Look at the front page of today’s Indianapolis Star and check which has the bigger headline.  This weekend’s snow storm or the passing of a political legend? I was in the middle of teaching when I got the text message yesterday that Indiana Congresswoman Julia Carson had passed away. I was not surprised it finally […]

Three weeks after she announced that she had terminal lung cancer, Julia Carson passed away at age 69. She died in her Indianapolis home this morning. More to probably come from Abdul . . . UPDATE: 12:17 PM “Julia Carson, the first black and first woman to represent Indianapolis in Congress, died early Saturday morning. She […]

Governor Mitch Daniels is going under the knife today. He’s having outpatient surgery to remove an abdominal hernia. He’ll be back to work on Tuesday. I jokingly say the Governor probably got the hernia by trying to carry this state into the 21st Century. Hopefully when he’s back he can continue to take the scalpel […]

As much as I like the Governor’s Commission on reforming local government, I do have one critique of the plan.  The commission suggests tinkering with Indiana’s school board and municipal elections.  It suggests moving school board elections to November.  Currently they occur during May primary.  And it suggests moving municipal elections from odd-numbered years to […]

I’m in the process of reviewing the Local Government Reform Commission’s recommendations on streamlining local government. However, the one I think I like the most is the part on consolidating school districts. In recommendation #11, the Commission recommends consolidation for school districts that have fewer than 2,000 students. Who can argue with this. Schools take, […]

The Commission headed by former Governor Joe Kernan and Chief Justice Randall Shepard has come out with its list of recommendations to streamline the more than 3000 units of local government in Indiana. They include… Counties Establish a single-person county elected chief executive. Establish unified legislative body for county government. Transfer county administrative office duties […]

How soon we forget the last election.  Indiana lawmakers are starting hem and haw about meaningful property tax reform.  They can’t even decide whether the job of township assessors should be elected or appointed.  I’m also hearing that capping levies will hurt local governments.  Freezing assessments will hurt schools. Everyone seems to be looking for an excuse […]

Or you could call them the Colts and the Pacers.  Nuff said!

There is going to be plenty of talk in this town about whether Indianapolis should pursue a Super Bowl bid for 2012.   The city tried earlier this year and came close, losing to Dallas.  I think a Super Bowl would be good for Indianapolis, but it has to be done under the right circumstances. First, […]

As you’ve probably heard the city of Indianapolis is in preparations to possibly bid on bringing the Super Bowl here in 2012.  Bob Bedell of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitor’s bureau made the announcement yesterday. Bedell says the NFL has given the city its specifics and it will go over them with the Ballard administration. […]