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EYE ON THE PIE: Let’s revisit the State of the State

January 23, 2006

Quite appropriately, Gov. Mitch Daniels did not make any claims about “a revitalized Indiana economy” in his recent State of the State speech. He stuck to the theme that we are on track to turning the economy around rather than proclaiming any victory. This restraint was well-warranted. Indiana ranked 45th among the 50 states in its rate of employment growth for the past year (November-to-November figures). The nation added jobs at a 1.5-percent rate. Our 0.3-percent increase beat out only…

EYE ON THE PIE: Indiana turning toward Houdini plans

January 16, 2006

“What should the Indiana General Assembly do during this session?” The question came from Ralph Write, a newly minted reporter. “I’m glad you asked,” I replied. “Simple solutions from simple people would be simply spectacular. But the issues are complex and I don’t know if the legislators have the information they need to decide intelligently any of the major questions before them. “For example,” I expounded, as Ralph took more notes than were warranted by my remarks, “there is the…

BRIAN 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…

EYE ON THE PIE: Cost-of-living is with us, not in the stars

January 2, 2006

“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…

EYE ON THE PIE: Cost of living depends on how you live

December 26, 2005

“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….

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

December 19, 2005

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…

TAWN PARENT Commentary: Do libraries need gun control?

December 19, 2005

My first job, at age 15, was shelving books in my neighborhood library. Those were the days of tidy card catalogs with brass-handled drawers and hand-stamped “date due” cards tucked into the back of books. There wasn’t a computer in the place. Times have changed. Libraries now enable people without other Internet access to go online to research health problems, tap into business databases, find information for school projects, locate needed social services, and even apply for jobs. A recent…

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

December 12, 2005

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…

EYE ON THE PIE: WestClay, prepare for some competition

December 5, 2005

U.S. 20 is one of our lesser-known t r a n s c o n t i n e n t a l highways. It starts at the Boston Commons, about two miles from the Green Monster of Fenway Park. The route then winds west to a few blocks from the Pacific Ocean at Newport, Ore. U.S. 20 runs through Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and such cities as Albany, N.Y.; Erie, Pa.; Toledo, Ohio; Rockford, Ill.; Sioux City, Iowa;…

EYE ON THE PIE: Growth disparity challenges Indiana

November 28, 2005

But to understand, we need to do some work, to dig into some numbers. How is Indiana’s economy doing? In May 2000, we had 3.01 million jobs in the state, an all-time high, according to the Indiana Department of Work Force Development. This number bottomed out in July 2003 at 2.89 million (a loss of 4.3 percent). This September, we had 2.97 million jobs, so we had regained 65 percent of what we had lost. But we are still 45,000…

EYE ON THE PIE: Should we save ailing manufacturers?

November 21, 2005

Today, Delphi in Kokomo is the leading economic issue in Indiana. The resolution of its difficulties may foreshadow where we go as a state. Delphi is a major manufacturer of electronics for automobiles. As a former component of General Motors Corp., Delphi still depends on that struggling company for a large portion of its revenue. In addition, Delphi has pension and health care costs inherited from GM’s relationship with the United Auto Workers. Despite the fact that Delphi has been…

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: We need to push harder to foster a tech economy

November 14, 2005

You have to give the folks at Techpoint, the advocacy group for technology-oriented business in Indiana, plenty of credit for stamina. For eight years, these f o r wa r d – l o o k i n g folks have been carefully measuring the state’s progress in what was once called the high-tech economy. And for each of those eight years, the message has been depressingly consistent: We remain at the back of the pack. That’s not for lack…

GERALD BEPKO Commentary: Another reason I’m proud to be a Hoosier

November 14, 2005

Ashley Crouse was an attractive, talented, 21-year-old junior at Indiana University’s flagship campus in Bloomington who was filled with passion for good causes. On April 12, in one of those events that shake our beliefs to the core, she lost her life in an auto accident. At the time of her death, Ashley was a leader of IU students in efforts to raise funds for the Riley Hospital for Children through a dance marathon. These efforts began in 1991 when…

SPORTS: IU sneaking up on Purdue, but not on its leader

November 14, 2005

One year ago, I used this column to be critical of my alma mater, Indiana University, while lauding upstate rival Purdue. In the nearly five years I’ve been writing for Indianapolis Business Journal, no column of mine has received as much reaction as that one. And while 90 percent of that piece was devoted to the athletics programs-football, in particular-the 10 percent in which I referred to the respective images and leaderships of Indiana and Purdue received the most attention….

EYE ON THE PIE: Economics and intelligent design

November 14, 2005

It felt strange sitting before an interim committee of the Indiana General Assembly. The questions were coming quickly and with a decided passion. “Mr. Marcus,” Rep. Rottweiler demanded, “did you teach economics at Indiana University between 1970 and 2003?” “Yes,” I confirmed. “During that time, did you teach the socalled ‘Law of Demand’?” he boomed. “If you mean did I teach that when the price falls, more will be taken, other factors being held constant, yes, I did teach that…

EYE ON THE PIE: Don’t let a little suffering wreck holidays

November 7, 2005

I drove past the shrine at Clark and Addison in Chicago the day after the White Sox won the World Series. All was normal outside Wrigley Field. There was no evidence of the momentous event in Houston the night before. The White Sox and their fans do not exist for Cubs fans. There is an order to the world. For Hoosiers, people from Kentucky generally rank lower than folks from Pennsylvania. Yet we know Hoosiers don’t rank highly in the…

CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: Public notice still critical in Indiana

October 31, 2005

I hate to get all philosophical on you, but a free press is critical to democracy. In the free world, newspapers have always played the dual roles of information provider and watchdog. Readers expect to learn what’s happening by reading newspapers. When it comes to publicly funded government entities, the role of watchdog is particularly critical. Newspapers throw the light of day on the workings of government so citizens can see how their money is spent and keep their elected…

NOTIONS: Lessons of withdrawal from a recovering addict

October 31, 2005

A friend of mine recently visited his doctor. He was worried about chest pains. The doctor wired him to an EKG, studied the readings, and pronounced him fit. During the exam, my friend asked how the doctor was doing. The physician said he was dreading winter. He said ailing patients would flock to his office seeking cures. He’d tell them they had viruses and they’d recover on their own. They’d demand medicine. He’d tell them none would help. They’d demand…

EYE ON THE PIE: Writer blamed for promoting guilt

October 31, 2005

“See,” he said with rising voice, “that’s the snobbery, making other people feel guilty if they don’t value what you value. You do it all the time.” “Sir,” I said, disarmed by his rancor, “which of my columns bothered you?” “All of them, blast it, all of them,” he bellowed. “Last week you wanted us to enlist in the cause of property taxes. Before that, you insisted that cities and towns needed more taxing authority to stimulate economic growth. “Another…

EYE ON THE PIE: Time to realign taxes with services

October 24, 2005

Many folks want to get rid of property taxes. They think property taxes are o l d – fa s h i o n e d , although most who think so have not thought through the issue. These property-tax abolitionists want to use income or sales taxes, which they contend are more “fair,” whatever that means. They forget that one aspect of “fairness” is to relate taxes to services received. This is called beneficiary taxation. An example of beneficiary…

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Articles

EYE ON THE PIE: Let’s revisit the State of the State

EYE ON THE PIE: Indiana turning toward Houdini plans

BRIAN WILLIAMS Commentary: High school dropouts are hard on city

EYE ON THE PIE: Cost-of-living is with us, not in the stars

EYE ON THE PIE: Cost of living depends on how you live

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

TAWN PARENT Commentary: Do libraries need gun control?

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

EYE ON THE PIE: WestClay, prepare for some competition

EYE ON THE PIE: Growth disparity challenges Indiana

EYE ON THE PIE: Should we save ailing manufacturers?

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: We need to push harder to foster a tech economy

GERALD BEPKO Commentary: Another reason I’m proud to be a Hoosier

SPORTS: IU sneaking up on Purdue, but not on its leader

EYE ON THE PIE: Economics and intelligent design

EYE ON THE PIE: Don’t let a little suffering wreck holidays

CHRIS KATTERJOHN Commentary: Public notice still critical in Indiana

NOTIONS: Lessons of withdrawal from a recovering addict

EYE ON THE PIE: Writer blamed for promoting guilt

EYE ON THE PIE: Time to realign taxes with services