I’m sure this is an oversight, but someone in the Hamilton Southeastern School District is probably running contrary to the law and will want to correct that as soon as possible.

If you go to HSE’s website there is an icon on the front page encouraging residents to “Vote yes” on its upcoming referendum.   That wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the fact that I believe state law forbids governmental entities from using taxpayer dollars to advocate positions during elections and referendums.  I could be wrong on this.

In addition,  there’s another sign up page to volunteer for the referendum as well.  I’m sure this is just an oversight and now that I’ve brought it to their attention, they’ll probably fix it.

Glad to help, guys.

Here’s the long and short of some things to keep an eye on over the next few days that happened on Tuesday…

Indiana lawmakers are split over whether the state should opt out of the public option of the Obama administration’s health care reform plan.  Governor Mitch Daniels’ office says they are studying the details in order to figure out the best course of action.  House Speaker Pat Bauer says he supports the public option in principle.  If Indiana did decide to opt out, it’s unclear exactly how that would occur.  Right now the state can opt out of Medicaid-related programs by a decision from the Executive Branch, however under legislation offered by New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer, a state could only opt out if its legislature passed a bill and the Governor signed it.  Stay tuned.

As soon as House Speaker Pat Bauer unveiled his ethics reform package Tuesday, Indiana Republicans were quick to jump on it and criticize the him.  Bauer wants to eliminate campaign contributions by contractors who do business with the state, institute a year-long “cooling off” period where former lawmakers can’t lobby the state and require disclose of legislative gifts of $50 or more.   State GOP officials say Bauer had several opportunities to accomplish these goals last session, but sent similar reform measures to die in the Rules Committee.

The Lawrence Township Board Tuesday night voted to cut its budget by $3 million to help close a near $6 million shortfall.  The cuts mean the townships fire fighters will have to take a more than 10% pay cut.  The Township is also borrowing $2 million in emergency loans from the State.

Health and Hospital CEO Matt Gutwein Tuesday took the case for the Wishard referendum to the Downtown Rotary club of Indianapolis.   I’m fundamentally neutral on the proposal to build the new facility, but having heard him and the opposition speak on the issue, I tend to think Gutwein makes a much better case for the referendum than his opponents do against it.

Marion County Democratic Chairman Ed Treacy has filed an ethics complaint against the Mayor accusing him using government resources to help a political contributor.  I guess Treacy is trying to endear himself  to all but declared Mayoral candidate  Melina Kennedy since it is common knowledge amongst Democratic circles that he wanted someone other than her to run for Mayor.

Matt Gutwein, CEO of Health and Hospital addressed the Downtown Rotary Club of Indianapolis Tuesday.  He spoke about the need for the hospital expansion and answered questions from Daniel Lee of the Indianapolis Star and Dr. Matt Will, professor of Finance at for the School of Business MBA program.  I was there and recorded the conversation and I have posted them below for you to listen to and make up your own mind.

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Delay, not necessarily denial.  That’s the attitude of proponents of a more strict smoking ban in Marion County.  The measure, along with two amendments, failed to garner enough support to pass. The arguments were pretty standard; supporters argued public health, opponents argued property rights.  Because the measure was tabled, it can be brought back with a simple majority.

I seriously doubt it would pass if it came back.  Some supporters were trying to blame Mayor Greg Ballard for the ordinance not passing, saying he threatened a veto.  Those people should spend more time at city hall and less time in front of their computers.  Anyone who had been following this issue knows everyone on the Council pretty much had their minds made up before tonight’s meeting.

The measure only had 13 supporters, Councilors Dane Mahern, Doris Minton-McNeil and Monroe Gray all abstained and the one Councilor who was absent, Marilyn Pfisterer was absent and she, by all indications, is in the “no” column.  The only way to get more “yes” votes is to add more exemptions, something opposed by the true believers.

I honestly think the anti-smoking crowd would be better off focusing on tobacco cessation and getting people to simply quit.  I’d be more than happy to help them by writing and voicing the commercials.   For now, however, the ban has about as much chance passing the full council as the local cigar lounge does going smoke free.

There is no public outcry for a total ban.  And even in places where there is a total ban, it wasn’t the public that asked for it, it was the activist crowd that pushed the agenda.

Maybe it’s just best if  Indianapolis stayed where it is and we let the current compromise exist as is.

I’ve attached a montage of interviews from tonight’s Council meeting below.  They are, in order, Bill Smythe of Claude and Annies, Duke Oliver, Tim Fuller of Smoke Free Indy and Kent Smith.

smoking montage

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett is about to launch a program that will definitely raise the ire and the eyebrows of the education establishment in Indiana.

Bennett’s office is preparing to launch a tracking system tying graduates of  Indiana’s Colleges of Education to the academic performance of their students.  The program is based on a Louisiana model where students’ test performance is tracked back to the teachers and then the teachers’ preparation programs.

According the New Orleans Times Picayune…

[Education Secretary Arne] Duncan called the Louisiana strategy “a simple but obvious idea.”

“Colleges of education and district officials ought to know which teacher preparation programs are effective and which need fixing. Transparency, longitudinal data, and competition can be powerful tonics for programs stuck in the past.”

He said that as a result of the study’s findings, officials at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette added a career counseling program to help teachers adapt to the classroom and strengthened course requirements in English.

“Real change, based upon the real outcomes of children — revolutionary, isn’t it?”

Bennett says bringing the same system to Indiana will bring more accountability to education and show which colleges of education in the state are producing quality teachers and which ones aren’t. Bennett says he will also use the data to rank Indiana’s colleges of education from best to worst based on student achievement.

Life in the classroom is going to get interesting.

Monday night the Indianapolis City-County Council may vote on a tougher smoking ban for the city.  I say “may” because as I write this post this morning there is some serious question as to whether either side has enough votes for a clear victory or whether the matter will be delayed for another meeting or tabled indefinitely.

You all know my position on the current proposal, I think it’s unnecessary because the current compromise reached back in 2005 works fine.  Less than 1% of the 40,000 odd businesses in Marion County allow smoking and two-thirds of the places that serve alcohol are non-smoking.  There are ample choices for individuals to work or customers to patronize an establishment that is smoke free.   No one is forced to worked in a smoking environment and many of those who do already smoke.

So with all that said, my big question regarding this entire process is “why”?   I consider myself pretty connected into the pulse of this community and of all the issues I hear about, this one has been nowhere on any average citizen’s radar screen.  The subject never comes up at the Mayor’s town hall meetings.  And with the exception of  local advocates I seriously doubt most people care whether a bar is smoking or non-smoking if they have a place to go that fits their needs.

So what’s the need?  My journalist counterparts say Indianapolis should “join other progressive” cities and ban smoking in public places.  I consider myself pretty progressive, and there’s nothing progressive about taking choices away from adults who are perfectly capable of reaching those decisions on their own.

I for one will be glad when this issue is over and done with, although I doubt it will happen Monday.  Regardless,  right after the Council meeting I’m walking from the city-county building over to Nikki Blaine’s Cigar Lounge, lighting up a $20 cigar and  wonder what the fuss is all about.  Feel free to exercise your right to choose and join me.

I admit to thinking long and hard about using that title for this blog post, but the more I thought about it, the more appropriate I thought it was when discussing City-County Councilor Doris Minton McNeil.

McNeil, when functioning, represents Council District 15 on the near northwest side of Indianpolis.  McNeil’s name has been synonymous lately with “out of control.”  She was arrested in October 2008 and charged with felony battery and resisting arrest where she was reportedly intoxicated.  She was later found not guilty.

In August of this year, McNeil reportedly got into an altercation with a neighbor and according to police reports, McNeil smelled of alcohol.  An investigation was conducted, but there was no arrest.

The latest escapade involves McNeil reportedly accosting police and journalists at the scene of a shooting at 21st and Medford.  Once again, according to police sources, McNeil was “drunk and cursing like a sailor.”  Once again, no arrest, but a lot of embarrasing behavior which I am told has been captured on tape.

I really don’t know how much more of this ghettoish behavior is going to be tolerated?  If Minton-McNeil has a problem with alcohol she should go to rehab and get the help she needs.    If she won’t,  her fellow Democrats need to talk her into stepping down from her seat.  And if she won’t do it voluntarily then perhaps expulsion is in order.

It’s unfortunate, but right now McNeil is no good to anyone.  If anything she is an embarrasment to her community, her fellow councilors, her party and most importantly, herself.

It took four months, but somebody got the hint.  The City of Indianapolis is seeking proposals from private entities to take over the operational costs of Lucas Oil Stadium, the Convention Center and Conseco Fieldhouse.

Mike Huber, head of Enterprise Development for the city says they’ve received a number of inquiries from private companies interested in taking over the operations of the facilities.

Huber says the city needs to find money to operate the CIB and a private company could be the way to go.  Huber says it was unclear whether any deal reached would need approval of the Colts, Pacers or the State; saying it would depend on how the agreement was structured.

The city expects to receive a couple dozen proposals before Thanksgiving.

It was the best of Maherns. It was the worst of Maherns.  Okay, that’s probably a bit much.

You probably read my blog yesterday about City-County Councilor Dane Mahern reportedly going to abstain from a vote on a stricter smoking ban because his father Ed Mahern is a lobbyist for the tobacco companies and is throwing him a fundraiser.  Proponents of the smoking ban argue Dane shouldn’t vote on the ban because “big tobacco” is tied to his fundraising.

I am wondering out loud if they anti-smoking crowd will ask the other Mahern, Brian, to do the same thing and abstain since he has also taken money one could argue that has ties to big tobacco as well.  Ed Mahern has donated about $2,000 to Brian’s political campaign, according to campaign finance records.  And since one Mahern is abstaining from voting because of “big tobacco” shouldn’t the other follow suit.   Please note,  my sources tell me Brian Mahern has no intention of abstaining.

Feel free to put that in your hookah pipe and smoke it.

Another potential Democratic candidate for Mayor is out of the running.  According to the Indianapolis Times blog, lobbyist Kip Tew has decided not to get into the race for Mayor in 2011.

Kip tells the Times that other commitments are keeping him out of the race.  That would be consistent with a conversation he and I had earlier this year when he was trying to decide whether to get into the race for Mayor.

I think Kip would have been an interesting  candidate and perhaps the toughest fighter out of the bunch.   His departure leaves former Deputy Mayor Melina Kennedy, venture capitalist Brian Williams and City-County Councilor Jose Evans as contenders. 

However, Kip’s departure does pose a question I have asked before; if  incumbent Mayor Greg Ballard is so beatable, why do Democrats keep getting out of the race?You would think that in a county that leans Democratic and conventional Democratic wisdom is that the voters made a mistake in 2007 and the city is headed in the wrong direction, that Democrats would be crawling out of the woodwork to take on the incumbent?  Maybe Kip, and Joe Hogsett both know something a lot of Marion County Democrats don’t know or aren’t willing to accept.