Indiana

Vacating Thoughts

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

I’m technically on vacation this week.  By “technically”, I mean I have days I have to use or lose.   But since there are still interesting things to write and talk about I figured I’d keep our conversation going on the blog.  Here are my thoughts on a few stories that have surfaced lately.

Government Consolidation

• Just as it is ridiculous to think every township should have a prosecutor and every precinct a sheriff, it is silly to think one person should run everything.  If you actually read Kernan-Shepard, you will see it’s about streamlining government and having more accountability.  What is the crime in a county executive who appoints officials approved by a county board?  This is not a new concept in the civilized world.  In fact this is how it works more times than not.  Indiana has two percent of the nation’s population, but eight percent of the local elected officials.  Honestly people, how is this a good thing?

School Choice

• The debate is heating up over whether there should be a moratorium on charter schools.  Full disclose, I work with the folks at the GEO Foundation on occasion.  Now with that said, if parents are taking their kids out of traditional public schools and putting them in charters, why are charters the problem?  This is like me acting a fool and fiance leaves me for another man and I blame him.  Instead of complaining about charter schools, TPS’ should be looking at taking steps to improve themselves.  And if they really wanted to put their money where there mouths were, they would require all district employees make their children attend their schools.

Legal Eagles

• I was asked the other day to comment on the 21st floors relationship with Barnes & Thornburg as outlined in the paper this past weekend.  Here’s my take.  In every major and minor city I have lived in there are large firms that do work with state and local government.  One tends to lean Democrat, one Republican, one right up the middle.  So the administration doing business with B & T doesn’t surprise me at all.  Now when the firms start directing city policy, there’s a problem and they should be called out on it.  The Ballard folks got burned once this year and learned their lesson, so I don’t worry too much.  What I think the public doesn’t understand is that there is a lot of legal work that needs to be done and city legal can’t do it alone.  And while I think the concern about the influence of major firms overstepping their bounds is a valid one, I honestly think most of the complaining is coming from people who wishes it were them getting the work and not B & T.

Those are today’s thoughts.  I’m going back to bed.  Enjoy your day.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on December 22, 2008 (boomark / email).