Tony Bennett, the state’s superintendent of public instruction for nearly two years, deserves accolades for shoving
education reform toward the top of Indiana’s agenda.
It’s puzzling to us that leaders of the United
Auto Workers Local 23 are against members even casting a vote on the proposed takeover of GM’s Indianapolis metal-stamping plant by Illinois-based J.D.
Norman Industries.
It isn’t difficult to grasp the reasoning behind Mayor Greg Ballard’s proposal to privatize the city’s
parking operations.
Indianapolis has made strides toward becoming a “greener” city in the last few years. Reusing what we discard makes sense, but not everything should be disposable.
That includes the sports landmarks we’ve made a habit of turning into rubble.
We’re happy to see that partisanship didn’t sink Mayor Greg Ballard’s plan to sell Indianapolis’
water and sewer utilities to Citizens Energy Group. Now city leaders need to make sure they spend the money wisely.
The violence that sometimes erupts on the streets of downtown during Summer Celebration’s final weekend can no
longer be tolerated.
Conseco Fieldhouse does not belong to the Pacers, but to the city. And we need the Indiana Pacers.
The drive to make central Indiana a leader in the use of electric vehicles is smart—regardless of where the money comes
from.
Businesses no longer can prohibit their employees from
bringing firearms to work, and everyone buying alcohol must show ID. Say what?
City government brought Circle Centre into this world. It makes sense, then, that city government is involved in positioning
it for the future.
Few Hoosiers have any concept of the scope of the information tsunami washing over state education policy, but they’re
beginning to find out.
While it seems ominously similar to earlier efforts, there are components that might result in a better outcome.
There’s a reason we’re thrilled to see the Indianapolis area is building a healthy pipeline
of firms primed to go public: It bodes well for our economy.
In the wake of a recession blamed largely on Wall Street, boards need to act. But reducing executive pay shouldn’t
be their primary objective.
The recession is dragging on, unemployment remains above 9 percent, and Lilly is chopping its way through 5,500 layoffs.
Business bummers abound. But it’s not all bad news.
More than two years into his term, Mayor Greg Ballard has shown a creative flair and a pragmatic streak the city needs.
Isn’t it great to live in a country where citizens have a say in who serves in every public position from president
to school board? Wouldn’t it be even better if citizens actually took that privilege seriously and went to the polls?
The property tax caps that are all but sure to become part of the Indiana constitution after a voter referendum
this November
are definitely good politics—and might prove to be good policy. We won’t know for sure until we see what becomes
of two property-tax funded entities that are starving as the caps fully phase in.
Perhaps it’s time for Pacers owner Herb Simon—a billionaire
like his late brother—to burnish his credentials as a philanthropist who makes the city a better place to live and work.
It would be a sad day in our civic history if the Indiana Pacers packed up and left for a place with
more financial firepower. But there’s a limit to how far the city should go to keep the team from leaving home.
