hurdle with the Lockerbie residents and the agreement that the parcel would be residential. Second, and in my opinion, this prime piece of property should include parking, PLUS, a black box theater(s), some market rate and affordable artist housing and a plan to renovate and reconfigure the second story theater. I would negotiate to add the DeHaan property surface parking lot into the development mix, place a one story surface parking garage on the DeHaan lot on the street level (for the Dehaan tenants use during the daytime) and add a second story to the garage that would become an addition to the current second story theater and then change the direction of the theater by moving the stage across the alley and on top of the DeHaan lot parking. You can add all the stage elements that are currently missing from the Athenaeum stage to make it more attractive for use by Ballet, Opera and traveling productions. Plus, the theater changes would probably help solve some of the soundproofing issues. Alas,it does not seem to be a part of the strategic plan to conduct a study to determine best use of the property. Seems like the current plan is a quick and easy move that ignores the property best use/potential and any strategic property planning for the effect on future generations.

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  3. Accoriding to their website there is no deadline to the Do Not Call list. What is this article referring to??

  4. On what planet are they entitled to this largesse from the stockholders? These people make multi-million dollar salaries: Pay for your own personal travel.

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