Government reforms won’t be party line votesJack E. Howey, Editor Beverly Phillips, Associate Editor Subscriptions: $350 annually HPI via e-mail; $550 annually HPI & HPI Daily Wire

Politics Indiana V14 N22

By RENEE ESTRIDGE INDIANAPOLIS-LocalgovernmentreformbillswillprobablyfaceoppositionintheIndianaHouseandSenate,butthevoteswon’tbebasedonpartymembership. MostofthechangesderivefromrecommendationsintheKernan-ShepardreportfromtheIndianaCommis-siononLocalGovernmentReformco-chairedbyIndianaSupremeCourtJusticeRandallT.ShepardandformerGov.JoeKernan.Someofthechangesincludeeliminatingtownshipgovernment,changingthethree-personcountycommissionintoasinglecountyexecutiveandconsolidat-ingseveralsmallerschools. ThoughthechangesarespearheadedbyRepubli-canGov.MitchDaniels,DemocratsandRepublicansalike,

“Congratulations, again.” - Chief Justice John Roberts after swearing in President Obama for a second time out of an ‘abundance of caution.’

Government reformswon’t be party line votes

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009

Obama speech did what he had to doNot his greatest speech,but the new presidentconnected us to history,mapped a new courseBy BRIAN A. HOWEY IfyouheardtheRollingStones30timesinayear-orYo-YoMa-itmight be difficult to discern which pre-sentationwasthe“best.”AndthatwasmythoughtasthetwomillionpeoplegatheredontheMallinWashingtoncheeredPresidentObama’sinauguralad-dressonTuesday.Therewasno:“That’sthegreatestspeechI’veeverheard.”ForthoseI’veactuallyheard,MartinLutherKing’s“IhaveaDream”andSen.Rob-ertF.Kennedy’simpromptuspeechinIndianapolisatKing’sdeath,alongwithastronautFrankBorman’sDec.24,1968talkafterreturningfromthedarksideofthemoon,arethemostmovingtomysoul. PresidentJohnF.Kennedy’sinauguralandhisandPresidentReagan’sBerlinspeechesrankextremelyhighin

whatI’veactuallyheard.SodoWinstonChurchill’sMay1940speechesthatralliedembattledBritain. Inmytwodecadesplusofcoveringpolitics,Ihadneverbeforespentsomuchtimewithapresidential

See Page 3

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whiledisagreeingonwhichreformsarenecessary,agreethatvotesforsomeoftheproposedlocalgovern-mentchangeswillbebasedmoreonregional areas than political affilia-tions. “It’snotexactlyapartisanissueanymore,”saidSen.JimMerritt,R-Indianapolis.“Itcouldbearuralversusurbanissueoritcouldbecityversustown…butanymoreIdon’tthinkit’sapartisanissue.”Merrittsaidthingsliketheeconomyandpropertytaxcapsare“movingustowardsmall-ergovernment.”HeissponsoringtwobillsthissessionthatwouldreformlocalgovernmentinMarionCounty.One consolidates Marion County fire departmentsandtheotheris“anenormousoverhaulofallofMarionCountygovernment[thatwill]reallychang[e]theapproachofelectedpoliticstowardappointedpolitics.” Rep.DanSte-venson,D-Highland,alsosaidthatmostvoteswillnotbebasedonpartylines.Hedoes,however,holddifferentviewsonchangingelectedpositionstoappointedpositions,achangerecom-mendedbytheKernan-Shepardreportthatwouldmakeseveralcurrentlyelectedpositionsappointedbythecountyexecutive. “I think thatalotofthosepositionsunderneath[thecountyexecutive]maybesomethingwecouldlookatforconsolidation,buttakingtheelectionprocessawayfromthepeopleissomethingIdon’tagreewith,”saidStevenson,whoisspon-soringHB1406thatwouldeliminatetownshipgovernment.“Ifitwassavingmoneytodoit,thenIwouldsay‘yes,’but…everytwoyearsthere’sanelectionanditdoesn’tcostadimemoretothrowanothernameontheballotandgivethepeopleavoice.” Stevensonisn’ttheonlyonecallingforareferendum.Intheotherlegislativebodyintheoppositeparty,

Sen.MikeDelph,R-Carmel,alsosaidthatareferendumonmanyofthelo-calgovernmentissueswouldbeideal. “It’stheirgovernment.It’s‘wethepeople,’andtheyhavearighttohaveasayonhowthey’regoingtobegoverned,”saidDelph. Delph, who is sponsoringSB502whichwouldimplementseveraloftheKernan-Shepardrecommendationsincludingthesinglecountyexecu-tiveandtheeliminationoftownshipgovernment,saidthatwhenitmakesachoice,thegeneralassemblyshouldactasonebody,despitethedifferenc-esbetweenlegislatorsandtheareastheyrepresent.Legislators“needtosupportthegovernor’svisionandget

behindhim,”hesaid. “Weareonestate,”saidDelph.“We’reverygeographi-callydiverse.Wehavedifferentneedsinthedifferentpartsofthestate,butweareonegov-ernment,we’reoneentity,we’reonepeople.” Rep.WinMoses,D-FortWayne,whointroducedHB1234withReps.PhilGia-QuintaandRandyBorror,both

DemocratsofFortWayne,thatwouldreplacethecountycommissionwithacountyexecutive,saidthatlegislatorswill not act as one, but reflect their constituents’interests. “They will certainly reflect theirconstituenciesinthis,”hesaid.“Wedonothave,atlarge,legisla-torswhosesoledutyistobalancethestate.Eachrepresents60,000voters,and…they will reflect their districts’ interests.” Bills are comingfrombothpartiesthatwouldreformlocalgov-ernment,butthedecisionswillcomedowntomorethanjustpoliticalbias.Delph,aswellasothers,saidthatthedecisionsshouldbeaboutgivingthepeopleofIndianawhattheywant.“Mostvoterswantustoworktogetheracrosspartylinestocreatemoderngovernment that’s efficient and ef-fectivein[its]deliveryofservicesforthem,”hesaid.v

HOWEY Politics Indiana Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009Page 2

REP. WIN MOSES

HOWEY Politics Indiana Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009 Page 3

candidateasIdidwithBarackObamain2008.Theobserva-tionpointwashardlyintimate:itwasalmostalwaysinthepresenceofhugecrowds.Iattendedadozenorsoofhisrallies,alongwiththreepressconferencesanda20-minuteprivatephoneconversationonMay1thatcame90minutesafterhehadcutthetieswiththeRev.JeremiahWright.CNN’sCandyCrowleywouldcalltheeventsofthatdaythemostemotional“NoDramaObama”everhadonthecampaigntrail.Butwhenwespoke,hewascool,collectedandpleasantlyconversational.Hehasawayofputtingthosearoundhimatease. Andthat’swhatIwasthinkingasheconcludedhis18-minuteinauguraladdress.Hedidwhatheneededtodo,whichwastoconversewiththeAmericanpeople,justasPresidentFranklinD.Roos-eveltdidonMarch12,1933during his first fireside chat. Buttherewerenoverbalbeaconsthatwillberecitedinhighschoolhistorybooks.No“Asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou”or“theonlythingwehavetofear.”Therewasno“untileverydropofblooddrawnwiththelashshallbepaidbyanotherdrawnwiththesword”asLincolnsoughttomakesenseoftheAmericanCivilWar,ortheepochal“withmalicetowardnone,withcharityforall.” Ifoundotherspeeches-hiscampaignkickoffinSpringfield, Ill., in February 2007 and his “arc of the moral universe”addressatWayneHighSchoolinFortWayneonthe40thanniversaryofMartinLutherKingJr.’sassassina-tion much more moving. At Springfield, Obama was new andheexplainedtherationaleofhiscandidacyinaMid-western context: “It was here in Springfield where North, South,EastandWestcometogether,thatIwasremindedtheessentialdecencyoftheAmericanpeoplewhereIcametobelievethatthroughthisdecencywecanbuildamorehopefulAmerica.” TherewasObama’sepicspeechattheAmericanLegionMallontheeveofhisIndianaprimarylosstoHill-aryClintonthatstillringsinmyearssimplybecauseIwasthereintherainandwatchedthousandsoffellowHoosiersbecomeemotionalfromtheexperience.Obama’sprevious“speechofalifetime”-hisDemocraticnominationaccep-

tancespeechinDenverlastAugust-almostseemedlikealetdownanditwasquicklytruncatedbytheemergenceofSarahPalinjusthourslater. Obama’sinauguraladdresscamewithhugeexpectationsaswellasreliefformanythattheBush-Cheneypresidencyhadreacheditsconclusion.ListeningtoChiefJusticeJohnRobertsasking“SenatorObamaareyouready?”fol-lowedbyhis“Congratulations,PresidentObama”lessthanaminutelatersetthepitchofanticipationthatmuchhigher. Thus,aminorletdownwhenthatcrisp10-secondsoundbitefailedtoemerge.Thecablenewsandpresscouldn’t seem to fix on the keyline.ForHoweyPoliticsIndiana,itwastheearthmovingbeneaththecynics.TheNewYorkTimescitedreferencestohisfatherandthe60-yearracialbarrier.TheWashingtonPost(and,subsequentlytheIndianapolis

Star)latchedontothe“wemustpickourselvesup,dustourselvesoffandbegintheworkofremakingAmerica.”Stillotherscitedhiscallfor“personalresponsibility.”Sohistory’s first take was muddled.

Obama articulates the crisis Obamacalmlylaidoutchallengesandconnectedourpresentpredicamentintoahistoricalcontext:“Istandheretodayhumbledbythetaskbeforeus,gratefulforthetrust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne byourancestors.”Hemadeanerrorinsayingthat“44Americans”hadtakentheoathwithWashington,Jefferson,Madison,Monroe,Jackson,Lincoln,Grant,Cleveland,bothRoosevelts,Wilson,Eisenhower,Johnson,Nixon,Reagan,ClintonandGeorgeW.Bushhavingdonesomultipletimes. “Thewordshavebeenspokenduringrisingtidesofprosperityandthestillwatersofpeace.Yet,everysooften,theoathistakenamidstgatheringcloudsandrag-ingstorms,”Obamasaid.“Atthesemoments,Americahascarriedonnotsimplybecauseoftheskillorvisionof those in high office, but because ‘We the People’ have remainedfaithfultotheidealsofourforebearers,andtruetoourfoundingdocuments.Soithasbeen.Soitmust

Chief Justice John Roberts flubbed the oath of office with the man who voted against his nomination.


bewiththisgenerationofAmericans.Thatweareinthemidstofcrisisisnowwellunderstood.Ournationisatwar,againstafar-reachingnetworkofviolenceandhatred.Oureconomyisbadlyweakened,aconsequenceofgreedandirresponsibilityonthepartofsome,butalsoourcollectivefailuretomakehardchoicesandpreparethenationforanewage.” Thus,Obamasetthetaskathand. Thencamethe“hope”thatmarkedthehundredsofcampaignstopshehadmadein2008,allwitheither“hope”or“change”decoratingpodiumandbanners. MyfavoritepartofthespeechwaswhenObamainsistedthatweareayoungempire,butthatitistimetogrowup:“Onthisday,wegatherbecausewehavechosenhopeoverfear,unityofpurpose over conflict and discord. On this day,wecometoproclaimanendtothepettygrievancesandfalsepromises,therecriminationsandworn-outdogmas,thatforfartoolonghavestrangledourpolitics.Weremainayoungnation,butinthewordsofScripture,thetimehascometosetasidechildishthings.Thetimehascometoreaf-firm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history;tocarryforwardthatpreciousgift,thatnobleidea,passedonfromgenerationtogeneration:theGod-givenpromisethatallareequal,allarefree,andalldeserveachancetopursuetheirfullmeasureofhappiness.” Obamatookonthenaysayers-justasGov.MitchDanielsattemptedtodowithhisinauguraladdresstheweekbefore.Obamaexplained, “In reaffirming the greatness of ournation,weunderstandthatgreatnessisneveragiven.Itmustbeearned.Ourjourneyhasneverbeenoneofshortcutsorsettlingforless.Ithasnotbeenthepathforthefainthearted--forthosewhopreferleisureoverwork,orseekonlythepleasuresofrichesandfame.Rather,ithasbeentherisk-tak-ers,thedoers,themakersofthings--somecelebrated,butmoreoftenmenandwomenobscureintheirlabor--whohavecarriedusupthelong,ruggedpathtowardprosperityandfreedom.” Severaltimes,Obamatouchedonthenotionthatmaintainingthestatusquoisnotanoption.Orthattoomuchchangecancometooquickly.Again,theserhetori-calscenarioshavebeenrepeatedbetweenthegovernor’soffice and Democrats in the Indiana General Assembly. It is familiarturfformanyofourreaders. Obamaexplained,“Ourtimeofstandingpat,ofprotectingnarrowinterestsandputtingoffunpleasantdecisions--thattimehassurelypassed.Startingtoday,we

mustpickourselvesup,dustourselvesoff,andbeginagaintheworkofremakingAmerica.”Twoparagraphslaterhewouldsay,“Now,therearesomewhoquestionthescaleofourambitions--whosuggestthatoursystemcannottoleratetoomanybigplans.Theirmemoriesareshort.Fortheyhaveforgottenwhatthiscountryhasalreadydone;whatfreemenandwomencanachievewhenimaginationisjoinedtocommonpurpose,andnecessitytocourage.” Afewminuteslater,hereturnedtoafamiliarthemeinIndiana,onethatDanielsattemptedtomeetheadonwithhis“gradualist”commentsinhisinaugural.Obamaexplained,“Whatthecynicsfailtounderstandisthatthegroundhasshiftedbeneaththem--thatthestalepolitical

argumentsthathaveconsumedusforsolongnolongerapply.Thequestionweasktodayisnotwhetherourgovernmentistoobigortoosmall,butwhetheritworks--whetherithelps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Wheretheanswerisyes,weintendtomoveforward.Wheretheanswerisno,programswillend.” SandwichedinbetweenObama’sdesiretocreateachangeatmospherewas,essentially,acalltoactionforwhatailstheHoosierecono-my.“Foreverywherewelook,thereisworktobedone,”Obamasaid.HesaidthisinElkhartandKokomolastyear.“Thestateoftheeconomycallsforaction,boldandswift,andwewillact--notonlytocreatenewjobs,buttolayanewfoundationforgrowth.Wewillbuildtheroadsandbridges,theelectricgridsanddigitallinesthatfeedourcommerceandbindustogether.”Again,we’veseenthistypeoftalkfromGov.Danielsduringthe2006Ma-jorMovesdebate.Obamacontinued:“Wewillrestoresciencetoitsrightfulplace,andwieldtechnology’swonderstoraisehealthcare’squalityandloweritscost.Wewillharnessthesunandthewindsandthesoiltofuelourcarsandrunourfactories.Andwewilltransformourschoolsandcollegesanduniversitiestomeetthedemandsofanewage.Allthiswecando.Andallthiswewilldo.” Obamaattemptedtoopenourimagina-

tion.CouldEnerDel’slithiumionbatteriessomedaybedevelopedintheverylabswhereDelphiengineerstoiledinKokomo?CanresearchanddevelopmentthatgaveAmericatheinternalcombustionenginenowhousegreenindustriesofsustainabledevelopment?Hereamemorablelinelingers:“fortheyhaveforgottenwhatthiscountryhasalreadydone....” ThemiddleofObama’sspeechdealtwithnationalsecurity,butindoingso,hetookontheBush-Cheney

The Obamas dance at one of the 10 inaugural balls. Obama also addressed a concert at the Lincoln Me-morial over the weekend.


mentality.“Asforourcommondefense,werejectasfalsethechoicebetweenoursafetyandourideals,”Obamasaid.“OurFoundingFathers,facedwithperilswecanscarcelyimagine,draftedachartertoassuretheruleoflawandtherightsofman,acharterexpandedbythebloodofgenera-tions.Thoseidealsstilllighttheworld,andwewillnotgivethemupforexpedience’ssake.” ThencametheObamathatbegantheprocessofprovidingthecommondefenseoffreedomwhileseekingtoregainAmerica’sleadershipstature.“Andsotoallotherpeoplesandgovernmentswhoarewatch-ingtoday,fromthegrandestcapitalstothesmallvillagewheremyfatherwasborn:KnowthatAmericaisafriendofeachnationandeveryman,womanandchildwhoseeksafutureofpeaceanddignity,andthatwearereadytoleadoncemore.” Therewasbackbone:“Witholdfriendsandformerfoes,wewillworktirelesslytolessenthenuclearthreat,androllbackthespecterofawarmingplanet.”Sen.Lugarmusthavesmiledatthatline.“Wewillnotapologizeforourwayoflife,norwillwewaverinitsdefense,andforthosewhoseektoadvancetheiraimsbyinducingterrorandslaughteringinnocents,wesaytoyounowthatourspiritisstrongerandcannotbebroken;youcannotoutlastus,andwewilldefeatyou.” Obama’s greatest flare on Tuesday came when he linkednationalsecurityviathearmedservices,theirsacri-fices and how this should translate to a larger slice of so-ciety:“Asweconsidertheroadthatunfoldsbeforeus,werememberwithhumblegratitudethosebraveAmericanswho,atthisveryhour,patrolfar-offdesertsanddistantmountains.Theyhavesomethingtotellustoday,justasthefallenheroeswholieinArlingtonwhisperthroughtheages.Wehonorthemnotonlybecausetheyareguard-iansofourliberty,butbecausetheyembodythespiritofservice; a willingness to find meaning in something greater thanthemselves.Andyet,atthismoment--amomentthatwill define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabitusall.” Andinthepenultimatemoment,Obamaaddressedracethroughthedazzlingprismofthatverymoment:“Thisisthemeaningofourlibertyandourcreed--whymenand

womenandchildrenofeveryraceandeveryfaithcanjoinin celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whosefatherlessthan60yearsagomightnothavebeenservedatalocalrestaurantcannowstandbeforeyoutotakeamostsacredoath.” Andthis,theinvocationofequalityandcharacterof content that didn’t specifically name King: “They saw

Americaasbiggerthanthesumofourindivid-ualambitions;greaterthanallthedifferencesofbirthorwealthorfaction.” Finally,Obamapoisedhisowntorchforpassage:“Withhopeandvirtue,letusbraveoncemoretheicycurrents,anden-durewhatstormsmaycome.Letitbesaidbyourchildren’schildrenthatwhenweweretested,werefusedtoletthisjourneyend,

thatwedidnotturnback,nordidwefalter;andwitheyesfixed on the horizon and God’s grace upon us, we carried forththatgreatgiftoffreedomanddelivereditsafelytofuturegenerations.”

Two speechwriters react PeggyNoonan,thelegendaryspeechwriterforPresidentReagan,providedtheexecutivesummaryinWednesday’sWallStreetJournal:“Inatimewhenallwonderifournation’sbestdaysarebehindus,weneedtoknowthattheanswerisno.Wecontinue.Wegoon.Thisisnotjourney’send.” Noonanadded,“Itwasnotanespeciallymovingorrousing speech, but the event itself, the first major address ofanewpresidentfromanewgenerationandapreviouslyunrepresentedrace,wasinherentlymoving.Thespeechwaslow-key,sober.Therewasnotasentenceorthoughtthathityouinthechestandenteredyourheadnottoleave.Butitwasworthy,hadweight,andwasadult.Infact,Mr.Obamalaudedacertainkindofmaturity.” VeteranjournalistWalterShapiro,aformerspeech-writerforPresidentCarter,observedintheNewRepublic:Therewereechoesofpriorinauguraladdresses(particular-ly John Kennedy, but also flickers of Franklin Roosevelt and BillClinton)inthenewPresident’swords,butrepeatedlytherewerestrikingphrasesandsuddenburstsofimagerythatmadeitObama’sown.Whetheritwasthroughsimplelanguageaboutthe“thestillwatersofpeace”andthe

wrotehimselfintohisjob. Shapiroexplainedfurther,“TherewasaglintofsteelinObama’swords,displayingastay-the-courseresolvethatrarelysurfacedduringtheDemocraticprimaries.Obamasoundedthe‘Ken-nedy-esque’trumpetstobearanyburdenwhenhedeclaredinwordsdesignedtobeheardintheuntamedfrontierregionsofPakistan,‘Forthosewhoseektoadvancetheiraimsbyinducingterrorandslaughteringinnocents,wesaytoyounowthatourspiritisstrongerandcannotbebroken;youcannotoutlastus,andwewilldefeatyou.’” ShapiroalsolikedObama’s“understated”ap-proachtohisrace.“TherewerenopaeanstoAbrahamLincoln(slave-owningGeorgeWashingtonwas,instead,thepresidentquoted),noremindersoftheroleofslavesintheconstructionoftheWhiteHouseandnoexplicitrecognition


oftheagedTuskegeeAir-menvisibleontheinau-guralplatform.Instead,therewasjustabriefbutpoignantreminderbyPresidentObamathathisKenyan-bornfather“’lessthan60yearsagomightnothavebeenservedatalocalrestaurant.’” Shapiroconcluded,

“MyguessisthatObama’saddresswasalittletoocerebral,a little too reflective of recent White House history to reach thestandardofgreatness.Ofcourse,itseemsludicroustogrumpthatObamadidnotequalLincoln’ssecondinauguralor FDR’s first. What matters is that America, for the first timesincethe1960s,boastsapresidentwhosewordshaveweightandwhosespeechesgrowbetteronsecondread-ing.Tuesdayafternoon,January20, 2009,shouldbere-memberedasaworthyintroductiontotheAgeofObama.”v


When there wasstanding room only By DAVE KITCHELL WASHINGTON-“TaxationWithoutRepresentation”iswhatDistrictofColumbiaresidentshaveontheirlicenseplatesthesedays,andmostAmericansintheknowcanfigure out the rest of the phrase ... is tyranny. Sometimeinthefuture,D.C.residentshopetherewillbeadaywhentheyhavethesamerepresentationinCongressthatAmericansin50stateshave.Someofthem

wantstatehood,andthesignssupportingitcanbefoundineverycornerofthedistrict.DayssuchasTuesdaygiveWashingtonianshopetherewillbeamoreperfectunionforthem.Soonerorlater,theUnitedStateshasawayofimprovingitsstandingandthequalityoflifeforitscitizensbyreinventingthecountryaswhatwehavecometocallamoreperfectunion. TherewasthatsenseatopCapitolHillasBarackObamatook the oath of office as the 44th

president.Obamaappearedsomewhathumbledandhisusuallysterlingspeakingstylewassluggishinthepenetrat-inglycolddaywhentemperaturesplungedintotheteensandMotherNatureproducedaChicagowindchillappropri-ateforanincomingchiefexecutivefromthatcity. AsgreatanoratorhasObamais,hisinauguralad-dresswilllikelynotberememberedashisgreatestspeech,orforthatmatter,oneofthegreatinauguraladdresses.Whathehadtosaywasinspiring,butcandid.Inessence,hetoldtheworld“Americaisreadytolead”again,buthetoldAmericanstheywouldhavetogrindoutanewgenera-tionofinnovationthatnotonlypropelsourGrossDomesticProduct,buttouchestheeconomiesoftheworld. Perhaps his mostmemorablewordscameduringaseriesofsentenceshebeganwiththewords,“Forus.”Ineachinstance,ObamapaintedapictureofwhatpreviousAmerican generations had sacrificed for the current genera-tion. He finished the series of sentences by noting that for America,themenandwomenofthemilitaryhavegiventheircareersandlivesinservicetotheircountry,andthatkind of unselfish contribution represents the kind of nation-alcommitmentAmericansmustmaketomovethecountryforward.ItwasaroundaboutwayofsayingwhatJFKsaidin1960:“Asknotwhatyourcountrycandoforyou.Askwhatyoucandoforyourcountry.”

JudgingbythevastcrowdfromtheLincolnMemo-rialtwomileseasttotheCapitol,thereweremillionsofAmericanswhoareeitherreadytomakethatcommitmentorwhothinkObamacandosomethingfortheircountry.Combine10SuperBowlswithaPapalMass,theIndianapo-lis500andtheRoseBowlParadewithoutNFLteams,aPope,aracecarorarosepetalandthevisionofthiscrowdcomesintofocus.Whatcouldnothavecomeintofocusforthosewatchingthiseventontelevisionorforthoseplan-ningitmonthsagowerethesheernumbersofpeoplewhowereliterallyleftoutinthecold,standingoutsidethemall.TensofthousandsstoodattheBlueGatewhenitwasshutdown and security officers became the bearer of bad news. Manyhadcomefromseveralstatesawaytowitnessanhis-toric event only to find out that standing room only wasn’t enoughontheMall. It was an inaugural thatmayhaveproducedtheworstinauguralpoemandthebestinauguralbenediction.Thelatterinspiredthree“Amens”andsomepersonalizedblessingsforObama’sdaughters. Hundredsshunnedatthegatesmadetheirwaytothe Cannon and Longworth Office Buildings to watch the proceedings in congressional offices, and to warm up. The conditionsweresobitterlycold,anyonecouldunderstandwhyIndiana’sWilliamHenryHarrisoncontractedpneumo-niaafterdeliveringan8,443-wordinauguraladdressanddiedjust32dayslater.AbigailFillmore,aformerFirstLady,hadthesamefateafterattendingFranklinPierce’sinau-gural. Coldweatherinauguralsareatraditionthatcontinues,andtheauraofaneventthathappensasoftenas the Olympics is one that defies description for security. OnlyinAmericacouldFloridaHighwayPatrolmenwearwinter coats and gloves to direct traffic. Officers from 65 agenciesandareported16,000militarypersonnelwereonhand.Howfarsecurityhascomesince1801whenThomasJeffersonwalkedfromhisboardinghousetobeswornintooffice. HowfarAmericahascomeisaconversationstart-er.EvenwithouttherepresentationWashingtonianswant,theyhaveadistinctionmanyAmericansdon’trealize.Formanyyears,WashingtonhasbeentheonlycityoutsidetheAfricancontinenttohaveamajorityofitsresidentscomefrom African descent. Now, it has the first African-American president. NowthequestionbecomeshowfarObamacantakethecountryandifthemantraof“Yeswecan”canbebackedupbyactionsthatspeaklouderthanthewordsfromthegreatestpulpitinthefreeworld.v

Dave Kitchell is a veteran Indiana journalist who teaches journalism at Ball State University.


McVey challengesCW on Burton challengeBy BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS-NotonlyisU.S.Rep.DanBurtonfacinglifeintheCongressionalminoritythesedays,servingunderSpeakerNancyPelosi,butheisalsogoingthroughtheprocessoftakingcourtesycallsfromHoosierRepubli-canswhowanthisjob. OneofthemisBroseMcVey,theformersecretaryoftheIndianaRepublicanPartyandthe2002nomineeinthe7thCDwherehelosttoU.S.Rep.JuliaCarson.McVeypaidavisittoBurtonrecently,formedanexploratorycommitteeandhasacampaignwebsiteupatbrosemcvey.com. WhileMcVeyhasn’tmadethe final decision, he says he plans to“listentomyvoters,supportersandfriends,revisitandvalidatewearetherightformulaforthetimes.” AndMcVeyisnotbuy-ingintowhathecalls“conven-tionalwisdom”thatonlyonekeychallengerwouldhaveachanceagainstBurton.WithStateRep.MikeMurphy,StateAuditorTimBerry,MarionCountyProsecutorCarlBrizzi,andformerStateRep.Luke Messer all taking a look at the race, the field could be crowded.“ButIdon’tthinkconventionwisdomisquiteasobviousinthiscase,”McVeysaid.“Thesearestrangetimes.Votersarerestlessandlookingforsomethingnew.IwantpeopletohavealotofchoicesandIthinktheywill.” McVeysaidthathehasmaintaineda“goodrap-port”withBurton,whohasheldthesincesince1982.Burtonshouldknowaboutthedurabilityofconventionalwisdom.Whenhisseatwasestablishedinthe1981re-districting,itwasn’tcreatedforhim.ButBurtonworkedhardinamulti-candidateprimaryanddeliveredanupset.He’shadanirongripontheseateversince,butformerMarionCountycoronerJohnMcGoffchallengedhiminthe2008primaryandlostbylessthan6,000votes-45,682to39,701.Athirdcandidate,ClaytonAlfred,drew2,742votes.McGoff,whoisonactivemilitarydutyinIraq,isalsoexpectedtotakeanotherlookattheracein2010. Thatmargin,withmanyRepublicanswhomighthavebeeninclinedtovoteforchangevotingintheDemo-craticprimaryfortheBarackObama/HillaryClintonrace,hasessentiallydumpedBurton’sbloodinthewater,withchallengersnowcircling.It’sascenariowheretheHRCCwon’tbeinapositiontosaveBurtoninaprimary.Hewill

havetoworkhardraisingmoneyandworkingthedistrict,andanumberoffriendsandassociatesindicatethat2010mightbeBurton’slastbidforre-election.Thereareindica-tionsthatBurtonwillannointasuccessorfor2012anditwouldn’tbeanyonewhochallengeshimnextcycle. SomebelievethatannoiteecouldbeStateSen.MikeDelph,aformeraide.OnepotentialcandidatetoldHPIthattheriskinnotchallengingBurtonin2010isthathecould decide not to run right before filing deadline, giving someonelikeDelphaclearroadtothenomination. SeveralcandidateswhohavetalkedwithBurtonsaythatthediscussionsarecordialbutthatattheendoftheconversation,Burtonattemptstoorchestratethecon-clusion:thattheywon’tbechallenging.OnecandidatetoldHPI that if any in the field were to be pointed in their criti-

cismoftheincumbent,theimpactwouldlikelybetogethisdanderup.McVeybelieveshewillrunwellinthebaseofthe5thCD-HamiltonandMarionCounties.HewasexecutivedirectoroftheCorngrowersAssociationandisaPurdueUniversitygraduate,partsofhisresumebebelieveswillplaywellinthemoreruralcountiesofthedistrict.WhentheHowey/GaugePollsurveyedthe5thCDinlateApril2008,Burtonhad98percenttotalawarenessandhisfav/unfavsstoodat58/21percent.InHamiltonCounty-whichis36percentofthedistrictvote-Burtonhada58/18fav/unfav,whileinMarionCounty-thesecondbiggestconcen-

trationofdistrictvotewith20percent-Burton’sfav/unfavsstoodat48/35percent.McGoffhadonly48percenttotalawareness. Onthere-electnumbers,theystoodat45percentforBurtoninHamiltonCountywhile31percentsaidelectsomeonenew.InMarionCounty,thosenumbersstoodat33/51percent.Burton’sre-electscoreswerehigherwithvoterswhorespondedthatthe“economy”wasthetopissuecomparedtothosewhosaid“taxes”or“jobsandwages”werethetopissue. BurtonwascriticizedbyRepublicanMaronMayorWayneSeyboldafterhevotedagainstarescueoftheDetroit3automakers.ThereisaGeneralMotorsstamp-ingplantinMarionandmany5thCDvotersareemployedbyChryslerandDelphiinKokomo.HowthisimpactsthedistrictandtheresidualsfromBurton’svoteremainstobeseen.

HD38 update ReportsfromareliablesourceintheJan.15edi-tionthatRep.MikeMurphywouldbackformerStateRep.HeathVanNatterinaMay2010GOPprimaryagainstcur-

Brose McVey during his 2002 challenge to U.S. Rep. Julia Carson. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey)

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009Page9

Good intentions don’talways yield good ideas By MORTON J. MARCUS INDIANAPOLIS-Lastweekinthisspaceweof-feredanover-the-topcolumnabouton-linenetworks.Manyreadersfailedtorecognizethetongue-in-cheekapproachtolinkingupwithothers.Insteadtheyinterpretedthathyperbolicdiatribeasanattackoncomputers,themodernage,progressandhumanity.Yourauthorwasdescribedas

anisolationistdoomedtoalonelyoldageratherthanapoorimitationofW.C.Fields. ThisbringsustotheObamaadministration.Theyhaveintroduced“theCitizen’sBriefing Book”, www.citizens-briefingbook.change.org. This is“anonlineforumwhereyoucanshareyourideas,andrateoroffercommentsontheideasofothers.Thebestratedwillrisetothetop.”Iseethevirtueofbeingopentothepublic’sconcern.Ican-

notimaginethatthepresidentwillgiveattentiontoissuesbasedontheirpopularity.Iwanttobelievethathehasaclearsenseofwhichproblemsrequireresourcesandtheirappropriateurgency. Thisweb-basedpopularitypollis“AmericanIdol”inpublicpolicy.Andwhoiswinning?Asofthiswriting,andthisstuffchangesbythequarterhour,thereare91,370pointsforEndingMarijuanaProhibition.Actuallythatisabloated figure; each positive or negative vote is worth ten points. Is ending the prohibitionontheuseofmarijua-nathetopconcernofthisnation?Isanendtogovernmentsponsoredabstinenceeducationthefourthmostimportantissue?Shouldweend“economicslavery”bygettingridoftheFederalReserve? Inexpensivecommunicationsareastepforwardforsociety,buttheyopenthedoortopopularnonsense.Noweveryidlenutcasemayspendhoursatapubliclibrarycom-puterterminalexpressinghis/hermarijuana-inducedviewsandvotingontheworthofideassubmittedbyothers.

BarackObamawaselectedforhisleadershipskills.Dowewanthimtotaketimeeachnight(aspromisedonthiswebsite)toreadthecommunicationsofpeoplewithnobetteruseoftheirtimethantoemptytheirmentalseweragetanks?Ofcoursethisisthedirectioninwhichsomenewspapersaregoing,followingthepathpioneeredbytalk-radio. Fortunatelyournewpresidentunderstandstheimportanceofrequestinginputfromothers,eventhosewhodisagreewithhim.Healsoisaconstitutionalscholarandunderstandsthatthisisarepublicwithrepresentativegovernment,notademocracyrunbypopularitycontests. As long as we are focused onmisguidedef-forts,considerthis:SenatorJohnnyNugentofsoutheasternIndianahasofferedSB-12that“Prohibitsastatecollegeoruniversityfromregulatinginanymannertheowner-ship, possession, carrying, or transportation of firearms or ammunition.”ThesenatorsaysstudentsshouldbeabletoprotectthemselvesfromkillersofthesortseenatVirginiaTechandNorthernIllinois. Mr.Nugenthasbeeninthestatesenatesince1978andyetintroducesbillsthathavenochanceofpassing.Thereisnosupportforthisbillamongeducators.Theyunderstandthatmoregunsoncampusprovidemoreop-portunitiesfortragedy. Thisbillopensthedoorformoredisturbedstu-dentstokillotherstudents.Ateacherwhogivesafailinggradecouldbesigninghis/herdeathwarrant.Administra-torswhodisappointapplicants,parents,students,staff,alumniorfacultyareputatrisk.Whathappenstothecoachwhofailstohaveawinningseason? Every bill introduced clogsthesystemifitisassignedtocommittee.Italsocoststaxpayersmoney.Forexample,theLegislativeServicesAgencyhastoprovidea legal analysis and a fiscal impact study of every bill, no matterhowworthless.Notonlyisthebillaseriouserrorofpolicy,itisanexampleofirresponsiblepanderingtoperni-ciousspecialinterests. Thecurrentdrivetoreformgovernmentshouldnotstartwithlocalgovernmentbutwithstategovernment.Thebestplacetobeginiswiththecircusthatdoesnotenter-tain,theIndianaGeneralAssembly.vMr. Marcus is an independent economist, speaker, and writer formerly with IU’s Kelley School of Busi-ness. Contact him for speaking opportunities at [email protected] or 317.626.8853

rentStateRep.JacqueClementweredisputedbyMurphy’slegislativeassistant,StephanieSample,whocalledthereport“completelyfalseandunsubstantiated.”Murphywasunavilableforcommentthismorning.VanNatterwonacau-

cusin2008toreplaceStateRep,JimBuckafterhemovedtotheSenate,butonthesamenight,asecondcaucusvotedforClementfortheNov.4nomination.VanNatterhasindicatedthathewillchallengeClement.v

HOWEY Politics Indiana Weekly Briefing on Indiana Politics Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009Page10

Senate Committeeweighs police pensionsBy EVAN SHIELDSINDIANAPOLIS-TheSenatePensionandLaborCommit-teeconsideredninebillsWednesdaymorning,oneofwhichwould allow police officers and firefighters to purchase twoyearsofpensioncreditiftheyhaveservedactiveduty

inthemilitary.SenateBill25,sponsoredbySen.MichaelYoung,D-Indianapolis,provokeddiscussionbutdidnotresultinavote.AmongthosefavoringthelegislationwereDougTodd,anaccuaryforthepublicemployeeretirementfund(PERF);LeoBlackwell,arepresentativeoftheIndianaFraternalOrderofPolice;MarkSheerer,a

representativefromthIndianaFirechiefs’Association; and Jim Wrigley, a representative for the fire-fighters. Ann Cottongim, a representative for the Indiana AssociationofCitiesandTowns,raisedquestionsaboutit.“Weliketheconceptandwearesorrythatcitiesandtownsdon’t have the financial abilities to support any additional coststhatcouldcometothetowns,”Cottongimsaid.“Given the financial status of cities and towns right now...wedon’thavetheabilitytoincreaselocaltaxestosupporttheseservices.”ThecommitteealsolookedatSenateBill535,whichwouldestablishtheIndianapublicretirementsystemandsetupprogramssuchasPERFandtheteach-ers’retirementfund(TRF).Blackwellsaidhesupportedthebillinconceptbutwouldlikea“seatatthetable”fornegotiationsinotheraspectsofthebill.GeorgeRaymondoftheIndianaChamberofCommercealsosupportedthebill.Inotherbusiness:ThreeSenateBillspassedoutofcommittee,eachbyan8-0vote.SenateBill173wouldlowerthenumberofmemberneededforaquoruminthelawenforcementtrainingboardfrom11tonine.SenateBill78addressedseveralprosecutingattorneys’retirementfundissues.SenateBill84wouldchangethenameofthedepartmentofworkforcedevelopmenttothedepartmentofunemploymentinsurance.

Bill would legalize mini-trucks:AbillintroducedintheHouseRoadsandTransportationCom-mittee on Wednesday would redefine the Bureau of Motor Vehicles definition of mini-trucks and make them street legal.HouseBill1043wouldallowlocalBMVbranchestoregisterandlegalizemini-trucksonstatehighwaysbegin-ninginJanuaryofnextyear.Thiswouldnotincludelicens-ingformini-truckstotravelonIndianainterstates.Themini-trucks,havingbothonandoffroadcapabilitiesmeetthe BMV definition of a motor vehicle, but do not meet

federalsafetycodeguidelines.TheBMVsdecisiontodenylicensing in the past was based on their classification as an “off-road”vehicle.Othervehiclesinthiscategoryincludegolf carts and gator utility vehicles. A mini-truck is defined as“aforeignmanufacturedimporttruckthatispoweredbyinternalcombustionengine”andis60inchesorlessinwidth.Inaddition,theymustweigh1,600poundsorlessandnotreachatopspeedofmorethan60milesperhour.Theyalsohavetobecapableofoperationonbothhighwayandoff-roadtravel,andhavealockingenclosedcabwithheatedinterior.Thisdiffersfromother“off-road”vehiclesinthattheattachedcabisabletobebothlockedandheated.Asstated,thebillreadsamini-truckthatistitledandreg-isteredwiththestatewillbeconsideredlegallyoperational.Thisbillwouldrequiredealersofthetruckstoregisterwiththestatebeforetheendof2009.SarahMeyer,aBMVspokesperson,saidinternalpolicychangeswithintheBMVmade it difficult to determine the status of licensing. Meyer said when mini-trucks were first considered for licensing therewasnowayoftellingiftheymetbasicsafetystan-dardssoregistrationsinthepastweredenied.Thebilllikelywillbeamendedandavotewillbetakenonitintwoweeks. - Julie Crothers

Bill would speed interstate adoptions:Anadoptionbillthatwouldsimplifyout-of-stateadoptionsforbirthmotherslivinginneighboringstatespassedthroughaSenatecommitteeWednesday.IndianaisapartoftheInterstateCompactonthePlace-mentofChildren,whichrequiresbirthmotherswhoarecitizensofdifferentstatestogobacktotheirstateofresi-denceevenifthechildwasborninIndiana.Thecompactalsorequiresthemotherstogothroughcourtproceed-ings there that can take as little as five days if done with IllinoisorasmuchaseightmonthsifinOhio.TheJudiciaryCommitteeheardSenateBill280,whichwouldallowbirthmotherswhoarecitizensofneighboringstatesonlytostayunderthejurisdictionofIndianacourtssotheywouldn’thavetoleavethestateiftheygavebirthintheHoosierstate. Adoption attorney Steve Kirsh testified in favor of thebill.OntheothersidewassomeoneKirshsaidwasagoodfriend,JohnRyan,chiefofstafffortheDepartmentofChildServices.KirshhelpedSen.TeresaLubbers,R-India-napolis,draftthebill.Hesaidthecurrentadoptiondelaywasunnecessaryanddoesn’tservetheinterestsofthechild. Some states, Kirsh testified, won’t always follow the ICPCagreement.Birthmotherscanendupwaitingaslongaseightmonthsforachildtheywantedtogivetoadop-tiveparentsatbirthandthoseparentsspendlongmonthswaitingfortheirchild.Kirshsaidforcingadoptiveparentstospendmonthsinahotelroomwiththebirthmotherjustprovidesunnecessarybureaucraticdelays.Sen.GregTaylor,D-Indianapolis,objectedtothenotionthatdelaysin


theadoptionprocesswereabadthing.“Idon’tthinktwomonthsistoolong,”Taylorsaid.“I’mlookingoutforthebirthmother.”Taylorsaidtheextradelaywillhelpwomenthinkcloselyaboutoneofthemostimportantdecisionsintheirlifetimeandgivethemtimetochangetheirminds.Ryansaidthebillwillaffect20adoptionsoutoftheesti-mated300privateadoptionsperyearinIndiana.HesaidmaintainingtheintegrityoftheICPCagreementisimpor-tant.TheICPCcametogetherbecausestateshadnoblan-ketadoptionlawsforwhentheycrossedstatelines.Ryansaidchangingpartofitshouldhappenonanationallevel,notthroughindividualstates.RyansaidheworriedthebillwouldmakeIndianaanislandinaseaofMidwesternstatesthatallcomplywiththeinterstateagreement.“Wejustcan’tallowIndianatobecomethestatepeoplejumptobecausetheydon’thavetogothroughtheICPC,”Ryansaid. Kirsh said he would be fine if the bill were amended tojustincludeneighboringcountiesinotherstates.Thebill passed unanimously and is headed to the Senate floor. - Whitney Lee

House committee pushes for Hoo-siers to “buy American”:TheHouseCommit-teeonSmallBusinessandEconomicDevelopmentpassedahandfulofbillsWednesday,twoofwhichwillgototheWaysandMeansCommittee.Theyallaimtostimulatethelaggingeconomy.Thebuy-Americanbill,sponsoredbyDa-vidL.Niezgodski,D–SouthBend,givesa$1,000taxcredittoHoosierswhobuyconstructionequipment,cars,trucks,tractorsorrecreationalvehiclesthatincludes70percentofAmerican-madeproducts.Thebillincludesforeigncompa-niesthatproduceintheUnitedStates.Forexample,HondacarsmadeinDecaturCountycouldbeincludediftheymeetthe70percentmark,butGeneralMotors’Avalanchetruck,whichismadeinMexico,wouldnotgiveconsumerstherebate.StateRep.MikeMurphy,R-Indianapolis,wasamongthoseworriedthatthisrebatecouldactuallydrivebusinessawayfromIndiana.DealersinIndianathatsellforeign-madeproductscouldsufferifHoosierscrossstatelines to find products that would give them the rebate, especially if it’s a specific type of agricultural equipment. ThoughHondaisanexampleofanIndiana-basedmanu-facturer,thebilldoesn’tguaranteethatthevehiclewouldhavetobemadeinIndiana.Thebillisn’tintendedtohelpmanufacturessellmore,though.It’ssupposedtoencour-ageHoosierstobuymorewhilebeingabletosavesomemoney.“Thisisabouttheindividualandalsothecorpora-tion,butmostlytheindividual,”Niezgodskisaid.ThebillpassedunanimouslyandwillmakeitswaytotheWaysandMeanscommittee.ThecommitteealsoheardtestimonyfromanIndianainventor.BillKeith,ofSunriseSolarInc.Heusedtobearoofer.Nowhesellsasolarpoweredatticfanthat’susedeverywherefromHawaiitoGreece.Hetesti-

fied in favor of a bill that will Hoosiers tax credits of up to $5,0000forusinghisinvention.Theatticfanisestimatedtosavehomeownersupto$75-$125eachyear.That’snottherealdrawforlawmakers,however.EachatticfancanreducetheamountofCO2emissionsby1,000pounds.TerrenceBlack,ofGreenWaySupply,estimatedthatthe100unitshiscompanyinstalledlastyearreducedemissionsby100,000pounds.Alongwithtryingtosavetheenviron-ment, going green has added benefits to Hoosiers. “We’re hiringpeople.Inthiseconomy,greenisthenewgold,”Blacksaid.Keithagreed.He’sshippinghisproductsaroundtheglobe,fromtheHonoluluAirport,tovariousschools,eventoGreece.“Weseeblueskiesahead,”Keithsaid.“I’maperfectexampleofablue-collarguygoinggreencollar.”Purchasingandinstallingthefanswouldtakeanestimated$1,500, but would be a first step in showing that Indiana isgoinggreen.Thebillpassedunanimously.Anotherbillaimedateconomicrecoverypassedunanimously,too.Thebill,sponsoredbyRep.JohnDay,D-Indianapolis,wouldgiveworkerstakingcareofchildrenordependentsataxcreditforchildcareorrelatedexpenses.PattiO’Callaghan,whodoestaxesforlowerincomeindividuals,saidtheaddedcreditwouldhelpHoosiersfamiliesagreatdeal,es-peciallyinthecurrenteconomy.There’sasimilarfederalbillthatwouldpayforanestimatedmaximumof$2,100oftheestimated$5,000childcarecostsperfamily.Thestatebill,ifpassed,wouldgiveamaximumof$1,100per family. Thirty five other states have a similar credit. - Whitney Lee

Long morning for Health and Provid-er Services Committee:AfterquicklypassingtwobillsWednesday,theSenateHealthandProviderSer-vicesCommitteeboggeddownforlengthytestimonyoverfive bills, many of which affected the estimated 250 dental personnel that filled the gallery and hallways for Dental Day at the Indiana Statehouse. The first passed proposal, SenateBill307,callsforasliveralertprogram.SponsoredbySen.PatriciaMiller,R-Indianapolis,thecommittee’schair,thebillcreatesaprogrammuchliketheAmberalertsystemforthemissingandendangeredelderly.ThisbilladdsmissingendangeredadultstothenameoftheIndianaclearinghouseforinformationonmissingchildren.Theoth-erbillpassedwasSB219.Italsopassed7-0.Noneoftheotherbillsonthedocketwerevotedon. - Renee Bruck

Bill shoots to give taxpayers option, electronic or print:PushingsendinsteadoflickingenvelopesmaybeanewoptionfortaxpayersafterWednesday’sLocalGovernmentCommitteehearing.SenateBill285’ssponsor,Sen.TravisHoldman,R-Markle,calledthebillamoveintothecurrenttimes.Thebillpassed,9-0.

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2009Page12

No private citizens or lobbyist groups testified against the billduringopentestimonyaswell.“SenateBill285hastodowithpropertytaxpaymentsinefforttomovecountygovernmentforwardintotheelectronicage,”hesaid.Hold-manrepresentsDistrict19,whichincludesAllenCountyandpartsofBlackford,GrantandWellscounties.Inhisdistrictalone,thereare293,000propertytaxbills.“Ifwewhereabletogetonly20percentofthosetaxpayersonoure-version,”Holdmansaid,“thatwouldsavethecountiesinmydistrictover$50,000annually.”Originally,thepro-posedbillcalledforsign-upsatvotingpollsforthe“e-ver-sion.”ButHoldmanproposedanamendmentthatleavesituptoindividualstosignupfortheprogramthroughthecountytreasurer.Ifataxpayerdoesn’treceivethee-bill,Holdmansaid,thecountywillsendaprintedsecondnotice,whichisthesamepolicyinplacecurrentlytodealwithmisplacedbills.The“e-version”isonlyoptionalandthosewhodeclinetosignupforitstillreceivetheconventionalbill,stressedHoldman.GrantCountytreasurerRogerBrain-brindgesupportedthebillandcametotestifyatHoldman’srequest.Hesaidsendinge-billswouldsaveacountycloseto50centsforeverytaxstatementthattakesadvantageoftheproposal.“It’sawin-winsituation,”Brainbridgesaid.

Environment gets spotlight during House committee: TheHouseNaturalResourcesCommitteemetWednesdaytodiscussfourbillsdealingwithwater,invasivespeciesandstatelandconveyance.HouseBill1204callsformoneythatgoesintothecleanwaterIndianafundtonotrevertbacktothecigarettetaxfund,thesourceofitsfunding.“There’saneedforalotofthoseprojects,”committeechairmanBobBischoff,D-Law-renceburg,saidofthecleanwaterfund.HB1203institutestheinvasivespeciescouncilwithinPurdueUniversity.Arepresentative from the Nature Conservancy testified that bushhoneysucklewasanexampleofaninvasivespeciesthatneedstobemorecarefullymonitoredandregulated.Shesaidbushhoneysuckleaffectsotherresources,likereducingtreegrowthrate.Thecommittee’svicechairper-son,Rep.DaveCheatham,D-NorthVernon,introducedHB1078.ThisbillcallsforthetransferoffouracresofstatepropertyinJeffersonCountytoHabitatforHumanity.Bischoff called this a “very worthy project,” but due to fiscal concernswiththevalueofthepropertyandtaxpayerdol-lars,questionsabouttheIndianaDepartmentofTranspor-tation’scleaningprocess,andissueswithgivingstatelandto a non-profit, private organization, the bill was not voted on. HB 1032 was the final bill discussed. This bill would createanewWabashRiverheritagecorridorcommissionfundandthekilltheexistingonetopreventreversions.Itwouldalsopreventitsfundingfromrevertingbackintothegeneral fund at the end of a fiscal year. HB 1204, HB 1203 andHB1032allpassedthroughcommitteeonWednesday.

- Katie Coffin

Education bills passed: TheSenateEduca-tionandCareerDevelopmentCommitteheardseveralbillsWednesday,includingonethatwouldextendstatecol-legetuitionandfeereimbursementstoallPurpleHeartrecipients.Atpresent,onlypost9/11PurpleHeartrecipi-entsqualifyforthereimbursementsandexemptions.Thecommitteeheardtestimonyonthebill,butdidnotvoteonit.Sen.LukeKenley,R-Noblesville,onceagainhasspon-soredabilltolimitthenumberofteacherswhocanbeappointedtoserveonschoolcommittees.“OvertheyearsI’vehadalotofteacherswhohadseenthebillandwrittenmeaboutit,”KenleysaidwhilespeakinginfavorofSB13,whichpassedoutofcommitteeona6-2vote.- Caroline Thomas

Mortgage foreclosure bill protects renters: Mortgage foreclosure bills have been flood-ingbothchambersoftheIndianaGeneralAssembly.ThelatestbillpassedtotheSenatefromacommitteeaimstoprotectrentersiftheirlandlord’spropertygoesintoaforeclosure.Thebillrequireslandlordstogivenoticetoten-antsifajudgementofforeclosureisreached.ThecurrentlawcouldgiveHoosiersaslittleas10daystoleavetheirhomes.Sen.GregTaylor,D-Indianapolis,ownsa17-unitrentalproperty.Hespokeinfavorofthebill,butwantedtoamendittomakinglandlordstelltheirclientsevensooner,when the landlord first learns of a foreclosure proceeding. Twentypercentofthehomesgoingintoforeclosurehavebeenrentalproperties.Undercurrentlaw,thoserentersdon’t have to be notified until very late in the process. Paul Chase,aspokespersonfortheAARP,spokeinfavorofthebill.HesaidthatolderHoosierswhogetkickedoutoftheirhomeswithoutenoughnoticecouldenduphomeless,somethingthisbillaimstoprevent.Thisbillalsowouldlettenantswhochoosetoleaveearlybeforetheforeclosureachancetodosowithoutlosingtheirdepositmoney.- Whitney Lee

House committee considers bills to help state employees:TheHouseInsuranceCommitteeconsideredbillsWednesdaythatwouldal-lowschoolemployeestohavesomechoicesinregardtotheirinsuranceplansandrequireinsurancecompaniestopayforhearingaids.HouseBill1125wouldallowschoolemployeestochoosetostaywiththeircurrenthealthinsur-anceproviderortakeadvantageoftheschool’splan.Thecommitteediscussedbutdidnotvoteonthebill.HB1311wouldrequirestateemployeehealthplanstocoverhearingaids.ThecommitteedidnotvoteonHB1311. - Caroline Thomas v


The governor commandsSpring to come forthBy JACK COLWELL SOUTHBEND-ThoughsnowandcoldaswellasunemploymentandrecessionnowgripIndiana,Gov.MitchDanielsproclaimedinhissecondinauguraladdressthat“wecansummonthespringtimeandcommandittocome.” Let’sdothat.“Hey,Springtime,Icommandthee,come!Moveit!”

PerhapsyouexpectedthegovernortocombatarecessionthatthreatensIndianaespeciallyhardbecauseofitsrelianceonautomotive-relatedjobswithamoreextensiveplan.MaybeyouthoughthewouldseekinhisinauguralandStateoftheStateAddresstooutlineajobsprogram,callingforacceler-atedconstructiontospurtheeconomyandwaystohelphard-pressedcitiesandunemployedHoosiers. Instead,DanielstookapagefromIllinoisGov.Rod

Blagojevich. No,notthatpage.OurManMitchisnotacrook.HemayhavesoldoperationoftheIndianaTollRoad,buthewouldneverseektosellaSenateseatordothethingsthatsooncouldrequireTheirManRodtohelpinproduc-tionofstatelicenseplates. The commonpageforthegovernorsisthatbothturnedtoapoeticapproachintimeofturmoil.Blago,coun-teringimpeachment,quotedKiplingandTennyson.Daniels,counteringrecession,deliveredpoeticthoughtsofspring-timeandquotedahamburgerentrepreneurandKermittheFrog. Allthosefolksleftunemployedbythefactoryclos-ingsandcutbacksinElkhartCountycantakecomfortinthegovernor’sobservationthat“thesepresenttroublesarebuta frost in April, a brief chill, before the full flowering of the greenerIndianatocome.” Danielswentontorhapsodizethusly:“Ablossom-ingcultureofenterpriseforetellsthecomingvigorofayouthfuleconomythatregeneratesnewsproutsfasterthanitstrustedoldbranchesdecayandfallaway.” Yes,hedid.Hereallydid. Despite his usualdisdainforenvironmentalconcerns,DanielscontendedthatIndiana“haschosenthegreenpathofchange.”OK,he’sjustclaimingthathe

plantedsomenewgardenthatwillturngreenwhenspringissummoned,notproposingtocreatejobsthroughgreenprojects. HequotedRayKroc,famedforhamburgersunderarches,asphilosophizing:“Whenyou’regreen,yougrow.Whenyou’reripe,yourot.”WordstoencourageKokomoautomotiveworkersandanyoneconcernedwithbankruptcyofthestate’sunemploymentinsurancefund. Tonailitalldown,DanielsquotedKermittheFrog:“It’snoteasybeinggreen.” Actually, fighting the recession will be easy. We onlyneedtogettogetherinourcall:“Hey,Springtime.Icommandthee,come!Moveit!” Thus, withSpringtimecommanded,thegovernorhadnoneedtocallforajobsprogram,foranythinglikeac-celeratedconstruction.Heck,hewantstohaltallconstruc-tionexceptformoreprisonspace. NoneedtospurjobcreationinlifesciencesandothertechnologysectorsandsnareresearchgrantswiththatproposedcollaborativeeffortofIUandPurdue.Thegovernorsaysdelayit.Justawaitspring. Noneedtogoaheadwiththelong-delayedfull-daykindergartenefforttogetkidsofftoabetterstartanddealwithdeplorabledrop-outrates.(Thegovernordiddeclareforcefullythatkidsneedtobehavebetterinschool.Wow.)Noneedtohelplocalgovernmentsfacedwithseverecutbacksthatwillleavethemlessattractiveforeconomicdevelopment.(Danielsdidcallforsomethinginthatarea,makingthetaxformulathatforcesthecutbacksapartoftheConstitution.) No need foracentfromthestate’s$1.4bil-lionRainyDayFundtohelpHoosiersinadeluge.(HouseSpeakerPatBauersaystousesomeofthefundbecauseit’snowraining,pouring.Wrong.Ithasbeensnowing,drifting.) WithGroundhogDayfastapproaching,Danielscitedthattreasuredholidayininspirationaladvicefordeal-ingwith“thefrostsoffear.” Saidhe:“IfHoosiersemergefromourwinter’ssleeponlytoseetheshadowsofourdoubtsandretreatfromthem,thenwinterwillreturn,allthemorefrigidforthefragilehopesitcutsshort.Butunlikethegroundhogoffable,wehavetheoutcomeinourpower.Ifwechoosetofaceforwardintothesun,castingourshadowsbehindus,wecansummonthespringtimeandcommandittocome.” Yes,wecan.v

Colwell has covered Indiana politics for more than five decades for the South Bend Tribune.


John Kass,Chicago Tribune:Yes,WhiteSoxChair-manJerryReinsdorfknowsthatPresident-electBarackObamaisalefty—ournextpresidentthrowsabaseballwithhissouthpaw—butReinsdorfdoesn’tcare.“He’sgoingtobeourpresident,andhe’saWhiteSoxfan,”Reinsdorftoldmetheotherdayoverthephone.“He’saSouthSider.HelovestheWhiteSox.Whatcanbecoolerthanthat?”ReinsdorfisacraftybusinessmanwhohasbroughtsevenworldchampionshipstoChicago,sixwiththeBullsandthat2005WhiteSoxWorldSeriesvictorythatwillforevercauseCubsfanstogrindtheirteethinseethingjealousy.Buthedoesn’tfullycomprehendtheproblem.WhenObamaisinauguratedTuesday,hewon’tonlybethecoolestguyontheplanet.He’llbethemostpowerfulSoxfanontheplanet.That’spressure.v

Rich James,Post-Tribune:CanyouimagineGarywiththreemayors?OrHammondorHobartorCrownPointbe-ingsaddledwithaliketriumvirate?That,ofcourse,wouldbearecipefordisasterandawasteoftaxpayerdollars.OrwhatifIndianahadthreegovernors?ThosepoorfolksintheGeneralAssemblywouldgonutstryingtowritelegislationallthreegovernorscouldsupport.Andwhatifeveryoneofourcourtroomshadthreejudges?Goodluckevergettingadecision.Orhowabouteverypolicedepart-menthavingthreechiefs?You’dhavetowonderwhatdirectionlawenforcementwouldtake.Eachoftheabovescenarioscontainsitsowndegreeofabsurdity.That’swhysuchgovernmentbycommitteewon’twork.TheChicagoCubsfoundthatoutwhentheyhadtheCollegeofCoaches--asopposedtoasinglemanager--forthe1961and1962seasons.Theywon123gamesandlost193thosetwoyears.SoifthreemayorsorthreegovernorsoraCollegeofCoacheswon’twork,whyintheworlddowehavethreecountycommissioners?Beatsme.TheIndianaConstitu-tioncallsfortheelectionofacountyclerkofthecircuitcourt,auditor,recorder,treasurer,sheriff,coronerandsurveyor.I’mnotsurewhy,althoughIassumeitseemedliketherightthingtodowhenthestateconstitutionwasadoptedin1851.Theconstitutiongoesontosay,“Suchother county and township officers as may be necessary shallbeelected,orappointed,insuchmannerasmaybeprescribedbylaw.”v

Doug Ross,Times of Northwest Indiana:WhenIheardaboutthenewjointpurchasingagreementinEvans-villeonTuesday,myimmediatereactionwasagroan.Don’tgetmewrong.IhavenothingagainstthisarrangementbetweentheEvansvilleschooldistrict,thecityandVan-derburghCounty.I’mjustashamedforNorthwestIndianathatEvansvilleissofaraheadofusintermsofgovernment

reform.EvansvilleMayorJonathanWeinzapfelwaseloquentinthenewsreleaseannouncingthecooperativepurchas-ingorganization.“Thecityisalwaysinvestigatingmoreeffective and more efficient ways to save taxpayer dollars,” Weinzapfelsaid.“BycombiningpurchasingdepartmentswiththeEVSC(EvansvilleVanderburghSchoolCorp.),wehaveatremendousopportunitytoleverageourneedstonegotiatelowercosts,Wearesavingmoneybygoverningbetterandsmarter.”ThepeopleinEvansvillebelievethiscountywide agreement is the first of its kind -- at least, on suchalargescale--anywhereinIndiana.AsimplegestureofdecencyandsubsequentbrainstormingissavingthetaxpayersinEvansvillemillionsofdollarsayear.ComparethattoLakeCounty,wherethelargestpropertytaxpayers

fundedtheexpensiveGoodGovernmentInitia-tivestudythataimedtobringdownthecostofgovernment.Yeteventheconsultantsintheprivately funded efficiency study couldn’t get the public officials to agree to a full-scale joint purchasingagreementlikeEvansville.v

Matt Tully,Indianapolis Star:Onceinawhile--occasionally,butnotoften--apoliti-calspeechstickswithme.Somethingaboutit

stands out hours or even days after I’ve filed my column on it.That’swhathappenedthisweekinthedaysafterGov.MitchDaniels’StateoftheStateaddress.Afterthegover-nor’sfellowpoliticiansofferedtheirviewsonthespeech,and after I took my first crack at writing about it, I began torealizetheaddresswasevenmoreimpressivethanitfirst seemed. Far from ordinary, it was a bold declaration thatDanielsintendstospendhissecondterm,ashedidhisfirst, leaving an imprint and pushing big ideas. The speech made clear he is finding ways to do so despite an economy thathasleftmanylesserpoliticianscautioningagainstdoinganythingotherthantheminimum,themundaneorthepoliticallypopular.Ireadthegovernor’sspeech,whichhedeliveredTuesday,severalmoretimesWednesdayandThursday.What’sstrikingishowheofferedadetailedandambitiouspolicyagendaeventhoughthestatebudgetisundersuchpressurethatfewwouldhavecomplainedifDanielshadmadeithissolefocusthisyear.Forinstance,whilethereisn’tmoneyfornewprograms,Danielspushedagainforamuch-neededstreamliningofIndiana’sout-datedlocalgovernmentstructure.Whiletaxrevenuesaredown,hecastaspotlightonridiculouslocalschooldeci-sionsthat,ifcorrected,couldresultinadramaticincreaseinclassroomspending.Thetwoproposalstakeonen-trenchedpoliticalfactions.Victoriesonboth,orjustone,ofthosefrontswouldbealandmarkachievementinanyera.Wednesdayafternoon,Danielscalledmetoexplainwhyhehaddecidedtosostronglychallengetheinferioritynotion.“IjustwantHoosierstobemoreassertive,”hesaid.v

ofEnforcement,revisingtheCompli-anceandEnforcementPolicy(CERP),andeliminatingfundingforlocalairauthorities.”

Kelty amends report FORTWAYNE-MattKeltyagreedWednesdaytoamendhislatest campaign finance report after being informed it conflicted with his guiltyplealastfall(Lanka,FortWayneJournal Gazette). Kelty’s report, filed Wednesdaymorning,listed$158,000indebtsowedtohiscommitteebutnoofficial schedule listing those debts. Kelty,whowontheRepublicanmay-oralnominationin2007,saidhedidnothavehisattorneyexaminehislatest finance report before filing it. “I probablyshouldhave,”hesaid.

Caroline withdraws NEWYORK-CarolineKen-nedyhasendedherquestfortheU.S.SenateseatvacatedbyHillaryRodhamClinton,haltingacampaignthatbeganwithpopularsupportbutwitheredquicklyovercriticismaboutherexperienceandherreluctancetoanswer questions about her finances (AssociatedPress).KennedymadetheannouncementinatersestatementreleasedearlyThursday,endinghoursofuncertaintysurroundingherinten-tionsassheappearedtowaverinherdecision to seek the office. “I informed GovernorPatersontodaythatforpersonalreasonsIamwithdrawingmynamefromconsiderationfortheUnitedStatesSenate,”shesaidintheone-sentencestatement.

Distessed Unit Boardeyes Gary finances GARY-CityHall’scheckbookcouldbesubjecttothestate’s“con-sistentoversight”underaconcepttalkedaboutWednesdaybyGary’sleadersandmembersofthestate’sDistressedUnitAppealsBoard(Post-Tribune).Bothsidesarepromisingto

worktogether,butboardmemberPaulWymansaiditwillbetoughtorecon-cileGary’sexpenseswithnewpropertytaxcapstakingeffectacrossthestatethisyear.“Therewillnotbeaneasysolution,”Wymansaid.

Oberlie calls for streamlining MICHIGANCITY-MichiganCityMayorChuckOberliemadehiscaseforstreamliningandrestructur-ingcitygovernmenttolowercostsofservingareducedpopulationinhis2009stateofthecityaddress,“Reassessing,Rebuilding&Rejuvenat-ing.”OberlietoldthecitycouncilandmembersoftheaudienceTuesdaynightthatthecityneedsto“moreag-gressivelyassessourcurrentdepart-mentstructure”tooperatewithinthefiscal challenges resulting from state legislationcappingpropertytaxes.Oberliehasaskedcitydepartmentstocomeupwithwaystocutspendingby10percent(MichiganCityNews-Dis-patch).Thecityislookingtoreduceannualoperatingcostsbyeliminatingduplicateservices,combiningjobsandcuttingdownonthenumberofcityownedoroperatedfacilities,Oberliesaid.

Ballard funds grow INDIANAPOLIS-MayorGregBallardhasfoundthatithelpstobeinchargeofcitygovernmentwhenyou’reaskingforpoliticaldonations(IndianapolisStar).Ballard’scampaignraisedmoremoneyinasinglenightlastyearthanduringhisentirerunfor the mayor’s office in 2007. A gala Jan.30attheIndianaRoofBallroom--whichsomereferredtoasthe“amnestyball”forthosewhodidnotgivemoneybeforeBallard’selectionupsetoverDemocratBartPeterson--broughtinnearly$350,000.Ballardendedlastyearwith$553,191incash,ormorethan10timestheamounthereportedtwoweeksbeforetheelec-tiononNov.6,2007.

Lugar votes for Clinton WASHINGTON-AsAmerica’stopdiplomat,HillaryRodhamClintonlikelywillimproveothercountries’at-titudestowardtheU.S.,Sen.RichardLugar,R-Ind.,saidWednesday(Smith,FortWayneJournalGa-zette).Butthefounda-tionheadedbyherhus-band,formerPresidentBillClinton,shouldbemoretransparentaboutthedonationsitreceives,particularlywhentheyarefromforeignentities,Lugarsaidin a statement issued by his office. The Senate confirmed Clinton 94-2 Wednesday.BothLugarandSen.EvanBayh,D-Ind.,voted“yes.”LugarsaidtheClintonFoundationdoescom-mendableworkworldwidebutthatit“doesnottrumpthevitalbusinessofU.S.foreignpolicythatwillbedirect-edbySen.Clinton.”Repeatingapointhe made during Clinton’s confirmation hearingLugarsaidthefoundationcouldbea“temptationforanyforeignentityorgovernmentthatbelievesitcouldcurryfavorthroughadonation.”

EPA concerned withIDEM changes GARY-Recentchangesinen-forcementattheIndianaDepartmentofEnvironmentalManagementarenotgoingoverwellwiththeU.S.Environ-mentalProtectionAgency(Post-Tri-bune).TheEPAsentalettertoIDEMTuesday,raisingquestionsaboutthechangesandrequestingameeting.“IthascometoourattentionthattheIndianaDepartmentofEnvironmentalManagement(IDEM)hasmadeorisplanningtomakeseveralchangestoitsenforcementprogram,”EPA?ActingRegionalAdministratorBharatMathurwroteintheJan.20lettertoIDEMCommissionerTomEasterly.“Thesechanges include eliminating the Office


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Government reforms won’t be party line votesJack E. Howey, Editor Beverly Phillips, Associate Editor Subscriptions: $350 annually HPI via e-mail; $550 annually HPI & HPI Daily Wire