by Andrea Neal If Franklin Delano Roosevelt had not run for an unprecedented third term in 1940, there is a good possibility that Hoosier Paul Vories McNutt of Franklin would have become the 33rd President of the United States. One of the most powerful politicians Indiana has ever seen, McNutt had “astonishingly good looks,” according to Life magazine. He displayed “a moment of destiny air,” said Time magazine, which put him on its cover of…

In 1996, another Texas Senator sought the Republican presidential nomination unsuccessfully. This was his explanation for entering the race: “I am running for president because I want to finish the Reagan revolution. I am also running for president because I believe, if we don’t change the policy of our government, if we don’t change it soon, and if we don’t change it dramatically, in 20 years, we’re not going to be living in the same…

by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. I’m not pro-Trump in terms of his style or his substance. That said, I’m not as anti-Trump, for a number of reasons: 1. I think a lot of Trump’s approach is rhetoric. To be sure, the rhetoric is not always helpful — and often harmful — and thus, regrettable. Most people, since all they have is a vote and a few bucks to send to a candidate, pay little attention to…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. Thirty-two years ago I ran as a Libertarian for Congress. I didn’t win. I got 0.3 percent of the vote. The two other candidates were Republican Ken MacKenzie and Democrat Phil Sharp who was re-elected despite the Reagan landslide. Mr. MacKenzie has since passed away. Mr. Sharp has just retired from a Washington, D.C., think tank. I am still at Ball State teaching economics. Although I was excluded from most of…

by Martina Webster Pretend you are in the market for a house in your Indiana community. What criteria would you give your buyer’s agent? A common request goes like this: a) within an x radius of their job (the commuting distance is a matter of wide personal preference, honestly); b) with y bedrooms and z baths; and c) preferably in q school district. Since the Indiana legislature changed the laws allowing competition among school districts,…

by Craig Ladwig It is time to have a serious talk about subsidized downtown residential living. It’s not what you think it is — a portend of your community’s return to glory. It is a pyramid scheme operated by a cabal of land speculators, bonding attorneys, tax mavens and other rent-seekers and hangers-on. When it collapses, it will be you the taxpayer, the Class C stockholders in this ill-designed venture, stuck with the losses. Don’t…

by Andrea Neal Riding FDR’s coattails while declaring herself “my own boss,” Democrat Virginia E. Jenckes unseated a 16-year incumbent in 1932 to become the first Indiana woman to serve in Congress. A native of Terre Haute, Jenckes began her political career at age 55 after getting a taste of politics – and liking it – lobbying for flood control in her hometown. “Virginia Jenckes was quite a woman,” says Marylee Hagan, executive director of…

“The Indianapolis Colts signed franchise quarterback Andrew Luck on Wednesday to the richest deal in the history of the the NFL. Luck was due to earn $16.1 million this season and the five-year extension through 2021 brings the total value of the contract to $140 million, according to Colts owner Jim Irsay.” — June 29 Forbes magazine by Craig Ladwig So many experts have been warning about commingling public monies with professional sports for so…

by Andrea Neal Indianapolis — A David versus Goliath battle is taking shape here as citizens prepare to vote this fall on a controversial tax increase to upgrade public transit. On one side: the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce, IndyGo bus officials and hired guns touting the benefits of an all-electric rapid bus line that would eventually link Westfield in Hamilton County to Greenwood in Johnson County via downtown Indianapolis. On the other: a rag tag…

by Craig Ladwig “While Europeans are accustomed to being ruled by presumed betters whom they distrust, the American people’s realization of being ruled like Europeans would shock this country into well nigh revolutionary attitudes.” — Angelo Codevilla, “America’s Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution” in the July 16, 2010, American Spectator. THE EDITORS of the Indianapolis Star have asked readers to help them answer the question: “What does the United Kingdom’s decision to…