There have been many absurd ideas proposed by government. This week has yielded yet another.
An Indiana county treasurer is asking the residents there to "pre-pay" their property taxes, without being given an amount to pay.
Boone county treasurer Mary Alice Baldwin is the gem that is responsible for this incredible brainwork.
In an interview with the Indianapolis Star, Baldwin said that the request was to avoid cash problems.
Apparently, the Indiana legislature has changed the manner in which property tax assessments are conducted. This is causing a bit of a headache for counties across the state, as they attempt to calculate individual tax bills.
Since there will be a delay in processing the bills, Baldwin worries that it will create a hardship for the schools, who would then have to borrow money.
Her answer to this crisis? Send out blank forms and allow the property owners to fill in there own amounts. She wants residents to pay what they paid the previous year.
And if they overpay? Well, I guess you have to trust Ms. Baldwin to notify you that you've overpaid and to refund your overpayment.
Nevermind the arguments that government has no business charging you rent on property you are supposed to own. Of course, such a levy amounts to extortion, as they will steal your land from you if you fail to pay their tax.
And nevermind the argument that the school systems are already over-funded and routinely waste money.
And the fact that it doesn't cost that much to educate children.
Baldwin's expectation that Boone County residents pay their property taxes in advance, is an exhibition of colossal government arrogance. It demonstrates the attitude that is so prevalent among government cronies today: That the money belongs to them, and that they are entitled to it.
Probably the most demonstrable example of Baldwin's arrogance is in the following paragraph from the Star article:
Besides the boost that advance payments could provide for schools, Baldwin said they also could benefit direct-pay homeowners who might otherwise spend their tax money while waiting for a bill.
In other words, you're too stupid to manage your own money. So let us at government house do the job for you. Just send it here, and we'll hold onto it for you and that way it will be safe from your wrecklessness.
If I were a resident of Boone county, I believe I would decline Ms. Baldwin's "offer." I believe I would also seek other alternative's to a county treasurer when election time comes, because this type of government arrogance is way too prevalent.
