Indiana

?WISH? UPON A STAR?

Posted on April 04, 2008
There may be some good news for the Jill Long Thompson camp.  A poll to be unveiled tonight by WISH-TV is expected to show JLT is leading her challenger Jim Schellinger in the Democratic primary race for Governor.   This would be interesting because Schellinger has been on television longer than JLT and Schellinger has been [...

HILLARY?S ?ROCKY? ROAD

Posted on April 03, 2008
The latest news out of the Hillary Clinton camp is that she has been referring to herself as “Rocky” (the boxer, not the flying squirrel nor the guy created by Dr. Frankenfurter) in her quest for the Presidency.  She’s trying to remind voters that she doesn’t give up...

MORNING MUSINGS

Posted on April 03, 2008
There are a few things to report to you this morning. A lawsuit has been filed by inmates at the Marion County Jail II over it’s conditions.  They say they didn’t get proper medical care, safety conditions at the jail  and the grievance procedure...

POLL WATCHING

Posted on April 02, 2008
There is a new poll out on Survey USAconcerning the Democratic primary for the race for the Presidency as well as the race for Governor. The Schellinger camp and Long Thompson camp are spinning this puppy more than the guy at the yo-yo factory, so I will give you the basic facts and you can [...

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MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE

Posted on April 01, 2008
A new study out today shows that Indianapolis has one of the worst graduation rates in the nation. If I had a business that got these kinds of results, I would either be fired or run out of town. Who still has a problem with school choice after reading this story?

DON?T GIVE, IT HURTS

Posted on April 01, 2008
I told you guys a while back the city was looking to crackdown on panhandlers, one of which was to make them pay a registration fee.   As someone who spends most of his time in downtown Indianapolis I can tell you the downtown panhandlers are a big pain...

PRESIDENTIAL PERSPECTIVE

Posted on March 31, 2008
Indiana has the pleasure of actually mattering in this Election year. Earlier in the month, Barack Obama visited Plainfield High School. Hillary Clinton visited Ben Davis High School this past Saturday. WXNT producer Chris Spangle covered both and here are his impressions: Both gyms are of equal size...

THE TAXMAN COMETH

Posted on March 30, 2008
I’m heading back to Indianapolis today after spending the last few days getting caught up with friends, tending to legal matters and visiting with my accountant.  And after doing my taxes again this year, I have re-affirmed my disdain for the federal government and how it spends the money it takes from me...

INDECISION ?08

Posted on March 28, 2008
I’m out of town today getting ready to meet with my accountant and vet out some tax issues.  I really need to just have one job and be done with it.  Either that or maybe the government should stop taking so much of my money, either way I’m out today, but I wanted to leave [...

MY QUESTION FOR HILLARY

Posted on March 27, 2008
You’ve probably heard about the Butler University student who got his chops busted by Chelsea Clinton for asking about the Monica Lewinsky affair.  Had I been at the town hall meeting, here is the question I would have asked.  “Mrs. Clinton, as President it’s pretty important that you stay focused while working on important issues...

ALAS POOR TDW, I KNEW IT WELL! A BLOG OF INFINITE JEST AND EXCELLENT FANCY!

Posted on March 27, 2008
Jen Wagner at Taking Down Words is calling it a day.  She is going to work for the Schellinger for Governor campaign.  Believe it or Jen and I agree we want this state to be a better place, we just disagree on how it should be done.  One day she will see the light...

ARE SPIN-OFFS EVER AS GOOD AS THE ORIGINALS?

Posted on March 26, 2008
Whenever someone asks me about my personal politics I tell them the best way to describe me is a socially-progressive capitalist pig.  I don’t care what people do as long as they do it to themselves and don’t cost me money in the process.  So with that attitude, the Clinton’s didn’t bother me the first [...

ASSESS THIS

Posted on March 26, 2008
The Indiana Department of Local Government and Finance has signed off on Marion County’s reassessment figures. According to the DLGF, the reassessment resulted in a $6 billion adjustment. Officials say the township assessors missed more than $1 billion in exempt properties in addition to the $4 billion in commercial property...

WOULDN?T IT BE HILLARY

Posted on March 26, 2008
The word on the street is that Hillary Clinton may be back in Indiana on Saturday. I’m told she’ll be speaking Saturday morning at Ben Davis High School in Indianapolis. Stay tuned.

GIVING THE MAYOR THE MIC

Posted on March 25, 2008
I have some work to do this morning so I’m taking off from the show.   My fill-in host will be Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard.  See you tomorrow.

THIS IS INTERESTING

Posted on March 25, 2008
One of the closest friends of the Clintons is helping Barack Obama become President.  Greg Craig, who defended Bill Clinton during his impeachment hearing on the floor of the United States Senate is an advisor to the Obama campaign.   Apparently he is helping in the area of foreign policy...

STILWELL ENDORSES OBAMA

Posted on March 25, 2008
Indiana House Majority Leader Russ Stilwell is endorsing Barack Obama for President. In a news release this morning Stilwell said Obama “has the best plan to turn the economy around and create good-paying jobs across the country ? including here in Indiana ? but more important than plans, Obama?s decision to reject [...

HERE?S YOUR FIRST WARNING

Posted on March 25, 2008
Watch out for this one folks, home prices are dropping across the country. Indianapolis won’t be immune to this syndrome either. And remember, the property tax system here is based on fair market value. As home values drop, there is less assessed value...

LET HE WHO IS WITHOUT SIN?

Posted on March 24, 2008
Some folks in this town are trying to make a little political hay about the solicitation arrest of Olgen M. Williams, the 28-year old son of Deputy Mayor Olgen Williams.   The younger Williams was arrested the day before Mayor Greg Ballard announced the “Peace in the Streets” campaign at the Christamore House where the older Williams [...

DON?T CALL THE CORONER

Posted on March 24, 2008
Marion County Coroner Ken Ackles with have to go without pay for a while. The City-County Council voted tonight to suspend his pay until he passes his state certification test, as mandated by state law. Ackles did not appear before the Council, which irritated a number of members on both sides of the aisle...

SUNDAY MORNING MUSINGS

Posted on March 23, 2008
It’s Easter Sunday so a lot of you are out going to church and spending time with your families, so we’ll keep this morning’s entries rather brief. Wouldn’t It Be Hillary In Presidential politics there is a very interesting piece worth reading in Politico...

BLACK OR FEMALE?

Posted on March 20, 2008
Hilary Clinton is in Indiana today.  She’s making stops in Evansville, Terre Haute and Anderson.  Her visit here today and Barack Obama’s on Saturday got me to thinking, which would America elect first a Black President or a woman President? I think a Black would get elected first...

WHEN THE PEOPLE SPEAK, POLITICIANS LISTEN

Posted on March 20, 2008
The Capital Improvement Board has formally addressed a controversial deal that would have given the proceeds of taxpayer-purchased property to a local not-for-profit organization. That decision resulted in a lawsuit. The Board voted unanimously this afternoon to pay the Indiana Sports Corporation $200,000 to auction off public property from the RCA Dome...

ETERNAL VIGILANCE

Posted on March 19, 2008
The Governor and legislative leaders will hold a joint news conference this afternoon over property tax reform.  The Governor will sign HB 1001.    The bill does a lot but it does not directly affect the assessment process, except to the extent it eliminates township assessors in townships with less than 15,000 parcels and calls for [...

SIGN HERE, SIR

Posted on March 19, 2008
Governor Mitch Daniels today signed a bill that he says will give Hoosiers permanent property tax relief.  Daniels, along with House Speaker Pat Bauer, Senate Pro Temp David Long and Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, signed House Bill 1001 which would cut property taxes by an average of 30 percent across the state...

DID ANYONE FOLLOW THE RULES?

Posted on March 19, 2008
The controversy over the auction of RCA Dome items just got a “little” bigger.  Paul Ogden, the attorney who filed the suit to keep the proceeds from the auction in the hands of the taxpayers, told me this morning there is an issue of whether the Capital Improvement Board even took a formal vote to dispose of [...

THE REST OF THE STORY

Posted on March 18, 2008
If you read yesterday’s post, I provided you with some details about why the Indiana State Teacher’s Union is not a big fan of the property tax reform plan that came out of the Legislature.    Well, today I have another one for you. ISTA was critical of the State picking up the final 15 percent of [...

FOR SALE

Posted on March 18, 2008
I made a call to the Indiana Department of Revenue this morning on sales tax figures for the state.  I did this because the sales tax will be increased by one penny from 6 to 7 cents in order to provide Hoosiers with property tax relief.  Here’s a rundown of 2007 filings… Total Sales Tax Collected [...

WHAT PART OF ?REFORM? DO SOME PEOPLE NOT UNDERSTAND?

Posted on March 17, 2008
I can’t believe there are people in this world who can’t grasp the concept of reform.  I have heard people complain that local governments will lose money.   I think what they mean to say is governments will get to keep less of YOUR money...

FORMER COUNCILOR TO OVERSEE INDIANAPOLIS ABANDONED HOUSING EFFORTS

Posted on March 16, 2008
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard announced this weekend that he is picking former City-County Councilor Sherron Franklin to oversee the city’s efforts to reduce the number abandoned homes. Ballard made the announcement Saturday at the monthly meeting of the Marion County Neighborhood Associations...

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