Sunday, August 10, 2008

It looks like Watchdog Indiana needs a Taxpayer Friendly Watchdog Itself

Watchdog Indiana, a supposedly taxpayer friendly group, has found Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Andrew Horning to be taxpayer unfriendly. This is because he does not support the passage in 2009 of the exact same version of Senate Joint Resolution 1 in 2008, in which Andy has very legitimate concerns.

This taxpayer unfriendly rating is despite Andy's efforts in the property tax revolt in 2007.

Here's Andy's response to Watchdog Indiana:

"Your apparent advocacy for SJR 1 makes no sense for a taxpayer "watchdog." Have you read it? Do you have any idea what this really does to taxpayers by removing constitutional protections and opening up the limits on both spending and taxation? You can't possibly trust the politicians who've been continuously betraying us to amend the constitution that protects us from them! . . .

. . . Now, you know that I started the tax protest movement here, right? I was the guy who held press conferences and forums on tax reform for years before I lead the protest on the Governor's Mansion lawn July 4, 2007. I advocated almost 100% personal property tax repeal in 1999 by doing the constitution (see my Platform on my current website). I still advocate a 100% constitution diet and exorcism plan to rid the state of unconstitutional spending, agencies, powers and taxation. I am the only candidate who'd cut spending and taxes. Period. That's unequivocal."

It looks to me that Watchdog Indiana needs a taxpayer friendly watchdog itself. Hanging its hat on the passage of a bill that has legitimate concerns among those who are working to reduce the tax burden is not being a very good steward for the taxpayers. Their review should be broader, in order to legitimize their positions on politicians and their status as "friends" to the taxpayer.

They should spend more time worrying about the size of government, than caps on spending that will easily be circumvented.

2 comments:

Rex Bell said...

I received that same questionaire. It reminded me of the old question that had to be answered either yes or no: "Are you still beating your wife?"

Mr. Smith has decided that candidates who want to do away with property taxes are not "tax payer friendly". Go figure.

Aspergers.life said...

Watchdog Indiana skews its results to cast Republicans in favorable light.

There needs to be an unbiased alternative.