The Outstater: The Dukes of Democracy
“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 Read the full article…
The Outstater: Goodbye Indy Star, et al.
“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 Read the full article…
Huston: Indiana’s Two-Faced Tax System
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 Read the full article…
Indiana at 200 (51): Lew Wallace
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 Read the full article…
Ippel: Pain Medicine and Book Covers
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 Read the full article…
Half Past the Month: ‘Saving’ the Governor
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?” Read the full article…
