Rick Santelli calls for a Chicago Tea Party because we’re not going to solve our country’s financial crisis by spending more and more money.

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Technorati Tags: Chicago, mortgages, Rick Santelli, stimulus, tax revolt, taxes, tea party

Let us show you the way to the lifeboats, Annette Levgard told Miller residents Saturday.

She said disannexation could save the Miller neighborhood from Gary’s inefficient services, budgeting and its negative stigma.

“I’m tired of carrying around the dead weight of the cesspool that is Gary,” resident Jim Pappas said, urging Miller to disannex from its parent municipality.

About 30 Miller area residents participated Saturday in the fourth informal discussion about disannexation.

The new municipality would reach from Interstate 65 on the west to County Line Road on the east, according to the proposed Miller Beach community map. It would border Lake Michigan on the north and follow the contours of Lake Station to County Line Road, incorporating Aetna and Gary Gardens to the south.

Acting Chairwoman Jesi Pease told residents they are about six months from securing the financial numbers that will tell them whether disannexation is feasible.

This news follows other recently stories of other cities hoping to escape ever increasing taxes — Griffith, Indiana and Palatine, Illinois — discussing leaving larger government units for greener tax pastures.

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Technorati Tags: Gary Indiana, Miller Indiana, property tax revolt, secession

Majestic Star stops paying Gary, Indiana.

The Majestic Star stopped payments to the city of Gary on February 12th causing the city to have to cut back, reports the Post-Tribune.

Majestic Star Casino owner Don Barden cut Gary off from a key source of revenue last week, keeping a promise and putting pressure on the already cash-strapped city.

Celita Green, the city controller, said Majestic Star never made its monthly tax payment last week.

Majestic’s monthly payments total roughly $6 million each year depending on how much money it makes, Green said.

Mayor Rudy Clay said Barden’s decision to withhold payment puts Gary in a “major financial dilemma.”

“The city was skating on thin ice anyway,” Clay said.

Barden filed complaints against the city with the American Arbitration Association and Marion County Circuit Court last week, naming the Indiana Gaming Commission as a defendant in Marion County, as well.

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Technorati Tags: Gary Indiana, Majestic Star, tax revolt

From the graphic above:

Indiana Tea Party Tax Revolt! Sunday, March 1st, 2008 at 1 p.m. CST. Lake County Government Center.

Bring your tax assessments or a facsimile to put in the giant tea bag to be dunked in the pond.

A national and local media event. Bring your protest signs.

Team Hammond writes about scare tactics being used to convince taxpayers higher taxes are the only solution:

Our local elected officials must be working overtime trying to convince the citizens that property tax reform is bad for us. They would have you believe with their scare tactics that we will have no fire or police protection, and people will die! Let’s put a guilt trip on the homeowners for wanting to keep their homes!

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Technorati Tags: Lake County, tax revolt, Team Hammond