Disqus - Latest Comments for bigfreezer

Re: Livin’ Large in Las Vegas, NV

bigfreezer — Tue, 12 Apr 2016 23:05:07 -0000

Sounds like you made the rounds pretty darn well. You hit the spots we love to visit when we are there. We are planning on being there for the month of October this year. The Summerlin area is a nice visit. Out by Red Rock Casino. Some good eats and cool scenery out that way. If you have never gone up Mt Charleston it is a great trip with some cool hiking.

Re: Governor Daniels on emergency economic reform

bigfreezer — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 11:22:58 -0000

I think Gov. Daniels is starting to sound more and more like a 2012 Presidential candidate. I for one would eagerly support an effort to get him elected. Guiding Indiana through the "worst economy since the great depression" and maintaining our fiscal stability is just the CEO experience we need in Washington.

Re: The coffee creek saga

bigfreezer — Tue, 25 May 2010 10:13:38 -0000

Well, I wasn't living in the region when this development was planned and started to build out, but I can tell you I now live in a New Urbanist style development in NW Indiana and I truly enjoy living in that type of area. We are a long way from ever having what Coffee Creek could or should already have, but the style of living can be great. Local builders can and should do the construction.

I am not a real estate guy like many of your readers, but it would seem to me that Coffee Creek still would have viability if the right person, with the right vision, could take hold of the project for the right price.

Re: Predictions Please

bigfreezer — Mon, 03 May 2010 10:32:36 -0000

I am afraid the Coats name recognition state wide will be too much to overcome. I would say Coats wins the Senate primary, here are my predictions:

Senate: Coats
US Rep: Pastore
House 19: Klein
Porter Council 1: Tracy

Re: Not a bad year 2009 in Porter County

bigfreezer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:28:24 -0000

Well it certainly has been a good year. Plus you didn't mention the town of Burns Harbor coming together to create a new Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance. Believe me that was an accomplishment in cooperation. (Sorry for the self serving plug).

Unused TARP monies should be utilized to lower the deficit. Pragmatic budgeting types would tell you that this is not "found money" rather it is money that as it turns out wasn't needed for it's intended purpose. Hence, it should not be used for another purpose, it should be put back as to not increase our deficit.

I think the Stimulus money should be reduced. At this point I believe those controlling the purse strings will be using it to try and influence 2010 elections rather than truly stimulating the economy. I think well defined infrastructure projects, such as a Chicago to St Louis or Cleveland, high speed rail project makes sense. Bridge and road repair makes sense. But I am afraid this is going to turn into one giant pork barrel.

Healthcare reform is needed, but I think it should focus on insurance reform, tort reform, and not expanding entitlement programs. Dropping an already struggling Medicare program's minimum age to 55 sounds great, but I don't see how it can ever be paid for.

Terrorists are criminals of war and should be tried in front of a war tribunal, not in our legals system. Why in the world are giving foreign nationals, captured during the execution of a war, the constitutional rights of a US citizen? This makes no sense to me and is utterly absurd. We also should continue to utilize Cuba as a detention facility. Why does the Obama administration believe Thomson Illinois will be any less of a recruiting tool than Gitmo. The reality the Dems don't seem to accept is that we are still at war! Treat these people as the combatants they are, not citizens with constitutional rights.

Surge!

Re: State will help finance mergers

bigfreezer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:21:01 -0000

I agree that service mergers should be discussed, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. The powers that be in the three Duneland governments probably will not get together to seriously discuss merging services. It would probably be political suicide in Burns Harbor to even suggest meeting. Diluting the tax revenue from ArcelorMittal among the three communities would not be a popular idea. I am not sure Porter would be interested in merging services either. A merger would most certainly result in a loss of power for local council members.

Re: Obamas Health Care Speech: A Matter Of Opinion Critique

bigfreezer — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:56:10 -0000

I think many of your comments above hit the nail on the head. President Obama needs to stop campaigning and start leading. I think we certainly need insurance reform, tort reform, and cost reductions in our healthcare system. The problem I see is President Obama's own congress is not going to stick to the points he outlined in his speech. They will add so much other junk to the bill, that it will quickly become a bloated monstrosity resulting in higher costing, poorer delivered healthcare. Instead of a comprehensive reform, why can't we bite off one piece at a time. Let's start with insurance reform. Open the markets, allow groups to band together for purchasing power, and add regulations regarding pre-existing conditions, and required coverage. As part of insurance reform you need to address malpractice and tort reforms. Don't touch medicare yet, although it is grossly in need of reform. Don't add in a public option at this point. The reality is the public option would end up managed by a third party with experience just as Medicare and Medicaid is today.

Re: Is Trending the Best Way to Figure Property Tax Values?

bigfreezer — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 10:31:49 -0000

Well, it is probably worse than you think, I only used 1.5% in my example as 1/2 a hypothetical 3% CPI. In theory, the actual increase could be any number, as it is 1/2 of the CPI. So if we are in inflationary times, as I expect we will be in the next 24 months and the CPI is 6%, property taxes would rise by 3% at the next recording period. My thinking here is to try and keep State government in line with the actual economy, if prices are not rising that fast, neither would state income, if we have severe inflation, typically squeezing state government, then the income would rise more dramatically. This also would make the process very transparent, so that property owners could more easily forecast the savings required to pay their property taxes.

Personally I think trending is a failed method that should be abandoned immediately. If the last 2 years has taught us anything, it is that you can't accurately predict property values. Besides the reality is my property is only worth what I can sell if for at a given time when I need or want to liquidate my holding. I say reset the base value at each setting and then peg increases to an agreed upon, commonly accepted, value that reflects what is happening to property owners dollars. The CPI seems to be the most appropriate calculation for that, but I would be open to suggestions of another value if there is another idea.

Re: Is Trending the Best Way to Figure Property Tax Values?

bigfreezer — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:08:01 -0000

Well, I agree with both Brad's post and the 1st comment in some areas. What we are currently attempting to do is not working, that being "trending". Furthermore, taxing property on Market Value can ONLY be determined at such a point that there is a transaction on the property. An arbitrary percentage increase, although reasonable on the surface, raises very tricky issues down the line. Say a property doesn't sell for 25 years, then the taxes you are collecting will be grossly below "Market Value". Also, it would have to be a constitutional ammendment capping the percentage at 1% or future politicians would have a field day playing with that number. I can see it already, "temporary" increases in the % rate to "catch up" with a hot housing market in Hamilton or Lake County, or across the board temporary increases to 1.5% "just until the State digs out of this hole". Notice what unelected Governor Pat Quinn is doing with income taxes next door.

It would seem to me that there are probably numerous calculation methods, but what about a crazy idea like valuing any property at the time it sells, then using a calculated number like the CPI as your % increase each year. That being said, I would say 1/2 the CPI seems reasonable and fair. So for example if a property sells for $100,000 that is the taxable value, your tax could be 1.5% of the sale price ($1,500 in this example), then your tax bill follows 1/2 the CPI each year at a date the legislature determines, say April 15th. Whatever the most recently published CPI is, (3%/year on average), take 1/2 that percentage and increase the property value by that much and calculate the tax at 1.5% of the new value. So to finish my example a $100,000 home, given a 3% CPI, would have a $101,500 taxable value the year following the initial sale, leading to a new tax of $1,522.50. This way State government could easily forecast property tax revenue, bills would be simple for EVERYONE to calculate as long as they know the original sale price of THEIR property, and increases (and possibly decreases) are actually based on market conditions.

Seem reasonable?