Editors: This essay is offered in advance of Constitution Day, Sept. 17. An earlier version was published in the July 4 Observer of New York.   by Ann Votaw When our new president swore on two Bibles he would “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States,” a revolution stirred in my heart. As a New York City Democrat who loves her conservative Hoosier family, I wanted to hold him to his promise without…

Take advantage of $36 ticket prices for the Christmas seminar. Details and registration are HERE. by Craig Ladwig “If I had my druthers, the city government would determine every single plot of land, how development would proceed. And there would be very stringent requirements around income levels and rents.” — Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City We used to joke here about the occasional politician who seemed to wish that he commanded a…

As a regular reader of our articles we especially want to see you at the annual seminar, Dec. 1-2 (attend one or both days). Seats go quickly, so please reserve your place at the members price of $36 for the Saturday lunch. The No Name Tag dinner the previous evening is a pay-your-own-way event and doesn’t require a ticket, but please register so we know you are coming and can arrange seating and service. Click HERE for details and…

by Craig Ladwig Men’s fashion is unconcerned with appearance so much as the projection of accomplishment — sports and warfare being the historic drivers with employment status a distant third. Everyone knows that the brass buttons on a blazer were designed to keep a Napoleonic soldier from wiping his nose on his uniform sleeve. And the buttons on your shirt collars are there to keep them from flapping in your face during a spirited chukka of polo. Your…

by Eric Schansberg, Ph.D. Most people think that “The Founder” is a good movie — well-acted and well-produced, a compelling story on a topic of cultural interest. But it’s a terrific movie if you’re into business, economics, ethics and entrepreneurship. When I’ve asked people about it, they say it was good, but it left them feeling ill. They didn’t like Ray Kroc and they felt sorry for the McDonald brothers. But it wasn’t nearly as bad…

Note: The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette rejected the below letter from a city councilman who is concerned about the recent decision to meld the two newspapers there. The company’s policy is not to publish letters critical of competitors. by Jason Arp It should come as no surprise that the print edition of the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel is no more. A friend of mine with years of experience as an editor and journalist confided that newspapers depend on trust. Their business model depends on the trust of…

“However much the recent crime increase threatens the vitality of America’s cities — and thousands of lives — it is not, in itself, the greatest danger in today’s war on cops. The greatest danger lies, rather, in the delegitimation of law and order itself.” ―  Heather Mac Donald, “The War on Cops: How the New Attack on Law and Order Makes Everyone Less Safe” by Joe Squadrito Every law enforcement officer has taken a sworn…

(For the use of the membership only; not for publication, distribution or reproduction.) “I pledge to no longer tolerate hate and racism in my city, in Indiana or in the United States and take the following steps (fill in the blank) to make a better world for those living here and for future generations.” — the “Take a Stand” pledge of the Indianapolis Star, Aug. 20, 2017 THERE IS REASON to be suspicious of pledges. The…

by Andrea Neal Since becoming president of Purdue University in 2013, former Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels has made headlines for his efforts to lower costs, increase academic rigor and serve new constituencies at Indiana’s public land grant college. His summer announcement that Purdue was acquiring for-profit, on-line Kaplan University with an enrollment of 45,355 foretells big changes ahead for all of higher education. One education writer described it as “an earthquake whose tremors may reverberate…

SOME SAY THE DECLINE of representative democracy in Indiana began with air-conditioned meeting rooms and multi-issue legislation. You should doubt that; history is rarely so subtle. But incumbent politicians, especially, find it comforting to think that way. It implies there is time for a gentle correction of course. They tell us we need only be patient for one or two more election cycles until certain small, reasonable and effortless turns can be executed — a gradual, perpetual steering of democracy toward a heavenly ideal. In reality, liberty…