Just thought I would pass along the fact that the good senator will be appearing on MSNBC tonight -- around 9:45, apparently -- to discuss his recently introduced bill that seeks to aid soldiers exposed to toxins during their military service.
U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh said Tuesday he would reintroduce legislation to create a medical registry for military personnel exposed to toxic chemicals following reports that Indiana National Guard troops were exposed to a toxin in Iraq.
The legislation would establish a registry to track military service members exposed to industrial toxins during wartime service, guaranteeing them access to priority care at Veterans Administration hospitals.
It would also authorize a scientific review of evidence linking exposure to adverse health effects.
Politics aside, there is no denying that Indiana is facing the prospect of a staggering revenue shortfall. Belts will be tightened, cuts will invariably be made, and the legislative session will see more than its fair share of compromise. All that being said, this is a bit troubling.
Don't be surprised if a two-year state budget Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to propose on Tuesday includes no overall spending increase for public schools.
"Protecting education at today's levels would be a huge achievement when revenues are plummeting or are down significantly," Daniels said last week. "In many states right now, education is being cut, and I mean 2, 4 and 5 percent."
Ah, the standard Daniels response: It could be worse!
But while the "aiming higher" mantra seems to have fallen by the wayside long ago, I think what we're seeing is another lost opportunity to invest in the future. Indiana is hurting right now, and it is due in no small part to the fact that we need a radical redesign of our workforce. That transition won't be easy, and the harsh reality is that it won't be cheap. School reforms will need to be made, but asking the already cash-strapped school systems to make due with less and less is a recipe for disaster, not success.
And besides, Hoosiers seem willing to pay a little more for the next generation.
A new poll has found that Indiana residents are willing to pay higher taxes to finance improvements they'd like state government to carry out.
The Hoosier Poll released today by Ball State University found that by margins ranging from 61 percent to 71 percent, Hoosiers said they'd support higher state taxes if it led to improvements in the state's schools, better health care and stronger environmental protection.
The state took over a large swath of education funding, and with it the responsibility to deal with the inevitable revenue downturns. And while there is no denying that Mitch and the gang are salivating at the chance to cut funding for programs far and wide, now is the time to be spending more, not less on programs to create the workforce of tomorrow.
Maybe I'm just a cynic, but I always thought the BioTown concept was a bit too gimmicky for its own good. The plan is (was?) to have the town of Reynolds run entirely on renewable energy. But while the fanfare was certainly loud when Gov. Mitch Daniels helped roll out the project in 2005, progress hasn't exactly been encouraging. The Associated Press checks in on where things stand, specifically the critical construction of a $10 million anaerobic digester centerpiece:
When the weather turned colder this fall and all the required permits were not yet in hand, hopes faded for quick construction in the town about 25 miles north of Lafayette.
"Now we're looking to start construction in the spring," state Agriculture Department spokeswoman Deborah Abbott told the Journal & Courier of Lafayette.
The community lost another high-profile project when VeraSun Energy Inc. in late 2007 put its plans for a 110-million gallon ethanol plant on hold, citing unfavorable market conditions. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last fall.
VeraSun "is not part of the original BioTown concept," Abbott said, and the company's issues are having no effect on the project.
"BioTown is not slowing down," she said.
Except, of course, for the above-mentioned slowdowns.
I wish Reynolds and the folks behind this project all the best of luck, but until we see serious incentives for investment in the alternative energy sector, there is only a slim chance we'll see these outfits move away from the gimmick and toward reality. Much of that will depend nationally on the success of President Obama's energy plan, which has promised pretty big results on a compressed time-line.
Governor Daniels, for his part, hates recycling almost as much as he loved the photo-op back in 2005.
The pre-game analyses for this year's legislative session have started, and there are quite a few to sift through. Here are just a few highlights:
Lesley Stedman Weidenbener offers her always-appreciated take on the looming budget fight -- and for some reason, I've just noticed that I quoted a completely different story below, so read both. -- with Gov. Daniels taking a firm stance against tapping into the so-called "rainy day" fund:
Democratic House Speaker Patrick Bauer has publicly declared that it's time to dip into the reserve.
State Rep. Paul Robertson, D-Depauw, and the house's majority whip, agrees. These are tough economic times and it may get worse, he said. And Robertson wants to make sure there are no cuts to education.
"If it's not raining right now, I don't know if that money will ever be used," he said.
Masson, on the state of the state's rush to enshrine Daniels' tax cuts into the constitution:
Republicans want to push for second passage of a proposed Constitutional amendment that would cap property taxes at 1% for residential property; 2% for rentals; and 3% for all other property. Because this would affect local government budgets more than state government budgets, it is local government officials urging state officials to slow down. Rep. Bauer appears to be siding with local government officials in this. Second passage of the Constitutional amendment does not have to take place until 2010. As a matter of law, the caps are already in place, just not in the Constitution. The Republicans appear ready to plow ahead with the Constitutional provision, presumably before any problems with the tax caps fully materialize and public opinion shifts.
Over at the Capitol Watchblog -- which has quickly become the blog to follow in the Indianapolis area -- Wagner makes a salient point about the realities of political posturing. An alternative title might have simply been, "Don't underestimate B. Patrick Bauer."
Daniels has come out swinging on local government reform, a move I applaud, but neither he nor Bauer thinks in terms of a single issue. Daniels is going to want other things. So is Bauer. Local government reform, at least at this point, may be nothing more than a bargaining chip on the table.
After all, if Bauer agreed up front to everything Daniels wanted, he'd be that sucker walking away having paid full-price for a brand-new Toyota Camry hybrid.
The tax cap debate is the one I feel most strongly about, mainly because I think it is symbolic for Daniels' rush to use every ounce of political capital he has mustered over the last few years in an onslaught against all things public-sector. While the far-right applauds, I think it is worth noting that even Saint Ronald Reagan eventually recognized the danger of cutting taxes impulsively in the face of economic downturn.
The tax cuts that Republicans want to set in stone aren't going anywhere.
Let me repeat: They aren't going anywhere.
Much like the oft-cited imminent danger of "activist judges" overturning Christianity and allowing same-sex couples to frolic freely, the idea that the General Assembly will turn around in the next year or two and repeal the caps is just not realistic. It would be political suicide, and as much as no one will admit it, all eyes have quickly focused on the critical 2010 election.
So why not wait? We have one of the most tumultuous economic states in recent memory, budgets that have yet to be crafted around revenue predictions that look increasingly dire, and absolutely no identifiable need to take these decisions past the point of no return. We are in uncharted waters at the moment, and Daniels would have us not just sail straight into them, but do so at breakneck speed. (Cue the pirate music.)
There's a fine line between "bold" and "batshit-crazy," and while the General Assembly has a historical predilection toward the latter, I think a little restraint might be in order during these uncertain times.
Sure, this is a bit of a regional story, but Dave Crooks is a great guy, and if you are in his listening area and not, uh, listening, then you are definitely missing out.
Dave Crooks The former state legislator is expanding his program to accommodate local broadcasting of the weekly presidential radio address.
Crooks, a former six-term House member, started a one-hour show on Saturday mornings in September 2007 on WAMW, a station he owns in Washington, Ind.
He said he is expanding it to two hours to accommodate local broadcasting of the weekly presidential radio address aired at 9:30 a.m. Central time (10:30 a.m. Eastern) and the congressional response aired at 10:30 a.m. Central (11:30 a.m. Eastern), bracketed by local political talk and call-in segments.
With soon-to-be President Obama looking to expand the audience of his weekly address, I would hope that more stations will embrace a format that highlights what our national leaders say each week.
Every single time redistricting comes around, the debate arises as to why we allow the most political among us to design the boundaries of their own political futures. In just two years, Indiana will find itself marching down this contentious path once again, and the Staropines this morning on the need to take the power away from the state legislature.
A bill introduced by state Sen. Mike Delph, R-Carmel, would put an end to gerrymandering in Indiana by creating a bipartisan committee charged with redrawing district boundaries each decade.
Under Senate Bill 198, service on the nine-member panel would be off limits to anyone who had served in Congress or the General Assembly, run for Congress or the legislature, registered as a lobbyist, held statewide public office or acted as chairman or treasurer of a congressional or legislative campaign in the past six years.
The first and most obvious problem is this: Will the General Assembly willingly remove themselves from the equation? Methinks not. There would need to be a big political push from the grassroots to get something like this shoved through the legislature, and I just don't see that happening right now.
The other problem as I see it is this: Good luck finding nine people who aren't "political" in any way, shape, or form. I'm not sure they exist. While the idea of creating some non-partisan super team appeals to the dreamer in all of us, I think the process would still be the same. A lot of posturing, a lot of fighting, and a lot of finger-pointing.
How in the world did I miss this hilarious mess? With a tip of the ol' hat to Pharyngula, and courtesy of Sylvia A. Smith of the Journal Gazette, may I present Mark Souder:
I personally believe that there is no issue more important to our society than intelligent design. I believe that if there wasn't a purpose in designing you - regardless of who you view the designer as being - then, from my perspective, you can't be fallen from that design. If you can't be fallen from that design, there's no point to evangelism.
As an evangelical Christian, I believe the premise of a fall being at the core of reforming lives. I believe the concept of grace and forgiveness comes from having fallen from something.
Now, I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on our society, but I will go out on a limb and say that among the various problems and crises currently facing us at home and abroad, the (non-existent) "scientific" fight over intelligent design doesn't make the top ten list. Or the top one-hundred list. Hell, I think it is safe to say that it doesn't make the list, and anyone who says it does has such a bizarre, misguided sense of priorities that they themselves are likely to line up higher on the "List of Things Holding Society Back" than the straw man of a debate over this conjured-up political issue.
Now, how that occurred - whether you believe in the young earth theory, gradual evolution, or whatever - is disputed. Those become religious. But whether there was a fundamental designer who developed a complex DNA molecular structure is critical. Since I view that as the most important thing in the world, yes, being in a movie that advanced that cause was the personal highlight of the year.
A tip o' the hat to Doug for catching this AP story on the Daniels administration's decision to "temporarily" cut recycling and anti-pollution efforts around the state. These grants and loans will be on hold through at least 2010, adding yet another set of programs to the growing list of cuts Daniels says we simply have to make in order to survive the crisis our state government is in. You know, the same state government that three months ago was leading the country in just about every category imaginable, at least if the pirate-themed music was to be believed.
The article is well worth the read, but Doug's take is just as noteworthy. While pointing out the flawed logic of Mitch's policies may not be a new game, it is no less fruitful in these modern times.
Dollars spent on recycling and pollution control seem like investments that will pay for themselves over time. Cutting them is probably penny-wise and pound foolish. In particular, it seems to me that pollution enforcement efforts should be a priority for devotees of the free market. When manufacturers pollute, they are externalizing their costs of production - making the rest of us absorb that part of their cost. With that cost externalized, the market pricing signals are distorted (the price does not reflect the true cost of production), creating a market inefficiencies.
Even though former FSSA chief Mitch Roob has moved on to greener, more lucrative government pastures, the fruits of his labor continue to keep on giving. Bryan Corbin of the Courier & Press takes a look at the ongoing struggle to adjust to the "efficiency" of Indiana's social services.
It was supposed to allow Hoosiers in need to sign up by phone or online for Medicaid, food stamps or welfare benefits, but lawmakers field frequent complaints the system loses clients' documents, causes long delays, furnishes incorrect information and is hard for the elderly and disabled to navigate.
Complaints about the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration's welfare modernization program have both Democrats and Republicans proposing the Legislature halt the program from expanding until problems are fixed.
In the 2009 session that starts Jan. 7, state Rep. Suzanne Crouch of Evansville, may introduce a bill that temporarily would halt the FSSA from rolling out the modernization program to the 33 counties it has yet to reach.
Crouch is a Republican, folks. This thing has come full circle.
And with stalwart defenders such as Rep. Charlie Brown indicating that he will not just push legislation such as this through, but will sign on to co-author the piece, we could be heading toward an interesting showdown between the recently re-elected Daniels and a GOP caucus that will be heading toward the dissatisfied ballot box sooner than many realize.
My post, "Transgender woman and her boyfriend murdered in Indianapolis," has created quite a bit of conversation - both on the Bilerico Project and in certain circles in Indiana. I've just finished an interview with an Indianapolis Star reporter about my criticism of local media reporting and offensive police statements; it seems the appropriate time to bring everyone up to date and clarify exactly what I'm seeking.
After a double homicide over the holiday weekend, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) held a press conference to release details about the crime. IMPD released two male names and mug shots of the victims, commented on the victims' criminal histories and said the two lived "an alternative lifestyle." One of the victims was transgender; the other was her boyfriend.
To IMPD's credit, it doesn't appear that they identified the gender of either victim. Instead, the spokesperson referred to two "individuals" or "people" or similar gender nonspecific language.
The local media, however, were not as respectful. Every media outlet used the mugshot pictures with her male name printed beneath. While NBC and ABC used gender neutral language, FOX, CBS and the Indianapolis Star identified them as "two men."
Other than the terminology "alternative lifestyle," the rest of the offenses could easily be explained by a simple lack of knowledge. It is possible that the media didn't realize either victim was transgender when they filed their reports. But these circumstances highlight the tendency of law enforcement, the legislature and the media to whitewash LGBT issues in Indiana including overlooking violence against our community.
I'm continuing an ever-extending vacation, which has left for plenty of time to digest the year that was. With the New Year rapidly approaching, I suppose it is as good a time as any to look back at the bestests and worstests of 2008.
Best Campaign
This award unfortunately goes to Mitch Daniels. I'm even inclined to agree with Chris Cillizza of the Post who this morning pegged the Daniels effort as the best in the nation over the last cycle. They enthusiastically polished a turd for over a year, and the result was a mean, green campaigning machine.
Honorable Mention: All three of our freshman congressional representatives wiped the floor with their challengers, and their flawless campaigns present a great blueprint for the future.
Worst Campaign
Jill Long Thompson's effort gives us a lot to learn from. A lot.
Honorable Mention: The flip-side of the above coin, the Republican Party showed us what happens when you can't recruit yourself out of a paper bag. Greg not-so-Goode, Luke "What FEC?" Puckett and Millionaire Mike Sodrel all provided a comedy of errors that couldn't have been funto watch on the other side of the aisle.
My personal favorite? Jon Elrod. Sure, I could pinpoint his campaign work on the House floor as a high-water mark, but to be honest, the guy screwed up an arguably bright future in the most spectacular ways over the last year. Something tells me we haven't seen the last of Mr. Over-ambitious.
Honorable Mention: John McCain's presidential campaign. Wait, yo never saw his campaign? That's because the smarter-than-thous on the other side thought they could take Indiana for granted just like they had almost every year for a half-century. It didn't work out well for them.
Biggest Campaign Genius
May I introduce you to the next President of the United States? Barack Obama's campaign nearly pulled off a primary-upset, and turned their narrow loss into a historic victory in November. Against all odds, they took the Hoosier State by storm, and never looked back or took anything for granted. Nearly fifty campaign stops later, Barack Obama goes down in the history books as a candidacy of firsts.
Honorable Mention: Mitch Daniels hopefully gave a big Holiday thank-you to the folks who churned out his advertisements. They were the best we have seen in the state in a long while, and they successfully sold a change narrative where there was none. It was painful to watch, but you have to give kudos where they are due.
What did I miss? What was good, and what was bad? Let's hear it.
If this story is to be believed, the next policy change we may see out of the Daniels administration will be rules allowing police officers to refuse enforcement against bad cops, and letting firefighters burn down buildings on a whim. Oh, and government employees don't have to pay taxes anymore.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has stopped issuing fines against other state agencies in Indiana that violate their environmental permits.
For instance, the Indiana Department of Transportation violated wastewater permits for rest stops across the state more than 550 times over four years. It discharged sludge and ammonia into streams, causing algae blooms and potential damage to aquatic life. But INDOT got no fines. It got off with a legal slap on the wrist.
Environmentalists are appalled, calling it a "creeping lack of accountability" and commitment to enforcing the law.
"Think of the precedent this sets. It says you can completely disregard violating" the law, said Valparaiso environmental attorney Kim Ferraro. "We're going to tell you to abide by the permit limits but if you don't, that's OK. It's consistent with the idea that enforcement is not important. We might as well not have environmental laws if there's no enforcement. They're environmental suggestions."
The policy extends to both air and water enforcement, and essentially asks for IDEM to adopt some misguided "gentleman's agreement" tactic when dealing with misbehavior within state government. Kudos to the Post-Trib for continuing their onslaught of public records requests.
Greg Ballard, from his campaign website (and as was repeated almost verbatim on the campaign trail):
Indianapolis is currently in the midst of the largest crime wave in its history. As Mayor of Indianapolis, I will make public safety my number one priority. Since 1999, this city has suffered a double-digit increase in the crime rate, culminating in a 55% increase in murders during 2006. City government must reverse this epidemic and fulfill its primary responsibility of providing safety to the citizens of Indianapolis. I will provide the plan and leadership necessary to make our city safe again.
People are scared and have altered their normal behavior as a result. Our current Mayor will tell you that this crime wave is part of a national trend, but that's not entirely true. Our crime has significantly increased largely because the current administration has dismantled all of the connections and links within the city that are vitally necessary to a large community confronting this problem. The Mayor's failure to understand basic leadership principles has hurt this city immeasurably with respect to public safety.
With yesterday's double-murder, Indianapolis surpassed the 2007 murder total, and the 123 homicides in Indianapolis over the last year probably beg a response from the "Public safety mayor" of our state's largest city. His thoughts on the subject:Apparently, criminals in Indianapolis aren't responding to the strong and silent treatment.
Holier-than-thou expert state Rep. Jackie Walorski knows what the holiday season stands for -- money, money, money! I'm all for giving to the less fortunate among us, but this is a little ridiculous...
I need your prayer and financial support today to continue to mount an offensive for the protection of Hoosier children. I have often told you that you are the world changers and your support makes all the difference in this State. Many of you have asked if I am standing alone on this issue...maybe as a Legislator, but you are my base of support and with all of us we can bring common sense back into this equation of protecting our kids.
She's pure class, to the end. She might as well conclude with a theological revelation that even baby Jesus knew that such donations aren't tax deductible, so give until it hurts, but don't expect the communist bureaucracy to give you any breaks!
I shouldn't even given this garbage the time of day, but it's just so damn funny. Indiana now has its very own Barack-Obama-is-a-foreigner lawsuit!
The suit, filed in Marion Superior Court, Room 10, is among five loosely coordinated challenges that question Obama's status as a "natural born citizen."
Gov. Mitch Daniels and the Republican and Democratic national committees are named as defendants in the Indiana suit, filed by Steve Ankeny, New Castle, and Bill Kruse, Roselawn.
The Star gave this nonsense front-page billing the other day, which probably says more about the Star than it does the case. My favorite part of the story was this, though:
Ankeny -- who is not an attorney and describes himself as a legal researcher and "interested citizen" -- said similar suits were filed this month in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois and Michigan.
The Marion County suit contends neither Obama, a Democrat, nor Republican Sen. John McCain proved he was a "natural born citizen," a constitutional requirement to qualify for the presidency. They also claim neither candidate was eligible to be elected president because both were sitting U.S. senators at the time of the election.
"Our argument is that there has to be evidence that a candidate -- any candidate -- actually meets the qualifications," Ankeny said.
Political and special interest groups have long argued that Indiana's oft-touted ban on robo-calls applies only to commercial speech, a line of thought that received the judicial smackdown on Tuesday by the Indiana Supreme Court.
The court ruled 5-0 Tuesday to overturn a trial court's decision to dismiss a state lawsuit against American Family Voices. At issue was whether the state's 1988 law banning so-called "robo calls" covers political calls as well as commercial and sales calls.
Attorney General Steve Carter said the court ruling will protect Indiana residents from unwanted and illegal telephone calls.
Both political parties have been in quiet agreement that political speech should be protected from wholesale bans such as this, but you won't hear much outcry from anyone in defense of robo-calls for obvious reasons.
Alright, I'll admit it -- there's really not much politicking going on 'round these parts this time of year. Most politicos have tucked themselves in for a long winter's nap after an even longer electoral season, and Mitch Daniels seems content to quietly reward failure and dismantle our environmental protections without much attention being paid.
As for your humble blogger, I'm busy piecing together a resume and cover letter, along with catching up with friends and family that I neglected over the last few weeks. I recommend you all do the latter -- the former isn't exactly the laugh-a-minute I was hoping for.
Elsewhere, Republicans continue to twiddle their thumbs and talk to themselves about knocking off Evan Bayh. My focus will be singularly focused on the state legislature in two years, so I'll welcome any delusional distractions they can create for themselves between now and then.
In short, there's not much going on today, and I think that's fine enough. There was a lot of hard work put in over the last year, and we all deserve a break. That being said, feel free to let us all know what we're missing.
Oh, and if anyone wants to offer me employment for next summer, that will be welcome as well.
Thanks to all of you folks for sticking around over the last few weeks as I fought the evils of knowledge, and then yesterday fought the dangerous celebratory side effects.
Here are a few stories I found this morning, and a warning that I'll be back with full force next week. The holiday season is actually the worst time for blog traffic, but with the legislative session just around the corner, it's far past time that we all got warmed up for the impending drama.
Some say Bush was too liberal. Some say Mike Pence has a political future beyond his congressional seat. The whole lot is nuts.
Without troubling themselves with any evidence to support their claim, the Indianapolis Star declares Mitch Roob's tenure at FSSA to be a success. Without any evidence whatsoever, I'm prepared to blame the decline of newsprint on this editorial.
Some of our congressmen won't be accepting their annual raises. It makes for good politics, but I'm inclined to think that instead of worrying about this nonsense, perhaps they could get to work on Obama's economic recovery plan?
No matter what t-shirt their parents put on them, babies are decidedly nonpartisan creatures. Congrats to Josh Gillespie on the arrival of his beautiful daughter.
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After a double homicide over the holiday weekend, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) held a press conference to release details about the crime. IMPD released two male names and mug shots of the victims, commented on the victims' criminal histories and said the two lived "an alternative lifestyle." One of the victims was transgender; the other was her boyfriend.
