In April (2007), as the General Assembly wound down its session for the year, we were promised that property taxes would rise an average of 24 percent.

Boy, 24 percent sounds nice. I haven't talked to anyone in Washington Township with less than a 50 percent increase. Most that I've heard from went up more than 100 percent.

Frankly, I feel abandoned. It's probably naïve of me, but I've always believed that with some notable exceptions, our state legislators are reasonably intelligent and do have the best interests of their constituents at heart. So I have to ask: did they think we could absorb another increase of this magnitude or were they just ignorant of what the true effect would be in Washington Township?

Wondering if everyone else was as bewildered as I was, I stopped by the July 4 property tax protest at the Governor's Residence organized by Andrew Horning, a former congressional and mayoral candidate.

Horning's purpose was to stump for his idea, which is to replace property and income taxes with a sales tax. It's a flawed idea that would disproportionately tax poorer people, but that's neither here nor there.

The point is that Horning didn't appear to be prepared for the crowd of a few hundred people who gathered at the Governor's Residence. They were in no mood to hear about alternate tax strategies. They were angry and scared and still in shock.

They blocked Meridian Street even though Horning asked them not to. They shouted for him to hand over the mic-poor guy, and he went to the trouble to organize the thing. They carried signs asking if we were ready for a tea party and for-sale-by-owner signs. Some just carried signs with numbers, like "2003-$2,000. 2007-$8,000."

At least Horning went to the trouble to organize something. Then again, he had no hand in shaping the property tax situation. My question was, and is: where are the people who did?

Apparently most of them are taking a long vacation. Can't say I blame them, given the level of frustration and anger I witnessed on Independence Day.

Later that day, I checked the websites of some of Washington Township's elected representatives to see how they're responding to what, for many people, is a true crisis, one of the government's creation.

On the websites of David Orentlicher (H-86) and Gregory Porter (H-96), the page titled "Property Tax Information" carried a standard, post-session, self-congratulatory missive about what great things the General Assembly did to minimize the increase in property taxes, such as those rebates we're promised later this year. Or maybe next year. If officials can figure out how to calculate them on their antiquated computer system.

Others' sites had no information about property taxes.

Teresa Lubbers' (S-30) has a statement on her site (www.in.gov/s30), addressing those who live in her district.

"While steps were advanced during the recently completed legislative session to provide immediate relief and structural reform," she said, "we have not done enough to address out of control increases."

At least she admits it. As the self-help people say, admitting you have a problem (or helped create it, in this case) is the first step.

Still, as one friend said of her 146-percent tax bill increase, "That's an extra $200 a month to my mortgage payment. This statement doesn't do jack for me."

So what can we do?

Speak out. Tell how you and your neighbors simply can't afford to live in the neighborhoods that make this city great and ask what can be done now before more houses go up for sale and more young families flee to the 'burbs. Give those who make the decisions your ideas, your opinions, your feedback.

Orentlicher has scheduled two tax forums, one at 7 p.m. on July 17 at the John W. Hensel Government Center in Carmel, another at 7 p.m. July 24 at the Martin Luther King Center at 40 W. 40th St. If I were a betting person, I'd guess those will be packed.

Lubbers suggests attending the first meeting of the General Assembly's Commission on State Tax and Financing Policy, to be held at 9 a.m. Monday, July 23 in Room 431 of the Statehouse, or in Senate chambers if the crowd is too large. The Commission can't take direct action, but those are the people who need to hear what we have to say.

Perhaps I'll make a day of it and stop by the meeting on my way to the Assessor's office to file my property tax appeal.