King: DOMA Ruling Leaves Indiana with Uncertainty
by Stephen M. King, Ph.D. In U.S. vs. Windsor, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the provision in the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) denying federal benefits to legally married couples was unconstitutional. The court, however, left intact Section 2 of DOMA, which essentially says that all 37 states that do not Read the full article…

Marion — The Café Valley Deal
by FRANK STAHL Marion, Ind. — Marion in Grant County makes a handy laboratory for examining the mix of politics, capitalism, economics and, some might say, neo-mercantilism that is municipal economic development in Indiana today. With only about 30,000 residents, Marion is of a size that meaningful documentation can be gathered in only an afternoon. Read the full article…

Indiana at 200 (4): First White Man in Indiana? Un Francais, sans Doute
by Andrea Neal Historians aren’t sure which white man stepped first on Hoosier soil, but he most certainly was French, and he likely arrived in the 1670s — 150 years before Indiana statehood. “Possibly it was an obscure Frenchman whose adventures were never recorded — if he lived to tell the tale,” wrote the historians Read the full article…

Morris: Indiana Should Stick with the Red-State Model
by Leo Morris Indiana can take a lesson from Detroit — the biggest city in American history to declare bankruptcy: Stick with your “red model” of governing based on restraint and fiscal discipline. Resist those who urge you to drift closer to the “blue model” of high taxation, profligate spending and unsustainable benefits. Yes, there Read the full article…

Keating: At Fair Time, 4-H ‘Learns by Doing’
by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. There is currently discussion about apprenticeship and structured work experiences to promote the school-to-work transition. This concern emphasizes the development of young people to have the skills needed for applying academic learning to real-life situations. Here in Indiana there exists an exciting such program that enrolls thousands of young people Read the full article…

Keating: A Critical Review of TIF and Abatement
by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D The Wall Street Journal recently listed penthouses available for sale at $2.1 million or more at Philadelphia’s “most prestigious address.” Units were designed by an award-winning architect and are located in a fully staffed building with five-star concierge services. Each sale includes a 10-year tax abatement. In March of this Read the full article…

