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Government
Legislators fight over green rules: Biz lobby: Indiana standards should not exceed EPA's
January 9, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerBusiness interests and environmentalists are squaring off in the Indiana General Assembly. It's unlikely they'll see eye-to-eye
anytime soon on this year's ripest green issue: whether to hold Indiana to a higher environmental standard than the rest of
the nation. In one corner, the Indiana Chamber of Commerce is leading a push for legislation to bind the state to environmental
rules "no more stringent than" those of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Framing the debate around economic development,
the Chamber...
More'Crammers' facing big fines: Two firms accused of billing phone customers for directory assistance services not ordered
January 9, 2006
Chris O\'malleyAs in $1,071,000. That's how much the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor wants the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission
to ring up in fines against Casper, Wyo.-based Micronet Inc. It also requests that the commission turn over the case to Indiana
Attorney General Steve Carter for prosecution under the state's deceptive practices act. Micronet is accused of billing hundreds
of Indiana business, residential and state government lines in late 2004 and early 2005 for directory assistance service callers
never requested or...
MoreBig bank heading for sale?: Union Fed, parent firm mum as talk of mergers intensifies
January 9, 2006
Matthew KishOfficials with the companies in Fort Wayne and here aren't saying one way or the other. "We have nothing to announce," said
Alvin "Kit" Stolen, CEO of Union Federal since 2002. "We officially wouldn't comment or address those kinds of rumors or speculation."
The privately held companies are among the largest financial firms headquartered in Indiana. Union Federal has more than $3.4
billion in assets and ranks as the city's third-largest bank. Waterfield ranked 51st nationwide in mortgage originations in...
MoreBRIAN WILLIAMS Commentary: High school dropouts are hard on city
January 9, 2006
Indiana has made significant progress in establishing some of the most demanding standards for primary and secondary students.
However, Indiana's and the nation's educational system can also be characterized by low high school graduation rates; no standard
for calculating graduation rates; persistent achievement gaps along racial and economic lines; a decline in "second chance"
opportunities for high school dropouts; a general inability to attract and retain highquality teachers, especially in underperforming
schools; and a bureaucratization of school structure that undermines...
MoreSlow start predicted for Roth 401(k) plans: Many companies, employees likely to take wait-and-see attitude regarding new retirement-savings
vehicle
January 9, 2006
Scott OlsonSo when the Roth 401(k) debuted Jan. 1, he gave his 24 employees at Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. the opportunity
to sink a percentage of their earnings in the new option. The idea draws upon the standard 401(k) plan that is the vehicle
of choice for millions of working Americans saving for retirement. But a distinct difference between the two might scare some
employees away. Unlike a traditional 401(k), the money diverted into a workplace Roth is...
MoreCash-strapped county mulls part-time cops: Merger lets combined department add more reserves
January 9, 2006
Peter SchnitzlerMarion County Sheriff Frank Anderson has long clamored for help fighting crime in the suburbs. Thanks to the police merger,
he'll soon get it-from volunteers. The City-County Council ordinance authorizing a merger between Anderson's Marion County
Sheriff's Department and the Indianapolis Police Department allows for a massive, 239-percent increase in the use of unpaid
reserve police. Anderson, a Democrat, will have leeway to use up to 657 reserves in addition to the combined department's
1,642 full-time cops. That's 463 more...
MoreCity ups fees for planning petitions: Old charges weren't enough to cover department's costs
January 2, 2006
Tammy LieberDevelopers and companies in the construction industry might be unpleasantly surprised the next time they seek a zoning change
or construction permit in Indianapolis. On Jan. 1, a new fee schedule kicked in for many of the functions of the city's Department
of Metropolitan Development, raising the cost of seeking zoning changes, variances and construction permits. In some cases
the jump in fees is dramatic, while other fees will change little or not at all. However, the overall effect on...
MoreIndianapolis and neighbors need one vision, one voice:
January 2, 2006
Roland DorsonCincinnati USA. Charlotte USA. Indianapolis - Marion County - Indiana. Who is throwing the right welcome mat out to the world?
In the first two examples, those regions have said to the entire planet: "We are open for business. Come talented people-bring
your companies and organizations to our area; bring your families to our schools; live, work and play in our thriving community."
Our region," they say, "located at this juncture of latitude and longitude in the USA, wants you...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Cost-of-living is with us, not in the stars
January 2, 2006
Morton Marcus"I saw your column last week about the cost of living and I think you are a fool." That was among the kinder messages on my
mental answering machine, the one that records the thoughts I imagine readers have after reading my columns. All I had done
was explain that the major differences in living costs in different places are related to housing. Housing prices reflect
income levels, the benefits of living in different places, and the limitations on building...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: King for a day on fixing the property-tax system
January 2, 2006
Patrick BarkeyWell, I've finally been caught. Despite my best efforts to appear decisive and get straight to the point, one of my readers
accused me of being just another equivocating, twoarmed economist in a recent column I wrote on taxes. You know the type.
On the one hand this, and on the other hand that, never sticking their necks out and reaching a conclusion. That person will
be back in this space this week, doing his best to pretend not to...
MoreAGENDA INDIANAPOLIS 2006: City made progress in some areas, but top priorities require more work
January 2, 2006
Scott OlsonThe wheels are beginning to turn on a multi-county transit plan, now that the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority
is mostly in place. The authority, charged with coordinating and, ultimately, administering a regional transit system, was
formed at the end of 2004, about the time IBJ asked readers to rank the most pressing issues facing the city. The results
of the survey, published last January, revealed public transportation and congestion issues as the largest concern, followed
by the need for...
MoreSTATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Short legislative session may be eventful, for a change
January 2, 2006
Ed FeigenbaumWe've all become lulled into assuming that the so-called "short" session of the Indiana General Assembly in the even-numbered
years is the political equivalent of the practice of medicine: First, do no harm. In election years, lawmakers are reluctant
to do much beyond that which they must do to protect public health, safety and treasury. The short session originated as a
vehicle for handling emergencies arising between the odd-numbered-year budget sessions, and many legislators-particularly
those seeking re-election-didn't see much cause...
MoreIn the new year, building on the successes of 2005:
January 2, 2006
Bart PetersonThis past year was one of the most active and successful in our city's history. We pushed through legislation to fund an expansion
of the Indiana Convention Center and build a new multi-purpose stadium, both of which will be tremendous boons to our region's
economy, pumping in more than $2.25 billion in investment and creating more than 4,200 permanent jobs over the next 10 years.
In addition, through the leadership of the governor and legislature, a one-of-a-kind regional funding solution...
MoreTOM HARTON Commentary: On defense, Republicans get divisive
January 2, 2006
After Republicans Scott Keller and Lance Langsford broke party ranks at the Dec.19 City-County Council meeting and voted for
cop consolidation and an expanded human-rights ordinance, fellow Republican Jim Bradford e-mailed them and questioned whether
they were true Republicans. Lately, it's Bradford and other Republican hard-liners who don't seem like the Indianapolis Republicans
of old. Republicans mayors Richard Lugar, William Hudnut and Steve Goldsmith provided pragmatic, progressive leadership here
in the 1970s and '80s and '90s. Lugar and longtime Council...
MoreMayor slashes city spending, combines local police forces:
December 26, 2005
-Peter SchnitzlerIt was the roughest year yet for Mayor Bart Peterson-at least until 2005's final weeks. In the spring, the I n d i a n a G
e n e r a l Assembly defeated the majority of his proposed Unigov overhaul "Indianapolis Works." So Peterson, a Democrat,
spent the summer slashing local spending. State legislators left the door open on one major Indy Works provision: Peterson's
controversial plan to merge the Indianapolis Police Department with the Marion County Sheriff's...
MoreHoosiers set to observe daylight-saving time in 2006:
December 26, 2005
-Scott OlsonIndiana lawmakers beat the clock during the waning minutes of the legislative session to narrowly adopt daylight-saving time.
The DST bill passed the House by one vote, and only after failing to obtain a constitutional majority the first time it was
voted upon. Gov. Mitch Daniels, a Republican who included the divisive issue in his campaign, intervened to muster more support.
House Speaker Brian Bosma held the voting board open for several minutes during the second vote until Rep. Troy...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Cost of living depends on how you live
December 26, 2005
Morton Marcus"You can find warmer," I said, "but I'm not sure you'll find nicer anywhere." "Well, if you don't want to go, I could go myself,"
Myrtle pouted. "I could be a muse anywhere; it's a transferable skill and I don't need a license to practice. I'd just find
some nice writers or artists in another place, or even offer inspiration over the Internet." "How much do you make a year,
Myrtle?" I asked. "None of your business," she said curtly....
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS Patrick Barkey: Multiplying economic gains isn't easy as it may sound
December 26, 2005
It's an old, but primal, oath that doctors are supposed to take before they set out into the world of medicine: "Do no harm"
to the patients they serve. Perhaps a few of us in the economics profession should do the same. Because some of our ideas-or
more accurately, characterizations of our ideas-may be doing more harm than good. Of course, it's great to see ideas that
come out of your own specialized area of expertise find their way into...
MoreNew governor brings business mentality to state government:
December 26, 2005
-Peter SchnitzlerAs 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...
MoreWeb site stirs controversy: Watchdogs pan Insurance Department's pro-business stance
December 26, 2005
Tom MurphyConsumer 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...
MoreSPORTS: At Rose-Hulman, a great sports story that won't sell
December 26, 2005
Bill BennerThe 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...
MoreNOTIONS: This holiday season, 'It's jobs, stupid'
December 26, 2005
Bruce HetrickBruce 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...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Did you miss this last week?
December 19, 2005
Morton MarcusCongratulations 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...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Changing state's tax system would be tough to pull off
December 19, 2005
Patrick BarkeyWhen 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...
MoreCompany makes payment related to price-fixing case:
December 12, 2005
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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liek the rest of America
These quaint,obsessed musings by the stalkers are certainly entertaining, but I'm trying to figure out what, if anything, all the yelping below has to do with Zak Brown.
It's evident that Moffett was pushing the right buttons and corporate America is now trying to squash him. He just wanted to withdraw the free pilot services provided to the company by the pilots to try and put some pressure on a company that has not been interested in negotiating a contract in over 5 years. The company does not provide a contract because not having one has saved them a bundle of money. Shame on any Republic pilots not standing behind their union leader just because things are getting tough, can you not see such strategic moves by the company as putting the last union president in a corporate position and into THEIR pocket. Do you really believe the last union president is so appalled at the attempts by Moffett, do you not remember his oppositions to the company? We stood behind him. It has been proven over and over again for thousands of years without fail, a man cannot serve two masters. Anyone that believes people vote contrary to their paycheck and livelihood deserve to be taken advantage of, the recent statements by the former union president are laughable as he denounces the current union president from his new corporate position. Have you ever seen a drafted sports player score points for his previous team, it cannot be done, he is not on the pilots side anymore, he gets his money a different way now than you and I do, and he should not be allowed to remain on the seniority list. A drafted player brings strength, credibility, tactical knowledge, and a strategic advantage to his NEW team, he would not be drafted or paid were it otherwise. We are all forced to choose only one side to play for and support, not doing so has many references in life such as insider trading and shaving points, all illegal for good reason. This basic fact is why corporate moguls, scientist, and engineers all sign non-discloser agreements and non-compete clauses, as protection in case they are lured into switching sides as our former union president has done. No NFL coach ever drafted a player so that both teams could benefit and better understand each other, they are recruited to win the game against that former team, period. Likewise the company does not recruit the former union president by accident or mutual understanding, its strategy. Don't confuse playing the game with good sportsman-like conduct in support of common business and prosperity goals, with the requirement to only play for one side. Good men we all love and favor fall subject to this manipulation, often without their knowledge, and it is not a betrayal of their friendship to oppose them when they switch sides. If we did not love and trust them, they would not have been chosen and lured to the other side in the first place. The deception by the drafted player is not made at a conscious level, it's just human nature and it's all about money and power which corrupts our ability to be objective and loyal to two masters. This is why our court system created the defense attorney, and why our military created counter intelligence. Its strategy and its propaganda, and it works, and that's why the "powers to be" manipulate the chess pieces by sometimes changing their colors. Some players know they are being manipulated when their color is changed, but it brings them more money and power so they do not care. The rest have good intentions but do not even realize they are being manipulated. This tactic is also known by another name, Divide and Conquer. In battle sending an imperfect message with an imperfect team is obviously not ideal, but it's still being sent by YOUR team, your union leader, a leader that has common goals and common rewards with you, they are the best, because we have elected them to do a job for us. If you are not backing Moffett but believing the spin by those that have recently switched sides, you are taking food out of your own mouth. Showing unity and backing an imperfect situation still results in taking just as much ground, it's about unity and bargaining power. It's not necessary to wait around for that perfect attack because it will never come, the company will spin and attempt to destroy anyone that gets in their way. Ultimately it's not about any specific attack anyway, ASAP or whatever it makes no difference, it is and always has been only about power. If this company cared about safety it would not build pairings with 8 hour overnights, come on, are you that naive? Besides, do you really think Hoffa cares, no, he got a call from corporate America and was squeezed into denouncing Moffett. If he didn't they would spin the safety card against him and the Teamsters National with implication for truckers, future contracts, insurance rates etc...saying something like the Teamsters use safety as a bargaining chip, blah blah blah... Do you really think any pilot is going to do something unsafe for the contract, absolutely not, the only ones threatening safety here is the company with reduced rest, fatigue, and poverty. Do you not find it odd that Hoffa and the Teamsters are opposing a Teamster president publicly? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and work with one of their own? Why did they not sit down and help him strategize, correct any mistakes, and charge ahead? Would the Teamsters National not normally support and leverage a contract for all those pilots that have been paying Teamster dues, isn't that why we have all been paying Teamster dues in the first place? I sure haven't been paying dues so that the Teamsters National could come along and write this kind of an article undercutting our union leader and our unity. Whose side is the Teamsters National really on, it's obviously not the Republic pilots side.
No matter what Moffatt does the company is going to spin it like he is the terrorist and brainwash people like you into believing it, wake up, back your players that are trying to change things for you and your livelihood. Where has Hoffa been for the last 6 years, except collecting our dues. Seriously, do you really think an FO going for upgrade, signed off by a checkairman ready for the upgrade, who then fails, is not even capable of returning as a First Officer.
whoa!