Indiana

Still Champions, Regardless

Posted on April 06, 2010
Although they lost to Duke, 61-59, these guys are still champions and you have to give them the credit they’re due!  And like my Cubs friends say, “there’s always next year.”

20 Questions

Posted on April 05, 2010
On Thursday I’ll be moderating a debate for the Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate at the Indiana War Memorial.  You can hear it live on WXNT-AM or www.wxnt.com. The pre-debate show starts at 3 p.m. and the actual debate is from 4-5:30 p...

When Ads Attack

Posted on April 05, 2010
I think this might be the first Indiana GOP U.S. Senate primary attack ad.   John Hostettler goes after Dan Coats.

A Tale of Two Tasings

Posted on April 05, 2010
Now this is something you don’t hear about everyday.  Not one, but two incidents involving tasing, local law enforcement and pre-teens. Two Martinsville police officers are on administrative leave for using a taser on an out-of-control 10-year old...

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The Tipping Point

Posted on April 03, 2010
This question has nothing to do with politics or local government, but it does raise a question we have all faced at sometime. I got a into a friendly debate with my lovely wife last night at dinner. My parents were in town and they love buffet-style food...

We?re All Bulldogs Now

Posted on April 03, 2010

Open Forum

Posted on April 02, 2010
I’m in transit today, heading back to Indy from St. Louis.  No, I was not looking for another job!  However I did get a lot of calls because of yesterday’s April Fool’s Day post. Since I’ll be on the road, I won’t be writing much of anything, so feel free to use this as an open [...

Get Them Out of Here

Posted on April 01, 2010
With the nice weather we had on Wednesday some friends and I decided to hang out downtown for drinks and getting caught up.  As we were sitting outside at a restaurant  on Washington street we were approached several times by people begging for money...

All Good Things Must Come to an End

Posted on April 01, 2010
This is something that has been a long time coming and it’s finally here.  This is my last post for Indiana Barrister.  In fact, this is my last comment for a lot of things.  I’ve recently taken a position back home playing lawyer and political consultant for a firm back in Springfield, IL...

Educated Fools

Posted on March 31, 2010
I owe my good friend and fellow political blogger Mike O’Brien an apology.  When he first wrote about the group Educators Against Mitch Daniels, I thought he was pulling an early April Fools Day prank, but they actually do exist on Facebook. I visited the website and the last time there was that much whining going [...

Counting Calories

Posted on March 30, 2010
On most days I’m not a big fan of excessive government regulation, however this is one of those times when the regs don’t really bother me and in fact might actually do some good. Under the new health care law restaurants with more than 20 chains must disclose the number of calories in the food they [...

Caught on Tape, Pt 3.

Posted on March 29, 2010
Yes, there is more to this story.   By now you know Indianapolis Public School spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley may have violated Indiana’s Open Door Law by expelling a Michigan film crew from a public meeting on the budget last week.  The film crew was not disrupting the meeting, however Bewley expelled them for being “disingenuous”...

Zoeller v. Uncle Sam

Posted on March 29, 2010
Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller says the federal government is overstepping its bound so he is joining 13 other states in suing over the new health care law. Zoeller repeated his arguments that the individual mandate that all citizens have insurance is an overreach of the Commerce Clause because it requires individuals to buy a commercial [...

When Smart People Do Stupid Things

Posted on March 28, 2010
Every once in a while someone will ask to see a picture of my lovely wife.  When they do I hand them my Blackberry and tell them to look at the wallpaper.  I keep her picture there for a couple reasons.  First, she is totally hot.  Secondly, and more importantly, when I contemplate doing something [...

Caught on Tape

Posted on March 26, 2010
Indianapolis Public School Superintendent Dr. Eugene White may soon be defending more than his proposed budget cuts. At a budget hearing this week, IPS officials kicked out a couple attendees who were videotaping the budget meeting.  The attendees were from Michigan and were filming the meeting for a documentary on teachers unions...

The Great Debate

Posted on March 26, 2010
Fox News Talk 1430 WXNT  Hosts First Broadcast Roundtable Debate of US Senate Candidates in GOP Primary (Indianapolis, IN)   Entercom Indianapolis Fox News Talk WXNT-AM announced today that all five U.S. Senate candidates will participate in a live roundtable debate on Thursday, April 8th at 4:00pm at the Pershing Auditorium at [...

Caught on Tape, Pt. 2

Posted on March 26, 2010
Here’s that video of IPS Spokeswoman Mary Louise Bewley kicking out the two members of the Education Action Group from this past week’s public hearing of the budget.  The conversation starts about 3:00 into the clip.

School Daze

Posted on March 25, 2010
I heard another story yesterday about another school district in Indiana talking about laying off teachers because of budget cuts and property tax caps and blaming the Governor and Superintendent of Public Instruction.  Excuse me while I grab my crying towel...

Polling for Reform

Posted on March 24, 2010
One of the tools I use in my analysis of public policy issues is polling data.  By looking at the responses individuals give when answering questions, it helps me figure where people are coming from.  What’s interesting in the polls on health care reform is the dichotomy of  “something needs to be done” juxtaposed to [...

They?re Up

Posted on March 24, 2010

Forget Repeal, Go For Reform

Posted on March 24, 2010
Back during the property tax upheaval of 2007, I had to be the bearer of bad news to all my property tax repeal friends that while I sympathized with them, repealing property taxes was about as likely as me getting the Klansman of the Year award.  Well, I have to bring the same news to [...

Tuesday Tidbits

Posted on March 23, 2010
Although health care reform has been taking up a lot of blog space lately, there’s still some interesting bits of information (i.e. political gossip, rumor and blatant innuendo ) that’s worth repeating… Lt. Governor Becky Skillman may not have formally stated she’s running for higher office, but I got an e-mail yesterday from Skillman for Indiana [...

What They?re Saying

Posted on March 22, 2010
Here’s some  reaction to the U.S. House’s passage of the President’s health care reform plan… Dan Parker – Indiana Democratic Party Chairman “This health care and insurance reform bill is long overdue and brings much needed reforms to the insurance industry that will greatly benefit Hoosiers...

More of Their Own Words

Posted on March 22, 2010
Here’s more reaction to the passage of federal health care reform legislation… Mitch Daniels – Indiana Governor ?Our two best hopes for more jobs are investment and small business.  The new ?health care? bill raises taxes drastically on both, and will harm our economic prospects badly...

Health Care History Lesson

Posted on March 21, 2010
I’ll be closely watching today’s expected health care vote in Washington.  Frankly, I don’t think it will be as bad as its critics say it will, nor the panacea proponents want it to be.  However, I do think the history behind all this is fascinating...

Rove Speak

Posted on March 21, 2010
Former Bush White House advisor Karl Rove was in Noblesville this evening promoting his new book, “Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight”.    Prior to his signing he chatted with us folks in the press about the current debate over health reform...

Waterworks

Posted on March 20, 2010
I spoke this week with Carey Lykins of Citzens Gas on the proposed water deal with the city.  You can hear the interview here.  He discusses how the deal would work and impact your bills, as well as why he thinks Citizens was the best candidate for the job.

If You Won?t Somebody Else Will

Posted on March 19, 2010
You should have received your census forms in the mail this week.   It takes about two seconds to fill the whole thing out and mail it back.  You don’t even have to pay postage. Now I know there are some people who will get the form and throw it in the trash...

Is Everyone Worth Saving?

Posted on March 18, 2010
I was looking over the data regarding Indianapolis Public Schools and suspensions and had a thought.  If 60-70% of IPS’ suspensions are repeat offenders, then maybe schools should adopt a “three strikes” and your out policy. Why should students who came to school to learn have their education stifled because someone doesn’t know how act?   [...

The State of IPS; 2010

Posted on March 17, 2010
I almost missed this.  Indianapolis Public Schools  have released their 2010 State of the District report.    And although how you interpret data is in the eye of the beholder,  I think it?s fair to say that IPS has pretty much been flat when it comes to progress and achievement as opposed to the prior [...

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