Episode 73: Squeezed From All Sides
Guest: David Henry - Monroe County Council, At-Large
Full show notes at https://hoosleft.us/
Find David at https://www.votedavidhenry.com/
Welcome to the HoosLeft Podcast, a show about Indiana politics, history, and culture from the unapologetic perspective of the social democratic left. My name is Scott Aaron Rogers, and I’m recording from Bloomington.
Over the past couple of months, President Donald Trump and his largest campaign donor, Elon Musk, have taken a chainsaw to the federal government. Cuts to agencies across the board -the Department of Agriculture, National Weather Service, Forest Service, National Parks, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, National Institute of Health, Centers for Disease Control, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Education, Medicare, Medicaid, FEMA, Social Security Administration, and Department of Defense - among others - have left individuals, families, and whole communities nationwide (not just the DC area) uncertain about their financial stability and their very futures.
Here in Indiana, Governor Mike Braun centered his 2024 campaign on aggressive property tax cuts in response to rapidly increasing home valuations, and the Republican supermajority followed suit. Their signature piece of legislation in the Senate, SB1 - as originally written - could have saved some homeowners thousands of dollars, but would have cost communities and schools more than one billion dollars a year. Outcry from constituents and local leaders led lawmakers to make significant alterations to the bill, though Braun has threatened to veto anything that doesn’t cut deep enough for his liking.
Though politicians in Washington and Indianapolis are responsible for crafting these draconian cuts - counties, cities, and school boards carry the burden of providing essential services to people who rely on them. Their costs continue to rise, often unpredictably, while their budgets are being slashed - squeezed from all sides.
Today, my guest is Monroe County Councilmember David Henry. In addition to his role on the council, David is an adjunct professor at the Indiana University Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs, where he specializes in Homeland Security Policy, Public Safety Information Sharing, and Emergency Management Policy. He also recently served as Chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party. Our discussion will cover the effects of these cuts on local government, homeowners, renters, and businesses. We’ll look at programs and services that will suffer and talk about ways municipalities can TRY to fill the gap.
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Now, here is my conversation with David Henry.
Cited in the Interview
“Attach the Stone of Triumph”: https://youtu.be/l-Z0iyBNxpk
Localities can’t print their own money; the federal government can’t run out: https://modernmoneybasics.com/
Monroe County statistics: https://www.stats.indiana.edu/profiles/profiles.asp?scope_choice=a&county_changer=18105
How local governments raise revenue: https://itep.org/how-local-governments-raise-revenue-2024/
Why Indiana property taxes went up: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2024/01/18/what-to-expect-on-your-2024-property-tax-bill
Inflation always follows wars and pandemics: https://cepr.org/voxeu/columns/inflation-aftermath-wars-and-pandemics
Braun accuses localities of frivolous spending: https://www.wfyi.org/news/articles/braun-to-local-leaders-on-negative-impact-of-property-tax-cut-prove-it
Indiana property tax caps: https://www.in.gov/dlgf/understanding-your-tax-bill/tax-bill-101
SB1 passes Senate: https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/senate-approves-work-in-progress-property-tax-reform-legislation-sending-it-to-house.php
Bill, as amended, not extreme enough for Braun: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/18/indiana-governor-mike-braun-threatens-to-not-sign-property-tax-relief-bill/78637141007/
How tariffs affect government spending: https://www.governmentcontractslaw.com/2025/03/tariffs-leprechauns-and-contract-gold-navigating-the-hidden-costs-of-trade-policies/
Trump tariffs unpredictable: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/08/how-trumps-dizzying-jerks-and-jolts-on-tariffs-are-freezing-us-business
How federal cuts hurt Indiana: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/02/28/where-do-federal-funding-cuts-leave-indiana/
…and Monroe County in particular:
Homeless shelters: https://www.idsnews.com/article/2025/02/beacon-bloomington-federal-funding-freeze-homlessness
Public housing: https://bhaindiana.net/bloomington-housing-authority-statement-regarding-hud-cuts/
Hoosier National Forest: https://www.yahoo.com/news/gov-braun-urges-usfs-reconsider-182839919.html
Food Assistance: https://indianapublicmedia.org/news/usda-cuts-could-limit-local-food-assistance.php
NSA Crane is third largest naval installation in the world: https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/in-depth-overview/naval-support-activity-crane
Federal workers support local economies: https://www.kpcnews.com/news/national/article_5e174893-b1b7-5073-89a0-165d67a37842.html
Braun’s cuts hurt his voters first: https://www.yahoo.com/news/brauns-plan-indianas-small-towns-093025983.html
Once again, that was IU professor and Monroe County Councilmember David Henry.
Listen, there is nothing more fundamentally American than complaining about taxation. Baseball should take a back seat because, from the Boston Tea Party to calls for a tax strike protesting the Trump administration, this might be our real national pastime. But, as Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “taxes are what we pay for a civilized society.” Slashing taxes and - and let’s be clear, the proposed reductions coming out of Washington and Indianapolis largely benefit the filthy rich, not you and me- means cutting vital services real people depend on.
Take public transportation for the elderly and disabled. Many seniors no longer drive, and they rely on local bus services to get to doctor’s appointments, grocery stores, or community centers where they find connection and support. Without tax-funded transit programs, these individuals are left stranded, their independence and quality of life significantly diminished.
Or consider programs that provide meals to people who need them. School lunch programs ensure that children from low-income families don’t go hungry, giving them the nutrition they need to focus and learn. Meals-on-Wheels delivers food to seniors who may not be able to cook for themselves, ensuring they receive not just nourishment, but also regular human contact. Without funding, these programs disappear, leaving some of the most vulnerable among us without basic sustenance.
Then there are homeless shelters, which provide a lifeline to individuals and families who have nowhere else to go. These shelters offer not just a place to sleep but also job assistance, mental health resources, and a path toward stability. Without tax funding, more people end up on the streets, making it harder for communities to maintain public health and safety.
The list goes on: police, firefighters, EMTs, schools, parks, libraries, museums, roads, bridges, airports—these are all supported by the taxes we pay. When we shortchange our tax system, we aren’t just cutting numbers on a spreadsheet; we are cutting real services that keep our communities functioning.
So much of our society depends on government quietly humming away in the background. We take its continued normal, boring functioning for granted to such an extent that we only notice the rare occasions when it messes up. Profiteers exploit these infrequent situations to convince the public they can do it better, that government is unnecessary, even harmful. But, if I learned anything growing up on 80’s hair metal, it’s that you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments. Or holler at me on social media - on Facebook, Bluesky, YouTube and TikTok at hoosleft and on most other social media sites at scottrog78. You can also email me at scott@hoosleft.us.
Thanks again to my guest, David Henry, who you can find at votedavidhenry.com, and thank you for listening. Once again, if you can, head over to HoosLeft.US and help support this project with a paid subscription. Hit me up on social media with your feedback, tips, ideas, and concerns. Please forward the show to a friend and have them to forward it to another friend. Let’s keep building this project - and a truly democratic state - one conversation at a time. Until the next one, this has been the HoosLeft podcast. I’m Scott Aaron Rogers. Love each other, Indiana.
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