Category: Indiana Writers Group

“Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.” — Will Rogers MEMBERS OF THE COFFEE GROUP are discouraged by the announcement that their senator will retire after only a single undistinguished term. The members, several of whom worked hard on this guy’s earlier campaigns, are searching for a better way to manage…

“Even though I made (donations to the Clinton Global Foundation) strictly to support work done to stop the spread of AIDS, help children and protect the environment in poor countries, I should have gone the extra mile to avoid even the appearance of a conflict.” — George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning America” IT IS OBVIOUS…

by Tom Huston Indiana has developed a two-tier tax structure that reflects a political ingenuity that only money could buy and only George F. Babbitt could rationalize (from the book “Babbitt” by Sinclair Lewis). The word “Babbitt” means a “person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards.” The first tier…

by Andrea Neal Upon the death of Lew Wallace, The New York Times struggled to sum up — in a single headline — the 77-year-old Hoosier’s accomplishments. “Won fame in many ways,” it declared. Wallace, his 1905 obituary noted, “achieved widespread distinction as a lawyer, legislator, soldier, author and diplomat” and was a man of…

by Bruce Ippel, M.D. The word “can’t” in the catchphrase “you can’t tell a book by its cover” not only can mean beyond difficult but also illegal or nearly so — at least here in these Newnited States where it’s now called profiling and is prohibited. For example, even though the “sex industry” is illegal…

For the use of the membership only (608 words) “Ultimately the question Pence needs to answer: Is he willing to do what it takes to push himself to be bolder, to be more inclusive, to build bridges with people who have different worldviews, to show passion for the state and for the people he serves?”…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. A simple insight I teach introductory economics students is that for-profit firms strive to maximize profit. What is more important, however, is that all for-profit firms, from a roadside taco stand to the largest company, receives constant feedback as to how they are doing through the metric of profits and losses.…

by Andrea Neal It is the nation’s third largest cemetery and a “Who’s Who” of Hoosier heroes. One president, three vice presidents and 11 governors are buried there. The grave of poet James Whitcomb Riley occupies the highest point — the “crown hill” — and is one of the most popular tourist sights in Indianapolis.…

“If a book can lead a state out of the wilderness, this is it.” — Lead editorial in the May 14, 1992, Indianapolis Star “By increasing K-12 appropriations by $474 million, the 2015 budget contains the largest increase in K-12 education in the state’s history.” — press release, April 30, 2015, from the Indiana House…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The 2016 presidential race is anybody’s guess. Hillary Clinton is the Democratic front-runner as of now. There is no clear front-runner among the Republicans. In fact, no prospective Republican candidate polls more than 20 percent among GOP voters. Although my crystal ball is cloudy, I think a simple observation about the…