There is a natural tension between our desire to keep people safe and to secure the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. In the aftermath of a terrorist act, we need to be particularly careful about how we balance these two important goals.
When I was a prosecutor, I thought the spread of addictive drugs was primarily a law enforcement problem. I now recognize this is in fact a major public health problem.
A certain nihilism has crept into our politics: a “let’s blow it up” philosophy far from an early shared belief that the end result was actually to govern.
Since 1996, Coburn Place has provided more than 1,700 people with safe housing for up to two years, along with the critical services they need to become self-sufficient. But there’s a waiting list and more help is needed.
It is a sad truth that when men are forceful, they are viewed as strong, just the sort of leader we want. But when women are forceful, they are seen as strident, lecturing, even “bitchy.”
By appointing Troy Riggs, a veteran of Republican Greg Ballard’s administration, as chief of police, Mayor Joe Hogsett has demonstrated he is fully committed to reducing crime in Indianapolis. He is living up to his post-partisan “One City” promise.
Young, talented people are looking for quality of life, and will choose a community with a rich lifestyle over a good job elsewhere. Indiana has seen stagnating population growth at least in part as a result of our failure to keep up with this trend.
It’s really not surprising that the City-County Council, in an 11th-hour, post-election/pre-inauguration move, is seeking to increase the salary of council members. An accompanying proposal to raise the mayor’s pay unfortunately has been withdrawn.
I fully agree that we need to be forceful in our response to violent criminals, incapacitating them through lengthy imprisonment.
In the best of all worlds, elections would be about ideas—about specifically how each candidate would seek to improve the lives and opportunities of his or her constituents.
Want more police officers? Want those winter-battered streets repaired? Want more sidewalks and street lights? Better parks and green spaces?
Something extraordinary happened in this year’s legislative session. But it might not be what you think.
There is a lot of talk these days about income inequality—the growing gap between the incomes of the rich and poor. Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, acknowledged in a recent speech to our Economic Club that the ”recovery” is working only for the rich: The poor are seeing no benefit from it, and income inequality is growing.
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.
My law partner and longtime friend Joe Russell died suddenly at age 63 in July. Such a stunning event unleashes introspection: How could this happen to someone so young? How likely is it that I’ll keel over in the next year? Time to start planning vacations NOW.
Pundits and public officials are trying to make sense of the level of crime in Indianapolis, the relative safety of our community, and the apparent “new breed” of young toughs—and everyone has an opinion on what we ought to be doing to make the community safer.
It is commonly said in the practice of law that “bad facts make bad law.” Sometimes a far-reaching court decision, affecting a broad swath of cases for years to come, results from one bad set of circumstances.
Hoosiers are often thought of as resistant to change (daylight-saving time, anyone?).
As a society, we do everything we can to protect our children from harm and prepare them to live productive and successful lives.
In the June 4 IBJ, Mickey Maurer wrote an insightful commentary on some of the difficulties faced by ex-offenders returning to their communities. An editorial in the July 9 issue called for ex-offender re-entry into the work force as an important next step for the city of Indianapolis. IBJ has focused on a critical issue, and has correctly identified several obstacles faced by returning offenders seeking to reintegrate into society-from housing to willing employers to the need for mentors. But…
