For release Oct. 8 and thereafter (710 words) by Andrea Neal If voters needed any more reason to be disgruntled when they head to the polls next month, Congress gave it to them in passing a financial services bailout loaded with unnecessary earmarks.    It’s quite stunning really that politicians so readily admitted to behavior that in any other context would be considered bribery.    The word congressmen use for these earmarks is “sweeteners.” The bailout bill…

For release Oct. 1 and thereafter (702 words) A trusting relationship between private and public leaders is a requirement if Indiana is to deal with its immediate challenges, let alone emerge as a state known for its quality of life and economic prosperity That is why several in my business community were overwhelmingly supportive when their mayor approached them with the idea of a public-safety training facility organized around a private-public partnership. This partnership would…

For release Sept. 24 and thereafter (641 words) by Andrea Neal The 2008 Legislature took a first step toward putting a permanent property tax cap into the Indiana Constitution. Depending on what happens Nov. 4, the fate of that cap could be very much in jeopardy.    Only one of the three candidates for governor supports an amendment limiting residential property taxes to 1 percent of a home’s assessed value. Incumbent Republican Mitch Daniels, who pushed…

For release Sept. 17 and thereafter (505 words) We are told by promoters of the stadiums, convention hotels and other Potemkin projects throughout Indiana that we cannot attract the investment our cities need, that public subsidy is required. The argument is politically effective because it plays on our economic fear. And like any bogeyman, it cannot be disproved. Nobody who receives favors in the form of rebates, cheap loans, monopoly rights or cash transfers is going…

For release Aug. 11 and thereafter  by Andrea Neal After 16 years under Suellen Reed, Hoosiers will get a new school superintendent next year. While neither the Republican nor Democratic candidate appears ready to suggest radical change, both say Indiana schools should be better. Republican Tony Bennett, superintendent of Greater Clark County Schools, considers Indiana in the middle nationally and “I am never good with being in the middle of the pack.” His goal is…

For release Sept. 3 and thereafter (572 words) by Dr. Jeff Abbott Many Americans believe the nation’s public education system is broken and needs repair. John McCain joins the chorus of critics by announcing “the deplorable status of preparation for our children . . .” and believes that public schools are “safe havens for the uninspired and unaccountable.” Barack Obama also criticizes public education by stating “I don’t want to send another generation of American…

For release Aug. 27 and thereafter (725 words) by Andrea Neal For a recent example of government officials playing fast and loose with taxpayer money, consider the case of the Pan Am Plaza in Downtown Indianapolis for which taxpayers should have received $6 million. The operative word is “should.” Last year, Indy’s powers-that-be decided that the Indiana Sports Corp. need not honor a 1985 agreement that required it to maintain an 88,000-square-foot plaza as public…

For release Aug. 6 and thereafter (495 words) by Craig Ladwig The Associated Press headline screamed the news: “Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control.” The article suggested that someone, anyone, get control. But our legislators are pumping out laws so fast they are hard pressed to even read them. The solution, rather than more control, is a renewal of the glue that holds a constitutional republic together — accountability. The annual Gallup Annual Survey…