by Andrea Neal In 1897, an assistant attorney general made a legal error that cost the Miami Nation of Indiana its federal recognition as a tribe. They’ve been fighting ever since to win it back. “Our people are as upset now as they were 100 years ago,” declares Chief Brian Buchanan. It’s a story that began not long after Indiana achieved statehood, when settlers came flooding into the state with their eyes on land already…

“What if I should fall right through the center of the earth and come out the other side, where people walk upside down?” — Alice in Wonderland IF LAST NIGHT’S MAYORAL DEBATE in Indianapolis is portend, we will need to learn to think creatively and upside down like Alice. That will be difficult for feet-on-the-ground Hoosiers, so let’s get started. The urban-studies theorist Richard Florida can serve as a guide. His best-selling book, “The Rise of…

by Andrea Neal Yes, you can fight City Hall. That’s the message from citizen activists across Indiana who effectively challenged two seemingly unstoppable government-backed projects that would hand over public resources for private gain. One is a controversial dam and reservoir proposed for the White River at Anderson, a $440-million venture billed as a boon to the economy and to the regional water supply. The other is a banquet and conference center to be built…

by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. The Indiana State Legislature is contemplating letting local counties and municipalities impose a local tax on restaurant meals. Current rules require a locality that wants to impose such a tax to petition the Legislature for permission to do so. I have never understood why a state legislature should be in charge of what local government units can tax. Well, to be honest, I do understand. Local governments, in Indiana as elsewhere,…

by Craig Ladwig The times are too serious to take potshots at politicians for being politicians. But the constant and empty promises to “fight” for us on issues ranging from ethanol pumps to unisex bathrooms to mortgage rates beg comment. And when it comes to an issue in which the allusion of fighting is apt — crime — they are frozen in a pose. Yes, they launch training programs and expand the rolls of the…

“A week after the Subaru incentives were announced in an Indiana Economic Development Council news release, the agency admits it has not sent the $7.9 million incentive package to the board for a vote, and that probably won’t happen for several more months.” — Bob Segal of WTHR By Tom Huston Back before Hoosier Republicans succumbed to shameless crony capitalism, they applied a “but for” test when considering whether to provide taxpayer incentives to private…

THE INDIANAPOLIS print media occasionally gives us a glimpse into the positions of the two mayoral candidates by relating “interviews” with, or statements by, the two men. Frankly, I’ve been disappointed by what I’ve read so far. The media is humbly asked to bring more subjects into the public conversation. Specifically, I would like to see the following questions asked — with straightforward answers demanded. 1. With a high priority indicated, you both promised a…

by Andrea Neal Although his name does not show up on lists of greatest presidents, Benjamin Harrison did more during his one term in office than some better-known presidents accomplished in two. Consider the following: He expanded the U.S. Navy to both coasts and strengthened its fleet, which had no working battleships when he took office. Fulfilling a campaign pledge, he signed into law the Sherman Antitrust Act, landmark legislation that outlawed monopolistic business practices.…

by Fred McCarthy Nearly two months ago, I posted an essay under the title “An Explanation, Please?” It concerned a morning paper story headlined, “Brewer, Hogsett Need to Share Plans” that described a meeting of the two mayoral candidates with the paper’s editorial board. The author was disappointed in a lack of specifics in campaigns. This week, I saw an editorial headed “Indy Voters Deserve Better.” The point seems to be a lack of debates,…

“It’s said of financial crises that they take much longer to arrive than you think and unfold more rapidly than you ever believed possible.” — Aaron Renn in the Sept. 14, 2015, City Journal IN AT LEAST ONE of the seats on a typical Indiana city council sits a civic hero, a man or woman who tries to cast every vote with the long-term interest of the community in mind. If you are lucky, there are…