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E2 SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2007 3 R D THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR } WWW.INDYSTAR.COMVoices
KUDOSWith Michael McRobbie, Indiana
University plucked one of the bestand brightest to serve as its nextpresident. It’s encouraging to seesuch talent emerge from withinthe university’s own ranks.
OUTRAGEA woman was abducted, robbed
and raped while putting items inher car in a Downtown parking ga-rage at 3:45 p.m. on a workday lastweek. The attacker forced thewoman to drive through Down-town as rush hour was beginning.He made her withdraw moneyfrom a Chase Bank ATM, about ablock from the police department’sWest District headquarters. Helater raped her. Crime doesn’t getany more brazen.
NIGHTLINESJay Leno: Last night on Fox they had the premiere of “Are You
Smarter than a 5th Grader?” Or as President Bush calls it: “Jeopardy.” ◆ Al Gore taking a little global heat today after it was revealed that
his home in Tennessee uses 20 times the energy as theaverage household. That is an inconvenient truth. Helives in a mansion in Tennessee that has eight bath-rooms. And three of them are indoors.
◆ Actually, you know why (Gore) is using so muchenergy. Have you seen Al lately? I think he’s been keep-ing that refrigerator door open a little too long. That’s
what happens. Every time that light comes on. . . Conan O’Brien: A new poll finds that President
Bush’s father, George Bush, is the most popularliving ex-president. Apparently voters were justexcited to hear the words “George Bush” nextto the phrase “ex-president.’’
◆ Since former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsackdropped out of the presidential race a fewdays ago, Vilsack supporters are divided aboutwhich candidate to support now. Apparentlyone guy likes Obama, the other guy likes Hil-lary.
Indiana’s national ranking in the educa-tion level of its work force, according to anew report from the Ewing Marion Kauff-man Foundation.
Why it matters: A well-trained work forceis vital in helping the state transition froman economy based on traditional manufac-turing to one built around technology andentrepreneurism. The low ranking in educa-tion is a strong indicator that too many Hoo-siers are not prepared for the demands ofthe modern economy.
43
Pea shakes and lottosFunny contradictions
abound when it comes toHoosiers and gambling. As
much asHoosiersproclaimthat they op-pose thestuff, it con-tinues to ex-ist and gaingovernmentsanction.
Amid theGlenn How-ard affair, a
debate has been ignited overpea shake houses and theirrole in the mostly black com-munities in which they’regenerally located. For thosewho oppose pea shakes, theargument is that they’re il-legal, attract nuisance activityand breed criminality. Yet, op-ponents fail to realize that theproblem isn’t pea shake gam-bling itself, but their status asillegal operations, whichmakes them prey to criminal-ity and nuisance problems.
Meanwhile, there are thosewho oppose franchising thestate lottery to a private op-erator on grounds that itwould expand gambling. Thatargument doesn’t stand con-sidering that the state had,until last year, broadcast ashow on television promotingthe lottery and is now offer-ing new games. The argumentalso is undermined by the factthat Hoosiers already can goto a bingo parlor, a horse racetrack or a riverboat casino toplace bets.
The solution is to legalizeand regulate all forms of gam-bling, creating a competitivemarket and weeding out thecriminality that tends to latchonto otherwise victimless ac-tivity when rendered illegalunder law.
– RiShawn Biddle
Discovering MammonOl’ Cal Thomas just can’t
find it in his heaven-boundheart to forgive the Clintonstheir earthly success.
The latest denunciationfrom the religious right’sreigning pillar of fire con-cerns the brisk earnings Billhas realized from his popularspeechmaking. While Cal, inhis column printed in the Feb.28 Star, assures us he’d neversink to the sin of envy (“un-like liberal Democrats’’), hedoes find cause for “investiga-tion’’ in the former presi-dent’s “greed,’’ particularly as
it relates to“foreign gov-ernmentsand inter-ests’’ whopaid forsome of thishighly-sought-aftereloquence.
OK, noglobaleconomy
when it comes to Slick Williethe Civilian.
But how about Cal’s hero,Ronald Reagan? I recall hewas taking down $30,000 to$50,000 a pop for GreatlyCommunicating after hispresidency. Most famously, heraked in $2 million for a sin-gle visit to Japan to address“interests’’ seeking advice onhow to better compete againstdomestic businesses back inthe U.S. Most conspicuously,Thomas was silent.
If anything, Thomasopened his mouth too muchfor his own good when itcame to the Clinton post-presidency. His column notedthat Bill has taken only (Caldoesn't say “only’’) 20 percentof his fees for personal in-come, the rest of the talks be-ing delivered free or for dona-tions to Clinton’s foundation,which does frivolous thingssuch as fighting AIDS.
Whence this blind bitter-ness that follows this politicalfamily? Verily, it cannot becalled Christian.
– Dan Carpenter
Biddle
Carpenter
Go to IndyStar.com/opinion to read the Ex-presso blog.
EXPRESSOA quick shot of opinion
from The Star Editorial Boardand local columnists
Eugene C. Pulliam 1889-1975, Publisher 1944-1975Eugene S. Pulliam 1914-1999, Publisher 1975-1999
Barbara A. HenryPresident and [email protected](317) 444-8131
Dennis R. RyersonEditor and Vice [email protected](317) 444-6169
Tim SwarensEditor of the Editorial [email protected](317) 444-6176
Pamela B. FineManaging [email protected](317) 444-6168
So far this year’s legislative session hasconsisted of one step forward and twosteps back when it comes to improvingthe lives of Hoosiers. For instance, defeatof property tax reform and abandonmentof financing of health care for low-in-
come Hoosiers followed moves to pay for full-daykindergarten.
The Star Editorial Board offers an update on billsand issues selected for its legislative agenda at thestart of the session. Let’s hope all sides will achievemore on behalf of Hoosiers than they did in the firsthalf:
Reforming education◆ Bill: Senate Bill 567, along with the state budget
plan, House Bill 1001, would wholly finance full-daykindergarten over a three-year period. The bill alsocreates accountability standards to assure effective-ness.
The Star’s position: A key to reducing the numberof dropouts is to improve early childhood education.
Halftime status: SB 567 awaits House approval af-ter the Senate passed it, 37-12. The budget awaitsmuch needed revisions in the Senate.
What should be done now: The House should passSB 567, while senators should amend the budget toassure that charter schools, cut out by the House, areincluded in full-day kindergarten funding.
◆ Bill: SB 56 would allow aspiring teachers withmasters or doctorate degrees and some teaching ex-perience to obtain licenses upon passage of thePRAXIS teaching exam.
The Star’s position: Pruning away needless bureau-cratic rules can help with hard-to-fill math and sci-ence teaching spots.
Halftime status: Awaits House approval after sena-tors passed it 39 to 7.
What should be done now: House Democrats shouldgive the bill a hearing and pass it.
Streamlining local government◆ Bill: HB 1007 would grant new taxing options to
local governments to wean them from property
taxes. It also would revive property tax reviewboards.
The Star’s position: The legislation contains keysteps to reducing the tax burden on homeownersand making local government spending more trans-parent.
Halftime status: Failed in the House 49-48 for lackof a constitutional majority.
What should be done now: The Senate shouldamend the budget in HB 1001 to include a similarproperty tax reform plan crafted by state Sen. LukeKenley.
◆ Bill: HB 1568 would allow the consolidation ofMarion County’s township fire departments into theIndianapolis Fire Department upon City-Countycouncil approval.
The Star’s position: Mayor Bart Peterson should begiven permission to yield further savings and effi-ciencies from merging departments and improvingservices.
Halftime status: Seven Republicans — none fromMarion County — joined House Democrats in pass-ing the bill 58-39. The Senate will now take up con-sideration of the proposal.
What should be done now: The Senate should passit.
Improving health and society◆ Bill: Gov. Daniels’ health-care plan for low-in-
come Hoosiers, contained in HB 1008, would havebeen paid for with a proposed 55-cent per pack in-crease in the cigarette tax.
The Star’s position: The bill would provide moreworking Hoosiers with access to health care and re-duce the number of people killing themselves withnicotine. It would help create a healthier population,which in time translates into lower insurance pre-miums and taxes for the general public.
Halftime status: Defeated in the House, 52 to 44. What should be done now: This is another worthy
plan that senators should amend into the budget billcurrently in their chamber.
◆ Bill: HB 1435 would have added 400 new case-workers to the Department of Child Services.
The Star’s position: The proposal was another keystep in overhauling the state’s child protection sys-tem.
Halftime status: Died on deadline day without re-ceiving a hearing. Nor was it funded in House Demo-crats’ budget proposal.
What should be done now: Senators should addfunding for those caseworkers in the budget.
Resuscitating the economy◆ Bill: HB 1007 would move toward property tax
reform by freezing the child welfare portion of prop-erty taxes.
The Star’s position: Action is long overdue on re-forming this broken system.
Halftime status: Failed to pass in the House forlack of a constitutional majority. House Speaker PatBauer didn’t attempt to revive the bill for reconsider-ation by the deadline.
What should be done now: The property tax reformshould be incorporated into the budget.
◆ Bill: SB 132 would allow registered voters to re-monstrate on bond issues.
The Star’s position: An acknowledgement thateveryone pays for this antiquated system.
Halftime status: Approved 47-1 by the Senate;awaits a hearing by the House Ways and MeansCommittee.
What should be done now: With property taxes soar-ing in part because of school construction bonds, it’slong past time to allow everyone to decide whethersuch moves are necessary. The House should pass it.
EDITORIAL
Let’s hope legislaturegets more done for us
ONLINE: CONTINUE THE CONVERSATIONWhat action would you most like to see the
legislature take this year? Add your comments on-line and we’ll publish responses in Sunday’s Voicessection. Go to www.IndyStar.com/opinion, click onthe editorial headline and then post a comment atTalkBack.
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