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New governor brings business mentality to state government:

As he took office in January, Gov. Mitch Daniels’ first order of business was just that: Apply a business mind-set to state government. That meant efforts to improve the efficiency and cooperation of state agen- Envisioned by Republicans as a publicprivate partnership, IEDC swallowed and replaced more than half a dozen boards and agencies such as the Indiana Depart cies. It also meant key changes to economic development. The creation of the Indiana Economic Development Corp. was one of his…

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Web site stirs controversy: Watchdogs pan Insurance Department’s pro-business stance

Consumer watchdogs are howling over a revamped state Insurance Department Web site that pitches Indiana’s “positive regulatory climate” and other business-friendly attributes. The site’s new look debuted a few weeks ago and aims to make companies think about moving to Indiana, Insurance Commissioner Jim Atterholt said. But critics say a regulator should never play the role of recruiter, and the approach sends the wrong message to consumers seeking help. “It raises some questions-you know, who’s your first master?” said Julia…

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SPORTS: At Rose-Hulman, a great sports story that won’t sell

The Indianapolisbased NCAA generated more news Dec. 19 with the announcement of the new Graduation Success Rate, which measures the graduation rates of Division I studentathletes. The news was predominantly positive. The NCAA is doing a much more accurate job of tracking studentathletes, in particular those who transfer at some time during their collegiate careers. Previous measurements taken by the federal government automatically counted a transfer as a failure, even if that student-athlete departed his first school in good academic…

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NOTIONS: This holiday season, ‘It’s jobs, stupid’

Bruce Hetrick is off for the holidays. But in the hope that you’ll shop the after-Christmas sales locally, helping to spur job retention and growth in central Indiana, he offers the following column, which originally appeared on Oct. 27, 2003. Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat Please put a penny in the old man’s hat If you haven’t got a penny, a ha’ penny will do, If you haven’t got a ha’ penny, then God bless you In…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Did you miss this last week?

Congratulations to the Crothersville Times on the occasion of its 25th anniversary. In today’s world, most newspapers are declining in circulation. When a weekly newspaper, in a town of 1,500 people, survives 25 years, the owner-publisher-editor deserves our applause. Curt Kovener fills all these roles and more with passion, humor and grace. Not commendable is the new Indiana license plate for the Indianapolis Colts. Has the Bureau of Motor Vehicles forgotten that the Colts are not a public institution but…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Changing state’s tax system would be tough to pull off

When it comes to matters of tax policy, inertia reigns supreme. The federal government still collects the proceeds of an excise tax on telephones that was borne as a temporary measure to help finance the Spanish-American War. The tolls on the Indiana Toll Road have not changed in almost 20 years. And the granddaddy of them all, the property tax, has existed in one form or another since the Middle Ages. So when the mayors of Indiana cities and towns…

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Company makes payment related to price-fixing case:

Irving Materials Inc. in November deposited $2 million into an escrow account to provide funding toward any eventual settlement it may make with the state of Indiana over price-fixing of ready-mixed concrete on state, local government and school projects. In June, Greenfield-based IMI pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to fixing prices on ready-mixed concrete in central Indiana between July 2000 and May 2004. IMI also has agreed that the four principals who pleaded guilty, Fred R. “Pete” Irving, Price…

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City, police union prepare for cop contract negotiations: FOP seeks 5 percent wage increase for IPD officers

Get ready for another round in local government’s most rancorous ongoing scuffle. The Indianapolis Police Department’s contract expires Dec. 31. The city and the police union are about to begin negotiations for a new agreement. Both sides sound optimistic about the chances for a smooth process. But that could quickly change when they get into the nitty-gritty of wage proposals and concessions. The parley over IPD’s last contract took two years. At its nadir, the Fraternal Order of Police endorsed…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Security depends on flexibility, not stability

In one word, what do we want? I suggest that word is security, physical and financial security. We want to live without fear for our lives or our livelihoods. The atrocities of 9/11 made Americans more fearful about their physical security than they had been since the early days of World War II. Our economic condition feels insecure as jobs drift to other nations, as health care costs soar, and as both public and private pension plans are threatened. To…

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Women inventors pursue their creative dreams: From doggie car seats to valve-less hydraulic systems, these visionaries keep creating practical products

Windshield wipers, disposable cell phones, Scotchgardâ„¢, the first automatic dishwasher, disposable diapers, Barbie dolls, nonreflective glass, brassieres, CPR mannequins and “whiteout.” These items have one key feature in common-they were all invented by women. Since the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office does not keep gender statistics, it is impossible to know exactly how many patents women hold. One thing is certain: since 1809 when Mary Dixon Kies became the first woman to receive a patent from the government, many other…

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NOTIONS: Lamenting the uncivil right to push me and mine

Several weeks ago, the Carmel City Council voted 4-3 to ban workplace smoking. Before casting their ayes and nays, some councilors explained why they would vote a particular way. One councilor said he had smoked for years and finally quit. He said it was a wise decision. He urged other smokers to quit, too. Then he issued another plea to smokers: He said that even if they wouldn’t quit, they should voluntarily stop smoking in places where their secondhand smoke…

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BEHIND THE NEWS: Another mark against Marsh: It has big pension shortfall

As if Marsh Supermarkets Inc. didn’t have enough problems, here’s another whopper: The company has a drastically underfunded employee pension plan-to the tune of $44 million. That figure is disclosed deep within a Securities and Exchange Commission filing the company submitted in June. It shows the pension plan had assets of $39 million, less than half its $83 million in projected obligations. It’s a big shortfall, and one analysts say is sure to draw the attention of potential suitors. An…

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NOTIONS Bruce Hetrick: Here’s how to avoid a difficult taxing situation

Bruce Hetrick is on vacation this week. In his absence, this column, which appeared on Dec. 10, 2001, is being reprinted. If I were a betting man (and what entrepreneur isn’t?), I’d bet that you bought something from an out-of-state firm for yourself or your company this year. I’d bet that you logged onto the Internet and purchased new books, computers or pantyhose. I’d bet that you shopped via catalog for your niece or nephew, and shipped that tutu or…

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Clarian nabs UAC building: Hospital network wins bid for former corporate headquarters

Clarian Health Partners is polishing a deal to buy the former Union Acceptance Corp. headquarters on North Shadeland Avenue, a move that plants a large footprint for the burgeoning hospital network squarely in a competitor’s east-side back yard. Clarian made the winning bid for the 126,000-square-foot building at a Nov. 15 auction, but the sale had not closed as of Nov. 30, said Bob Getts of Colliers Turley Martin Tucker, which ran the auction. He referred all questions to Clarian….

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Legislators face election-year gamble: Legalized Cherry Masters could generate $300M annually

The lure of easy gambling money is always an enormous temptation for cash-strapped legislators. But in 2006, the stakes will be higher than ever. Bars and restaurants are organizing an attempt to legalize electronic poker machines, commonly known as Cherry Masters. By one count, as many as 40,000 operate illegally around the state. Under government administration, Cherry Masters could generate $300 million in annual tax revenue for state and local governments, advocates of legalization say. That would fill a lot…

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BEHIND THE NEWS: ATA’s new flight plan: Rely on military for bulk of revenue

ATA Holdings Corp. has been so busy in recent months slashing scheduled service and reducing costs in other ways that its comparatively problem-free militarycharter business has received almost no public attention. But new filings in bankruptcy court show that business is expected to generate nearly 52 percent of ATA’s revenue in 2006, providing stability and a steady profit as the airline tries to regain its footing in scheduled service. The company, which sought Chapter 11 protection in October 2004, hopes…

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Property taxes could dominate session: Lawmakers face difficult chore of addressing flaws in market-assessment system

Indiana has been struggling for more than a decade to move its property tax system to a market value standard. Expect the property tax reform debate to take center stage once again in the 2006 Indiana General Assembly. “The more things change, the more they stay the same,” said Karl Berron, vice president of the Indiana Association of Realtors. There are some who would like to scrap the property tax system entirely and replace it with some other form of…

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Health discount cards spark call for regulation: State insurance group leads registration push

Some health care discount programs that can leave patients stranded with large medical bills have put Indiana insurers in the strange position of asking for more government regulation. The Indiana Association of Health Underwriters plans to lobby in the upcoming legislative session for a bill that requires companies offering health care discounts to register with the state. That would allow regulators to investigate complaints and pursue regulatory action if troubles arise with the discounts, said Shawn Gibbons, a board member…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Farming on decline, but ag still offers opportunity

Drive less than 20 minutes from almost any crossroads in Indiana and you’ll come across a feature of the Midwest landscape we take for granted: farmland. The vast open space in abundance between our state’s urban areas remains dominated by the industry that once employed more people than any other: agriculture. And while the sights of barns, cropland and animals grazing in pastures are familiar to us all, we should remember that looks can be deceiving. Plenty of changes are…

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Race against crime: As public safety becomes a business issue, much is riding on battle for prosecutor

The dust has settled on Mayor Bart Peterson’s failed police merger. Meanwhile, local crime is surging, up 11 percent from 2002 to 2004. The next bellwether on how to turn the tide will be the 2006 Marion County prosecutor’s race. The contest, pitting Melina Maniatis Kennedy against incumbent Carl Brizzi, already is drawing the attention of community and business leaders, who say the stakes are huge: Rampant crime can cripple a local economy. “Where there’s crime-scene tape, there are not…

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