Author: Craig Ladwig

by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. When Hoosiers gather to discuss local government expenditures, polarization kills conversation. Comments like, “We absolutely need more bike trails,” and “It’s the potholes, stupid,” do not help. Why not start with principled limits on government, a recognition of scarce tax revenue and a locality’s particular concerns? Consider four groups that…

by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. With turmoil rising in 1780s France and a revolution in the near future, the royalty and the wealthy plus the clerical hierarchy — in other words, the 3 percent of the population who held power — drafted edicts to limit the spread of ideas. They censored the press. In another time, Hitler…

by Mark Franke Immigration may be a difficult problem but that does not preclude a solution — that is, assuming there is the political will to affect such a solution. The political morass is beyond my comprehension or ability to navigate. That frees me to think unencumbered for possible solutions. Fortunately, I hang out with…

by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. People who are homeless have recently been the focal point of attention, especially in Los Angeles. Los Angeles City Council voted 11-3 to ban homeless encampments within 500 feet of schools and day care centers. Of course, being in California means the action drew a protesting mob that brought city council…

by Mark Frank This is a sad tale but with a happy ending. It is also a fairy tale subsumed in the gothic horror novel that is our immigration mess. It’s about one immigrant who did everything he could legally to become a permanent resident of the United States and was thwarted time and time…

Don’t Just Stand There, Join Something HOOSIERS TAKE FOR GRANTED what economists call “social capital.” We have been aswim in it throughout our state’s history, beginning with our pioneers and settlers and continuing into our period of industrialization and innovation. You might assume, then, that social capital is something we can draw upon without additional effort.…

by Dennis Ganahl, Ph.D. The first time I heard the phrase “Winning by losing” was a couple of weeks ago. A Republican county commissioner enlightened me with a conspiratorial wink. Our group had just lost a vote to freeze seniors’ property taxes. The “winker” had introduced our bill to the county council. I should mention…

County Overall County SCI Family Unity  Community Health  Institutional Health Collective Efficacy  Adams County, Indiana 79 94 63 63 -1 Allen County, Indiana 46 43 31 69 32 Bartholomew County, IN 65 67 44 65 62 Benton County, Indiana 73 51 81 69 -1 Blackford County, IN 64 41 57 57 91 Boone County, Indiana…

by Mark Frank I have finally figured out the root cause of all our woes — air conditioning. I am deadly serious about this. Consider just two travesties wreaking havoc across our landscape: First, school start dates. My teacher neighbor started the first full week of August and her school was not alone. The school…

by Richard Moss, M.D. The entire month, each June, is a low point for the country. The unrestrained debauchery, the flaunting of pathologic deviancy and the celebration of perversion — does it get any worse than “Pride Month?” Our ruling elites in all sectors are positively swept away by it, consumed as they are with promoting it,  and…