SHELLA: Stars might align for old deals to happen
Dwayne Sawyer just set a new world record for quickest rise and fall of an Indiana statewide elected official. His tenure as auditor fell just short of four months.
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SPEEDY: Private sector could put resources to better use
Each session, I work to find efficient and effective ways to streamline government functions. Bolstering our city’s infrastructure is vital for sustained economic growth.
MILLER: Local voters should be given shot at referendum
After reviewing the facts surrounding a proposed expansion of mass-transit services in central Indiana, gathering input from local officials, meeting with the public, and listening to concerns about establishing an expanded transit system, legislators are working to develop a plan that is both efficient and cost-effective.
GARRISON: Good ideas during the great storm, but bad policy
Folks in the business of passing laws and enforcing them must, of necessity, impose somebody’s idea of what is good on the rest of us.
LANOSGA: Got a warrant for my cell phone information?
I’ve written a fair bit in these pages about the pitfalls of official secrecy—the often unjustified withholding of information by public agencies at all levels of government.
SOUDER: Traditional conservatism is making a comeback
It would be easy to miss the significance of the seven Indiana House Republicans all supporting the 2013 budget deal.
KRUGMAN: Mild depression might be the new normal
Spend any time around monetary officials and one word you’ll hear a lot is “normalization.” Most such officials accept that now is no time to be tightfisted, that for the time being credit must be easy and interest rates low.
BLOW: Plenty of racism above, below the surface
In an interview with the BBC last month, Oprah Winfrey said of President Obama: “There is a level of disrespect for the office that occurs. And that occurs, in some cases, and maybe even many cases, because he’s African-American.”
PILLIE: GOP should put more energy into tech
We’re about to leave one unique facet of Indiana politics and enter another.
STYRING: Obamacare rests on numbers concoction
Everybody’s talking about Obamacare. Website crashes. People booted off their health insurance. Sticker shock. No doubt we’ll be talking about it through the 2014 election. And the 2016 election. And most likely well beyond that.
SIDDIQUI: Americans are trustworthy on insurance
The failed rollout of the Obamacare health care exchanges is seen by many as a political gift to the Republican Party. There is no question that President Obama’s administration failed to execute a controversial law that has been heavily criticized, litigated in courts and elections, and created great unrest among the American people.
KRULL: Misguided judges reaping whirlwind
Former Indiana Chief Justice Randall Shepard and other veterans of the highest state courts in the country issued a warning a few days ago about the dangers of large-scale campaign spending in judicial campaigns.
VAUGHN: Courts will decide basic election issues
Although voters in Marion County won’t cast ballots for City-County elections until 2015, two courts are considering cases that will have a major impact on local elections.
SHEPARD: Conrad’s intensity still felt downtown
Surely Larry Conrad is smiling over the recent report about the phenomenal strength of the housing market in downtown Indianapolis.
WAGNER: It’s a brave new world in the suburbs
Earlier this year, I wrote for this publication about the rise of a new Hoosier swing voter, women my age who live in the doughnut counties around Indianapolis.
BECK: Bipartisanship makes big things happen
Sid and Lois Eskenazi Hospital recently opened downtown to justifiable fanfare. The state-of-the-art campus is the city’s only public hospital. Formerly known as Wishard Hospital, Eskenazi Health has long served some of our most vulnerable neighbors.
MARCUS: Not the time to emphasize our negatives
What is the number one complaint of Hoosier employers? The labor force is outdated. We do not have enough workers with the training and experience to compete with other states and nations.
MAHERN: A marriage game plan for Republicans
Although they don’t all have a natural sense of rhythm, and a few of them are always laughing and carrying on, some of my best friends are Republicans.
MACALLISTER: Gay marriage detractors need space, time
We rejoice in technological change when it improves the efficacy of our computers, but greet societal changes with less exuberance.
DANIELS: Fight over marriage amendment is foolish
Indiana has a habit of being a bit behind the curve. In recent years, we have departed from that tradition, moving boldly in education reform, telecommunications reform and economic development. We have been named the fifth-best state to do business, third best in job attraction, and best in the country for international investment.