First, here is what you will see on the ballot when you go to vote.

SHALL PROPERTY TAXES BE LIMITED FOR ALL CLASSES OF PROPERTY by amending the Constitution of the State of Indiana to do the following:

1. Limit a taxpayer's annual property tax bill to the following percentages of gross assessed value:
   
   1. 1% for an owner-occupied primary residence (homestead);
   2. 2% for residential property, other than an owner-occupied primary residence, including apartments;
   3. 2% for agricultural land;
      

Last Saturday (June 26) the Delegates to the Indiana Democratic Party Convnention nominated three extraordinary candidates for statewide office. Sam Locke (for State Auditor), Pete Buttigieg (for State Treasurer) and Vop Osili (for Secretary of State) have all put an energy into their respective campaigns unlike any other candidates for those offices.

Today is Primary Election Day. DFMC encourages all Democrats to vote for:

• Linda Robbins - Monroe County Clerk*
• Chris Gaal - Monroe County Prosecutor
• Mike Szakaly - Monroe County Recorder
• Vic Kelson - Monroe County Council, District 1
• Cheryl Munson - Monroe County Council, District 2
• Larry Barker - Monroe County Council, District 3
• Sam Allison - Monroe County Council, District 4
• Linda Sievers - Bloomington Township Trustee
• Terry Robbins - Van Buren Township Trustee*
• Vickie Sorensen - Indian Creek Township Trustee*

I'm sure you have all heard by now that Congressman Baron Hill will be voting yes on the current Health Care Bill. I just thought that I would post his statement here, just in case you haven't seen it.

As we have for the past four election cycles, Democracy for Monroe County is sponsoring forums featuring the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for township, county, statewide office. We have already had the forum for the township trustee candidates (my apologies for not getting that posted here before it happened), and it was a great success. There was plenty of good information about the importance of that office, and why it should be retained. Fortunately, the forum was taped by CATS for future broadcast. Watch this space for news about when the broadcasts will be.

Here is the schedule for the upcoming forums.

This is an excerpt from very interesting article about Howard Dean on Politico.

On a Florida progressive listserv, one poster urged readers to donate to DFA instead of the DNC, which in the days before the Senate’s pre-Christmas vote to pass health reform, urged the 13 million subscribers on Obama’s campaign e-mail list to call their senators in support of the Senate bill.

A week from tomorrow (November 17), the Monroe County Plan Commission will meet to discuss the proposed Monroe County Comprehensive Plan (also known as the Growth Policies Plan). The purpose of this document is to guide development in Monroe County in such a way that our rich natural heritage is preserved for generations to come.

People For the American Way is a fine progressive organization that was founded in 1981 by Norman Lear, Barbara Jordan, Father Theodore Hesburgh, and Andrew Heiskell. Their mission is, in their own words, dedicated to making the promise of America real for every American: Equality. Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. The right to seek justice in a court of law. The right to cast a vote that counts. The American Way.

For the past couple of years, I have been receiving e-mails from them. This past Wednesday, they sent out an excellent analysis of last Tuesday's election by their President, Michael Keegan, and I thought I'd share it with you (emphasis added by me).

During the past five years, Democracy for Monroe County has been hard at work promoting policies that will bring us a strong community, broad prosperity, effective government, education for all, and a better future. Through our activism, discussions of important issues at our monthly meetings, and our on-going training programs, we have supported and promoted the mutual goals of the Democratic Party, Organized Labor, and other progressive organizations by reaching out to the ordinary citizens of our community and recruiting them to become active in the important issues of our time.

Currently, we are focusing on the health care legislation that is moving through Congress. We strongly believe that the heart of the final bill must be a robust Public Option that will