For release July 9 and thereafter (730 words) by Andrea Neal    JUST WHEN YOU THINK Indiana’s property tax mess can’t get more confusing, it does. Hundreds of Marion County homeowners are struggling to pay final 2007 tax “reconciliation” bills due July 10. Others are seeing huge jumps in the amount collected in escrow by mortgage firms that pay property taxes on the homeowners’ behalf. As reported in the July 5 Indianapolis Star, a flood of…

For release July 2 and thereafter (730 words) by ANDREA NEAL           Some Indianapolis taxpayers feel double-crossed after receiving their final property tax bills for 2007. Not only did their taxes rise, but they’re paying an extra penny sales tax for property tax cuts they’ve yet to enjoy.    The sentiment is partly justified and partly stems from confusion over what Gov. Mitch Daniels and the 2008 legislature accomplished.    First, to clear up the confusion:…

For release June 25 and thereafter (461 words) by Barry Umansky, J.D. In 2006, the telecom wars raged in the Indiana legislature. The outcome was landmark legislation that opened the door for new competition and reduced prices, plus greater availability of broadband video and high-speed internet in the Hoosier State.   So, who won the wars?  We all did, including all the combatants — and the rest of the nation noticed. Indiana’s telecom reform legislation, adopted…

Indiana Writers Group column for release June 18 and thereafter (370 words) by Alan Richardson, Ph.D. “Hello, this is Comcast Cable, may I help you?” “I have a question. A couple of days ago I got a mailing from AT&T saying I can now get both high-speed Internet service and 200 TV channels in my home on their new U-verse system for $68 per month. Then, in today’s mail I got your bill for $90.61…

For release June 11 and thereafter (730 words) by ANDREA NEAL INDIANAPOLIS — Great news for Indiana Lincoln fans. State and Allen County leaders have put together a “compelling proposal” to keep the Lincoln Museum’s $20 million collection right here in Indiana, the 16th president’s boyhood home. Credit a coalition of concerned Hoosiers headed by retired Lincoln Financial CEO Ian M. Rolland.    “We’re going to put in a very strong proposal,” Rolland said Monday. “We…

For release June 3 and thereafter (463 words) by CRAIG LADWIG It is easy to find observers of Indiana politics with secular concerns about the number of individual candidates, even party factions, seeking office as "Christian."There is the obvious problem of single-issue politics; that is, a constituency is activated to elect a candidate for his position on issue "A" only to find out too late that he opposes it on issues "B" and "C" and…

Last of Five Columns; for release May 28 and thereafter. (Editors: Note reference in graf 8 to June 12-13 meeting date). 900 words by ANDREA NEAL  The higher education financing system is dysfunctional and in need of reform. So declared the federal Commission on the Future of Higher Education in 2006.Indiana students no doubt agree. At our public residential universities, tuition doubles every 10 years, twice the rate of inflation. As long as demand stays…

Fourth of five columnsFor release May 21 and thereafter990 words (Editors: Note length) By Andrea Neal Cory Barker, who just finished his sophomore year at Indiana University in Bloomington, has never used the campus bus system but still has to chip in $110 a year for its operation. “I don’t ride the bus. I will never ride the bus,” Barker says. Like every full-time student at IU, Barker must pay that and other mandatory charges,…

Third of five articlesFor release May 14 and thereafter (900 words)By Andrea Neal Despite the economic downturn affecting the housing market, construction continues apace on Indiana’s college campuses. It’s little wonder. Public universities have little incentive to stop building. That’s because most projects are paid for through debt financing: a buy now, pay later approach that spreads out costs over time and thus minimizes the impact on taxpayers and students. It also masks long-term effects…

Second of five columnsFor release May 7 and thereafter765 words By Andrea Neal   In 2004, economist Richard Vedder created a mini-sensation with his book Going Broke by Degree: Why College Costs Too Much. In a nutshell, the book argued that financial aid causes tuition to rise. “The evidence is pretty persuasive that massive governmental infusions of funds . . . have contributed to the upsurge in higher education costs,” he said. The term financial…