SPALDING: Take the transit money while the fed’s hand is open
Every time I see an IndyGo story, I brace myself for the good, the bad and the oh-so ugly.
Opinion
Articles
TAFT: Indianapolis vacant housing at critical crossroads
Neighborhood and local government leaders in Indianapolis increasingly face a dilemma: Let tax-foreclosed houses sit vacant or enable their acquisition by large, scattered-site rental investors.
SOUDER: Moral issues are dead in Indiana politics—for now
This debate is not new. A famous president of Purdue University once said that whoever raised the abortion debate was the loser. Political debate over issues such as gay marriage, abortion, marijuana, prayer in schools, hiring rights of religious organizations, and posting of the Ten Commandments has long been a part of the American political process.
ODLE: Liberty, freedom should be legislative priorities
It’s hard to ignore the amount of energy we have put on a constitutional amendment to define marriage.
BOHANON: Hooray for Indiana’s do-nothing Legislature!
I have always thought legislators should be obliged to take the equivalent of the Hippocratic Oath: First, do no harm. Most of the major and minor evils of history have been a byproduct of overambitious political leaders intent on “doing something.”
SHELLA: Alternatives to Statehouse press corps fall short
An old friend was in the Statehouse the other day for the first time in a long time. He’s a guy who worked in the media, then in state government, and now in public relations. He knows his way around the building.
JONES: Hoosiers still processing change with wary eye
A casual glimpse of recent developments in Indiana politics might suggest Hoosiers are in the throes of an identity crisis. As a traditional dead-red state, Indiana produced few surprises. Republicans, for the most part, rule the roost, even with the occasional presence of Democratic governors or slight majority of Dems in the state’s House of Representatives.
FRANCISCO: The answer to the question is yes, to both extremes
“The editorial was typical of The Journal Gazette’s ultra-liberal, atheistic, secular, humanistic rhetoric,” a letter-writer complains. “You need to quit channeling Fox News,” writes another.
Skarbeck: Tactics have proliferated to gain edge in trading
Critics are divided on whether Regulation NMS has achieved its stated purpose, or whether it has produced unintended consequences.
Hicks: Choke Russian ambitions with a Fed strategy
The Soviet, er … Russian, invasion of Ukraine offers a nice reminder of JFK’s old dictum that domestic policy can defeat us, but foreign policy can get us killed. As we pay higher gasoline prices, we ought to think about the world as it is and our options.
DINING: Graeter’s for beginners
The Cincy ice cream icon comes to Indy. Here’s what the uninitiated should know.
LOU’S VIEWS: Two young companies brush up on Shakespeare
Reviews of Eclectic Pond’s “The Comedy of Errors” and IndyShakes/Wisdom Tooth’s “The Winter’s Tale.”
LOPRESTI: Time to test your knowledge of Big Ten hoops coaches
Who’s best equipped for one of the most unpredictable postseasons in years?
Rotten foundation
Mike Hicks [Feb 3] identifies the decisions made by individuals that almost guarantee poverty—quitting high school, using drugs and having children out of wedlock.
Downtown justice complex would spur city’s center
The stated preferred location for the new criminal justice center, 6600 Kentucky Ave., is attractive on a first-cost basis because it is bare farm ground. However, looking at the benefits of this project long-term, this site would be a mistake.
LEONARD: Rooting for a Pence-Sebelius agreement
A medical epidemic is one of the worst scenarios a hospital can face—when a significant portion of the population is suddenly struck with a life-threatening illness.
KENNEDY: We’re getting what we deserve
Anyone who has ever written a book, mounted a PR campaign or started a new business has confronted a threshold question: Who’s your audience? Who will read your book, be persuaded by your campaign, or buy your widget?
FEIGENBAUM: Region has much at stake as session closes
Local governments have loudly fretted about the potential loss of tax dollars from a reduction or elimination of the business personal property tax, and raised concerns about forcing intrastate competitions for business relocations.
MORRIS: Government overreach at all-time high
You’ll see the intrusions clearly in the kind of car you drive and how much you pay for power.
EDITORIAL: Polytechnic plan makes sense
One of the most promising planks in Mayor Greg Ballard’s agenda for the coming years is a new school his staff is calling Indianapolis Polytechnic.