Here are a few morning tidbits for you to play with today…

Although the transportation supervisor for  Franklin Township schools resigned Friday in the wake of the arrest of a bus driver who police said was drunk as he ran his route last week, there’s more to the story.  School officials said supervisor Susan Fields had received two prior reports that Phillip Leslie had come to work with an alcohol odor on his breath.  However sources in the district say there is no requirement that bus drivers check in when they arrive to work, but instead they are “encouraged to keep an eye on each other.”

Word is there may be some serious protests taking place at this Tuesday’s Indianapolis Public School Board meeting.  Teachers are not happy about going without a contract and having pay taken away from them only to be given back when they retire or leave the district.  It probably won’t help relations when they find out the district is getting nearly $29 million in extra Title I money because of the economic stimulus package.

City-County Council Republicans and the Mayor’s office are trying to bridge a divide on the issue of tax abatements.  Currently abatements are approved by the Metropolitan development commission, but some council want approval to be shifted to them.  Both sides are looking for a compromise, which may include adding more council appointments to the MDC.

Borders in downtown Indianapolis may be getting closer to closing up shop.  I’m told Borders has stopped ordering books and they will no longer pre-order books without payment; two signs that things are not looking good.  If Borders were to close, and Carson Pirie Scott were to shut down, the new anchor business at one of the busiest intersections in Indianapolis would be a Jimmy John’s sub shop.

Enjoy your Saturday.

UPDATE: Lebanon School officials have released a statement saying they will allow the 17-year old lesbian student to wear a tuxedo to the prom. “School policy for this year’s prom will be that all attendees shall wear appropriate formal attire with no gender-based attire requirements imposed. Female students will be permitted to wear tuxedos if they chose,” the release stated. Translation: This is not worth the hassle.  She can wear the tux.

*****

There’s an interesting situation going on in Lebanon schools.  A 17-year old Boone County girl is suing the school district because she is a lesbian and wants to wear a tuxedo to prom.  School officials told her she would have to wear a dress.

The girl, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana, is suing on the grounds that the rules violate the Constitution and Title IX.  She says wearing a dress forces her to express a sexual identity she does not identify with.

School officials say no one have ever challenged the prom dress code in this manner so they are exploring their options.

This is another one of those situations where I don’t see where the opposition is coming from.  Everyone in the school knows the girl’s sexual orientation and there is nothing to show that she is doing this to be annoying.   You usually only get to go to prom once, make the most of it.

Your thoughts.

From Bonnie Erbe of U.S. News & World Report…

So now it is written that Bristol Palin, unwed teenage daughter of former U.S. vice-presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, has ended the relationship with the father of her baby.

From where I sit, Bristol Palin displays a lot more personal maturity and decision-making ability than her mother, who obviously tried to persuade Bristol to wed her “baby daddy.” But the youthful pair never looked like a loving couple

. They looked like what they were: two sexually active teens who happened to “hook up” but had nothing beyond that in common. Besides, who wants to marry the son of a woman who’s brought up on drug charges?

Is this good for her mother’s political career? Obviously not. Social conservatives believe strongly the daughter should have been forced into marriage.

From where I sit, Bristol should have been using birth control, and never should have gotten pregnant in the first place. If she weren’t the progeny of abstinence-only education supporters, she might have been on the pill or using a diaphragm, or might even have been able to use Plan B, the so-called morning after pill. It’s a shame for poor Bristol who has some wisdom and spunk to her. She said in interviews she’s not ready to be a mother and it’s not a glamorous endeavor.

It’s a shame for the baby, to be born to unwed teen parents who are ill-equipped to parent at that young age. It’s a shame all around, as is abstinence-only education.

If you smoke, you’ve probably noticed the price of a pack of cigarettes is burning a bigger hole in your pocket.

As of April 1, due to federal taxes, the price of a pack of cigarettes in Indiana is going up to about $5.   The state already levies a 99.5 cent per pack tax on cigarettes.  

Now for those of you smoke and are mad about this, there’s an  easy solution.  Quit smoking and you won’t have to pay the tax.  Now of course that means the government will have less of your money to pay for things, which is just fine with me.

But before you start complaining about smokers being picked on, quit and become an ex-smoker.

And yes, I know have the occasional cigar and will pay tobacco taxes also.  But just so you know, I don’t smoke cheap cigars so an increase in the price doesn’t really matter to me.

Government closest to the people?   Whatever.

Abdul’s Township Trustee Game

Here’s a question.  What do ISTEP, the Indiana Pacers and GM all have in common?  

Give up?  Unions.  Allow me to explain.    

As ISTEP was getting underway, the teacher’s unions started complaining the test was too hard and students were not going to perform well.

Because of NBA player rules, the Pacers were compelled to put up with bad behavior by some of its athletes which drove down attendance and is partly to blame for its current financial woes.

And do I really need to go further with GM and the rest of the American auto industry?

And don’t even get me started on the SEIU and Employee Free Choice Act!

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Abdul you hate unions and your bias is clearly showing.”  I don’t hate unions, but I am not a big fan of them because I think they have outlived their purposes.  

However, I am freely willing to entertain the remote possibility that I may not have all the facts.  So here’s is my question.  In the modern era, say 1980 through today, name me a place or cite me an example of a place that’s gotten better because they unionized.

Post away…

A couple big things at the statehouse this morning.

A major setback for advocates of government reform, several Senate Bills died in House committee today with Republicans and Democrats accusing each other of playing politics.   Democrats tried to amend several bills into one bill, however that failed.  And to make a long story a short one, the bill was amended again, but failed to garner enough support by either party to get out of the chamber.

Property tax cap advocates rallied today calling for Indiana House Democrats to pass property tax caps.  About 300 people showed up and were encouraged by Governor Mitch Daniels to let lawmakers know their wishes.  Daniels said tax caps can pass if the Speaker wishes.  House Speaker Pat Bauer released a statement today saying tax caps are already state law and that there is plenty of time in 2010 to take a vote on the caps after lawmakers have seen their impact on local governments.

Here are my interviews with CIB President Bob Grand and Vice-President Pat Early on the options to close the opertational deficit for Lucas Oil Stadium as well as the Pacers saying they can’t afford to play in Conseco Fieldhouse.

Bob Grand

Pat Early

My sources are telling me tonight that the Franklin Township School Board is recommending that Philip Leslie, the bus driver arrested for operating a bus with a blood alcohol content level of 0.22  be terminated.

Leslie was charged with four counts, including felony neglect of a dependent and operating a vehicle with with a BAC of above 0.15 with a minor passenger in the vehicle.

Sources also say at the time Leslie was operating the bus, he had carried more than 100 children and it was described as a chaotic situation from the moment he got on the bus and the district wants to make an example of him.

If I were the school district, I would be working very hard to settle any possible litigation by parents.

Ironically, there is a public meeting tomorrow night at seven with the school district and Drug Free Marion County on the subject of underage and binge drinking.