People are getting fed up with the increase of taxes. Take Frank Alford, a Floyd County, Indiana man.

Frank, who owns several single-family rental homes, showed up at the city-county building in New Albany to pay his property taxes with more than $21,000 in coins.  His reason?   To protest higher taxes.

Last year, Frank showed up to pay his taxes with dollar bills!

Alford loaded a garbage can with $21,333 in Susan B. Anthony dollar coins, and he carried a sign that read, “Property taxes gone wild.”

“I’m letting them know I’m a very unhappy taxpayer,” he said.

According to Mr. Alford, his property taxes have gone up 48 percent since 2006, and tax relief recently passed by the Indiana Legislature has done nothing for people who own rental property.

“The owner who lives in their property got all kinds of tax breaks. They don’t give you no homestead exemption, no mortgage exemption, nothing,” he said. “You’re paying double what you’re paying than owning your own home.”

Alford, a retiree with two hip replacements, loaded what he estimated was 400 pounds of coins and then headed inside to the treasurer’s office to settle up.
Deputy Clerk Bette Buechler did a quick tally of Alford’s property taxes.

When asked if the office has to accept the Susan B. Anthony coins, Buechler said, “I think I’m understanding if it comes in pennies, we don’t have to.”

A Floyd County deputy sheriff was asked to lend a hand getting the money to a nearby bank to be counted. As for Alford, this may not be his last protest.

“If we don’t get some relief, it may be in quarters, dimes, or pennies next year,” he said. “I’m angry at them.”

New York State has declared war on the Indians.  Governor Paterson has demanded  taxes on Indian cigarettes retailers. The issue is that Indian tribes are allowed to sell cigarettes untaxed to Native Americans but are supposed to collect taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products to non-Indians.

With unemployment down and tax receipts plummeting, the governor is looking to close a huge budget gap.  And now he is ready to scalp the Indians to get his hands on the projected tax monies that the Indians has previously never charged. 

“It hasn’t been collected in a very long time, so it’s obviously going to be difficult, but we think we took a step [Monday] that is a firm step in the direction of making that happen,” Paterson said.

The new law will prohibit manufacturers from selling tobacco without a state tax stamp to any wholesaler who won’t promise the cigarettes won’t be resold tax-free by New York tribes.

Violators could have their licenses revoked and could be prosecuted criminally for perjury or filing a false instrument, the governor said.

Lawmakers say the law could mean hundreds of millions of dollars a year going to the cash-strapped state. Paterson said it could be closer to $62 million. The state excise tax is $2.75 a pack.

The Inidan tribes see the law as a threat to their sovereignty and have threatened possible legal action.

“Attacking tax-free commerce in our territories is short-sighted and disastrous for us and all of western New York,” said Barry Snyder, president of western New York’s Seneca Nation.

“The issue here is not cigarettes, but the protection of the Nation’s treaty rights. We will do what it takes at the right time to protect those rights.”

The state of New York, like many other states are in a “state of panic” in trying to balance the budget.  Looks like Uncle Sam will be the only thing to bail out many states.

Gov. Paterson - leave the Indians alone!