DANIELS: Can we wake from this scary era of polarized politics?
People no longer have to hear the voices of those with whom they disagree—and they rarely force themselves to listen.
Deborah Daniels
Articles
DANIELS: Minimum-wage-hike proposals aren’t so simple
You can’t increase wages significantly while also erasing the deficit.
DANIELS: Ups and downs in a new DOJ administration
Occasionally, something has happened in the new Justice Department administration to give me pause.
DANIELS: Another in the long list of reasons to fund pre-K
Early brain development is crucial: In just the first two years of a child’s life, neurons in the brain are frantically connecting to achieve the level of cognition necessary to live a successful life.
DANIELS: McClelland right choice to fight opioid epidemic
Jim McClelland will focus on reducing the number of deaths from overdoses, expanding access to evidence-based treatment for those who are addicted, and reducing exposure of Hoosiers to opioids.
DANIELS: Rest in peace, Bill Harvey, a giant in legal community
Dean Harvey was a giant to those of us who had the privilege of learning from him. His lectures were a wealth of valuable information about how law was actually practiced.
DANIELS: Obamacare helps defeat Democrats
Republicans warned in 2010 that a big-government approach based on mandates, excessive regulation and redistribution would be doomed to failure. Yet the Democrats marched on.
DANIELS: This fiscal conservative is voting ‘yes’ on transit tax
We’ve long bemoaned the quality of our bus system; but truth be told, we have failed to invest in it. Other needs, such as public safety, have been viewed as more pressing. At this point, we rank 86th in the country for transit investment per capita out of the 100 largest regions.
DANIELS: Police are pulling back when we need them most
Since 2014, every time a police officer is involved in the shooting of a civilian, the tension increases. We have now reached the point where outrage erupts even in justified shooting situations.
DANIELS: Bad cases make bad law that impacts future efforts
The decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton is understandable but will serve as a defense in other cases where a lesser-known individual is accused of mishandling classified material. So it will now be harder for the government to prevent the leaking of classified information.
DANIELS: What should change in wake of massacre in Orlando?
There is a natural tension between our desire to keep people safe and to secure the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. In the aftermath of a terrorist act, we need to be particularly careful about how we balance these two important goals.
DANIELS: Heroin abuse is a true public health crisis
When I was a prosecutor, I thought the spread of addictive drugs was primarily a law enforcement problem. I now recognize this is in fact a major public health problem.
DANIELS: Contempt for other views is no recipe for accomplishment
A certain nihilism has crept into our politics: a “let’s blow it up” philosophy far from an early shared belief that the end result was actually to govern.
DANIELS: Celebrate success but let’s do more for abused women
Since 1996, Coburn Place has provided more than 1,700 people with safe housing for up to two years, along with the critical services they need to become self-sufficient. But there’s a waiting list and more help is needed.
DANIELS: Female candidates face unnecessary challenges
It is a sad truth that when men are forceful, they are viewed as strong, just the sort of leader we want. But when women are forceful, they are seen as strident, lecturing, even “bitchy.”
DANIELS: Riggs, Hogsett have right approach to make Indy safer
By appointing Troy Riggs, a veteran of Republican Greg Ballard’s administration, as chief of police, Mayor Joe Hogsett has demonstrated he is fully committed to reducing crime in Indianapolis. He is living up to his post-partisan “One City” promise.
DANIELS: Attractive communities will attract talent, jobs
Young, talented people are looking for quality of life, and will choose a community with a rich lifestyle over a good job elsewhere. Indiana has seen stagnating population growth at least in part as a result of our failure to keep up with this trend.
DANIELS:Pass a pay increase but put off the implementation
It’s really not surprising that the City-County Council, in an 11th-hour, post-election/pre-inauguration move, is seeking to increase the salary of council members. An accompanying proposal to raise the mayor’s pay unfortunately has been withdrawn.
DANIELS: We can’t afford to keep locking up non-violent offenders
I fully agree that we need to be forceful in our response to violent criminals, incapacitating them through lengthy imprisonment.
DANIELS: Can’t we make the mayor’s race more competitive?
In the best of all worlds, elections would be about ideas—about specifically how each candidate would seek to improve the lives and opportunities of his or her constituents.