DeHaven: A Federal Lieutenant Governor?
by Tad DeHaven When he was a high-ranking conservative Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike Pence was a chief critic of Washington’s out-of-control spending and growing debt. Now that he is Indiana’s governor, Pence is dependent on the same federal largesse that he bemoaned. Most Hoosiers would be surprised to know that under Read the full article…

Half Past the Month: ‘Helmholtz,’ a Return to Reality
This is about my Indiana city’s inferiority complex. First, though, consider the issue of modern art — specifically “Helmholtz,” a 10-ton reddish orange outdoor sculpture toppled in a late-night car crash. Now, some believe there is a relationship between art, specifically nonobjective art, and progress, e.g., economic development, i.e., money. In my city, that position Read the full article…

Indiana at 200 (1): The Ice Age Made Indiana
(7.17.2013-1) by Andrea Neal Long before Indiana was Indiana, a river of ice glided across the state, bringing with it monsoon-like rains, mudflows to rival Mount St. Helens and rich sediment deposits that to this day nourish the crops that are the backbone of the Hoosier economy. Indiana the state has been 200 years in Read the full article…

Neal: Historical Column Begins — ‘Indiana at 200’
For the past 10 years, we’ve distributed Andrea Neal’s biweekly essays on Indiana public-policy issues. She has written extensively about taxes, good governance, higher education, civic education and K-12 reform. Twenty-five Indiana newspapers have routinely published her column, making her one of the most widely read opinion writers in the state. Beginning with her column Read the full article…

Bohanon: ‘Dr. Evil and Energy Subsidies’
by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. All energy sources generate what economists call “external costs,” a concept Hoosiers will have to master to make sense of the current energy debate. It also ends up that most energy sources have benefited from federal government subsidies. There is a great deal of controversy about how much the federal government Read the full article…

Neal: Marijuana and Tobacco, Mixed Messages
by Andrea Neal “For First Time, Majority in U.S. Supports Public Smoking Ban.” That was the headline in July 2011 as cigarette bans swept the country. In 2000, just one major U.S. city banned smoking at work sites, restaurants and bars. As of last year, 60 percent of the 50 largest cities did, including Indianapolis. Read the full article…

