Killing Property Tax Could Backfire on Hoosiers
Indiana Writers Group column for release Jan. 16 and thereafter (710 words) by Andrea Neal You’ve got to give lawmakers credit for attacking property tax reform with a vengeance in the opening days of the 2008 General Assembly. But there’s political danger ahead if the debate turns into an all-or-nothing proposition. On one side: the Read the full article…
Reform Is the Silver Lining of School Consolidation
Indiana Writers Group column for release Jan. 9 and thereafter (711 words) by Dr. JEFF ABBOTT The sun had not set the day that the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform issued its report “Streamlining Local Government” before the education special-interest groups voiced their disapproval.The report’s co-chairmen, former Indiana Gov. Joseph Kernan and Indiana Supreme Read the full article…
Lawmakers Should Fear Voters’ Wrath
Indiana Writers Group column for release Jan. 2 and thereafter (720 words) by ANDREA NEAL It sounds like a recipe for legislative disaster: Attempt to resolve a property tax crisis in a short session during an election year. In normal times, those three ingredients might deter the bravest of souls from taking action. But these Read the full article…
School Competition Saves: Consolidation Doesn’t (3rd of 4 parts)
Indiana Writers Group column for release Dec. 26 and thereafter (730 words) by ANDREA NEALThe Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform missed the mark with its proposal to consolidate school districts with student populations below 2,000. There’s no research to suggest that consolidation would improve student achievement or raise test scores. And headaches associated with Read the full article…
Hoosier Eugenics: Past or Prologue?
For release Dec. 19 and thereafter (767 words) by DR. ERIC SCHANSBERG We observed a dubious centennial this year. In 1907, Indiana became the first state in America to pass a eugenics law. Eugenics can be defined as the study of the hereditary improvement of the human race by controlled, selective breeding. Because of what Read the full article…
Confessions of a Hoosier Exporter-Importer
Indiana Writers Group column for Dec. 12 and thereafter (743 words) by Dr. T. Norman Van Cott I’ve been an economics professor at public universities going on 40 years, the last 30 at Ball State University in Muncie. In the parlance of economics, this means I’ve been a long-time “exporter” of economic knowledge. Those paying Read the full article…
