by Stephen M. King, Ph.D. Seven years ago, Gov. Mitch Daniels’ “Major Moves” legislation, passed along partisan lines, authorized dramatic changes in Indiana’s transportation-funding system. Those changes included a $3.8-billion, 75-year lease of the Indiana Toll Road (ITR) to Macquarie-Cintra, a private Australian-Spanish consortium. The consortium, ITR Concessionaire Company, in  exchange for the upfront cash, assumes all management, operation, costs and revenues for the life of the lease. How did it work out? The ITR,…

For release Dec. 19 and thereafter (679 words) by Andrea Neal Richard Lugar set a record as the longest-serving U.S. senator in Indiana history, yet his career can be summed up in a single word: visionary. During 50 years in Indiana politics, his chief concern was never the next election but the next generation and the common good. In the end, his devotion to the right thing instead of the popular thing cost him re-election.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The president of Ivy Tech threw down the gauntlet: “A four year liberal-arts education is a poor investment for America’s middle-class.”  He went on to suggest that a two-year degree provided a more secure path to a job. The provost of Ball State took up the challenge and responded, “The data is clear: A four-year degree is better than a two-year degree, which is better than a high-school degree,” and argued…

(For the use of the membership only) “The envious man thinks that if his neighbor breaks a leg, he will be able to walk better himself.” — Austrian folk saying “Just saying . . .” This was an urban phrase for a few seasons. Its meaning evolved into an expression of willingness to think outside, around and through a problem, against the grain, to throw down a challenge, albeit flip, to the groupthink, the conventional…

by ERIC SCHANSBERG, Ph.D. Part I (762 words) As the daily headlines attest, President Obama has some crucial business with this “lame-duck” session of Congress before he begins his second term. Because of temporary tax cuts, previous budget deals and procrastination in dealing with the debt, the country now faces a “fiscal cliff” on New Years Day 2013. The stakes are high. All working households are scheduled to pay more taxes. And a feeble labor…

For release Dec. 5 and thereafter (650 words) by Andrea Neal  Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln couldn’t have come out at a better time. With congressional leaders hunkered down in fiscal-cliff negotiations, the film offers a useful example of politics based on principle. Lincoln did what was necessary to achieve his goals of saving the union and abolishing slavery, and that included arm-twisting, campaign contributions and doling out patronage jobs to sway wavering representatives. “I am President…

For the use of the membership only by Eric Schansberg Published 50 years ago, Michael Harrington’s The Other America provided a sweeping description of poverty in the United States. His book is given credit for awakening the nation to the plight of the poor and forwarding the idea that the federal government should become heavily involved in trying to help. It is routinely hailed as one of the most influential books of the 20th century.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D.  The 17-century French finance minister Jean-Baptiste Colbert is reported to have said “the art of taxation is plucking the feathers from the goose with as little hissing as possible.” With this in mind consider a “rich” taxpayer that we’d like to pluck “just a little bit more.” Let’s set up a shill — Linda Bleedingheart a narcissistic popular folksinger who commands $100K for each of her five standing-room-only concerts for an annual…

For release Nov. 21 and thereafter (668 words) by Andrea Neal  It’s ludicrous to equate Tony Bennett’s defeat in the school superintendent’s race with public rejection of a school reform agenda, as many in the education bureaucracy are trying to do. The public wants better schools, which is why Glenda Ritz, the teacher-Democrat who upset Mr. Bennett, must be extremely cautious before trying to dismantle any reform ingredients put in place by Mr. Bennett and Gov.…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The 2012 election is history. At both a national and state level neither party had a clean-sweep. In Washington, the Democrats retained the White House and expanded their Senate majority but failed to take the House from Republican control. In Indianapolis, the GOP got the governor’s mansion and a veto-proof House and Senate but lost the Superintendent of Public Instruction office and a U.S. Senate seat. What can we observe about…