Watchdog Indiana Topics Index

Candidate Information:
2010 General Elections.
2010 Contested Primary Elections.
2008 General Elections.
2008 Contested Primary Elections.
Indiana General Assembly Candidate Questionnaires for the November 2, 2004, General Election, May 4, 2004, Primary Election, November 5, 2002, General Election, and the May 7, 2002, Primary Election.
Prior Candidate Ratings for prior General Assembly candidates starting with the 2006 primary election.

Consumer Price Index

Elected Representatives Information (for the Indiana General Assembly):
Go to http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/ to identify your State Representative and State Senator.
Indiana General Assembly & Governor Ratings (data is included that identifies General Assembly members as Taxpayer Friendly, Taxpayer UNfriendly, POLITICAL HOG, or Uncertain, and contact information is included).
Legislative Voting Record (on important 2002-10 General Assembly bills that relate to state revenues, spending, and long-term debt assumption).
Perpetual Pay Increase.
2009-2010 General Assembly Observations (observations regarding the historic 116th General Assembly by Taxpayer Friendly legislators).

Gas Tax Increase (2002 General Assembly House Bill 1317).

Indiana Colleges And Universities: 2000 Versus 1997 Revenues Comparison.

Indiana State Finances:
State Cash Revenue Data (1987-2005 Revenues by Source).
State Cash Spending Data (1987-2005 Expenditures by Function).
State Long-Term Bonded Debt Data (1997-2002 State Bonded Debt).
Statistical Calculations (2002 Versus 1997 State Statistics).
Selected State & Local Revenue Data (1996-2002).

Letters To The Editor Via E-mail: Contact information for 148 newspapers throughout Indiana (including E-mail addresses or online forms for 138 newspapers).

Lobbyist Influence:
House Republican Leader Ethics Complaint (Ways and Means Committee Assignments Based On Campaign Contributions).
Selected Indiana House Democrat Caucus Contributions.
House Speaker Ethics Complaint (House Duties NOT Faithfully and Impartially Discharged to Block Constitutional Property Tax Caps).

Local Indiana Governments:
Factfinding Checklist.
Local Government Reform (Watchdog Indiana has taken a position on each key local government reform bill considered by the 2009 General Assembly).
Local Tax Increases (Informed Watchdogs must vigorously oppose efforts by local governments for more flexibility to levy income, sales, and other taxes under the guise of property tax relief).

Pertinent Quotes

Political Organizations In Indiana: Links to 36 advocacy and party organizations.

Population Data: City Of Lebanon; Center Township; Boone County; State Of Indiana.

Property Tax:
2008 House Bill 1001 (a comprehensive property tax relief bill that phases in legislative property tax caps by 2010 and increases the statewide sales tax from 6% to 7%).
2008 Property Tax Legislation Testimonies (24 Watchdog Indiana public hearing testimonies to 5 General Assembly committees on 11 bills and 4 resolutions).
Accurate Property Tax Math.
Betrayal & Incompetence 2002-2007 (statewide summary information is provided to show the effects of General Assembly and Governor actions on homeowner property taxes).
Constitutional Amendment: 2010 Education Teams.
Constitutional Property Tax Caps: 2009 Discussion Panels.
General Assembly Property Tax Legislation (key property tax legislation from 2002 to the present is analyzed).
Homeowner Property Tax Effects.
Inventory Tax Credit Program (Benefits, Key Provisions, Cost and Payment, Indiana Senate Bill 485, Model Local Government Resolution).
Petition and Remonstrance.
Property Tax Assessment Issues.
Property Tax Caps (Senate Joint Resolution 1)
Property Tax Caps: How They Operate.
Property Tax Caps K-12 Schools Impact.
Property Tax Caps Municipal Impact.
Property Tax Caps: Referendum Implications.
Property Tax Deferral Program (Benefits, Key Provisions, Cost and Payment, Indiana House Bill 1374).
Property Tax Replacement (Jeff Thompson Property Tax Replacement Plan, Indiana House Bill 1548).
Property Tax Relief Impact (Jeff Thompson Property Tax Replacement Plan Impact).
Senate Joint Resolution 1 TV Ads (Support Constitutional Property Tax Caps).
"Stories" (effects of reassessment on individual homeowners).
Top Twenty Reasons to support the Constitutional Amendment (November 2, 2010, statewide referendum).

Public Access Laws: Indiana's Handbook On Public Access Laws; Public Access Counselor; Public Records Access Sample Letter; Public Records And Public Meetings (Indiana Code). Watchdog Indiana E-mail Update #111801. Watchdog Indiana E-mail Request #111901. Watchdog Indiana E-mail Update #111901.

Public (K-12) Schools:
Homework Enhances Learning Potential (H.E.L.P.).
Public Schools (K-12) Spending.

Research Sites: Government research is made easier by links to 35 helpful web sites.

Tax & Budget Plans 2009-2011
Taxpayer Friendly Budget Template 2009-2011
Governor Special Session Budget 2009-2011
Senate & House Special Session Budgets 2009-2011
Final Special Session Budget 2009-2011

Tax & Budget Plans 2005-2007:
Taxpayer Friendly Budget 2005-07.
Indiana 2005 House Bills 1001 & 1120.
Structural Deficit & Delayed Payments.
Governor's Budget 2005-07.
Indiana House of Representatives Budget 2005-07.

Tax & Budget Plans 2003-2005:
Taxpayer Friendly Budget 2003-05.
State Budget Plans 2003-05.
"Energize Indiana".

Tax & Budget Plans 2001-03:
Property Tax Relief And Business Tax Restructuring Solutions.
Budget Shortfall Solutions.
Individuals Versus Business Tax Splits for House Bill 1001 (SS) (1) as passed by the Indiana General Assembly on June 22, 2002, (2) as amended by the Senate Finance Committee on June 13, 2002, (3) as passed by the Indiana House of Representatives on June 6, 2002, and (4) as changed by the May 22, 2002, House GOP compromise plan. Message sent by Senate District 21 primary voters to Senate Republicans when they elected Jeff Drozda over Steve Johnson. "Bloated budget needs no taxes" letter to The Lebanon Reporter editor.

Taxation Effects: Myrtle Bailey's Boone County Christmas Toy Drive. Percent of Students Receiving Free Lunches/Textbooks. Indiana Sales Tax. INSPIRE Indiana Virtual Library. Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. STATS Indiana (Monthly Labor Force Estimates). Tax and Accounting Sites Directory.

Taxpayer Associations In Indiana: Association of Monroe County Taxpayers. CAFRman.com. Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana. Citizens For Fiscal Responsibility & Accountability (New Albany). Citizens of Delaware County for Property Tax Repeal. Common Cause Indiana. Concerned Citizens of Johnson County. COUNT US! (County Under New Terrain I-69). Fairness In Taxation Project (The Mantooth Report). Fight for a Fair Property Tax (Lake County). Hoosier Project. Hoosier Property Tax Reform Alliance. Hoosier Taxpayers Network. Hoosiers For Fair Taxation. Indiana Tea Party. Indiana Voters League. Kankakee River Property Rights Taskforce. League of Women Voters of Montgomery County. Miller Citizens Corporation. Monroe County Taxpayers Association. Muncie Association of Concerned Taxpayers (MuncieACT.org). Stop Taxing Our Property. Taxpayers Association of Vigo County, Inc. Taxpayers for Accountability in Government. Team Hammond Taxpayer's Group.

Transportation Issues:
Interstate 69 Information:The I-70 / US 41 route is preferable to the proposed new terrain interstate.
"Major Moves"

Watchdog Comments: Watchdogs throughout Indiana express their ideas on a variety of subjects.

Watchdog Indiana Chapter: Watchdog Lebanon.

Watchdog Indiana Legislative Agendas
2009: Fifteen Indiana General Assembly bills that have the potential to significantly impact good government.
2010: Twenty-one Indiana General Assembly bills that have the potential to significantly impact good government.

Watchdog Indiana Home Page