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Text Box: Celebrate Option Tax Day: Pledge to Vote Them Out! Effective October 1, the County Option Tax being taken out of your paychecks JUST DOUBLED. If you were one of the many citizens fighting this tax, you told your county elected officials that their own data showed they could balance their budget WITHOUT this tax increase. They had on-hand Rainy Day and CEDIT funds. Plus, Citizens for Common Sense showed at least two potential areas of savings adding up to millions, But no, the tax was rammed through first by South Bend’s Common Council (who, except for David Varner and Henry Davis, Jr., showed no regard for the pleas of county residents and who bought the Mayor’s threats that police and fire would be cut even though Federal money for police showed up mere days later), and then by the County Council (whose Council members claimed they needed to represent city residents even though state law says they were supposed to be representing only county residents for this vote). SO WHAT DO WE DO? HOLD A RALLY AND MAKE SURE THESE COUNCILMEN DO NOT GET RE-ELECTED

"Our Councils' Gift to Us" - The logo adorning the now popular “sea of red” T-shirts having made public appearance at the December 2008 option tax hearing is an image of a grinchly figure withdrawing money from the pocket of a sleeping taxpayer.Text Box: Don't Be Left Out! If you want to receive important news and last-minute updates: We need your e-mail address! We pledge to keep your e-mail address confidential. We never share the list. Our e-mails are sent “blank carbon copy” so no one sees your address and you don't see anyone else's. We send only urgent updates. You can remove your name any time. E-mail us today at CitizensforCommonSense@gmail.com to get on the list. If you're already on our mailing list, we just need an e-mail saying "Put me on the urgent update list." Text Box: Check out these Essays by local citizens: Excerpts from “Post Mortem” by Stephen Leykauf Where the Action Is by Barry Baumbaugh, Pres. Spending Disasters by Greg Burkowski Serving Up Pork by Tom Zmyslo, Sr. Votes Bought and Paid For by Kelly Havens Transpo Plans Don’t Add Up by Charles Spiher IF YOU CANNOT CLICK ON THE ABOVE ESAAYS, TRY INTERNET EXPLORER

Tax Backlash

RALLY

Thurs, Oct. 1, 2009 at 5:30pm

County-City Building

South Bend, IN

This is the day our County Option Tax

DOUBLES

and this is the day we vow to

VOTE THEM OUT!

 

Speakers! Leaflets! Bring Signs!

 

 

 

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Elections 2010

 

City and County Council members are up for re-election as follows:

     2010             Randy Przybysz -- County Council, Dist. A – voted FOR the tax

                         Corey Noland -- County Council, Dist. B – new, no comment on No vote

                         Dale DeVon -- County Council, Dist. C – voted AGAINST the tax

                                 Mark Catanzarite -- County Council, Dist. G – voted FOR the tax

                         Heath Weaver – County Council, Dist. H – voted FOR the tax

 

     2011             Mayor Luecke and all members of the South Bend Common Council

 

Text Box: Rethinking Redistricting


Secretary of State Todd Rokita has spoken out, calling for a reform in the way we will redistrict our state after the 2010 census.  Too many times in the past, districts have been gerrymandered by partisans looking to lock in candidates from their party.  Secretary Rokita’s approach would prohibit this, but it is up to US to make it happen!  Check out:

www.rethinkingredistricting.com

And when it’s time for St. Joe County to redo its County Council Districts, we need to be especially vigilant.  This is supposed to be conducted by VOTER REGISTRATION (not some single party official). How about public meetings along the way?  Full transparency!  It’s a year off, but plans need to be made now.  Stay tuned and keep watch!

Text Box: Vote Nov. 3 to Block New Transit Tax!


A special election will be held in our county on Nov. 3 because State Rep, Pat Bauer thought we and three other counties ought to form a new regional transport district to fund things like South Shore rail expansions and city bus systems (except Transpo).  Lake and Porter counties are taking the state to court over it.  St. Joe County estimates a cost of $30,000-$40,000 for this vote in an off year.

 

People, do we want another tax?  This District would be set up explicitly to impose another .25% option income tax on the residents of St. Joe County.  Shouldn’t South Shore expansions be funded by its commuters? And why should we pay for bus systems in Lake and Porter counties? Rumor has it that even the local Democratic leadership did not like this election until Pat Bauer “explained it” to them.

If you don’t like this idea, you need to grab your friends, neighbors, and relatives who live in St. Joe County and show up at the polls on November 3! 

 

The one item on the ballot will be this question:

“Shall there be created the Northern Indiana Regional Transportation District under IC 8-24 to provide a regional rail system serving Lake, Porter, LaPorte and St. Joseph counties, and regional bus public transport system serving Lake and Porter counties, with St. Joseph County becoming a member of the district.”            Yes          No

And:      Watch for announcements on WHERE to vote!

To save money (on an election that should not be happening), we will only be using some 20 polling places. Find your one-time pooled polling place and make sure you can get there and vote!
Text Box: For a PDF of the above flier, CLICK HERE