Open Letter to Andrea Neal, Indianapolis Star

To Andrea Neal:

This is an open letter in response to your IndyStar column that suggested the sure fix for property tax is a constitutional amendment.

I know you mean well, but you could be very, very wrong. Please take a moment to read this editorial. In particular pay attention to the last part of the candidly written section that explains the problems with the constitutional change. These are problems your children and grandchildren will inherit should the amendment succeed. As a journalist, it is your ethical duty to present Hoosiers with a complete picture of the ramifications of something as serious as an amendment to our Constitution.

Politicians want to change the Indiana Constitution because the legislators are in a panic over the fact that much of the public is now aware that the taxing authorities are in violation of the law as written in Article 8 of the Indiana Constitution. Article 8 clearly states that school funds are to be levied by corporation taxes, not homeowner property tax. The state has illegally collected property tax to pay for schools for decades. Now many residents are filing the legal document to request a refund of all the property tax improperly collected for decades.

Essentially what the politicians are attempting to do is to legalize what they've been doing illegally to homeowners for decades.

When the question of the willful disregard for the Indiana Constitution Article 8 is brought up to legislators, it is never addressed. Instead they will flat out ignore the question.

I challenge you to find a legislator (other than the handful that publicly back repeal) who will talk candidly and on the record about Article 8.

Sincerely,
Melyssa Donaghy
Indianapolis