To the Editor:
Where are the Tea Party protests against President Obama and the Democrats’ “borrowing and spending” on Hendricks County earmarks? The Democrat $787 billion stimulus plan has invested a minimum $11,000,000 in several Hendricks County corporate welfare projects including the Ronald Reagan Parkway (three earmarks), Brownsburg sewage treatment, Plainfield streetscape and water, Dan Jones resurface, and Avon and Danville schools (Hendricks County Flyer 4/11/09, 5/02/09, 6/27/09, 1/27/10 and 2/20/10); in addition to some I probably missed and with more earmarks coming in future months.
Without federal stimulus spending in Hendricks County, local taxes would have continued to increase to pay for these projects since they are necessary because of population, housing, traffic, and business growth. The projects should have been funded by impact fees that were seldom collected (disregarding state law IC 36-7-4-1300) by corporate welfare kings in Republican politically controlled local government. Instead, the corporate welfare kings have relied on President Obama and the Democrats for a “bail out” like the banks while keeping their profits and bonuses that tax abatement, tax increment financing, tax credits, tax grants, etc. have provided as poverty wage jobs were created that pay insufficient local taxes necessary for schools, police, fire, and infrastructure.
Brent Pittman
Brownsburg
