IF IT’S NOT BROKEN-DON’T FIX IT

IF IT’S NOT BROKEN-DON’T FIX IT

By George Lumley

If it is “NOT BROKEN” then “DON’T FIX IT”.  That short phrase says a lot.  I believe in it strongly.  Yes, we need to adjust for the times and change things for the better occasionally; however, the government is always trying to fix what ain’t broken.  Yes, even the local government, CITY/COUNTY, is often trying to fix what is not broken for the benefit of those (special interest) claiming it needs to be fixed.

If it “IS BROKEN” then by all means “DO FIX IT”; however that doesn’t happen.  Yes, you heard me right. Something is broken but they (city/county officials) do not want to fix it.  Why you ask?  Well I don’t know but maybe you can help me figure this out over the next few months.  I suspect it is because there are special interest that are getting in the way of what is right for everyone’s best interest.

The tax sale process in Indiana was Broken.  In Evansville there was even a cry to stop the tax sale because it was contributing to the Blight.  The C & P even had a series to embarrass the people living in the blighted structures that had ties to the tax sale.  While Evansville seemingly did nothing to fix the problem the rest of the state worked on a solution. Legislation to improve the process was passed in 2012, 2013, and 2014.  The 2014 legislation hit a little snag but the legislators quickly hammered that out in early 2015 and made it retroactive to January 1, 2015 for those forward thinking local governments that wanted the latest and best fixes to the problem. Now while all this was going on around the state, Evansville leaders turned a blind eye and deaf ear.  I suspect this was not because they were ignorant of the problem or the legislation to fix it, but because the legislation was not serving their special interest.  I will present facts over the next few months and you can reach your own conclusion.

I want to be positive and need your help in steering our officials in fixing the problem.  With this in mind I am happy to announce the launch the “Let’s Fix That Tax Sale” series of essays.  Oh, and there will be video. Please blog and comment positively to bring the problem to light.

This is going to be a positive series without the negativity and put downs presented by the C & P in their “who owns that” series.  We will be covering the tax sale on Monday not to humiliate people and frame them as stupid but to present the real issues of the tax sale.  Unlike the C & P, we will not be advocating to stop the tax sale, but to implement available provisions in state law to make the tax sale work for everyone’s best interest.  The essays and video will present individual tax sale properties, associated people, issues and positive solutions on how to make the tax sale process work for everyone’s best interest.

Please read my first in the series “Lets Fix That Tax Sale” here on the CCO Monday morning.  It will detail some of the upcoming content and your feedback will help mold each essay.  See you Monday.

By George Lumley