Rep. Hinkle Authors Resolution for Ben Davis Girls Basketball

Last Week Rep. Phil Hinkle (R-Indianapolis) and the House of Representatives passed House Concurrent Resolution 55, a measure he authored to honor the Ben Davis High School girls basketball team and its victorious run to the state’s 4A championship.

“The Ben Davis High School girls basketball team had an outstanding year, exemplifying teamwork and synergy throughout their undefeated season,” said Rep. Hinkle. “The 30-win season achieved this year is an extraordinary achievement, and a first for Indiana girls basketball.”

“In addition to being champions on the basketball court these girls are also academic all-stars. The team average GPA is 3.3 and all four seniors are continuing their educations after their days at Ben Davis are over.”

Rep. Hinkle, a former teacher at Ben Davis High School, authored the resolution to highlight the citizenship and cooperation among the team. The resolution states, among other things, that:

“Whereas, the No. 1-ranked Ben Davis High School girls basketball team won the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s Class 4A girls basketball state championship with a 71-69 victory over South Bend Washington;

“Whereas, the Giants finished their season ranked No. 1 nationally in USA Today, second by Maxpreps.com and RivalsHigh, and second by ESPN Rise; …”

Rep. Hinkle was joined on the floor of the Indiana House of Representatives by members of the team. After passage in the House the resolution moved through Senate where it passed unanimously.

Rep. Hinkle congratulated Coach Stan Benge for being named the Naismith National Coach of the Year.

Rep. Hinkle Cautions Public of Stimulus Scams

With the media all abuzz with talk of the federal stimulus money at stake, it comes as no surprise that scam artists have taken opportunity of the multi-billion dollar payout and its ability to grab hopeful consumers’ attention. Headlines have appeared on various media outlets claiming President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden will give anyone free money through grants included in the stimulus package. The ads consist of personal testimonials explaining how easy it was to pay off mortgages and other debts with money acquired from the stimulus. The Federal Trade Commission is advising consumers that any promise of stimulus money in return for a fee or financial information is a scam.

Stimulus scams can be spotted in more ways than one, and the FTC suggests these tips to protect you in the future:

When a gimmick says it’s free, it should be free. So, when you’re told you’ll receive your money, as long as you include a $1.99 processing fee, don’t do it. This is a ploy scam artists use to collect your information, bury hidden catches in fine print, and further charge you expensive fees if your membership is not canceled.
Never, ever give out your bank account information. Some scammers use this as a means to “deposit” your check. The next thing you know, your bank account could be emptied, or new ones could be opened using your information.
Some of the stimulus scams are online promotions that ask you to click on a link, open an attachment, or call a toll-free number. These online scams have serious potential to install harmful spyware software on your computer.
Ignore or delete any message offering stimulus money in exchange for your personal information. Also ignore any claim by rebate companies to have stimulus money for you.
The Internal Revenue Service will never send an e-mail asking for your personal information. If you do receive an e-mail claiming to be from the IRS requesting your personal information, forward it to phishing@irs.gov, then delete it immediately without clicking any links or opening any attachments.
There is no fee to apply for a government grant. If you want to check out a free list of government grants, go to www.grants.gov.

For more information, visit www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/alerts/alt125.shtm .

Time is ticking away to vote on property tax caps this session

The Indiana House of Representatives has until the April 15 third-readingdeadline for the House to consider Senate bills and to vote on giving Hoosiers permanent property tax cap protection by voting the property tax caps into the state constitution. The Indiana Senate, by an overwhelming and bipartisan majority, approved the caps and now the measure is awaiting action in the House. I am concerned that if the caps are not voted on this session, the likelihood of Hoosiers having the opportunity to vote to make the caps permanent next year will greatly decrease.

Passing the constitutional amendment with the caps this session is important for three reasons.

First, numerous property tax controls were passed less than a year ago, and already those controls are being chipped away. The House Majority would allow any public building project in excess of $2 million to avoid the taxpayer referenda and petition-remonstrance requirements enacted in 2008 simply by constructing the project with “green technology” standards. While I support the inclusion of long-term efficiency standards for public projects, the fact is that the standards being promoted here actually make the initial cost of the project higher, while very important taxpayer protection is stripped away.

Second, passing the caps this session would send a strong message to the courts that the caps will be amended into the constitution, which would help curtail any possible lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the current statutory caps.

Finally, the foreseeability of having permanent property tax caps acts as a creative engine for local governments by forcing a discussion on initiatives that save taxpayers money through consolidation and efficiency efforts. Every day the caps are not passed delays the important debate on how to effectively control local spending.

The current, statutory property tax caps limit bills to 1 percent of the property’s assessed value for homesteads, 2 percent for agricultural property and 3 percent for business property. Many of us seek to make this protection part of the Indiana Constitution. An amendment to the constitution must pass two consecutive, separately elected General Assemblies and by voters in the next general election.

I believe we have a duty to fulfill the commitment we made to taxpayers in the 2008 session when we passed the landmark “Cut Now/Cap Forever” property tax plan, which included the initial approval of the caps. I will continue to do all I can in the effort to give Hoosiers the opportunity to vote for permanent property tax protection.