FedEx must maintain flexibility
Like many businesses and local commerce, the FedEx Express hub at Indianapolis International Airport is trying to thrive during a decline in shipping and an increase in fuel prices.
Opinion
Articles
LIPPERT: GM woes strike close to home
As someone who grew up in Michigan during the 1960s and 1970s, watching General Motors Corp. self-destruct was like seeing a loved one make bad decisions then watching him suffer the consequences.
MARCUS: Men, women use time differently
On an average day, nearly 83 percent of women, but only 64 percent of men, spend time engaged in household activities, according to a recent report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus, when women engage in household activities, they average two hours and 35 minutes per day while men average two hours and one minute.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Stimulus plan must work now … or it never will
The postmortem and dissection of the federal economic stimulus plan have begun in earnest. The president has added to his woes by saying the stimulus will take years, not months, to work, and his chief economist managed to squeak out the headline or two that the worst is ahead of us.
INVESTING: Looming debt problems present an opportunity
Whenever this bear market bottoms—and there is a growing possibility that we will see new lows in coming months—millions of investors will be throwing all kinds of assets away for pennies on the dollar. The discounts so far could pale in comparison. So, be patient, be prudent and be ready.
BENNER: Mom and Lance Armstrong had cancer in common
A few years ago, when cyclist extraordinaire Lance Armstrong was in the midst of his phenomenal seven
straight Tour de France titles, those yellow Livestrong bands seemed ubiquitous. But when Armstrong left
competitive cycling, gradually those rubber yellow bands faded from view. I kept wearing mine, however, to remind me of the
courage of my mother, Emma.
ALTOM: Technology moves too fast for law to keep up
Technologists don’t usually give the law a basketful of respect. From our point of view, the law is struggling frantically to stay within a hundred yards of our bleeding edge. By the time the law gets around to speaking on a technical subject, the subject may not even exist anymore.
PEASE: Archaic physical therapy laws drive up health costs
If you want to see a physical therapist in Indiana, you must first see a physician for a consultation
and referral. It’s the law. Indiana is one of only six states where patients are denied direct
access to physical therapy treatment, and one of only two states where evaluation without referral is
prohibited.
BATTEN: FTC could resolve antitrust concerns on health care reform
President Obama recently announced a cooperative initiative where health care industry leaders plan to
work together to reform the ailing health care system. Shortly after that announcement, the national
media machine spawned considerable concern among several health care groups that the cooperative effort might violate
federal antitrust laws for collusion and price fixing among competitors.
MAURER: Perhaps nuclear weapons in Iran finally will unite the Middle East
President Obama was in Egypt last month to see the Sphinx, the Pyramids and other relics of a bygone age but, more important,
to set the tone for a new age—according to Obama, “a new beginning” in relations between the United States
and the Muslim world.
EDITORIAL: School funding has fatal flaws
A state budget was passed June 30, but it’s balanced on the backs of poor children. Legislators
deserve praise for at least slightly increasing overall education funding, but because of a flawed funding
formula, urban districts such as Indianapolis Public Schools actually will lose money in the next two
years.
DINING: (Piz)’Za made for the middle of the night
If you’re in Broad Ripple and hungry for pizza, you’ve got lots of options. But what do you do if it’s the
middle of the night on a Thursday and you and your entourage have the munchies? Well, for that very specific
demographic group of pizza eaters, there’s now ’Za, which is open until 4 a.m. Wednesday
to Saturday.
Indy Racing League must go international to survive
Like it or not, the Indy Racing League is becoming an international series, with American drivers like
Patrick, Andretti and Rahal and internationally known drivers such as Castroneves, Kanaan, Mutoh and
Meira.
LOU’S VIEWS: Here’s the best from International Film Fest
This year’s Indianapolis International Film Festival gets rolling later this usual, with a bump to summer precipitated
in part by the moving on of its founder to the Nashville Film Festival and in part by the move of most of the fest (minus
parties) to the Indianapolis Museum of Art. We’ve spent the last few weeks reviewing most of the
features in competition.
Why don’t Bush bashers disgust you?
Bashing the president is a time-honored tradition in the United States going all the way back to George
Washington himself and honed to a fine point by the Jefferson/Adams exchanges.
HICKS: Muncie’s status quo is high taxes, poor service
Property-tax caps, as well as a dwindling population and commercial base, have left Muncie in the uncomfortable
situation of cutting budgets. Since the bulk of costs are related to fire and police salaries, few options
are available. The city has turned to the short length of rope the Legislature offered amid the debate
on property tax caps—the Local Option Income Tax.
INVESTING: High-frequency trading comes under scrutiny
A developing case of technology theft has shed light on the proprietary systems Goldman Sachs and other investment firms
use to make millions of dollars. A 39-year-old former employee at Goldman has been accused of stealing computer
code used in the company’s high-frequency trading system.
Bowling centers limit smoking voluntarily
In 2006 the Indianapolis member centers of the Central Indiana Bowling Centers Association Inc. went
smoke-free voluntarily everywhere in their centers, except the bar.
Liberal journalism strikes again
What a disappointing [July 6 column by Chris Katterjohn]. You, like your other liberal, left-wing journalist pals, just
cannot stand it when anyone disagrees with your point of view.
HETRICK: It’s hip to be simple, so let’s take advantage
A gentleman from Fort Wayne died last month. The cancer caught up to him just a few days before his 80th birthday. Like many
of us native Hoosiers, this fellow was born of working folks. His dad was a traveling hardware salesman,
his mom a homemaker.