Surprise Sen. Bayh cares about property taxes

STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN JOHN CURLEY (Lake County)

ON SENATOR EVAN BAYH’S PROPERTY TAX PLAN



Senator Bayh can smell a tough re-election challenge coming. Just months after voting for President Obama’s massive stimulus bill that has yet to result in any measurable increase in jobs in the Hoosier State, Bayh is proposing to make a federal income tax deduction on property taxes permanent.



The timing of this recent push is intriguing considering the 2010 campaign is right around the corner. Residents of Lake County have long been hard hit by property tax increases and Senator Bayh has yet to support Governor Daniels’ wishes to make caps permanent. Instead of stumping around the state in a desperate push to up his re-election chances, Bayh should convince his fellow Democrats in the Indiana Legislature to allow an up-or-down vote on property tax legislation as soon they next convene. Even then it would be long overdue.