Conservative speaker goes after era's hot-button topics


SCHERERVILLE -- Skyrocketing taxes. Taxation of churches. Never really owning your home because of property taxes. Abortion, gay marriage and cross-dressing men having access to women's restrooms.

Now that there are 48 days left before the Nov. 2 midterm elections, Advance America has kicked into high gear getting its message out to voters, its leader, Eric Miller, told a crowd of hundreds Tuesday at Hyles-Anderson College.

The first of eight rallies the organization will host across the state -- and the only one slated for Northwest Indiana -- Miller impressed upon the audience the importance of getting involved and knowing who the candidates are and where they stand on pro-family, pro-church and pro-tax reform issues.

Of tens of thousands of Hoosiers Miller said he's talked to over the last 30 years he's helmed Advance America, brighter futures, traditional values and good paying jobs are the things they want most. They also want the government to stop spending more than it has to spend and to stop increasing taxes.

Miller also pointed out that people who buy houses never really own them, because once they miss a tax payment, the government will take the house.

"You're only renting your home -- from the government," he said. "You deserve the right to amend the Constitution to never have to pay property taxes again."

Of all the topics Miller has seen, he said he never thought he would have to talk about ensuring marriage as being between a man and a woman. And he blamed Indiana Speaker of the House Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, as the reason.

"Pat Bauer singlehandedly stopped the vote, and he should be ashamed of what he's done," Miller said. "We are one court decision away from same-sex marriage in Indiana."

Nineteen candidates from Lake and Porter County, from federal races on down, attended the rally.