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Morton Marcus

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EYE ON THE PIE: Whose opinion is worth something?

“But,” I reply, “opinions that float free of reality are not worth anything.” “Untrue,” Juniper answers, wiggling a toothpick at me. “Most opinions are based on what people feel, whether they know anything or not. If they don’t know much, their opinions are still valid as a product of what they believe.” “That’s a very generous view,” I say. “It helps explain some really dumb letters to the editors of our newspapers. I get many e-mails that demonstrate good knowledge…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Good news about Indiana economy

What do most people concerned with economic development want to see? More jobs at better pay. How can we tell if we are getting there? Simply by looking at what is happening to earnings. Earnings divided by the number of jobs equals average earnings per job. Hence, with elementary school arithmetic, we can say that earnings equals the number of jobs multiplied by the average earning per job, exactly the two indicators of economic development that most folks want to…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Give tax relief to those who truly need it

No topic brings me more mail than property taxes. Some of this mail is silly, some is tragic. Many writers are concerned that they or their neighbors will lose their homes because of propertytax increases. This is a serious, legitimate concern. However, it is not a reason to abolish property taxes. Those who are hard-pressed to pay their property taxes are not different from those who have problems paying utility bills, medical bills, and the costs of other necessities. These…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Time to make government accountable

The biggest change the Kernan-Shepard commission could recommend for improving local government would be to focus responsibility. Some folks want to consolidate government horizontally; that means combining units of the same type. It might take the form of consolidating school corporations or bringing the number of library districts down from 238 to some smaller number. (It could mean reducing the number of counties from 92 to a more realistic number, but I should not try to make you laugh.) Many…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Here’s where Hoosiers get it right

We don’t have to be obsessed with property taxes. All is not dreadful despite the clamor of some disaffected taxpayers. For example, La-Porte has two operating barbershops on the same street downtown. This warms the heart. Equally positive is finding an excellent housing stock in LaPorte, with many beautiful homes painted in a joyous, imaginative fashion. Can you believe the McDonald’s in Winamac opens at 4:30 a.m. and keeps its drive-through open 24 hours a day? That alone suggests a…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Should we consolidate libraries?

At last, we have a commission working to see if we can improve government in Indiana through reorganization. Former Gov. Joe Kernan and Supreme Court Justice Randy Shepard are leading the effort. Some of us are concerned that the commission has been established to find ways not to improve government services, but to cut local property taxes. The two goals might not work in the same direction. Public libraries are often cited as ripe for consolidation. There are 238 of…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Should fees replace property taxes?

So you want to be a boxer in Indiana? There’s a $10 fee to be paid every other year for the privilege. That’s a lot lower than the twoyear fee of $100 paid by architects. A driver’s license is good for five years and costs just $19.50. Whereas your aircraft bears a $10 annual registration fee, your passenger car has a $20.75 annual state fee. If you want to support a special cause, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles charges a…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Life goes on despite property taxes

Miss Sugar repeated her dominance of the candy- and cakeeating contest at the Indiana State Fair. “Ya gonna write about property taxes again this week?” she asked as we rode the Ferris wheel high above the fairground lights. “I should, but I can’t,” I said. “My mind fades out when the topic comes up.” “So whatcha gonna write about?” she asked, chewing her taffy vigorously. “Plymouth,” I replied. “Da rock or da old car?” Miss Sugar asked. “The city in…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Are big counties getting all the goodies?

Are the most-populated counties of the northeast and southwest corners of Indiana improving their economies faster than their regional neighbors? Indiana is very sensitive to this issue. Throughout the state, people resent the presumed primacy of Indianapolis, which serves as the center of Hoosier government and business. Those outside Marion County claim that all the goodies go to Indianapolis and the rest of the state gets only the leftovers. Are the carpers right, or are they deluded by a residual…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Property tax isn’t evil, it’s abused

There are two books I want to call to your attention. They are both written by Hoosiers and are both vitally important to Indiana at this time. But this column, again, must be about property taxes because that is the compelling issue of the day. One book is “I Never Worked a Day in My Life,” by Bill Haeberle, the retired IU business professor who has started and aided hundreds of businesses. The other is “Performance is the Best Politics,”…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Property tax problem here to stay

“I haven’t sung yet,” Frances the Fat Lady said. We were at the Bulging Buffet, which is open 24/7. Frances, one of the state’s biggest experts on public finance, had stacked her plate with bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes and a variety of sweet rolls. “This property tax debate is not over yet,” she said as we took a table. “Despite the fact that only a few counties are really up in arms, there may be enough momentum for something realistic…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Taxes pay for what Hoosiers want

Good people, me included, have been making dumb statements about the property tax mess in Indiana. The problem is that we don’t know enough to talk or write intelligently on the topic. The result is that we can be led by our noses into an even worse mess. “Abolish the property tax!” some demand. Then what? Abolition of the property tax means raising some other taxes or fees, unless government spending on services decreases. The state has been urging counties…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Health care and the pursuit of happiness

Some people believe the Fourth of July grants them liberty to disturb the night with their firecrackers. My pursuit of happiness is in conflict with theirs and I want them jailed. We all gladly infringe on the liberties of others while in pursuit of our own happiness. For example, should motorcyclists wear helmets? Yes, if all of us expect to pay their hospital bills (through higher premiums) and maintain them on disability after they have head injuries that might be…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Indiana property taxes, explained

It was a beautiful sunny Hoosier day and I was delighted to see Faye of the Forest perched on my deck railing. “Hey, Faye,” I said. “What’s up?” “My property taxes are up,” she said, with irritation in her voice but a tear in her eye. “You know my little treehouse. I’ve lived there for years and the taxes keep going up. Why? What is going on?” “I hate to say this,” I said, “but the explanation gets more complicated…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Hoosiers are not getting full truth

Goodnews serves up economic and business reports about Indiana. Recently, I read his draft press release: “Indiana’s personal income rose to $211.1 billion in the first quarter of 2007. That is an increase of $8.2 billion, more than 4 percent in the past year.” “Is that it?” I asked. “Those are the latest facts from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis,” he said. “Anything else would be putting a spin on the basic truth.” “Goodie,” I said, using his nickname,…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Here’s government behavior at its best

At last, the professional basketball season is over. At last, the saga of the Sopranos is ended. The Cubs, the Cards, the White Sox and the Reds are in their usual states of disgrace. Our governor has announced his candidacy for reelection. There seem to be no surprises in our world. How normal are things? Consider this: Indiana and Illinois have agreed on reciprocal discounts for motorists on their toll roads. If you live in DeKalb County, Indiana, and visit…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Indiana’s future not looking so good

“Aye,” Fergus affirmed. “They’ll have tornado alerts and heavy-rain warnings,” I said. “They’ll flood us with high-water forecasts, beat upon us with hail reports, and show us maps that make us abandon all outdoor activity while we glue ourselves to the TV.” “‘Tis so,” nodded Fergus. “Those weather people are worse than economists when it comes to urging data on us,” I insisted. “Could be,” Fergus said. “No doubt about it,” I replied. “It wasn’t in the papers or on…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Saving shouldn’t put you in jail

Here is a test for you. The state government sends you a check for $2.5 million. What do you do with the money? According to the Associated Press, Sabrina Walker received such a check from the state of Minnesota. She then “bought a $500,000 certificate of deposit, funded two retirement accounts, [and] bought a $500,000 Treasury bond.” Prosecutors claim she also bought $5,500 in jewelry, and spent $3,817 at Best Buy and $2,000 on limousine services. This prudent woman is…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Commuting boosts earnings for Hoosiers

I was delighted to receive a new disc from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis containing the latest annual data on economic conditions in every county in the nation. Now I have a more detailed picture of how our state functions and is changing. For example, the daily flows of commuters between counties within and outside Indiana are essential to our economic health. By commuting, Hoosier workers find better jobs and firms get the best workers. Commuting is easier when…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Immigrants need better financial options

Jorge Tortellini meets me at Goldberg’s International Deli. He orders borscht and a hot pastrami on rye. I go for the sweet-and-sour soup with a vindaloo chicken burrito. “We’re destroying ourselves,” Jorge tells me. I give a quizzical look, my mouth burning from my luncheon choices. He is studying his notebook. “Do you know how much immigrants are sending back home each year?” he asks. “The Inter-American Development Bank estimates that last year remittances from the United States to Latin…

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