“People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices.” — Adam Smith by Craig Ladwig Our foundation’s seminar this week focused on Indiana’s expanding business leagues, the various Chambers of Commerce, economic-development departments, regional partnerships and amalgamations thereof whose members maneuver for government grant and favor. The seminar leader, an economist, expertly deconstructed the…

by Tom Charles Huston Land-use regulation is the means by which communities self-segregate by race and class. Through the use of zoning and subdivision control ordinances, regulators establish housing price points and those prices determine who can live in the community. The Obama administration has set out to upend this process by using “disparate impact” analysis to establish violations of federal fair-housing laws. Municipalities that admit that they discriminate against low-income housing on the grounds…

by Andrea Neal Dubbed the “colored cyclone” by newspaper reporters of the early 1900s, Hoosier Marshall W. “Major” Taylor was a champion cyclist whose speed was surpassed only by railway locomotives. Despite achieving international fame — and defying bigotry and Jim Crow segregationist practices — Taylor died penniless and alone at 53, a forgotten sports hero. “Major Taylor’s name should be like Jackie Robinson’s. Sure, Robinson broke down barriers in major-league baseball, but Taylor, he…

“There is surely no more squalid idea than that propagated by the death-cult calling itself Islamic State. And there is no finer idea than the freedom that defines Western societies. Let’s not be shy about saying so.” — Dan Hannan THE MAYOR of my mid-sized Hoosier town is a “Hey, Norm” type of guy, the fellow you are always glad to see at the end of the bar when you walk into your neighborhood tavern.…

by Maryann O. Keating, Ph.D. In times gone by, dress salesladies would often volunteer an opinion, at risk of losing a sale, if a garment were inappropriate for the buyer. This advice was generally welcomed, particularly when offered by someone who represented a similar taste in fashion. It was most likely to be sought and followed in male haberdasheries. In many cases, conflict of interest exists and is recognized. We find ourselves going along with…

by Andrea Neal From his pulpit at Plymouth Congregational Church in Indianapolis, the Rev. Oscar C. McCulloch missed no opportunity to push his congregation out of the pews and into the world. “Here lies our work,” he exhorted one Sunday, unveiling a vision of a church that educated, entertained and provided role models to the “wretched” poor of the city. “I want to teach the poor that their best friend is the Christ, and that all…

For the use of the membership only (674 words) by Tom Charles Huston The French domestic intelligence service, the Direction générale de la sécurité intérieure (DGSI), is one of the two best internal security operations in the world. The other is Shin Bet, the Israeli Security Agency. The successor of the Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire, which during my time in the business was the only cooperating intelligence service thought by the FBI not…

by Craig Ladwig You know there is a political element when the sponsors of a research study announce in advance what the research is going to find. So it is with a study from the University of Southern Indiana directed by the Indiana Economic Development Association (IEDA) that promises to debunk the “myths” of tax-increment financing (TIF) — that is, to explain what a good deal it is. “Powerful myths and considerable misinformation about TIF…

(For the use of the membership only) by Craig Ladwig I have been waiting for one of the many famous graduates of the Missouri School of Journalism to step forward and explain the difference between the protests of the early 1970s and what occurred this week. It is left to me, a graduate-school washout there, to take a stab at it. The first thing you need to know is that the clenched fists you saw…

A LOCAL COUNCILMAN was discussing what the recent municipal elections might mean for economic development, the subject of this quarter’s Indiana Policy Review. He surprised us by suggesting that his town’s fortune would not depend on any of the expansive plans being floated by the regional economic-development group. It would depend on civic character, specifically trustworthiness. The argument may seem naive for the times but hear him out. Trust is what facilitates commerce, he notes,…