by Andrea Neal Long before Adolf Hitler espoused his ideas about a master race, Hoosier scientists advocated selective reproduction to improve the gene pool. Indiana Gov. J. Frank Hanly signed the nation’s first eugenics law in 1907, mandating sterilization of certain “criminals, idiots, rapists and imbeciles” in state custody. Thirty states followed suit. “Today they couch it as a pseudo-science, but that’s not the way scientists saw it at the time,” says Jason S. Lantzer,…

IT IS DIFFICULT for outsiders to follow the logic of a legislative session. There are decisions and votes that would make perfect sense — or so we are told — if we knew the backstory. Even so, comparing the history of two issues this session, both known by their acronym, one summarily killed without discussion this morning and the other a matter of seeming eternal Statehouse debate, raises the question of whether we are sending…

by Tyler Watts, Ph.D. Demagogue politicians love to play on popular fears that low-wage foreigners are “stealing” good paying American jobs by way of outsourcing and globalization. The claim is made by nativists and protectionists of all political stripes, whether leftists complaining of a “rigged economy” or rightists speaking of other countries “beating” us economically. A sound economic analysis of the claim about job losses due to international trade should address two questions: First, is…

The federal grant application for a rapid-transit system in Indianapolis was most interested in whether the construction of high-density housing near new bus stations could be subsidized. by Randal O’Toole IndyGo’s $96-million Red Line rapid-transit line is supposed to improve mobility and provide more sustainable transportation. In fact, it will do the opposite of both. The Indianapolis agency wants to turn street space now used by cars, trucks and buses into exclusive bus lanes that…

Does Indianapolis Need Dedicated Bus Lanes? by Randal O’Toole The Indianapolis Public Transportation Corporation (IndyGo) has proposed to start a 37.5-mile bus-rapid transit service from Westfield, due north of downtown Indianapolis, to Greenwood, which is due south. Phase 1 of this route would start at 66th Street north of downtown and go to Hanna Avenue south of downtown, covering a distance of 13.6 miles. Battery-powered electric buses would operate on this route using dedicated or…

by Andrea Neal In 1904, the directors of the U.S. Steel Corporation made a monumental decision for the future of northwest Indiana. After considering locations in Illinois and Pennsylvania, they voted to build a steel plant on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Easy access to water and rail and proximity to Chicago made it the obvious choice for what was to be the world’s largest steel mill. Before property owners in the area knew…

“I don’t know why we would not explore it (multi-stall, gender-neutral restrooms).” — Purdue’s vice chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, quoted in the Nov. 18, 2015, Indianapolis Star HE WROTE THE FIRST APPEAL FOR “DIVERSITY” that I ever saw in a mass circulation publication. It was many, many years ago, and was shocking to some readers at the time. The quote marks are there because I’m not sure what the word means anymore, which…

by Tom Huston If you are a reasonably successful member of the professional class – a doctor, lawyer or accountant, a school teacher or other government worker, a nurse or pharmacist, financial consultant, real estate broker or entrepreneur – you have likely not had reason to give any thought to the implications of the chart below. It is quite likely, in fact, that you don’t know anyone with the demographic characteristics of the men described…

by Craig Ladwig A group of researchers at Ball State University last week released another critical assessments of Tax Increment Financing (TIF). The authors, Dr. Michael Hicks, Dr. Dagney Faulk and Srikant Devaraj, join Tom Heller, writing in the current issue of The Indiana Policy Review, in casting doubt on this enigmatic tax policy. The problem for those of us without subpoena power, though, is that it requires multiple graduate degrees and a flare for…

by Andrea Neal They are the libraries that Andrew built. In the early 20th century, Andrew Carnegie funded the establishment of public libraries across the United States in an effort to bring the joy of reading and learning — free of charge — to the masses. To Hoosiers’ great benefit, Indiana received more Carnegie grants than any other state, $2.6 million in all, enough to build 164 libraries in 155 cities and towns from 1901…