Targeting Freshmen on Path to Dropping OutIndiana Writers Group column for July 12 and thereafter 740 words By Andrea Neal     INDIANAPOLIS – If Hoosiers didn’t already grasp the extent of the dropout crisis, they do now. The 17th annual “Kids Count” data book, just released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, labeled our high school dropout rate –- 13 percent a year — the worst in the nation. That report came just days after…

Indiana Writers Group column for July 5 and thereafter 744 words by GEOFFREY SEGAL for the Indiana Policy Review Foundation Now that the dust has settled on the lease of the Indiana Toll Road (ITR), Hoosiers should be all smiles. To put it simply, Indiana got a great deal. Last week when Macquarie-Cintra took over the toll road they handed the state a check for $3.85 billion. If nothing else, this will fully fund the…

Editors: Andrea Neal’s series on the state of the Indiana public school system can be run daily in series beginning June 1 or weekly in place of the Indiana Writers Group, which will resume July 5. Captioned color digital photos are available on request. Giving Up on Geyer: A School That Couldn’t Be FixedFirst in a series Indiana Writers Group column for June 1 and thereafter 770 words By Andrea Neal     FORT WAYNE, Ind. –…

By Jim McClure and Norman Van Cott Do immigrants slice themselves a piece of the U.S. economic pie at the expense of Hoosiers and other Americans? Judging from the xenophobic backlash against immigrants, many Americans apparently accept this assessment. As a result, immigration now connotes U.S. international charity. Public debate focuses on whether the United States can "afford" immigrants. Casting immigration as a test of American compassion obscures a rational appraisal of its costs and…

Editors: This column on Indiana agricultural subsidies can be further localized by inserting as marked the data for your county, region or congressional district. Indiana Writers Group column for May 17 and thereafter 840 words by Eric Schansberg In developed countries over the last century, relatively free markets and massive technological advances have resulted in staggering increases in productivity. However, hundred-fold increases in productivity have not been matched by hundred-fold increases in consumption — and…

Indiana Writers Group column for May 10 and thereafter 750 words By Andrea NealLawmakers with long tenure in the Indiana General Assembly should make note of a refreshing trend. Voters are imposing term limits. It happened twice in the May 2 primary: to Senate President Bob Garton of Columbus, a 36-year veteran, and to Rep. Mary Kay Budak of LaPorte, a 26-year member of the Indiana House. Two years ago, it happened to Larry Borst…

by Cecil Bohanon Over the past 50 years individual rights have been supplemented and in some case supplanted by group rights. The whole notion of group rights is based on the premise that certain groups are victims of social oppression. Recognizing group identity is the first step in redressing this grievance. A myriad of legal structures are necessary to counter-balance and protect group members from the prevailing cultural hegemony. This thinking has permeated policy formulation…

Writers Group column for April 26 and thereafter 740 words By Andrea Neal      INDIANAPOLIS — A couple of students in my class get “As” all the time and their peers are getting jealous. It’s time to level the playing field. From now on, I will handicap all students who receive a 95 or higher by multiplying their score by 90 percent. That way, a grade of 100 will actually be a 90, a 99 will…

For Immediate Release 850 words   by Eric Schansberg   The tax man come this week. Actually, he comes all year round. But on April 15 he is most obvious — and most irritating. It’s bad enough that he takes so much money, but why does Congress make us spend billions of hours filling out forms to pay him? (Does anyone know how many members of Congress fill out their own taxes?)   Aside from…