Here are some more stats on graduation rates.  These are for the township schools and excluded cities. I’m expecting the Charter data later this morning.  Just like last time, the first number is the graduation rate, the second number is the percent change from last year.

• Decatur Central – 71% (-4.3)
• Franklin Central – 81.1%  (+5.0)
• Lawrence Central – 78.6 % (-0.7)
• Lawrence North – 79.7%  (+1.4)
• Perry  Meridian – 76.7% (+0.1)
• Southport – 83.5% (+2.5)
• Pike – 75.5% (+3.9)
• Warren Central – 71.5% (-3.4)
• North Central – 85.6% (+2.5)
• Ben Davis – 70.3% (+3.3)
• Beech Grove – 66.3% (-7.3)
• Speedway – 86.3% (-4.3)

Are you for or against a total smoking ban in Marion County?   Well, you’ve got a chance to voice your opinion.  City-County Councilor Kent Smith is holding one of three town hall meetings about a comprehensive smoking ban next week.

The meeting will be held Monday, February 16 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at the Irvington Branch Library located at 5625 E Washington.  I know the anti-tobacco people will be there in droves since they lost their first round over at the General Assembly, so if you want to make sure your side gets equal time, I’d make it a point to be there.

By the way, they’re also targetting City-County Councilors who they think will vote against a total smoking ban, but apparently they’re using the same form letter with different addresses so it “looks like” there is widespread support for the ban, when in fact it’s the same handful of people over and over and over again.

In case you missed it last month, the graduation rate and academic performance results are in for Indiana schools.   Here they are for IPS. The first number is the rate.  The number in parenthesis is the percentage change from last year…

• Arlington H.S. – 48%  (-1.9 %)
• Arsenal – 44% (+3.0%)
• Broad Ripple – 60% (+0.7%)
• Manuel – 39.3% (-5.7 %)
• Northwest – 45.5 % (+5.2%)
• Key Learning – 82.8 % (-5.2 %)
• Thomas Carr Howe – 52.5 % (-3.1 %)
• George Washington – 49.3 % (+5.8 %)

I’m no Horace Mann but I do know that before I tried to shut down a charter school, I’d try to get my own act together first; like making sure more than 52% of the students who come to my school district actually graduate.

The last time township government really mattered in Indiana, Abraham Lincoln was still alive.

As I sat in the Senate Chambers for several hours listening to testimony from township officials trying to save their jobs all I could think of was how some good brie would go well with their whine.  

I will spare you the usual “we’re government closest to the people”, “we live in a rural area”, “did you do a survey” blah blah, blah blah, blah blah.  You’ve heard it all before.  However one thing no township official could answer was how they were going to function in 2010 when the property tax caps kick in and their revenue streams start to shrivel up.

Now granted they are sitting on $200 million in cash reserves.  And the townships do have a point when they say part of the reason they have such large reserves was in part due to state rules that don’t allow them to reduce their property tax levies once set without penalty, but there was nothing to stop them from taking less money the following year.

But when then tax caps hit, and none of these guys have a plan to deal with it, I for one shall sit back, smile and wonder if the tsunami could have been avoided if these guys would have thought about someone other than themselves and something other than their jobs.

I’m in the Senate chamber watching a committee hearing on consolidating township government functions to the county level.

It’s all testimony and there won’t be a vote today.

But it’s easy to tell the pro-township crowd doesn’t like change, just look at how 90-percent of them came dressed today.

Here’s some news from the Statehouse this morning.

A House Committee this morning approve  a statewide smoking ban, with exemptions. If the bill passes the legislature smoking will still be allowed in bars, taverns, casinos and private clubs.

The Colts and Pacers are reaching out to the state in an effort to look for ways to close the $43 million budget gap impacting the city and Stadium.  State Senator Luke Kenley told me this morning that he prefers user fees fill the budget hole, not a broad based tax.  And while the Pacers seem open to the idea as they negotiate a new agreement, the Colts are not crazy about renegotiating their contract.

Government reform is also on the agenda today.  Senate lawmakers are looking at consolidating government and testimony is expected to show negative audit findings over the past several years when it comes to townships.

The worst thing you can have in politics is a good memory.

In late 2004 I remember watching then Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson announce to thousands of screaming football fans that the city and the Colts had reached a deal on a new stadium, even though no funding mechanism had been worked out to pay for it.

I also remember the former Mayor saying the best thing about the deal was that the city had the Colts for the next 30 years, even though they had to give away the store to do it.

I also remember the former Mayor saying the stadium would be paid for with slot machines and the operational expenses would be rolled over into the long-term financing.

I also remember state lawmakers looking at the former Mayor as if he had lost his mind.

I also remember former Capital Improvement Board President Fred Glass saying there was no Plan B.

I remember the State taking over to get the facility built.

I remember the Peterson administration totally agreeing to the deal where the State would see that the city was built and the City/CIB would oversee the operational expenses.  They didn’t like it, but they agreed to it.

I remember back in 2006 when it became public that Stadium would be running $10 million annual shortfalls.

I remember just the other day a citizen was wondering how all this happened.

It sucks to have a good memory.

I’m not sure if this is a good idea, but I’m sure this is more than likely a starting point.  The House Labor and Employment Committee today passed, 9-3, legislation that would have employers pay more to cover Indiana’s bankrupt  unemployment insurance fund.

Of course the problem with Indiana’s unemployment is that the benefits have been too high and the contributions too low, and I don’t know if forcing employers to pay more is the best way to do things because they will have to either reduce the headcount, raise prices, or eat into their profits; none of which seem like a good idea during the worst economy since 1939.

The Indiana State Senate Monday approved putting property tax cap into the state Constitution.  It was basically a party-line vote, 34-16.  The measure heads to the House where it failed earlier on a procedural test vote. House Democrats say they want more time to study the proposal.  

Taking that at face value, the one thing I’ve noticed in this entire debate over tax caps and government reform is that most of the people who oppose these things have government jobs.

I’m going on a mission to find John Q. Citizen who thinks tax caps and streamlining government are bad ideas.