Hammond Mayor's Garbage in and Garbage Out

Mayor Baby Mac has continued to implement the negative management of the City of Hammond that I have been critical of all along with the new clarification of the financial cost of the City to its citizens.  The Hammond City finances continue to spiral out of control with no serious reduction in sight.

The first reduction, the Health Depatment, was a political test of wills of meaningless financial value to the City or its citizens.  The only reason it was aliminated was its lack of employment of Baby Mac's friends.

The second part was the shift of the sanitrary functions from the City's books to the Hammond Sanitary District's books.  This allowed Mayor Baby Mac to claim a reduction in the City's property tax levy while simultaneously sticking it to the citizens of Hammond with additional service costs.

The newspapers have now officially reported the "screwing" of the citizens of Hammond.  The elderly's costs will increase from $3 a month to $9 and the regular citizens's costs will go up from $5 per month to $15.  That is a 200% increase.  It is an annual increase of $72 for the elderly and $120 for regular citizens.  It is actually going to raise a ton of money for the Hammond Sanitary District because it will also collect money from not-for-profit entities that previously did not pay property tax.

Since Baby Mac controls the Hammond Sanitary District, it is going to be a good source of employment for his and Daddy Mac's friends, acquintances, and political allies.  The citizens continue to get screwed and pay for gain and benefits of the "old-boy" network.

Comments

[Steve Dalton]

Professor, you have a lot of frustruations with the Mayor in Hammond. In many cases you may know the area better than I, since I am in Porter County.

But, I do like the one idea you reported that the Mayor implemented. I think not for profits should pay a police, fire, trash, recycle, and storm sewer fee. They may not need to contribute to the city budget or schools (with schools at 55% of the tax bill and totally out of control) but they should pay user fees on the above services.

This would actually reduce the elderly property tax payer's taxes.