The Blue-Collar Candidate
Fighting for you
LONNIE JOHNSON
A VOICE FOR THE WEARY.
Meet Lonnie Johnson
Hello there and thank you for your interest in getting to know me as a candidate for the position of State Representative, District 68 in Indiana. Most of these websites speak in the third person but I don't want to do that and for one reason only. I want you to know I am the one speaking to you on my own behalf. I love America, I love Indiana and I love the people that live here and as of late I have to say I do not feel we have the representation we need. I feel the lyrics to Oliver Anthony's song "Rich Men North of Richmond" summarizes exactly how I feel perfectly.
"Cause your dollar ain't crap and it's taxed to no end, cause of rich men north of Richmond".
The current parties have not been representing the people and I intend to do everything I can to change it. Whether it be the Speaker of the House Mike Johnson giving the FBI more rights to spy on Americans in the name of National Security or the Democrats asking for more money to be sent to Ukraine. While ignoring Maui and asking them to build their cities back themselves, the leadership in America feels like two sides of one coin.
I am not a lifelong politician, In fact I have never been in political office but what I am is an American that is fed up with the blue-collar people getting the short end of the stick every day. I have spoken to Republicans and Democrats that feel exactly the same way, but our media keeps us so divided we won't even sit down at a table together to talk. I believe it is their agenda to keep us divided.
If you want a lifelong politician, or even someone that has spent their entire life preparing for the position of political office my question to you will be one straight from the mouth of Jamie Reitenour "What have the politicians done for you? Is having politicians in office working, what has it produced, and do you like it?" Well, the answer for me is a resounding NO!
My life experience has given me great confidence that I am not only able to handle the position of State Representative for District 68 but I am able to change what it means to be a State Representative by leading with town hall meetings prior to every vote to get the communities input before each vote, to hear from my neighbors and constituents before speaking for them. I am committing today if I am elected, I will work closely with you the people and our elected officials to make sure that I am not voted in as an authority that will just push my own personal agenda but find the common ground that will benefit us all as a community.
I've heard it said "Progress sometimes mean Preservation" - Tracy Stegall
and I wholeheartedly agree with that statement. We all decided to live in Southern Indiana not for the convenience of the closest Walmart or McDonalds, but because we love the farmlands, the wonderful morning views of the river, the beautiful sounds of nature as we sit by a bonfire with our family and friends after a long week of work. I will fight to always protect that piece of our culture and put more money in your pockets while doing so.
If you have any questions about what I plan to work on while in office, please scroll down. Feel free to contact me with any unanswered questions at Lonnie@lonniejohnsonforindiana.com
WHERE I STAND
Assessment Transparency
Did you know when your home is assessed Indiana measures the exterior of your home and simply multiples by how many stories your home has to get your complete square footage? That can turn a 2700 square foot home into a 4900 square foot home. I believe you should only be taxed on what you are able to market the home for when making a sale. I plan on drafting legislation that will force Indiana to only tax Hoosiers on the square footage they are able to list the house as when making a sale as well as having the assessors publicly post their price per foot for each floor.
Example. First floor with foundation - $98 per square foot
Basement with concrete floor - $40 per square foot
Basement with gravel floor - $24 per square foot
This plan will create an easy to understand and transparent assessing process in which the homeowner can double check the assessors work to make sure they are only taxed on what they actually own and at a consistent price throughout the community.
Recall Corrupt
Politicians
Indiana does not allow for a recall of any politician while serving their term. This cultivates a breeding ground of corruption. I will fight for the right of Hoosiers to recall their politicians when they have failed their constituents.
Property Tax
Ceiling
As the market value of homes continues to grow nationwide we all see our property values being assessed higher and higher which leads to more property tax. I don't believe that we should bare the responsibility of paying more for our taxes because other people are deciding to pay more than a home is worth due to a supply and demand issue. I will work towards having a tax ceiling implemented that will not allow someone to ever be taxed over 50% of their homes purchase price no matter where the market goes.
Example. If a home is purchased in 2018 at $100,000 and it is reassessed at $250,000 in 2020 the state will only be able to tax the homeowner for $150,000 of that property value for as long as they live in the home.
Property Tax
Break
Did you know if you purchase a hot tub, build a fence, or make an addition to your property you pay tax four times on it?
You pay income tax to the federal government and state, then you pay sales tax and last but not least it will cause your property value to go up which results in a higher assessment and more property tax each year. I will draft legislation that will remove the ability for this increase of assessments to be taxable. If I were to fail passing such a motion, I will then work to remove state sales tax on any item that will be taxed yearly as a part of the property.
Defend the
School Voucher
Jennifer McCormick is currently running for Indiana Governor. She plans on removing the private school voucher and I would be there to defend it! I believe it should be up to each individual parent where they can send their children to school and not the choice of the government! She says that the funding for public schools isn't there because of this voucher but this simply is not true.
When a family decides to enroll their child with a voucher to a private school the public school they attended loses the funding for that one student. So, the money simply follows the student to where they decide to go. Interestingly enough she received a $1.3 million dollar donation from Indiana State Teacher Association.
Raw Milk
I believe Americans know what is best for them. I also believe allowing McDonalds to be considered safe and legal food to eat but unpasteurized milk to be considered illegal for human consumption is short of insanity. I would draft legislation that would allow the sale of unpasteurized milk with a warning label making sure that those who purchase it at least understand there is a slight risk. I want to remove this unnecessary regulation.
Gun Rights
We are a constitutional carry state, meaning we don't need a permit to carry a concealed firearm. I will make sure it stays that way, as well as making sure if the State or Federal government ever come for the big and scary AR15 I will vote in support of Hoosiers gun rights!
STOP LINK 101
When I decided to move my family to Rising sun I did it to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. I see that when we as the people raise our voices they do get heard! Stop Link 101 was a display of Americans fighting back against big money and winning. I am so proud of my community for the display of strength that the defeat of Link 101 has been.
I will boldly stand against all large corporations that believe they have the right to change our way of life.
The Right to Life
When it comes to the topic of abortion, I want to be extremely transparent with you. I want to help you understand my position so please read until the very end. I am a believer in Jesus Christ, I attend a local church and my personal belief is that all abortion is wrong. When reading the scripture though there is one thing I never noticed which was Jesus attempting to change the laws of the land to fit the laws of those who have the Holy Spirit. My belief is those that have been transformed would come to the conclusion that it is inherently wrong and I desire to help people come to Christ to understand that for themselves rather them force everyone even my non-Christian neighbors to live as I see correct. I believe we all have a responsibility to foster and adopt the children that a mother would birth but do not have the resources, or capacity to take care of. I don't think many women decided on abortion lightly and it is proven it often extremely difficult for them after they've made the decision. So, what I would propose is we make sure there are more resources for woman who have gotten pregnant and are considering abortion. I would NOT work to ease any of the restrictions currently in place and I fully support the laws our state currently has which include Rape, Incest and Medical emergencies and only within a hospital. I do believe though that abortion is less about these woman being evil and more about them being terrified of the future and what it will mean for them to raise a child alone or with few resource. I believe as a community we can change hearts, minds and come together to make sure they can not only bring a child to term but do so knowing Hoosiers have their back and are cheering them on! So, in summary, I will not advocate for abortion or the easing of the current restrictions. I want to see more help for those feeling it is their only option.
Small Government
If it were up to me, we wouldn't have a federal government doing anything besides making sure the states never went to war with one another. When I am voting on your behalf I will vote against overregulation, government expansion, and make sure that the officials that have forgotten who they work for have a reminder whenever they hear me speaking on your behalf. I also plan on holding meetings publicly and discussing what is to be voted on to get a general understanding of what the district feels and wants! I won't just simply get the job and never ask your opinion again!
Questions?
I am extremely honored you have decided to read what I believe in and what I plan to do if you elect me as your State Representative. If there are any questions you may have, please contact me and we can set up a time to talk. I look forward to speaking with you!
CONNECT WITH LONNIE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
