ZCS Stock Tip for Granny - Chow Down

Pssst...hey buddy, I gotta stock tip for ya.

Want to know how the proposed Zionsville referendum will affect the stock market if it passes?

Bow wow. My money is on dog food. Huh? Dog what?

Over the past few weeks, referendum cheerleaders have been whooping it up - ZCS-Yes shirts popping up all over town, ZCS-Yes logos on school newsletters/website, school board-member sponsored email chains flying about why the town needs it, and little Johnny is telling Mommy why he'll be devastated when Mrs. Jones his favorite teacher has to leave. It's exhausting.

And, more serial disingenuousness - that science and art classes will be cut - all contrary to state law that requires it.

The cheerleader-set even has told citizens exactly how little the referendum will cost - only $480 per year on a $300,000 assessed home once all deductions are taken. (There is a handy referendum tax calculator by the way.)

But here's the rub - the taxpayer's "cost" is after all deductions are taken. That's implying everyone gets them. The main ones are the homestead deduction, and the mortgage deduction.

If you rent, you don't get a deduction and your landlord will pass the cost on to you. If you don't have a mortgage, you don't get the deduction either.

According to the census bureau, fully 19.4% of Zionsville's citizens don't have a mortgage. And 18.4% of our citizens are over age 55 - they are retired and likely don't have children in the schools. In all honesty, a large portion of our population will pay more than what is advertised by the cheerleaders. Don't forget, these residents are largely on a fixed income.

So, gird your loins Granny: Thanks for living here all your life, for your efforts making our community so wonderful, for volunteering in the schools when Susie was little, and pioneering some of the programs.

But, now your toast. Make way for the big spenders. We need bigger cooler things than what got you by in your day, and they are going to get more expensive. Sorry your barely making it now and you can't afford to live here anymore. So hey, here's a thought...maybe you could cut back on your grocery bills by eating dog food. It's pretty healthy stuff. Folks did it during the Depression. Come on, it's for the kiddies.

Dog food futures are sure to go up. Woof.

PS. Remember what Josephine told the French - let them eat dog food.

Slick Ads, Slick Talk...Higher Taxes

Remember 2007 when an upstart quartet ran for the Zionsville Town Council?

Remember those slick mailers that arrived in your mailboxes promising change?

Under that mantra, Matt Price, Michelle Barrett, Tim Haak and Mark Plassman promised `"our property taxes will go down.''

One of Price's mailings stated, `"Zionsville taxpayers don't have a say in many of the decisions that affect our school district - and our tax bill. On the council, Matt will take a proactive approach to controlling growth, giving us a voice in the decisions that affect our schools and our wallets.'' That sentiment was also echoed in the Times Sentinel's Candidate questionnaire.

Well folks, 60-80 percent of your Zionsville tax bill goes to the Zionsville Community School district. (Check out your property taxes here.)

And yes, the Town Council has no control over school spending.

But, with a referendum looming in November for the school district to increase taxes 29.5 cents on each $100 of assessed value, where is the Town Council? Not a peep, nary a discouraging word, na da about what could be a whopping extra $1,000 in taxes on a home valued at $300,000.

One would think that the Price administration would take a stand on the referendum if it were really concerned about taxes as they appeared to be in 2007. Could it be that the schools are fodder for the development industry, which dumped thousands of dollars into the campaigns of Price et al? Don't bite the hand that fed us. After all, there are empty schools to fill up.

It's a given that good schools attract people. Zionsville's schools are among the best in the state, so folks with children keep coming, new homes and multi-family housing go up, and who bears the burden? Look in the mirror.

And, where is the Price administration as Zionsville's school debt approaches $240 million? His council is focusing on major issues - $50,000 for a new town logo; $30,000 for a new town website; $20,000 for an annual report, and it goes on and on. And, don't forget the weeds on Main Street.

One would think that the more affluent Zionsville residents have money trees in those spacious well-groomed yards. There seems of be an apathy about the referendum, except for those backing the school referendum - the school administration's controlled lackies and its well-oiled propaganda machine.

Don't say that Zionsville Confidential didn't sound the warning bell when the tax bill rolls around and you wonder where the money went.