Smoking Ban Up For Vote

Indianapolis will at long last put the proposed smoking ban up for a vote, next Monday. Indy Star story.

Indianapolis residents opposed to the smoking ban are encouraged to attend the public meeting at 7pm in the Public Assembly Room of the City-County Building.

While the proponents focus on the health benefits they seek, libertarian opponents stand firm that this proposal is an offense to liberty and to property rights. We continue to assert the right of property owners- in this case, of restaurants, bars, and other entertainment establishments- to set their own policies in their own establishments, as involves the use of a legal product.

Fortunately, the Libertarian Party of Indiana has had an impact on this proposal, working to see it scaled back from what was the most restrictive ban in the country when first proposed. Chances are good that the compromise will pass and become law. If people of principle show up and speak up, maybe we can get this thing scaled back some more.

Hey, Look! A New Tax!

What? In Hamilton County? The most Republican county in the state of Indiana? Well, any more, that's precisely where I expect to find new taxes- where Republicans are involved.

The latest is a hike in property taxes in Fishers, where I live. Noblesville Ledger story. This will give a 5% bump to the schools. What's maddening about this is that the population growth alone should be sufficient to give the schools all they could ever want. As farmland converts to residential, the property tax collected skyrockets.

Here's the list of current tax hikes in the county that are soon to be voted on:

Countywide 1% food & beverage tax
Countywide wheel tax
Carmel 1% food & beverage tax
Fishers property tax increase
Fishers 1% food & beverage tax
Noblesville 1% food & beverage tax
Westfield1% food & beverage tax

Only Libertarian office holders will have a total commitment to keeping these taxes at bay. The Republicans are the ones who put them on the table.

Trump Reads Kole Hard Facts?

It makes me wonder. My proposal for the replacement for the World Trade Center was simply to replace the buildings as they originally were, except one story taller.

Donald Trump unveiled his plan, in an AP story:

Standing in the lobby of his Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, the developer turned TV star on Wednesday presented a model of his own envisioned towers, reflecting the original shape of the skyscrapers that fell Sept. 11, 2001.

The towers he advocates would be 111 stories tall - one floor taller than the lost towers.

Mr. Trump? You're hired!

Here is a link to my original post on Kole Hard Facts from Thursday, November 20, 2003.
Here is a link to my similar post on Blogcritics, with commentary, from September 10, 2004.