Nov
18
To Tax Or Not To Tax, That Is The Question
Filed Under Northwest Indiana, South Shore Line, politics, property tax crisis, tax revolt
While most people are getting ready to spend some quality time with relatives and loved ones as they prepare for Thanksgiving next week, Northwest Indiana’s legislators will gather in Indianapolis Tuesday to talk about whether they should try to get a $30 million tax passed to pay for South Shore commuter rail expansion or wait until property tax reforms are passed
If taxes are raised to pay for the $350 million local match needed for the $1 billion project to expand the South Shore Line to Valparaiso and Lowell, Northwest Indiana lawmakers are looking at slapping those taxes on motor vehicle registrations ($50 per car — ouch!), gasoline taxes (more $$ at the pump — can anyone say $4/gallon?), or local income taxes (there isn’t much support a Lake County income tax).
Maybe the solution is cutting back somewhere and using the money saved for the South Shore expansion.
Taxpayers can be thankful that the local legislators are up for reelection in 2008. That should help guide their thoughts when it comes to figuring out a solution to the property tax crisis that is affecting homeowners all over the state as well as figuring out ways to pay for the South Shore expansion.
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4 Responses to “To Tax Or Not To Tax, That Is The Question”
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I have mixed feelings about the project.
On the one hand, I live in Munster. It would probably do great things for my property values.
On the other hand, I live in Lake County. The project will probably be a source of corruption from day one. You should not give these people ANY more money.
On the other hand, we’ve got so much freight traffic, wouldn’t it be nice to get some benefit from having all those train tracks?
On the other hand, its just more train traffic.
I just don’t know the answer. I’m inclined not to support it.
Can’t we just sell the South Shore to a Spanish/ Australian company, and use the revenue to expand the line? That would be my preference?
Hi Buzzcut,
I feel the same way you do — I have mixed emotions also.
Opening up train lines would stimulate the economy because it would make living in Northwest Indiana (Munster, Lowell & Valpo) even more attractive to people living in Cook County and other overtaxed areas in Illinois. Look at all of the suburbs that are doing well because they have Metra lines that allow residents to hop on the train to high paying Chicago jobs.
But, I also worry that tons of money will go the way of previous federal and state money sent to the area — into the pockets of the politically connected instead of to the intended project. We could end up paying extra taxes — including a possible county income tax — that just ends up being wasted.
I like the idea of privatizing the rail line because if it was economically feasible, someone would want to try to make a dollar or two from it. I hadn’t even considered that.
I’m somewhat swayed by the statistic that there are 150,000 more jobs within walking distance of the train station at Millenium Park than there are in Lake County itself.
The train would be a great economic development tool, no doubt. I just don’t see any entity in Lake County that I would trust to do it.
Also, we need to start thinking more about CO2 and global warming. Maybe we can sell the project to the Sierra Club, and they can sell CO2 offsets for all the CO2 that is saved when someone takes the train rather than drive?
Hi Buzzcut,
If we aren’t careful, the train could go the way of the Gary Public Transit Corp. and the problems they have had with having their funds cut off by the feds for mismanagement.
Keeping an eye on the money is always important.