MARC CHASE: New income tax not a license to fatten up

Lake County officials who just thrust a 1.5 percent local option income tax on county breadwinners would have us all believe the Lake County Government Center roof would have collapsed without the adoption of the tax.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Why my generation should oppose a Lake income tax

While the proposed local option income tax for Lake County would affect all working residents, it's young people who should be the most upset over this issue.

C.P. woman starts anti-tax petition drive

CROWN POINT | A Crown Point political activist is gathering online petitions against a proposed Lake County income tax.

Schools to try again to be removed from TIF district

PORTAGE | Portage Township Schools will try again to carve itself out of the city's tax increment financing district.

LARRY DeBOER: Looking over the fiscal cliff

Economics is not an experimental science. We can't say to Congress, "Honorable ladies and gentlemen, please drastically raise taxes and cut spending all at once so we can measure the effects on the economy of changes in the federal government's budget." This is not what elected officials do.

EDITORIAL: Green with envy over Porter County's gold

Lake County officials are talking about borrowing money from Porter County to make ends meet in its 2013 budget. Loose lips sink ships, and loose budgets sink taxpayers.

EDITORIAL: Come to grips with Lake County's finances

Lake County government entities are seeing their budgets under increasing scrutiny amid pressure to stay under the frozen tax levy. These entities are even starting to compete with each other for property tax dollars.

Coats: Economic growth being stymied by Congress inaction on deficit

PORTAGE | More than three years after the end of the recession, U.S. Sen. Dan Coats said Friday that "it's terrible" that the nation's economic growth remains so anemic.

GUEST COMMENTARY: Government should borrow more to build stronger economy

Everyone agrees, so it must be right -- we have to lower the federal deficit and national debt. Can everyone be wrong? Well, yes and no.

State payments help narrow Portage's anticipated budget deficit

PORTAGE | The City Council Budget Committee received some good news and some bad news Tuesday night about the city's spending plan for 2012.

TIF funds won't solve shortfall in Valparaiso schools budget

VALPARAISO | There is a $3.5 million budget shortfall in Valparaiso Community Schools, and the city has about $5.4 million in property taxes tied up in tax increment financing districts, which some residents have said could help the schools.

Carry-over bills, health care costs put Portage in financial bind

PORTAGE | Clerk-Treasurer Chris Stidham told the City Council's Budget Committee this week the city's finances are "a mess that I guess you all are inheriting."

Lake government gives mixed approval to 2012 budget

CROWN POINT | A divided Lake County Council gave initial approval Monday to a 2012 budget that may give new bonuses to select county government employees.

EDITORIAL: Lake County officials should face facts, budget reform not going away

Some Lake County officials seem bent on living up to a reputation that often plagues the county downstate. The recent filing of a lawsuit by a Lake County police official is the most recent of attempts by county officials to perform an end-run around the right thing to do.

Council OKs steps for Fronius TIF

PORTAGE | The Portage City Council confirmed actions taken in the past week by both the city's Redevelopment Commission and Plan Commission to provide economic incentives to Fronius USA LLC.

Payday comes early for Lake County officials

CROWN POINT | Lake County's local government officials happily picked up property tax revenue checks that were earlier and fatter than last year.

Visclosky says national deal on debt requires a world of sacrifice

MUNSTER | More taxes and less government spending is the painful but only permanent solution to the nation's debt crisis, U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky said Monday.

GUEST COMMENTARY: A short course on public debt and what can be done about it

Two questions come to mind when considering recent public debt accumulation by Indiana state and local governments and the federal government: How did we get ourselves into this situation? How do we get out? Here we first consider the short-run alternatives to dealing with existing debt and …

The charter school of thought

The debate over the federal deficit is going to involve a lot of rhetoric before the 2012 election is over, but numbers will be coming up, too. And so will charts based on the data.

EDITORIAL: Make amends to struggling governments

Porter County commissioners are moving forward with a plan to loan money to other units of local government that borrow for two years or less. On the face of it, it seems generous.