A state law that goes into effect July 1 allows the Indiana Department of Revenue to post on its Web site the names of individuals and businesses behind in paying their taxes. The deliquent taxpayers must have a bill of $1,000 or more unpaid for at least two years.
The state seems to have created a good and effective way to handle people who think they are above the laws.
As much as people hate paying taxes, they need to do it. Because of a dragging economy, Indiana's collected taxes have been behind predicted amounts for the past few years. The blame obviously cannot be placed on just the economy, though.
State taxes help pay for services most people use: roads, hospitals, higher education and libraries.
When individuals or businesses do not pay taxes, they become thieves. They use services they do not pay for but other people do.
Embarrassment seems to be the best way of getting those people to pay their taxes, too, because the Web site has already started to work.
According to an Associated Press story, the department has already collected $900,000 in back taxes after sending out letters to people warning them their names would appear on the Web site.
So unless people want to join the ranks of the other embarrassed taxpayers, they should remember to not try to stiff Uncle Sam.
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