New Mitch Ad
Lest we think that there would be a lag between the primary and the race for the Governor’s mansion…
I saw this tonight on TV. Thoughts? I think it does a nice job laying out the positives from the first term.
May 8th, 2008 by Joel Harris
May 8th, 2008 at 6:47 am
You’d think it was a teaser for a summer blockbuster movie.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am
Fall, not summer. But otherwise you’re right.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:28 am
I’m surprised the governor’s campaign is running ads this early. Though if this is Cam’s idea it’s pretty good. Run ads while JLT’s name is still in the news and slow down during the summer doldrums.
Let’s face it running constant ads from now until Election Day the voting public will be sick of them by Labor Day.
May 8th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I have to admit this is truly an inspiring ad–i can’t wait for the sequel-lol
May 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
This is nothing new in terms of politics. It’s just something new to Indiana gubernatorial races.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
Very glitzy, but rife with inaccuracy. Or am I just imagining that sales tax increased? My property tax HAS gone up and I’m still waiting for all of the bills to arrive to find out by how much. Am I just imagining the Toll Road toll toll went from $4.65 to almost $8? And then there’s the fact every week a hundred jobs here or 1000 jobs there are being lost around the state - just last week we heard 400 were leaving Roche and right before that, several hundred from Lilly. And the billion-dollar fines levied on the tobacco industry are being paid out to 46 different states including Indiana, all of which MUST turn that money over to healthcare-related uses. That windfall was thanks in large part to Jeffrey Modisett’s work 10 years ago, not anything Mitch did (other than say ‘Sure, carry on with what you’re doing’).
“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. THe great and powerful Mitch has spoken.”
May 8th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
ssjindy, the ad is far more accurate than your critiques.
1. The budget was balanced in the second year of Mitch’s term with no tax increases. As you well know, the sales tax increase that just took effect is to offset property taxes.
2. While your property taxes have increased, when the current law takes effect it is estimated that they will decrease 35% and as the ad says will be capped at 1% of the property value.
3. I will not argue the number of jobs. My understanding is that the amount of job increase varies based on how you count the numbers. I will argue, however, that in a flat economy, Indiana has fared far better than our neighbors. Our unemployment has stayed low. While we are losing manufacturing jobs, we are gaining jobs in other, more advanced fields. You talked about Roche, but you failed to mention that at the same time that they were announcing about 300 jobs to be lost, they were also announcing that 360 to 400 some jobs that will be gained here–in other words, there will be a net job increase here.
4. While some of the healthcare issues may be related to tobacco settlement, it is not all of the health items. Prescription coverage that has been increased were based on work that Mitch negotiated with the pharmaceutical industry. The CHIP program has nothing to do with tobacco money.
Mitch has a very credible message of improvements in this state.
May 9th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Lest we forget, the 1% ‘cap’ is a cap on assessed value. There is no cap on assessments. Look for assessments to rise dramatically in the future. It’s a bit like being in a rowboat in a flood and marking the side of the boat, saying ‘No need to worry, this is all the higher the water will rise.’
And as we all know, the sales tax increase went into effect immediately, and we don’t yet know exactly what it is that it’s supposed to ‘offset’ and won’t see that information until one tax bill arrives very late this year and the rest of it shows up next year.
May 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Property assessments must be tied to real values. Assessments cannot get very far off line with actual sales. If your neighbor sold their house for $100k and your property was assessed for $200k, then you would challenge the assessment and you would achieve a major adjustment.
Property taxes are paid in arrears. In other words, taxes paid in 2008 are for 2007. Sales taxes are not. For better or worse it had to be done the way that it was done.
You should have a fairly good idea what the worst case scenario is. While there is a new assessment coming, it should not be very far from what your previous assessment is. Multiply by .015 and that will be the most that the new value should be.
The Indiana folk are fickle on this. On the one hand they yelled and screamed for property tax reform, but at the same time they decry any actual solution to the problem.