Archive for January, 2008

If you get your regular dose of The Howey Political Report (or the Daily Briefing) you’re familiar with his every once in while, very unscientific, poll that he runs from time to time. Sometime it’s about issues, sometimes it’s about candidates, but this time it’s about the most influential blogs in Indiana. He lists a few that are well deserving of being in the poll (e.g. Frugal Hoosiers, Blue Indiana, Taking Down Words, Advance Indiana, Indiana Barrister), but for some reason he left us off. Why?

Maybe it’s because we haven’t been around as long as the others. If that’s the case, that’s fair and we probably need to earn our stripes. But here’s the thing. In the short time we’ve been around, we’ve interviewed State and Federal legislators and candidates, talked to Presidential candidates, been interviewed about blogging and their affects on Indiana politics on Abdul in the Morning and generally done the stuff that the other blogs are doing. And we’re doing it just as well if not better…at least we think we are.

Well, I’m asking all of our readers to head to Howey’s poll and vote “Other“. That doesn’t mean you’re voting for us, (though I hope in your heart of hearts you are), but it could very well be for your own blog or your friends blog.

So vote your conscience! VOTE OTHER!

Senate Bill 356 was to allow holders of the Indiana Carry Permit (the pink card) to carry their firearms onto public property, with exceptions for jails, courthouses, schools and such. This bill would likely nullify nonsense like Indianapolis Municipal code 451-6 which bans firearms possession on Waterworks property. It was intended to ban hunting at Geist, but the unintended consequence was banning of firearms in and around Broad Ripple too. Considering the number of muggings in recent years in Broad Ripple, going there without some sort of backup is not my idea of fun.

The State Senate only could muster 25 votes so the bill fails for lack of one vote.

Here’s the rollcall:

YEAS - 25
Boots Hershman Mishler Waterman
Bray Jackman Nugent Weatherwax
Charbonneau Kruse Paul Young, M
Delph Landske Riegsecker Zakas
Dillon Long Steele
Drozda Meeks, R. Walker
Gard Miller Waltz

NAYS - 23
Alting Errington Lubbers Skinner
Arnold Hume Merritt Smith
Becker Kenley Mrvan Tallian
Breaux Lanane Rogers Wyss
Broden Lawson Simpson Young, R.
Deig Lewis Sipes

The Democrats you can expect this - Democrats typically hate firearms, unless its one of their thuggz doing the carrying. I’d like to hear Teresa Lubbers, Jim Merritt, Luke Kenley, and Tom Wyss’ reasons for opposing this bill.

The Howey Political Report reports on an interview Jill Long (shot) Thompson gave to the media recently. One question happened to stick out though and it was the very first one.

-Q- Matt Tully, Indianapolis Star: Do you favor raising sales or income taxes to solve the property tax problem?

Matt Tully. Decent reporter, decent guy, decent question. It’s fair and it’s by no means a soft ball since this particular question is a big deal in the General Assembly right now. JLT’s response?

-A- Thompson: I think too often the discussion is you can take it over here and put it over here. You take it from property taxes to sales taxes and income taxes. I think those are the wrong questions. The right question is what is the best tax program we can have that works for families, that works for homeowners, that works for Hoosiers, and also works for business and helps businesses make decisions that not only are good for that business, but also for growing the state’s economy.

To quote a friend of mine who emailed me today about this: “Um, duh Jill, you are the candidate. You’re supposed to offer answers, not questions.”

I’ve found that the Democrats this year, whether running for President or running for Governor, respond to questions, not with ideas, but rephrasing the question to throw it back at the media to oooh and ahhhh over.

As it stands, these yahoos who call themselves Democrat contenders for Governor keep on throwing out tripe that passes around as ideas in some circles, but are empty and void of any substance. This should scare Democrats at 1 North Capitol as Mitch continues to travel around the state touting his property tax plan. When the Democrat candidates for governor can’t even come up with an answer to which tax would they prefer to raise to help offset property taxes, you know they’re chances are shot!

By the way, just in case you missed it, the numbers of a Mitch vs. JLT matchup are in. Check them out below the fold. (more…)

So yesterday, I posed the question did of “Did Jim “Living paycheck to paycheck” Schellinger ever replace his departed campaign manager Mike Edmonson?” Well it was nice of someone at the Indy Star to finally track Diamond Jim down and press him on it. “The Shell” must have forgot about that announcement he was supposed to do a few weeks ago.

According to the Star:

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Schellinger today named political veteran Tim Jeffers as his new campaign manager.

“Jeffers has worked for four governors, two members of Congress and three speakers of the Indiana House of Representatives. He was the Democratic nominee for Secretary of State in 1994,” a statement from the campaign said.

It was nice of Jim to finally show up and inform us of something. This announcement is more than he’s said about his plans for Indiana his entire campaign.

(Thanks for informing us in the comments Mike!)

Decisions, decisions, those pesky decisions.

Before Luke Puckett jumped into battle with Joe Donnelly, I pined in this every space for someone to run! I said that an incumbent, especially a freshman incumbent, should never go unchallenged for their seat.

Well, this situation is rising again in HD-12 where Mara Candelaria Reardon, D-Munster, announced she would seek a second two-year term. Again, someone is outraged that no one has filed against her in either the primary or even for the general. The difference is, he’s trying to figure out if he should run against her.

From Blue County in a Red State:

What kind of democracy is it that there is no opposition to incumbants?!?

So… am I running? I don’t know. Filing doesn’t end for a couple of weeks. I still have time to convince my wife. Or, even better, for a REAL Republican, somebody who knows what the hell they’re doing, to get into the race.

George Janic is not going to run again, I have confirmed that. I wouldn’t even be considering this if Janic were in, out of respect for the legend.

So should Buzzcut run? Let’s help this guy make a decision. Go to his blog or leave your comment here. This is a tough decision that I’ve considered off an on myself (mostly for the same reasons he gives). You want to make sure that you have a solid backing around you.

I’ll go out on limb right now though and say Buzzcut please run! We need people like you who are willing to take on those who believe they deserve their seat, but have done nothing to show for it. Especially those in The Region!

From the National Weather Service:

.A GLOBAL WARMING STORM WILL BRING A MIXTURE OF GLOBAL WARMING…HEAT AND CLEAR GLOBAL WARMING TO CENTRAL INDIANA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. GLOBAL WARMING ACCUMULATION IN EXCESS OF 6 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE NORTHWEST OF A SULLIVAN TO INDIANAPOLIS TO ANDERSON LINE. MEANWHILE…CLEAR GLOBAL WARMING ACCUMULATIONS OF ONE QUARTER TO ON HALF INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG AND SOUTHEAST OF A VINCENNES TO BLOOMINGTON TO SHELBYVILLE LINE. REMEMBER…THE EXACT TRACK OF THIS STORM REMAINS IN QUESTION AND ANY CHANGE IN THE TRACK WILL ALTER THE GLOBAL WARMING TYPE AND AMOUNT THAT WILL FALL.

This was released yesterday by Eric Miller and Advance America:

Legislative Tragedy – SJR 8 –
Repeal of Property Taxes!!

On Tuesday, January 22nd at approximately 5:40 pm the Chairman of the Senate Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, Senator David Long, started a public hearing on SJR 8, the Constitutional Amendment to Repeal Property Taxes and a new bill, Senate Bill 100, which would set up a study committee on the repeal of homestead property taxes. Senator Long is also the leader of the State Senate.

 

Committee Hearing Shuts Out Public!
Senator Long held a committee hearing on January 8th on SJR 8 that permitted the public to testify both for and against SJR 8. This was the right thing to do.

However, on January 22nd Senator Long refused to let the citizens who came to the committee hearing to testify on either SJR 8 or the new bill, Senate Bill 100. After a long opening statement where he demeaned those who wanted to repeal property taxes, he proceeded to discuss the new bill, Senate Bill 100, which would set up a study committee. This bill had never been discussed in a public committee hearing prior to January 22nd. Senator Long abused his position as the Chairman of the Rules Committee and refused to allow any of the more than 20 citizens who came to the hearing to testify on Senate Bill 100.

(Read more of this below the fold) (more…)

Posted in General Assembly, Legislation, Legislature, Property Taxes, SJR7/Marriage Amendment | 1 Comment » | Read more..

House Calendar

Senate Calendar

Interesting.  Neither chamber put out an updated calendar for Thursday.  Anybody know why?

Marion County Clerk Beth White wants to use paper ballots in the special election on March 11th between Jon Elrod and Andre Carson, but interestingly enough in Cuyahoga County in Ohio also wants to use paper ballots for their presidential primary. That seems to have perked up the ears of the ACLU of Ohio.

ACLU Sues Over Paper Ballots in Ohio
By THOMAS J. SHEERAN

CLEVELAND (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union asked a federal judge on Monday to block the March 4 presidential primary in Ohio’s biggest county if it switches to a paper ballot system that doesn’t allow voters to correct errors.

In a follow-up to a suit it filed Jan. 17, the ACLU of Ohio asked for a preliminary injunction against any election in Cuyahoga County if the switch is made.

The lawsuit argued that the proposed paper-ballot system would violate voters’ constitutional rights because it doesn’t allow them to correct errors on ballots before they are cast.

“The evidence is overwhelming that when voters do not have access to technology that notifies them of ballot errors, many more ballots are left uncounted,” said Meredith Bell-Platts, a voting-rights attorney with the ACLU.

How come the ACLU is stepping in, in Ohio when it comes to paper ballots, but the ACLU of Indiana remains strangely silent on this issue here? Wouldn’t the same argument apply?

As we know Tom John and the Marion County GOP are up in arms over the use of paper ballots in the upcoming special, frankly, as they should be. While I have no use whatsoever for the ACLU of Indiana, or nationally, their wicked inconsistency continues to startle me. So now I wait, in vane I’m sure, for they to do something in this race.

(Admittedly, it’s a double-edged sword as I do not wish for them to get involved, but wonder why they aren’t since they are in Ohio.)

H/T - One Man’s Vote

The Marion County Hammer returns after a long absence from the blogoshphere with a new segment called “Ask Beth White”.

So Beth, as Marion County Clerk, can you run a primary?

YouTube Direct 

State Representative Dan Leonard should be commended by Hoosier conservatives today for his courageous vote against expanded gambling in Indiana. Leonard joined conservatives like Rep. Jackie Walorski in voting against a bill yesterday to allow pull-tabs and other non-skill related gambling devices in bars and taverns. The bill, HB1153, passed 62 to 36 unfortunately. Why is this important? Leonard has two primary opponents, one of whom has been working overtime to paint Leonard as anything other than a conservative, which he is. This bill, like many other examples, reveals a common sense conservative in Leonard who deserves support from Hoosier conservatives.

Governor Daniels is set to hold a townhall meeting on Thursday, Jan. 31st, in Kokomo, Indiana to discuss his property tax plan with Hoosiers.  The event is to be held at the Oakbrook Community Church.  The meeting starts at 5:30pm and is scheduled to end around 7pm (all times are eastern).