From the Mouths of Hoosiers, Ye Shall Learn the Truth

From the Journal-Courier..., in West Lafayette, IN, an article by T. Craig Ladwig, of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation.

It is in Indiana's geographic good fortune to be surrounded by some of the nation's highest-taxing, biggest-spending, most anti-business states.

But Indiana government, even during the recent Republican years, has become the enemy of economic growth, the enemy of its citizenry.

Cecil Bohonan, reviewing recent Statehouse decisions, makes clear that leaders in both legislative houses, abetted by an arrogant judiciary, protect a tax structure ruinous to our families', friends' and neighbors' fortunes.

Why? They have no concept beyond personal ambition of what they want to accomplish. They lack the political courage to risk that ambition even in the interest of what they know to be right.

Hard words. We chose them carefully. Our tipping point came last session when the Legislature, instead of passing a bill to finally cap taxation of private property at constitutionally prescribed levels, raised taxes -- on the very segment of our society that defines economic growth, business and industry.

Why a government becomes an enemy of its own people is a mystery that won't be solved here. We can only note that this nation's founding documents consider it a recurring challenge, that there are times when government must be ... yes, revolutionized is the right word.

ATSRTWT