Harnessing darkness to our advantage

I read something today about darkness in a rather esoteric book I'm devouring written several years ago that foreshadows what is happening now in our government. It suggested that the darkness we see in action by our politicians can be harnessed as a tool for The People. Yep, you read that right. Their darkness can be a tool.

As the darkness gets larger, it crowds the Light into a smaller and smaller space. In effect it can condense the Light into a laser light effect if you choose to think of it that way.

Unknowingly, Indy's political activists started playing with this technique in 2007. I'm quite sure we can perfect it.

Think of them, those elite buggers, as our prey under the concentrated condensed light of a magnifying glass, with their darkness making our power possible.

Meditate on that!

Indy Tax Dollars Warns: "MORE TOXIC BALONEY"

I'm starting to believe that the Pacers bailout will not see the light of day, but only because the economy sucks and taxpayers are struggling. That doesn't mean we should let down our guard for a minute.

But for the relentless blogging of guys like Gary Welsh of Advance Indiana, Paul Ogden of Ogden on Politics, and Fed McCarthy of Indy Tax Dollars, we might have this nightmare shoved down our throats and be forced to swallow. So far, The People are not swallowing. Geez, are there more than a couple politicians in this town who recognize they are our public servants?

You gotta read Fred McCarthy, a 1948 IU grad and tax blogger, has to say to the elites who think our pockets are theirs for the picking. It is priceless and it is here.

God Bless You, Fred. Keep the heat on!

Ryan Vaughn, City Council President to meet for coffee

Ryan Vaughn has extended the invite to join us for coffee this Wednesday June 16th for coffee to talk about the water utility transfer and other matters involving our money.

We're meeting at Henry's on East Street (Mass Ave district) at 9:30 am.

Drop me an email if you want to join us.

Free Talk Live hosts on Alex Jones radio

You could say I'm old school Alex Jones. I first watched his videos after a batch of homemade copies arrived by UPS one day in 2003. Back then that's how the word got around. People would duplicate the copyright free videos and pass them along to people they thought had minds open enough to hear the truth. My videos were sent to me by a guy I met while volunteering at the Libertarian table at a gun show in northern Indiana. I'm very thankful to him for that.

Now Alex Jones is big time. He's made countless videos and runs one of the country's largest alternative news networks, InfoWars.com The MSM picks on him. I'm sure he has a bigger audience than MSNBC, but then who doesn't these days? In my opinion he's the best out there and I mostly agree with his take on world events...that it's controlled to literally make us slaves.

Anyway, recently the hosts of Free Talk Live did a segment with Jones and discussed immigration. Interestingly, the FTL live guys are for open borders and make a good case for their views. Listen

FROM INFOWARS:
Alex talks with Ian Freeman and Mark Edge of the libertarian political talk show Free Talk Live broadcast from Keene, New Hampshire. Free Talk Live is part of the Free State Project, an effort to get at least 20,000 libertarian-leaning people to move to New Hampshire in order to make the state a stronghold for libertarian ideas. Bob Chapman of The International Forecaster checks in with his regular Friday economic news update. Alex covers the news and takes your calls.

Listen Now Windows Media

2010 Indiana local government spending is down $3 billion from 2009

This is the "wish" budget local governments submit to the state for funding
Adopted Budget History 2006-2010

This is the budget the state approves for each local government
Certified Budget History 2006-2010

Under the Daniels administration local government spending significantly decreased. Here's the big picture.

2006: $16.5 billion
2007: $17.1 billion
2008: $17.7 billion
2009: $17.8 billion
2010: $14.7 billion

I'm not sure exactly how much property tax was saved as a result of our activism which caused the legislature to lower property tax. My guess is we saved citizens about $800,000 to $1 billion off their property tax bills. A big portion of reduced spending is the result of declining income and sales tax revenues due to the economy.

For a long time I felt like we didn't win because we did not get repeal of property tax. However I believe had we not been relentless in our push for repeal of property tax, government spending would be higher than it is today, and citizens would keep less of their money. While I am happy there is a move in the right spending direction, we still need to do more.

HFFT welcomes help in the analysis of the data which is now published by the State of Indiana.

Together, we are making a difference.

Melyssa to do one hour guest segment on Free Talk Live - Saturday nite @ 7pm

WHAT: Melyssa gives one hour guest interview & takes calls from listeners
WHERE: WXNT AM 1430 – Free Talk Live – national syndicated radio
WHEN: Tomorrow June 12^th @ 7pm to 8pm

My background on Free Talk Live: I was first on Free Talk Live in 2006 as part of a show theme on zoning thugs around the country who encroach the legal rights and liberties of citizens because my legal home based business was targeted by Indy’s mayor in the media.

What happened since the 2006 interview with Free Talk Live:
In 2006 and 2007 I spanked city hall in the media and in municipal court and forced the city to drop it’s lawsuit against me. The experience led me to pursue an education on the workings of politics and our local government. I took up volunteer work with the Fair Tax and the Indiana Libertarian Party.

By 2007, I founded and helped to lead the property tax protest movement and Indiana Tea Parties that received extensive local and a bit of national media.

In November 2007, we ousted the well-funded incumbent mayor in the biggest mayoral election upset in the country and replaced him with an unknown outsider.

In December 2007, I was awarded a “Sammie”, the Sam Adams Alliance National Tea Party Prize of $5,000 (and a cool Sam Adams bobble head).

By 2008 and 2009, we forced the state legislature to take action on property tax increases and local government spending.

And in 2010 our efforts led to $3.1 billion annual spending reduction by local governmentand lowered our property tax bills throughout Indiana. Today, Indiana’s local governments spend about 20% less in 2010 than they did in 2006. See 2010 certified budget report from Indiana Department of Local Government Spending.

I am doing the interview to help illustrate by my experience what regular people can do to change how their government behaves. I hope people will take courage and action when they feel the nudge that they can do something to make it better right from our own backyards.

Ryan Vaughn, City Council President Responds to my open letter

Give the man credit. Ryan Vaughn is our city council president and he's forthcoming with communication and invites us "little people" to a regular informal meeting with very people who disagree with his ethical position.

(The "little people" thing is my emphasis, not Ryan's)

Coffee is a whole lot more intimate than a town hall and shows more courage than the cowardly democrats in Congress are willing to do these days for their constituents. Agree or disagree, it shows some moxy and I respect the initiative.

I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to arrange a date to meet the man for coffee and see what can be done about making it a regular Friday habit. We have absolutely nothing to lose by not showing up except for a bit of time and a couple bucks for some coffee.

I'll never agree, however, that his voting on any matter that involves the purse of Barnes & Thornburg is not a conflict of interest to our citizens. Nor will I ever concede that it makes sense to take out 30 year bonds on capital improvements designed to last 10 years.
--Melyssa for HFFT

CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT RYAN VAUGHN'S RESPONSE TO MY OPEN LETTER:
Melyssa,

I'm not sure I track your analogy. Regardless, I've explained this 100 times. I do not have a conflict, legal or Council. We can continue to debate the issue if you like, but I don't think you'll ever be convinced of my analysis nor I of yours.

As to whether or not people are angry with me, well, I try to do the right thing regardless of what people think. Its those politicians whose actions are controlled by polls and popular opinion that you ought to be worried about, not the ones exercising their own judgment.

The threat of losing an election or having someone use something against me is no threat at all to me. I've never backed away from someone who has accused me of wrongdoing and I wouldn't do it here. I don't hide from conflict, its only my accusers who have thus far lacked the courage to debate the issue. That fact is, I'm doing exactly what I was elected to do.

As for the merits of the bond deal, I have a question for you. Do you know how much our infrastructure deferred maintenance grows with every month we do not address it? If the cost of that number were greater than than bond financing and repair of the "new" infrastructure, would only a mental midget vote against it? Look at the whole picture, not just the snap shot of the bond and it makes perfect sense.

Still waiting on dates for those coffees.

Best New Indy Blog

I am addicted. You will be too if you have not found it already!

Indy's Political Stock Exchange

I have yet to learn who is behind this masterpiece. Doesn't matter. It is more clever and non-partisan than Indy Undercover ever was and will be just as politically important in the next mayoral and city council races.

Mark my words

--Melyssa for HFFT

Open Letter To Ryan Vaughn, City Council President

Egads! I'm back from nearly a year hiatus. I'm semi-healed from my disgust and anger at the immorality of our local political climate, but I feel guilty watching Paul Ogden and Gary Welsh carry the lions share of the non-partisan blogging work in this town. I'll never be the powerhouses that they are, but I will try to add to what I can from the perspective of a woman who loves Indiana and her people and who seeks to see justice and the rule of law applied equally to all and who will never seek to personally profit from the taxpayer coffers.

Back in the heady days of our property tax protests of 2007 led by yours truly, the activists behind the Indiana Voters League endorsed Ryan Vaughn for City Council. Vaughn was elected and then promptly hired by Barnes & Thornburg, who it is said from both sides of the aisle, today run our city with our "People's Mayor", Greg Ballard as their puppet Mayor.

Thereafter accepting a top city law firm associate position, Vaughn was anointed City Council President. It appears the consensus to appoint him city council president was because he'll carry the water for his employer who stands to reap great sums of money if certain public decisions benefit the clients of Barnes & Thornburg, especially the city water utility transfer and the Indiana Pacers billionaire bailout, both clients of his new employer.

Ryan Vaughn and I have exchanged several emails over the past few months and I give him major credit for being forthcoming in his willingness to communicate with us.

Recently, Ryan suggested a weekly coffee meeting for activists on Fridays. We have yet to set up anything solid, but like Ryan, I'm open to meeting. I am open despite the fact that I think his employment creates many conflicts of interest in terms of his ability to vote without prejudice on any matter that involves a client or financial interest of his employer, Barnes & Thornburg law firm.

I sent the following email to Ryan today. I haven't heard back yet, but I hope it will be the start of an open dialogue about the ethical lines our city's citizen employers expect from our elected leadership. It is our responsiblity to show up if we are going to bend our city's leadership to do our will. I intend to jump back to this game for a time in effort to hold our politicians accountable and I hope you'll join me.
--Melyssa for HFFT

OPEN LETTER TO RYAN VAUGHN, CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Greetings Ryan,

If I sat on city council and there was a vote that had to do with Angie's List, but not necessarily involving my particular job or my advertising clients, I would not be able to vote on the council matter without prejudice toward my employer. Nor would I ever want to be in a position where I had to place a vote that ran against the interests of my employer in order to do what the people I represented wanted me to do.

I'm not sure how you you rationalize your involvement on the water company transfer, but it will be used against you. Everyone I know is angry you have not recused yourself from involvement in this matter.

Also, I'm not sure how you rationalize putting utility customers in a trick bag that forces them pay 30 year bond interest on projects designed for 10 year life span, but that doesn't even make sense to a mental midget.

I appreciate you wanting to meet for coffee. I really do. And I'll meet with you. But these are philosophical positions grounded in morality and common sense. And you are violating them.

You still have time to get off this unethical path.

Melyssa