My guess, which is moderately educated, is that Lake County Councilman Ted Bilski does not want to run for future political office.
Bilski, a Hobart Democrat, changed his mind Tuesday and voted to impose a 1 percent county income tax on county residents.
His switch will, if maintained, also make him the swing vote Dec. 27 when the council meets to try and override the veto of the Lake County commissioners, who Wednesday voted 2-1 against the measure.
The seven-member council needs five votes to override, and councilmen Tom O'Donnell and Larry Blanchard maintain they will not vote to impose the tax. Bilski, who initially voted with O'Donnell and Blanchard, changed his mind and will be the reason you may face a new tax.
This will make Bilski politically radioactive if voters have a long memory, and in this case I believe they might as the sting of the tax will continue to linger like the odor of a dead woodchuck under your porch.
He can run for Queen of England or dog catcher, but whoever his opponent is will trot out the tax issue and his campaign will wither on the vine.
Blanchard voted against the tax because he does not believe any new taxes should be imposed until the county gets serious about cutting government in line with the Good Government report issued earlier this year.
O'Donnell may have voted against the tax because he does not like the way it will be distributed, but I think he also voted against it because he has higher political aspirations.
If he should run for sheriff, you can bet his opponent would use any vote O'Donnell had cast on the council for the income tax against him.
That assumes that the tax means -- in its final analysis -- less money for you. It is supposed to be redirected to Lake County property owners to offset the highly unpopular increases in property taxes, and if the final balance shows you are better off with the income tax, you will be happy.
Or as happy as you can be when someone robs you, then uses the proceeds of the robbery to pay off your bills.
O'Donnell does not want to see his likely opponent, former Sheriff John Buncich, plastering posters of O'Donnell all over Lake County with the caption "He raised your taxes!" while Buncich portrays himself as a regular Joe ex-cop instead of the street-savvy politician he really is.
I'd like to think O'Donnell will vote against the tax because he knows in his heart it's a sham. But I don't think we should count out the powerful motive of enlightened self-interest.
The opinions are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at markk@nwitimes.com or (219) 933-4170.
