The ‘Popobawa’ Election Analysis ALL OF US in the field of political commentary have been searching these past few years for similitude to the current predicament. Although the presidential election is upon us and time is short, I think I’ve found it. First, please know that my associates at the foundation have done their best. The economists have presented compelling economic models, one right after another. Our book reviewer has scoured the historical and religious texts for profound examples.…

by Mark Franke Well, another Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives is in trouble with the most extreme of his own party. The bipartisan budget deal reached by Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, presumably with White House blessing, is too repugnant for these true believers to swallow. In the interest of fair disclosure, I admit to agreeing with the Freedom Caucus’ principles. Something has to be done about the annual…

More ‘Press-Release’ Eco-Devo HOW DID INDIANA and its largest cities come to believe that prosperity could be achieved by simply leveraging government money to bribe investors? They call it economic development (eco-devo) but no economist we respect recommends it. They say it defies the laws of economics. Investigative journalists now suspect malfeasance if not fraud. So what happened? Here is the morning coffee club’s explanation: Former governor Mitch Daniels, who set eco-devo in motion, was clever…

by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. Periodically, the Indianapolis Star has an article about domestic abuse. Consequently, I periodically research the data on domestic abuse. In mid December, Danyette Smith was featured in a Star news article, “Sunglasses to Survival: Indy woman wants to help stop hiding abuse.” (Dec. 13) The article was timely. Domestic abuse occurs more frequently on major holidays, including Christmas and New Year’s, according to the group Women against Crime. That group focused on women, with the attendant…

by Mark Franke The history of western civilization is generally divided into three epochs, if memory serves from my junior high world history class. This classification scheme was retroactively applied by historians trying to make sense of why things changed so dramatically at certain points in time. The first epoch, antiquity, covered the thousands of years between the first historical record and the “official” fall of the western Roman Empire just prior to A.D. 500.…

Crime Numbers Deciphered INDIANAPOLIS MEDIA tells us that crime has suddenly taken a downward turn there. This is announced just as crime is recognized as the top local election issue of 2024. The media doesn’t see a link between the two bits of information but we don’t believe in coincidences here, or at least not political ones. Two causes come to mind: 1) Officials, reacting to public pressure, have improved their crime-fighting tactics; or 2) officials, reacting to public pressure,…

by Mark Franke Since Christmas is always a busy time of year for our mail system, I spent some time reflecting on the changes that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) has undergone during my lifetime. Forever stamps has to be the best idea the Post Office has implemented, although one wonders why it took so long to figure that one out. USPS also deserves credit for its Informed “Deliver” software which not only tells you…

by Gary VarveL© Gary Varvel, reprinted with permission, all rights reserved. January — The Republicans gaveled-in the new Congress by bickering over who was going to be Speaker of the House. After 15 ballots, Kevin McCarthy won the seat, but not for long. In Biden’s America, the media was excited to see the FBI raid former President Donald Trump’s home to retrieve classified documents. But when Top Secret documents from the time when he was a…

On Chasing our Fancies “Much of the social history of the Western world over the past three decades has involved replacing what worked with what sounded good.” — Thomas Sowell I HAVE IN FRONT OF ME the latest census figures showing net migration in and out of the states. Indiana is about in the middle with a gain of 4,500 new “citizens.” That is where we usually are on any chart — about in the middle.…

by Mark Franke The first Advent candle is called the candle of hope, the hope of the faithful that God will fulfill His promises. Hope is also a theme for the new year, at least for those who make a list of New Year’s resolutions with the expectation (read: hope) that they will conform to them for 366 days.  Maybe hope is what America needs now more than ever. Thirty minutes or less of watching…