Archive for October 17th, 2008

The best thing about local government is that it is close to the people. Our votes matter much more in races for city and county government than they do in races for state and federal government, especially when you get into district races for city and county council. The other great thing about local government is that it is easier for ordinary citizens to participate in discussions public policy and attend meetings where legislation and budgets are being considered. It is certainly easier to make it to the County Courthouse or City Hall to attend a meeting and speak during public comment than it is to travel to Indianapolis or Washington, D.C. to address legislation.

With city government, this works very well. City Council meetings start at 7:30 p.m. If someone who works a traditional 8 to 5 schedule wants to attend every City Council meeting, he or she is able to do so. If that same person wishes to serve on the City Council, city meeting times provide that option, provided he or she can win an election. City budget hearings are also in the evening, providing another opportunity for direct public input and participation in the forming of public policy.

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Found on FreeRepublic, posted from KTOK

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3 The seventh would pay $7. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

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I’ve written a few posts talking about how ridiculous the Luddite opponents of the FSSA modernization are.

But I thought it might be worth pointing out what good the modernization has done. For instance, with the terrible flooding in multiple places in Indiana, FSSA was able to set up temporary offices to distribute emergency aid

Under the Luddite system John Cardwell and Jill Long Thompson support, that could not have happened. It couldn’t have happened because the system was all paper and a new account had to be worked by an individual’s unique case worker. Computer systems weren’t in use for determining eligibility and getting aid delivered.

But because of the modernization, FSSA employees are able to work overtime and on state holidays to deliver disaster Food Stamps across the state. Over 30,000 have been helped thus far in 16 counties.

Now, this wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have all those handy dandy computers through modernization. Staff can do really fancy things like remotely hook up and give out benefits to those that are eligible. Fancy…as in technology available for a decade.

It’s amazing how much Cardwell and Jill Long Thompson would like us to return to the dark ages. Let’s be glad they won’t be in power to take us there.

(For more information, check out MySmartgov.org.)

This afternoon, I will be with thousands of my fellow conservative and Republican brethren when Sarah Palin comes to visit Indiana for the first time.  This is a great time for Indiana, politically, whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat.

Why?  Because we matter.  For the first time in decades we have candidates fighting for our vote.  And, as much as it pains me to say it as a Republican, Indiana is a battleground state this cycle.  And from a political hack’s perspective, that’s pretty exciting.

Michelle Obama was in Ft. Wayne on Tuesday and Sarah Palin is here today.  Barak Obama will be here again later this month as will John McCain.  (Where’s Joe Biden?  Probably still counting the number of letters in the word jobs).  And all of this is because we as Hoosiers and as voters matter.

My hope for this afternoon’s rally, is that it excites those conservatives and those Republicans who have been getting down and out the last few weeks because of the economy.  Because of being beaten over the head with Obama commercials, for what seems, every other commercial in prime time.  Because we want people in the White House who will not be pushing a socialist agenda of wealth redistribution and higher taxes.  My hope is that this rally fans the flames of support for the McCain/Palin ticket to keep Indiana in the red column on election day.

I will be there and I know that many of my blogger friends will be there too.  So stay tuned in to Hoosier Access.  We’ll have pictures and audio (video?) of the rally this afternoon.

We’re living in exciting times!

In a few hours, I will be in a crowd of thousands with my 13 year old daughter, listening to Gov. Sarah Palin speak.

My daughter was really excited to first hear that Palin was coming, then estatic when I told her I was taking her to the rally.

See, parents want their kids to become involved in the world. We want them to listen to the news and take an interest in what is shaping our country.

Yes, we live in a conservative home. And yes, we lean Republican. But just when we hear of so many young people being drawn to Obama… last night I hear from my daughter just how many of her friends love Sarah Palin.

My daughter has listened to both sides and our family has discussed each side at detail. In the end, she made her choice of whom she wants to support.

After this event is all said and done, my daughter will bring to you, my readers, her thoughts on the event and the words of Gov. Palin.

So check back later tonight for pictures and reactions to today’s Road to Victory Rally in Noblesville, Indiana.

The smearing by the left of Joe the Plumber is amazing and disgusting to behold. Here you have a guy who was out on his lawn playing with his kids when Obama decided to go door-to-door. Obama approached him, not vice-versa, and the two had an exchange.

There’s nothing in that exchange that is telling when it comes to Joe the Plumber. It doesn’t matter whether he’s a licensed plumber (residential plumbers in Ohio do not have to be licensed), nor does it matter that he has a tax lien. Such political anal probes are irrelevant.

What’s telling, and what is relevant, Barack Obama’s response to Joe the Plumber.

It says everything you need to know:

It’s not that I want to punish your success. I just want to make sure that everybody who is behind you, that they’ve got a chance at success, too. And I think that when we spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.

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