Category: Indiana Writers Group

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. I do not support Donald Trump. I will not vote for Donald Trump. He is a protectionist, I support free-trade. He is for strict restrictions on immigration, I am for more open immigration with the proviso that means-tested entitlements not be available to immigrants until they become citizens. Trump’s budget plans…

“The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.” — Indiana Constitution, Article I, Section 23. by John Pickerill The state of Indiana no longer follows its own Constitution. It routinely passes laws violating it, specifically…

by Tom Charles Huston Third-party campaigns can have an effect in national elections. The Populist uprising west of the Mississippi cost the Republicans control of Congress in 1890 and Benjamin Harrison his bid for reelection in 1892. The Progressive insurgency in 1912 which led to a three-way race among President William Howard Taft (R), New…

UNDER WHAT CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLE or democratic theory is it legitimate to deny political opponents access to the public forum? How do you conduct democratic elections if political rallies are shut down and candidates are silenced by partisans of the other party? The answer from the Left is that some candidates simply don’t have a right…

THE MIDDLE CLASS is in the news. Analysts say it is ignored by Republicans and misread by Democrats. It is thought to be the critical factor in winning the 2016 presidential election. Good. What is meant by the term, however, is less than flattering. It seems to be code for average, undistinguished, perhaps even low…

by Andrea Neal Long before Adolf Hitler espoused his ideas about a master race, Hoosier scientists advocated selective reproduction to improve the gene pool. Indiana Gov. J. Frank Hanly signed the nation’s first eugenics law in 1907, mandating sterilization of certain “criminals, idiots, rapists and imbeciles” in state custody. Thirty states followed suit. “Today they…

IT IS DIFFICULT for outsiders to follow the logic of a legislative session. There are decisions and votes that would make perfect sense — or so we are told — if we knew the backstory. Even so, comparing the history of two issues this session, both known by their acronym, one summarily killed without discussion…

by Tyler Watts, Ph.D. Demagogue politicians love to play on popular fears that low-wage foreigners are “stealing” good paying American jobs by way of outsourcing and globalization. The claim is made by nativists and protectionists of all political stripes, whether leftists complaining of a “rigged economy” or rightists speaking of other countries “beating” us economically.…

The federal grant application for a rapid-transit system in Indianapolis was most interested in whether the construction of high-density housing near new bus stations could be subsidized. by Randal O’Toole IndyGo’s $96-million Red Line rapid-transit line is supposed to improve mobility and provide more sustainable transportation. In fact, it will do the opposite of both.…

Does Indianapolis Need Dedicated Bus Lanes? by Randal O’Toole The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) has proposed to start a 37.5-mile bus-rapid transit service from Westfield, due north of downtown Indianapolis, to Greenwood, which is due south. Phase 1 of this route would start at 66th Street north of downtown and go to Hanna Avenue…