Indiana Writers Group column for April 23 and thereafter (696 words) by JEFF ABBOTT, J.D., Ph.D. The hard-hitting series in the Indianapolis Star exposing the problems of the Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) was thoughtful and poignant. This writer has known the IPS superintendent for over 20 years on a professional and personal basis. He has achieved national distinction and is widely hailed for his many professional accomplishments. He is a man of great vision, courage,…

Indiana Writers Group column for release Wednesday April 16 (782 words) Editors: The author testified on consolidation before the Indiana Legislature and edited a special edition of the Indiana Policy Review on the topic. That edition can be accessed here (free registration required). A version of this article appeared in the March 23 Indianapolis Star. by SAM STALEY, Ph.D. Suppose Indiana government convened a commission on improving the state’s economic competitiveness. And suppose one of…

by Robert Yadon, Ph.D. Two years ago the Digital Policy Institute (DPI) at Ball State University issued a report entitled, "The Economic Impact of Telecom Reform in Indiana: 2006," that documented changes in the competitive landscape across voice, data and video in the United States since 1996. The report recommended that the Indiana Legislature pass reform measures that would rapidly promote new competition among services, increase investment in new infrastructure and services, create new jobs,…

Indiana Writers Group column for release April 2 and thereafter (668 words) by Craig Ladwig We note with admiration how easily Bill and Hillary Clinton (with native son Evan Bayh jetting in from Washington) found connections in the Hoosier crowds during their campaign stops. It was almost as if they . . . well, as if they lived here. Truly, politicians are global citizens now. They don't have hometowns anymore in the traditional sense. And…

Indiana Writers Group column for March 26 and thereafter (730 words) by ANDREA NEAL It’s happened in other states with open primary elections. Republicans, having already determined their presidential nominee, are crossing over in large numbers to vote in the Democratic primary. In Virginia, eight percent of voters in the Democratic primary were self identified Republicans. In some parts of Texas, almost a quarter of voters with a history of participation in GOP primaries asked…

By Sam Staley, Ph.D. Indianapolis, like other big cities in the Midwest, is straining under the weight of abandoned homes. Nearly 7,000 abandoned buildings litter the landscape of the city’s most hard-pressed neighborhoods, and the Indianapolis Housing Agency and Mayor Greg Ballard deserve credit for trying to take the bull by the horns. Unfortunately, their recently announced initiative may not be bold enough. Realizing record foreclosure rates were sinking the city’s housing market, the housing…

Indiana Writers Group column for immediate release (730 words) by Andrea Neal Indiana’s celebration of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial got off to a rocky start last week. Just as state officials were releasing a new celebratory Lincoln license plate in Indianapolis, the Lincoln Museum in Fort Wayne announced it was closing. So we gain a license plate; we lose a prestigious collection of Lincoln-related documents and artifacts. Not exactly an even trade. But it should…

Of Drug-Enhanced Baseball, Hoosier Basketball and March Madness  by John Bingham So even our beloved American pastime is teeming with drug-enhanced players. Is anyone really that surprised? The real question is how could the problem spread to this degree? A complete dereliction of duty by responsible authorities created a corrupt environment. This is not to excuse the cheaters. Each individual is responsible for his own actions. Nonetheless, enablers and encouragers should bear their share of…

Indiana Writers Group column for release March 5 and thereafter (450 words)b by Cecil Bohanon, Ph.D. There's no free lunch but deregulation is as close as you get. In 2006, Indiana ended local regulation of video franchise services. Since that time telecommunications companies have hired or stated an intention to hire around 2,000 additional workers in Indiana. Those same companies have made just over a half a billion of new investment in the state since…

Indiana Writers Group column for Feb. 27 and thereafter (720 words) (Editors: This column will be updated mid week after the full House votes on the resolution.) by Andrea Neal If politics is “the art of the possible,” as Otto von Bismarck remarked, property tax reform may be dead for 2008. The first serious sign of trouble came last week when House Democrats switched a property tax cap months in the making with a plan…