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STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Key issues all entangled as Legislature heads to wire

Longtime readers of this column will recall how we traditionally analogize conference committee time to the NBA playoffs, and compare some of the legislative players to Indiana Pacers great Reggie Miller in the closing minutes of a finals game. With Reggie retired and the Pacers out of the playoff picture this year, those analogies don’t seem quite so appropriate. But we still can talk some hoops. A sage Hoosier native, speaking about a tradition sacred to generations of Hoosiers, once…

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FUNNY BUSINESS: New plate options better than the ‘Wander’ years

The state of Indiana (For Sale Or Lease: Ask Mitch About A Privatization Plan To Suit You And Your Budget) came up with four proposed designs for license plates, and you know, they didn’t look half bad. In fact, all four were fairly attractive. Which, of course, leaves us to ask, “How did that happen?” Let’s face it: This state hasn’t had a greatlooking license plate since … well, ever. From the minimalist plates of my youth, blue and maroon…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: The Great Society meets fiscal reality

Someone wise in matters of politics once said programs for the poor are poor programs. It remains true today-initiatives aimed at helping the most vulnerable in our society, be they privately or publicly funded, seem to be perpetually starved for funds. And so the genius of those who created the Social Security system-originally aimed at older Americans whose assets were devastated by the Great Depression in 1935-was to make the program available to all, regardless of income. In a few…

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Canal could be home to new hotels or condos: Requirement for retail could jump-start slow effort

State and city officials have begun evaluating four groups that want to develop an acre of prime real estate along the Central Canal downtown. The property, which covers about a third of the block stretching from Ohio Street to New York Street, will feature canal-level retail-a requirement of all potential developments there. It also could be home to a hotel or condominium complex, based on plans from two local developers. Two other groups also are in the running for the…

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Local companies get Taiwanese perspective: Butler University program brings 23 interns to Indy

The java stands Hubbard & Cravens Coffee Co. opened a year ago within Clarian Health Partners’ three downtown hospitals are brewing a rich aroma of results. Yet executives of the locally based coffee retailer and wholesaler know sales could be sweeter. “The hospitals are so huge that we don’t capture even a third of what we could,” said Marcie Hubbard, director of store operations. “So the question is, how do you reach everybody in that entire hospital?” The 23 Taiwanese…

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PROFILE: ISA Forensics: Digging up dirt Forensics firm recovers evidence from computers, analyzes audio Much like his counterparts on TV’s “CSI” or “Law & Order,” Darren Miller ferrets out forensic information in pursuit of justice.

ISA Forensics Digging up dirt Forensics firm recovers evidence from computers, analyzes audio Much like his counterparts on TV’s “CSI” or “Law & Order,” Darren Miller ferrets out forensic information in pursuit of justice. But unlike his fictional colleagues who work for prosecutors, Miller and his ISA Forensics team work mostly with defense attorneys, looking for exculpatory and incriminating evidence that will help or hurt their clients. Their crime scene: computers, tapes, disks and other data devices. Using the same…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Time to stop being timid and tell the truth

The latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis show that Indiana ranks 33rd in per capita personal income. Fifty years earlier, in 1956, Indiana ranked 17th in the nation. Our state is in long-term economic freefall and we suffer with representatives who piddle away their time on raising revenue through gambling. Per capita personal income in Indiana has not been on par with the nation since 1966. We have a record of ongoing decline, interrupted briefly from time…

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INVESTING: Here’s where to find peace of mind in a risky world

I know risk is a four-letter word to many of you, and most investors prefer not to think about it at all. But it’s a favorite topic in our shop, and with the Iranian capture of 15 British sailors, the risk discussion here definitely stepped up. You have your pick of conspiracy theories over why Iran took the sailors, who were recently released. I read speculation that the capture was retaliation for an American capture of six Iranian Guards in…

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NOTIONS: In God We Trust; all others risk their civil liberties

The other night, while my wife Cherí attended class, I ate out with a copy of NUVO to keep me company. In the “letters” section, an atheist complained about Indiana’s new “In God We Trust” license plate. He said government shouldn’t promote religion, especially via a plate that requires no additional contribution, as do other “specialty” plates. When I got home, I found an e-mail from a friend wondering why these plates are so popular and whether taxpayers should bear…

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Waiting for a sensible transportation plan: Commentary

The Indiana Commerce Connector, those 75 miles of concrete through the Indiana countryside, was announced with great fanfare at the start of the 2007 legislative session and recently disappeared with equal aplomb. Thanks to the efforts of state Rep. Terri Austin, chairwoman of the House Roads and Transportation Committee, and the other members of that committee, the citizens of Indiana had ample opportunity to express their opinions on Indiana’s transportation needs. While the governor’s specific proposals for the Indiana Commerce…

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Purdue professor developing weapon for AIDS battle: Lower-cost testing device could save money for more treatment in disease-ravaged Africa, other countries

The professor of cytomics-the study of cell systems-is leading an effort to develop a low-cost device that would help more Africans get tested for the deadly disease. His goal, bolstered by his Cytometry for Life not-for-profit, is to build thousands of units that can be delivered to third-world countries around the globe. Robinson has completed the prototype and returned in March from a weeklong trip to Nigeria, where he and fellow university researchers met with government and health care officials…

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INVESTING: Keep eye on inflation but don’t batten down hatches

For the first time in a while, I am going to use both hands when I write the column. If you visit this space even occasionally, you know I call my spots and I don’t hedge my opinion. I was practically all alone in late February when I wrote as forcefully as I could to buy in the sell-off, which was almost the exact bottom, and readers have been amply rewarded. But today I am going to talk about interest…

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Task force to tackle big job: tallying infrastructure needs: Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce leads one-year study

Indianapolis hasn’t attempted to systematically catalog all its infrastructure needs since 1991. Back then, the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce collected a list of the most pressing local projects and presented it to Mayor Stephen Goldsmith. The price tag at that time: $1.1 billion. A lot has changed in the 16 years since the Chamber released its Getting Indianapolis Fit for Tomorrow report. Some problems it identified, such as the health risk of combined sewer overflows, have been partly addressed….

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STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Finally, property tax reform takes center stage

April 2 will start a busy-and important-week in the life of the Indiana General Assembly. House and Senate c o m m i t t e e s w i l l effectively wrap up their respective work, hearing the bills they choose to after the legislation moved across the Rotunda from their opposite chambers. The following week, you can look forward to a few days of floor votes on amendments and final passage in each chamber, and then legislators…

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Reform push casts cloud over booming Sallie Mae:

Shares of Sallie Mae, one of Hamilton County’s biggest employers, have fallen more than 25 percent over the past year as investors fret that Congress will overhaul the student-loan industry, halving interest rates and bringing the company’s boom times to an end. Momentum for an industry overhaul has been building since Democrats gained control of Congress in November. Concerns peaked in February when President Bush submitted a budget proposal that included cuts in industry subsidies. Changes under consideration could whack…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Why economists don’t get invited to parties

To borrow a phrase from religion, there are among us a number of people who can be called “supermarket economists.” These are individuals who pick and choose the portions of economic doctrine they like, and ignore the conclusions of economics that do not suit their purposes. In public discourse, supermarket economists so greatly outnumber genuine economists that when one first encounters the real animal-usually in a college classroom-the reaction can be a mixture of shock and disappointment. Maybe that’s why…

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Commentary: It’s time to split Indiana in two

A couple of years ago, during the daylight-saving time debate, a caller into my radio show suggested Indiana be divided into two time zones, one Eastern, one Central, with U.S. 31 as the dividing line. The caller suggested that, this way, people who wanted to be in the Eastern time zone could live in the eastern half of the state and those who wanted to be on Central time could live in the western half. I told the caller he…

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Struggling office buildings face further losses: Existing tenants shopping for deals in troubled market

A big question is looming for property managers at National City Center and First Indiana Plaza: Will tenants stay or will they go? Each of the downtown office buildings already is struggling, with occupancy rates in the 60-percent range at the end of 2006. But a grim situation could worsen if some of their largest tenants with expiring leases find a better deal elsewhere. Law firm Bose McKinney & Evans is considering a move from 80,000 square feet at First…

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INVESTING: Interference from government is bad for business

On my way into work the other day, I heard an analyst on Bloomberg Radio say he was surprised at the poor performance of the parent company of Airbus, EADS. He said he was ready for a slight earnings miss, but to fall on its face as much as it did, well, that shocked him. What shocked me was how anyone put faith in a giant conglomerate pretty much run by the French government and a few other half-baked socialist…

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Concrete price-fixing case might not be wrapped up: Undisclosed state investigation delaying civil lawsuit

The U.S. Department of Justice’s highprofile, three-year investigation into price fixing in Indiana’s concrete industry resulted in one of the largest antitrust fines in history: $29.2 million against Greenfield-based Irving Materials Inc. The investigation might not be over yet. The DOJ seemed to conclude its Indianapolis inquiry last month, finally closing the criminal case. But a recent filing in a pending civil suit against IMI and its four former top executives hints the probe is continuing elsewhere. This time, IMI…

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