I just wanted to post a thank you to my sister-in-law for designing my swanky new banner and to my wife for installing it. If it were up to me, this place would be margin to margin black text on white background. (Or, if I was feeling retro – green text on black background.) Fortunately, I’m surrounded by folks with better design sense than that.
Andrea Neal on Prison Privatization and Work Release
Andrea Neal, former of the Indy Star editorial page and currently a columnist with an outfit called the Indiana Policy Review Foundation has a column in the Evansville Courier Press which essentially concludes that Dept. of Corrections Commissioner J. David Donahue’s privatization plans are an unadulterated good. Doubtless they have much to recommend them, but according to the column, there is no apparent downside.
Of more interest to me was the commentary with respect to work-release programs as a means by which to reduce recidivism among inmates.
Current practice is to hand an inmate about $75 in cash “and say good luck” as he walks out the prison door, Donahue said. Effective work-release programs make it possible for inmates to truly begin anew with income necessary to support themselves and a family. In Indiana, work-release took on an unjustified black eye in 1989 after an inmate named Alan Matheney killed his ex-wife while out of prison on a weekend pass. Although the pass program was different from work-release, Gov. Evan Bayh essentially shut down state community-based correction programs in response.
Let’s cast our memory back to 1989. Was there anything notable or possibly infamous in the news with respect to letting inmates out into the community before their sentence was complete? Do the names George Bush, Michael Dukakis, and Willie Horton ring a bell? Of course, Gov. Bayh stopped that stuff. Back in ’89, Republicans had a field day beating up on Democrats as soft on crime. If you weren’t foaming at the mouth to execute every jaywalker, you might as well be inviting them to rape your wife. Now you hardly ever hear about getting tough on crime. Now terrorists are the boogeyman. Before that, it was the Communists. But I digress.
Hoosiers getting poorer
According to an article in the Journal Gazette: Indiana household income has taken a dive.
Hoosier income has dropped more than 5 percent since 2000, one of the largest declines in the nation, according to census figures released Tuesday.
With a median household income of $42,195, Indiana had the seventh-largest income decline among the states when adjusted for inflation, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Mississippi had the biggest income dip at 12 percent.
. . .
The figures are from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, which replaces the census long form. Along with the ACS, the bureau released its Current Population Survey, which reported that its two-year average for Indiana’s uninsured rose from 12.4 percent of the population (2001-02) to 14.2 percent (2003-2004), or about 872,000 people.
Nationwide, median household income remained unchanged between 2003 and 2004 at $44,389. More than half of the states in the Midwest had median household incomes below the U.S. median.
Meanwhile, the nation’s poverty rate rose from 12.5 percent in 2003 to 12.7 percent in 2004. Poverty rates for counties surveyed ranged from 2.6 percent in Johnson, Kan., to 43.6 percent in Hidalgo, Texas.
In addition, the percentage of the nation’s population without health insurance coverage remained stable, at 15.7 percent in 2004.
Rep. Thompson asks that Indy be put on Central Time
The USDOT docket has a letter from Representative Jeff Thompson (R-Lizton) who represents parts of Boone, Hendricks, and Montgomery counties. The letter is addressed to Governor Daniels and was copied to the USDOT. He asks that the Governor use his influence to put Indianapolis, and therefore, much of the rest of the state, on central time.
His rationale:
1. Economic development – The west is the fastest growing area of our country. It would make more sense to always be two hours ahead of California than three hours. It would be 1 1 :00 A.M. in Indiana before a business opens in California if Indiana is placed in the Eastern Time Zone. If we are three hours ahead of California it will only be 1:30 P.M. in California when a business in Indiana will be closing if Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone.
2. Northwestern Indiana – The citizens of Northwestern Indiana are aligned with Chicago. If Indiana is placed in the Cental Time Zone these citizens will be on the same time as Indianapolis. If Indiana is in the Eastern Time Zone then these citizens will never be on the same time as Indianapolis.
3. Safety of our school children – If Indiana is placed in the Central Time Zone, school children will be getting on school buses in daylight. This is an important safety issue. As the father of five and a school teacher, the safety of our children is of great concern to me.
Makes sense to me.
Journal & Courier on Time zones in Tippecanoe County
Dan Shaw for the Lafayette Journal and Courier has an article entitled DST hearing tonight. The Tippecanoe County Commissioners will receive public input with respect to what time zone Tippecanoe County ought to be in. So far, the public input has been 2/3 in favor of Central — though the polling has certainly been informal. (It may well be that those who favor a change to central time are more motivated to comment than those who would like to stay on eastern time.) So far, the most common reason has been sentiment that it makes more sense for Tippecanoe County to follow Chicago than New York. However, the article suggests that a primary consideration will likely be to follow the lead of Indianapolis. At the time zone hearing tonight, the commissioners would like to receive information directed at the criteria important to the US Dept. of Transportation:
1. Where do communities get their supplies and ship their goods.
2. Where communities receive their news and television.
3. Where does the community get its bus and rail services.
4. The nearest airport.
5. What percentage of the community works outside the community and where do those people work.
6. If residents leave the community for school, recreation, healthcare, or religious worship, what standard of time is used in the places where these people go.
Indy Star editorial on PTA being left off Education Roundtable
The Indy Star has an editorial entitled Give parents place at roundtable. The roundtable has been reduced from 40 to 30 members. One of the cuts was to eliminate the representative of the Parent Teacher Association which, the editorial feels, is a mistake if we really want more parental involvement in our schools. I wonder if the local branch of Brother Dobson’s Focus on the Family still has a place at the table. It’d be a shame if parents were forced out but local theocrats were still at the trough.
Silverman faces charges of cronyism at the BMV
According to an Indy Star piece by Mary Beth Schneider, a legislative committee of the General Assembly questioned BMV Commissioner Joel Silverman over placement of 24 ex-Galyans workers in BMV positions. Silverman, of course, was formerly head of Galyans. Ten of the 24 were placed in positions created by firing or reassigning individuals who had held the jobs.
I suspect this wouldn’t have caused too much of a stir if Silverman hadn’t angered legislators by more or less unilaterally deciding to close a bunch of BMV branches, all of which are inevitably in some legislator’s district. He compounded his problem by admitting that he waited until the General Assembly adjourned to make the announcements so that they would be less able to stop him. I’m on record as believing that, provided Silverman’s criteria for closing are impartial and sensible, proceeding with the shutdowns in this fashion is probably the only way to go. With too much legislative involvement, you’ll have closings that reflect the relative power of various legislators rather than a rational assessment of which branches are least necessary. Having said that, however, you pretty much have to be pure as the driven snow to survive the resulting shitstorm. Putting his former employees on the public payroll after firing good, hard-working public servants (I’ll presume) is just giving your enemies a brick to beat you with.
Good luck, Joel.
Sen. Earline Rogers, D-Gary, told Silverman she would seek a constitutional amendment to let the legislature hold confirmation hearings on executive branch appointments. She said such hearings might head off controversial hires.
Rep. Charlie Brown, D-Gary, went further, calling for Silverman to resign immediately. A Gary license branch has been targeted for closing.
. . .
While Rogers doesn’t have a Republican co-sponsor for her proposed amendment — a practical necessity in the GOP-controlled legislature — Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, said, “She’ll not have any problem finding one.”
Confirmation powers or not, welcome to the wonders of Madisonian Democracy. We have one-party rule in Indiana, and the checks are still being balanced. Madison designed our system with the idea that the inclination to grab power and protect turf would keep various branches of government at each others throats enough to keep them off the backs of the citizens. Seems like maybe it’s working. Bravo, Mr. Madison. Bravo.
Indiana Chamber Astroturf Campaign
I was reviewing the Online Docket for the consideration of where the Indiana Time Zone line should properly be set. There are a number of new entries that have been put up since I last looked. Apparently the USDOT is getting a flood of submissions from an astroturf campaign of sorts organized by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The give away is if the letter is addressed precisely as follows:
Neil R. Eisner, Esquire
Assistant General Counsel for Regulation and Enforcement
Office of General Counsel
U.S. Department of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
This is how the Indiana Chamber of Commerce directs its members to address letters to USDOT requesting eastern daylight saving time. The chamber helpfully provides a template:
Dear Mr. Eisner,
Next spring when all of Indiana begins observing Daylight Saving Time, it is crucial that at least the 82 counties currently in the Eastern time zone switch to Eastern Daylight Saving Time (DST).
The reasons for “eastern†over “central are very clear. Eastern DST provides the opportunity for business gains, increased safety, energy savings and an enhanced quality of life. Moving to the Central time zone eliminates those benefits and runs the risk of additional traffic fatalities, crimes and energy usage.
(INSERT YOUR ORGANIZATION) firmly requests that no more counties are moved to the Central time zone than the number (10) that currently exists.
(INSERT YOUR ORGANIZATION) recognizes that the five counties in Northwest Indiana should stay on Central DST. Furthermore, we believe that the five counties in Southwest Indiana currently on Central DST should be allowed to choose the time zone they wish to follow. However, the (INSERT YOUR ORGANIZATION) also believes that it is imperative to align the markets of Southwest Indiana with those of the majority of the rest of the state, including Indianapolis and nearby Louisville, Kentucky.
What time Indiana observes was already decided by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in the 1960s when the division of the state between the Eastern and Central time zones was made. Therefore, the (INSERT YOUR ORGANIZATION) requests the federal DOT to move most of the state – at least the 82 counties in the Eastern time zone – to Eastern DST.
[blah, blah, blah]
Somehow the template letter neglected to include that the writers were commenting at the request of the Chamber of Commerce. An oversight, I’m sure.
The letters which are not identifiable as Chamber cut-and-paste jobs seem to break heavily in favor of Central Time. (Or, in several cases, a plea to forego DST entirely.) Of special note, is a letter signed by Representatives Lehe, McClain, and Gutwein, stating in pertinent part:
We represent districts in the Northwest Region of the state. After discussions with each other and our constituents, we respecthlly urge your consideration in requesting that all Indiana counties, except those specifically designated as Eastern Time Zone in Section 3(b) of Senate Enrolled Act 127, be placed in the Central Time Zone. We believe this is the most appropriate time zone for Indiana given its geographic location.
You may recall that these are the three legislators who flip-flopped back in April and allowed the Daylight Saving Time bill to live where, had they voted consistently, the bill would have died. The bill had been defeated 50-49 so it was only mostly dead – had it been defeated with 51 votes it couldn’t have been brought back to the floor. As it was, the bill was brought up for a vote again and Representatives Lehe, McClain, and Gutwein changed their votes, paving the way for DST to become the law of the land.
Also, St. Joseph County submitted a request for hearings and for St. Joseph County to be designated a Central Time Zone county. It was signed by Commissioners Bodle, Ross, and Dobson as well as mayors Luecke and Rea. It has a bare assertion that the county has strong economic ties to Chicago but does not appear to have contained any supporting documentation or detailed explanations.
Gov. Daniels spares mentally ill killer
Daniels spares mentally ill killer.
Gov. Mitch Daniels on Monday spared the life of convicted killer Arthur P. Baird II, adding fuel to a national debate over whether people with severe mental illnesses are fit to be executed.
. . .
Baird was to be executed early Wednesday in the Indiana State Prison at Michigan City for the Sept. 6, 1985, stabbing deaths of his parents, Kathryn and Arthur Baird. He also was sentenced to 60 years in prison for strangling his pregnant wife, Nadine, and eight years for killing his unborn child the day before his parents’ slayings in Montgomery County.
It’s always struck me a bit odd that we like to have murderers sane before we kill them. I know it has to do with mens rea and the moral culpability we feel is necessary before imposing the death penalty, but it strikes me as a bit odd just the same. My personal problem with the death penalty is that I’m not confident the system is 100% (or even in the high 90s) reliable in making sure the right person is convicted. Probably I’m just not sensitive enough to the plight of the mentally ill, but I don’t really have a problem with the state executing an individual whose mental illness is severe enough that it would allow the individual to stab his parents and strangle his pregnant wife. On the other hand, I’m not so blood thirsty that I have a problem with Gov. Daniels converting Baird’s sentence.
Boring Indiana
I guess Indiana is just a boring kind of state. To the east of us, you have Ohio Governor Taft getting convicted on ethics charges tangentially related to several hundred billion dollars in losses by the Ohio Bureau of Worker’s Compensation. Now, to the south of us, in a scandal of which I know nothing, Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher issues a blanket pardon for everyone but himself with respect to a scandal involving illegal hiring of state workers. Apparently he’s going to take the Fifth in front of a Grand Jury on Tuesday.
What do we have? Toll roads, time zones, and RVs at fish fries. Oh my.
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