For release noon Dec. 21 and thereafter (660 words) Even as other states face “a fiscal crisis of unprecedented severity” – to quote the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities – Gov. Mitch Daniels is crafting a plan to give taxpayers their money back. Not this year or next, to be sure. But if and when the economy improves and the state’s structural spending deficit disappears, Daniels wants to make sure lawmakers don’t resume their…

For release noon Dec. 21 and thereafter (446 words) When I was 12 years old, the Youth of First Christian Church had a picnic at Honor Heights Park in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The good ladies of the church brought loads of potato salad, baked beans and coleslaw but every child knew the real action was in the sack lunch mom had packed with their favorite delight. Our mom had fried some chicken. That was a real…

For release noon Dec. 14 (709 words) Cash-strapped Indiana legislators, Republican as well as Democrat, will be eyeing easy sources of additional tax revenue this session. This will involve rationalizing Indiana’s so-called “Death Tax” on inherited estates. They should know, though, that although the poor will always be with us, not so the rich. The wealthy come and go on the whim of tax law. And whether they live on Long Island or in Zionsville,…

For release noon Dec. 7 and thereafter (765 words) “Men typically accumulate more continuous work experience and therefore acquire higher productivity in the labor market (in relation to child-rearing women). In fact, the gender gap shrinks to between 8 percent and 0 percent when the study incorporates measures such as work experience, career breaks and part-time work.” — Dr. June E. O’Neill, professor of economics at Baruch College, Nov. 16, 2010 When the women’s movement…

For release noon Dec. 7 and thereafter (680 words) Lamar Alexander of Tennessee. As governor in 1984 he pushed into law a school accountability system that rewarded teachers and districts whose students showed the most academic progress. Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin. In 1990, this Republican governor joined forces with a Democratic legislature to devise the nation’s first taxpayer-funded school choice program. It allows low-income families in Milwaukee to apply tax vouchers toward private schools. Zell…

For release noon Nov. 30 and thereafter (551 words) In Indiana, persons on the staff of a city or county are also allowed by state law to sit on the fiscal body of that same entity. Think about that for a moment. It is difficult to imagine a more blatant conflict of interest. It is a direct and proximate cause of the union political machines and the destructive political “rent-seeking” or self-dealing that economists advise…

For release noon Nov. 23 and thereafter (673 words The way to improve schools is to improve teachers. On that point, the data are clear. But how do we do it? And can we do it fast enough to affect the next generation? Answers may be found in nations where students outperform the United States on literacy, math and science tests. McKinsey & Co. studied 25 of the world’s school systems, including the top 10…

For release noon Nov. 16 and thereafter (691 words) The impact of labor unions is often seen as uniform over history. But today, labor cartels are less useful, since labor markets are more competitive. And it is increasingly difficult for unions to achieve their goals, since product markets have become far more competitive. Likewise, unions are often seen as uniform in terms of their membership. The stereotype is a Teamster. But you can find union…

For release noon Nov. 9 and thereafter (665 words) The best teachers deserve more pay. Who could argue with that simple proposition? Well, get ready. The teachers union and defenders of status quo are gearing up to block this key element of Gov. Mitch Daniels’ education reform agenda. They will trot out every excuse to maintain the current system, which rewards credentials and seniority but not results obtained by the professional in the classroom. As…

For immediate release (670 words)   With Election 2010, the GOP controls the U.S. House with a solid majority, tightened up the Senate and made considerable gains at the state and local levels — from governors’ mansions to city councils.   In one sense, this is nothing new. It is common for the president’s party to lose seats in a mid-term election. In 1982, under President Ronald Reagan, Democrats increased their advantage in the House…