Indiana

You Can?t Make This Stuff Up!

Posted on December 23, 2009
Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity!  Or is there?

Improve Education & Cut Costs-It Can Be Done

Posted on December 22, 2009
I’m on “vacation”  for the next couple weeks.  The following is a guest column by Kevin Teasley, The President of  the Indianapolis-based GEO Foundation. The state?s call for savings in education combined with the public?s on-going need to improve schools can appear to be quite a challenge and indeed it is...

An Ed Treacy X-mas

Posted on December 22, 2009
My Democratic friends are circulating a Night Before Chirstmas parody that mentions yours truly.  So not to be out done, and to show I’m a good sport, I took a sneak peak at the Marion  County Democratic Chairman’s Christmas carol collection and noted the following titles...

Let Me Try This Again

Posted on December 21, 2009
Although I’m in “vacation” mode I still intend to do some blogging.  And from some reading I’ve done in the local blogosphere lately, I couldn’t do it to soon. Some of my Democratic friends are screaming bloody murder over the Governor’s announced $300 million cuts to K-12 education funding...

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My Staycation

Posted on December 18, 2009
I wanted to give you a heads up that I’m going to be taking a few days off.  It’s the end of the year and it’s “use them or lose them” vacation time.  I’m not going anywhere, but I’m giving Indiana Barrister a little rest...

Thursday?s Thoughts

Posted on December 17, 2009
I’ve got some other work to do today so this post will be real quick. Like I hinted at weeks ago, the city is naming Frank Straub, the former Public Safety Commissioner of White Plains, NY as the new Public Safety Director.  Indiana Superintendent Tony Bennett says teachers unions may have renegotiate local contracts and forego pay [...

Ain?t No Surplus When It?s Gone*

Posted on December 16, 2009
Okay, we all know that the state revenue forecast has Indiana in some pretty dire straits and Governor Mitch Daniels is calling for $300 million in cuts from education.   Now while some people may argue that the dark clouds have finally hit, I maintain there is a ray of  sunshine in all this...

Second Day Story

Posted on December 15, 2009
Okay, here’s the follow up to yesterday. Contrary to popular opinion, Indiana lawmakers are not stupid and see the handwriting on the wall when it comes to property tax caps by overwhelmingly voting them out of committee.  In addition, the committee also overwhelmingly voted to cap tax bills to the previous year, plus the consumer price [...

Brother, Can You Spare $2 Billion?

Posted on December 15, 2009
Indiana lawmakers got the bad news today.  The state faces a $1.8 billion revenue shortfall by the end of the biennium.  Governor Daniels talks about it in the link below.  If the forecast is true not only is the $1 billion “surplus” gone, but the state is $800 million in the hole...

My Busy Day

Posted on December 14, 2009
Today was one of those busy days, it started at 4 a.m. and ended about 10 p.m.  It included an FSSA Privatization moratorium hearing, property tax caps, last meeting of the City-County Council for 2009.  I’m too tired to write, so I’m uploading today’s conversations...

Put On Your Tax Caps

Posted on December 13, 2009
I’m going to go out on a limb here and predict that in 2010, Indiana lawmakers will pass putting property tax caps on the ballot for the November election. “Wow, Abdul, you really did go all out on that one!”   Tell me about it. Seriously though, I base this assumption on some new data from the State [...

And Now For Something Completely Different

Posted on December 12, 2009

Enlightened Conversation

Posted on December 11, 2009
The Wayne Township Board Thursday night , found Jesus, common sense or angry voters and decided to take a pass on voting themselves a pay raise, retirement benefits and health insurance.   There was no discussion and I did a double take when it all happened because I thought I missed it...

Premature Adulation?

Posted on December 10, 2009
Terry Burns at Indianapolis Times says that former Indy Mayor Bart Peterson is expected to endorse Melina Kennedy for Mayor.  That confirms something my sources told me that Peterson alluded to endorsing Melina at a fundraiser last night at Highland Country Club...

Reality Checks and Balances

Posted on December 10, 2009
If there was ever another reason to get rid of township government, this is it.  The Wayne Township Board is voting on the following  tonight… A pay increase for board members. Payments into the Public Employees Retirement Fund for board members...

Order in the Court

Posted on December 09, 2009
Indianapolis Attorney Paul Ogden has filed suit against the Marion County Traffic Court alleging the system is unfair and violates the Constitutional rights of defendants who challenge their parking tickets because they can be hit with additional fines totalling up to $500 if they are unsuccessful...

Brizzi?s Honor, Part II

Posted on December 08, 2009
Here’s my interview with Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi on Tim Durham which aired on the radio show this morning. In part one Brizzi explains his relationship with Durham, the impact on his work as Prosecutor,  his role on the Board of Fair Financial, Durham’s notable lifestyle and Brizzi’s other finances...

Brizzi?s Honor

Posted on December 07, 2009
I sat down this afternoon with Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi and spoke to him about his relationship with local financier Tim Durham, who is under investigation for running an alleged Ponzi scheme.    The interview will be broadcast tomorrow at 8:10 a...

Monday Morning Musings

Posted on December 07, 2009
Here are some political tidbits you might have missed to get your Monday morning off to the usual start.  As usual take them for what they are worth… Don’t be surprised if the next Public Safety Director for Marion County is from out of town...

My Sunday Morning Rant

Posted on December 06, 2009
I stopped by the Community Values Summit this weekend at Charles Tinley Charter School on the east side.  I was looking for an elected official to do a quick interview on something I was working on.   I couldn’t find the official, but I did find something that I thought was a bit disturbing...

Let He Who is Without Sin?

Posted on December 05, 2009
My Capitol Watchblog colleague, Mike O’Brien, penned a pretty good post this week on the Democrats’ recent attack on financier Tim Durham and his funding of Republican candidates.  Mike, reminds our Democratic friends that before they go too far off on the plantation after Durham, they may want to look in the mirror and see [...

How to Create Jobs in 4 Easy Steps

Posted on December 04, 2009
The White House held a summit Thursday on how to create jobs in this economy.  I have a plan that can do it in four easy steps… Cut taxes. Cut spending. Cut red tape. Watch economy grow. Easy.

Safer In the City?

Posted on December 03, 2009
A new survey says Indianapolis residents feel more safe and better about the city than they have in years. The IUPUI Department of Tourism, Conventions and Event Management sampled nearly 600 people over three weeks at City Market. Nearly 55-percent of respondents said they felt either safe or very safe in the downtown area after dark...

Pick a Topic, Any Topic

Posted on December 02, 2009
I’ve got some legal and teaching responsibilities to take care of, so today will pretty much be an open forum for you to discuss whatever is on your mind.   Here are a few topics to start. The President’s plan for Afghanistan.  Good or bad? State Senate hears property tax caps...

Let?s Make A Deal

Posted on December 01, 2009
Now that the Indianapolis City-County Council has sent the proposed tougher  smoking ban back to committee, there’s an opportunity for Councilors to work out a reasonable compromise that can address secondhand smoke without implementing a draconian ban...

Put the Smoking Gun Back in the Holster

Posted on November 30, 2009
My friends at the Indy Star are reporting what I’ve been hearing for about a week now, the proposed expansion of the smoking ban is likely going back to committee.   You can hear my heart breaking.  Supporters hope to bring it back another day, but I doubt it will come back because the votes [...

Let the ?War on Christmas? Begin

Posted on November 29, 2009
I know we’re just a couple days into the holiday season, but it’s never too late to start talking about the “War on Christmas”.   You know the time when people get upset because someone wished them “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”...

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Posted on November 26, 2009
I want to take a few moments to wish all the readers of  Indiana Barrister a Happy Thanksgiving. This will be a special one for me for a couple of reasons.  This will be the first one with my lovely wife and as some of you may be aware, my Dad has serious health issues this [...

It?s Not What It Is, It?s What It Looks Like

Posted on November 25, 2009
There’s a story about a guy who works on a sheep ranch.  That day his wife tells him they have a dinner party to attend that evening, but he has to work later than usual, so he takes his suit with him.   After spending the day working, the man gathers the sheep in the barn...

IP$ $alary $chedule

Posted on November 24, 2009
As Indianapolis Public Schools look to cut $12 million from their budget, I decided to take a look at the salaries of the district’s more than 5400 employees.  The highest paid salary was Dr. Eugene White who makes $240,640 in salary and benefits...

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