Indiana

Township Talk

Posted on February 04, 2009
Are Marion County Democrats softening their opposition to consolidation of the township trustees?  Maybe. From what I’ve been able to gather in conversations with Statehouse lawmakers, they agree there should be some system of poor relief in Marion County, but they are split on exactly how that relief should be delivered...

Bedtime Stories

Posted on February 04, 2009
Here are a couple thoughts before I call it a day. Lawmakers passed government reform (creating county councils with a county executive or manager) out of committee, with exceptions for Lake County. Bill Crawford’s issues with Charter Schools have nothing to do with their performance, but how one of his constituents was treated...

I Want My DTV

Posted on February 04, 2009
More people are waiting in the 7th Congressional District to get their free digital TV coupons than any other place in the continental United States. That number comes from PC Magazine, which reports more than 1.8 million households were not ready to make the switch...

Every Dog Should Have It?s Day

Posted on February 03, 2009
The Indianapolis Animal Care and Control Center is adopting a new policy when it comes to pit bulls.  Unless the dog has a history of violent behavior it will not be put down after four days.  IACC Director Doug Rae says every dog should be given a chance to live...

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Moratorium Movement

Posted on February 03, 2009
By a party line vote today, the House Ways and Means Committee passed legislation that would not only put a moratorium on charter schools in Indiana but also cap their growth and force achieving students back into failing schools. If you at my last post regarding schools, I don’t think it’s the Charters that need the [...

School Daze

Posted on February 02, 2009
As some people try to promote a moratorium on Charter Schools, try to guess the answer to these questions… Which school district is most likely to pay an employee $62,000 annually to answer e-mail? Which school district is most likely to refuse to expel students who stab teachers and staff with sharp pencils? Which school district is most [...

Greg Ballard: Year Two

Posted on February 01, 2009
Sophomore years can really be tough. If you’re a student, you start thinking about the college application process, reduce your extra curricular activities and focus more.  It’s also the year you assert your independence. If you’re a musician, you want to make sure the second album lives up to the first and you prove it’s not a [...

P.O.W. Parking

Posted on January 31, 2009
Every so often legislation winds its way through the Indiana General Assembly that leaves me scratching my head. A House committee Thursday passed a bill that would give unlimited free parking at meters to former prisoners of war.  HB 1258 would give anyone with a former P...

When Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Make a Choice

Posted on January 30, 2009
Smoke Free Indy, an organization dedicated to banning all smoking in Indianapolis, held an open house downtown Thursday a smoke free restaurant to extol the virtues of smoke-free work environment and to stress the point that employees should not have to choose between clean air and their job...

Man of Steele

Posted on January 30, 2009
Former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele has been elected the new Chairman of the Republican National Committee.   It took several (six actually) ballots.  Steele garnered major support when former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell dropped out of the race and endorsed him...

Still Waiting

Posted on January 30, 2009
A couple weeks ago, I wrote the following column which appeared in the Indianapolis Recorder.  I issued a friendly challenge to AM 1310’s Amos Brown to debate the merits of Kernan-Shepard and township government and its impact on the African-American Community...

The Ghosts That Haunt Me

Posted on January 30, 2009
A old friend sent me this video clip.  It was a promotional video from our college in Europe from back in 1987. I show up about five minutes into it.   I look like a Cosby kid. Enjoy.

Mike Young?s Act Is Still Old

Posted on January 29, 2009
Back in 2007 I wrote a blog post about Republican State Senator Mike Young.  Back then, as the Republicans were picking their new County Chairman, Young said current Chairman Tom John would get the job over his dead body.   It’s 2009 and I’m still waiting for Young to keep his promise...

Do You Trust This Trustee?

Posted on January 29, 2009
I scribbled yesterday how Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer is leaving, but some how I’m thinking the wrong Trustee is stepping down.   I found out yesterday that Wayne Township Trustee David “King” Baird has had some “interesting” expenditures as of late...

Property Tax Cap ?Test? Fails

Posted on January 29, 2009
If today was a test vote of property tax caps in the Indiana House of Representatives, it failed. Lawmakers, primarily along party line votes, turned back an amendment that would have put constitutional property tax caps on the November 2010 ballot. House Republicans tried to attach the measure to HJR 6, which would combine the State Auditor [...

Eight Is Enough

Posted on January 28, 2009
As I watched the snow come down yesterday I had this thought come to mind.   If you took 100 people and had them represent every unit of local government in the United States, 8 of them would be from Indiana.  Think about that when you think about local government reform.

Is Drummer Jumping Sinking A Ship?

Posted on January 28, 2009
Center Township Trustee Carl Drummer must see the handwriting on the wall.  Rumor is  Drummer announced this afternoon he is resigning his post to take a governmental affairs position with Ice Miller.  Drummer has been township trustee since 1996.   Carl is not the type of person to run from a fight, but to bail from [...

Snow Job

Posted on January 28, 2009
Here are my questions regarding the worst snow storm to hit the area since the “Macarena” was a hit. How did your municipality do with snow removal? How were the side streets? How were the strip malls?   I noticed parking lots would get plowed but not the entrances...

Tuesday?s Tidbits

Posted on January 27, 2009
Here are a few items I didn?t get a chance to post about yesterday? I did some math on how much it cost to run the Solders and Sailors Children?s Home in Knightstown.  At operational costs of $10 million per year for 114 children, that amounts to about $88,000 per child...

Quick Note?

Posted on January 27, 2009
I’m in a hurry so I will make this quick. The Capital Improvement Board is projecting more than $110 million in deficits in short and long term operating expenses. The Mayor unveiled Uni Gov 2.0, calling for fire, poor relief, emergency services and property tax administration consolidation...

Don?t Anybody Tell Me I?m Not Fair and Balanced

Posted on January 27, 2009

More Tuesday Tidbits

Posted on January 27, 2009
Okay, where were we?  Oh yeah, the CIB and Uni Gov 2.0. There was a moment of irony as we got the bad news at today’s Capital Improvement Board meeting, the bad weather hitting the area had really started to come down.   Here’s a breakdown of the $115 million deficit officials announced...

Where K-S & AHS Split

Posted on January 26, 2009
Anyone who reads this blog knows I am a big fan of the Kernan-Shepard Report.  There’s a hearing this morning on some of its provisions.   Indiana Government could use a major colon cleansing and a lot of layers should go away for more accountability and eventually more savings...

Place Your Bets

Posted on January 26, 2009
Could gaming be the cure for  Indianapolis’ financial needs? Maybe. There are a couple dynamics taking place.  First, city officials have to plug a $30 million financial hole that will be here in 2010 when the final phase of the  property tax caps kick in...

Indiana Consolidated, LLC (Round One)

Posted on January 26, 2009
When I came to Indianapolis in 2004, I was very interested in government reform.  And one thing I noticed was the only people who usually opposed government reform usually worked for the government. Nearly five years later, not much has changed. I sat in a State Senate Committee hearing this morning over several Kernan-Sherpard proposals, most focusing [...

Where?s the Beef?

Posted on January 26, 2009
Here it is! I told you people this was coming.  A Ball State University study shows more than $600 million in savings and efficiencies in government reform and consolidation. The Center for Business and Economic Research found that streamlining government as outlined in K-S (my new shorthand for Kernan-Shepard) would not only improve fire, police, sewer and [...

Sunday Stuff

Posted on January 25, 2009
There’s nothing like some good old fashioned  political gossip, rumor and blatant innuendo first thing on Sunday morning.  So enjoy your coffee and the following… Kerry Forestall’s decision to pursue the U.S. Marshall’s post for the Southern District has made his fellow Democrats mad to no end...

The Illuminati?

Posted on January 25, 2009

The A-Word

Posted on January 24, 2009
One subject I rarely blog or talk about on the air is abortion.  I find these discussions usually to be counter-productive and all it does is inflame both sides of the issue and resolves nothing. However, with recent marking of the 36th anniversary of Roe v...

Can We Talk?

Posted on January 23, 2009
If you are African-American and read this blog on a regular basis, we need to talk.  If you’re white and reading this, just hang out for a moment. Like you, I’m still amazed at the events of this week and the swearing-in of Barack Obama as President...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.