The Outstater: The GOP Steps on Itself
“I am a man, but I can change. If I have to, I guess . . .” — The Man’s Prayer from the Red Green Show THE SPEAKER of the Indiana House of Representatives this week defended a state legislator who indirectly made fun of participants in the recent Women’s March on Washington. The massive Read the full article…
Schansberg: Understanding Trade Policy
by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Our new president often expresses hostility toward international trade. On this topic, he will find many allies in Congress for there are winners and losers with trade — and trade restrictions. How can we make sense of the relevant economics and politics? It’s easy to underestimate the value of international trade. Read the full article…
Op-Ed: Eco-Devo, Public or Private but not Both
by John Pickerill There was news last week about my county’s economic “development” corporation that may have statewide implication. The mayor and his board of works withdrew all city funding for the corporation. He proposed instead to give elected officials direct control over economic development. Since the county government was already planning to withdraw its Read the full article…
Half Past the Month: ‘Unfriending’ the Career Politicians
by Craig Ladwig The cartoonist for the Indianapolis Star wrote a good-hearted explanation over the weekend for why he has had to “unfriend” a family friend, the vice-president elect. One of his points is that those of us in the high calling of journalism cannot allow ourselves to be corrupted by political friendships. “Just don’t mess up,” the cartoonist remembers Read the full article…
Backgrounder: Whose Lives Matter?
by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. “Truth hurts no cause that is just.”—Mohatma Gandhi During the holidays, Minnesota’s largest newspaper, the Star Tribune, had an article with the headline “‘All Lives Matter’ ornament at Minnesota store sparks online backlash.” The Star Tribune reported that a shopper took a picture of the ornament, available at Gertens Garden Center, Read the full article…
Half Past the Month: You versus the Mandarins
LOCAL GOVERNMENT has turned on us. You could watch it happen from a news desk. It was rather sudden actually. One day we were dealing with hard-pressed public servants doing their best in the impossible job of squaring public-policy circles. The next day we were facing mandarins (to use our friend Tom Huston’s characterization), expert at Read the full article…
