The Colts & Government Agree

Remind me to do business with the State where I have an asset the State wants to remain in Indiana, and I could threaten to move it- especially if I can get into a negotiation with the State.

In sum, the Colts got everything they wanted. A new stadium is on its way. The Colts will get a portion of proceeds from other events that use the building they will not own. The Colts will not put a $3 tax on tickets. I just have to enter into a negotiation with the State one day!

I have been complaining on this site for two years that public saftey and infrastructure should be higher priorities than stadium building. In the wake of Katrina, economist Bill Styring offers some interesting priority comparisons between New Orleans circa 1971, and Indianapolis today. From Styring's op-ed in today's Indy Star:

New Orleans' choice in 1971 was to spend money upgrading the levees or to build a Superdome for the Saints football team. The new dome cost $134 million. In today's dollars, that's not quite a billion bucks. They chose the Superdome. True, had they opted for levees instead of the Superdome, the Saints might have left for another city. And there might also today be a New Orleans.

and

So Indianapolis is about to make the same trade as New Orleans: a glitzy new sports palace in exchange for rotting basic infrastructure.

I'd wager that if New Orleans could do it over, the Saints would be in Los Angeles and today New Orleans would be dry. Are we making the same mistake they did?

Mr. Styring, please do not overlook the notion that the new stadium could be used one day as a shelter should floods equal to those of 1913 return to Central Indiana- just as the Superdome has been recently employed. That should bring you all the comfort you need. Just ask State Senator Luke Kenley. From another Indy Star story on the stadium deal:

"My expectation is they (the authority) will not only announce it, but also approve it and move forward," said state Sen. Luke Kenley, R-Noblesville, the architect of the stadium legislation and a nonvoting member of the authority board. "I feel greatly relieved -- it looks like we'll get it done and hold to the timeline of finishing by August 15th, 2008." (emphasis supplied)

It would have been a vastly nobler achievement to be regarded as the architect of a deal to make sure the sewers cease to back up with raw sewage and cease those discharges into the White River. It could have been done on the same timeline, at about the same cost.

Ah, well. A man's got his priorities.

Russmo Cartoons

I've always been a fan of political cartoons. Russmo is my current favorite. Here are two recent ones that I really like.

Price Gouging = Bad, Right?

Here are several columns on proce gouging, the mechanism of price, and general economics as related to the aftermath of any disaster.

John Stossel, from ABC News.
Iain Murray, of Tech Central Station.
William Tucker, with the American Enterprise.
Walter Williams, George Mason University.
Walter Block, Loyola University.

Everybody wants prices to be lower. Many argue that they should be lower. The question that must be asked is: who should correctly set the prices, the seller or the buyer? Those arguing for price controls is saying that the consumer is more important the the producer, and has no legitimate claim of ownership on what he produces. And we wonder why there is a struggle for property rights in this country.

If the Kelo v. New London decision angered you, for the same reasons that it did, you should not be in favor of price controls.

Also, the kook network is busy circulating emails urging a gas-out, or boycott. As usual, urban legend website Snopes sorts of these actions, and shows that they would do more harm than good. Supply and demand, as always.

Hamilton County Budget Time

I was surprised to learn today that the County Council moved their meeting to the first Tuesday of the month, whereas it is normally scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month. No matter. I attended and urged the Council to pass the most austere budget possible.

Actually, that's not much of a surprise. I always lobby for austere budgets, and local governing bodies seem to shift the days and times of their meetings regularly. Maybe this latter is why I wasn't too surprised that I was the only person who got up and spoke on the budget.

Get that.

Just me. Nobody else. It's a county of a quarter-million, and only one person gave the Council any input whatsoever.

I know that the Hurricane is on the minds of many, and is much more an issue of life or death. It's just unfortunate. The opportunity to speak up is there, and unexercised by the average citizen.

Happy Anniversary, Abdul!

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the "Abdul In The Morning" show on WXNT. Congratulations go to host Abdul Hakim-Shabazz and program director Andrew Lee in bringing an outstanding talk program to Central Indiana.

Prior to Abdul's arrival, WXNT's "Morning Line" was a decent program, with fairly regular coverage of news events. Abdul took the coverage to a new level, by attending public meetings, interviewing elected officials at all levels, covering news in places long ignored and deemed too small by other media outlets, such as Lawrence and Beech Grove. And of course, I appreciate the inclusive coverage of the activities of the Libertarian Party, and being invited onto the show regularly.

Here's looking forward to several more years... or until we convince Abdul that he absolutely has to run for office as a Libertarian!

Full Weekend of Campaign Activity

The Kole Campaign was busy this weekend, making three appearances, reaching people in a wide range of the state.

Wayne County held their annual fundraiser garage sale, and I was on hand Saturday to say hello to friends, supporters, and bargain hunters alike. Chair Rex Bell and his organization raised over $2,300 on the weekend.

I discovered the joy of making cotton candy. Ame & Isabel met the cows across the fence in Rex's backyard. From Hagerstown to Greenfield as Hancock County held a tax freedom rally and cookout. Excellent fellowship with Chair Chris Ward, campaign team member Jenn Bradshaw, and all of the Hancock County folks. Labor Day weekend is a great time for a tax freedom rally. No better time to remind people that you should have the first claim on the fruits of your labor, and not the government.
This morning, I sat in with Abdul on the morning show on WXNT. Of course, most conversation centered on Katrina and New Orleans, although the passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist was discussed, and President Bush announced his move to have Roberts start his tenure on the Supreme Court as Chief.

It wasn't all Federal issues, as we did get around to talking about what the Libertarian Party has been doing lately in Indiana- mainly, providing the only consistent opposition to higher taxes.

Tune In Monday Morning!

Here's the reminder, since tomorrow won't feel like a Monday morning. Catch me on Newstalk 1430-am WXNT, from 6-9am Labor Day morning. I'll be joining Brad Klopfenstein on the popular"Abdul In The Morning" show.

The original idea was that Brad & I would fill in for Abdul so that he might take a vacation day. We've done this before. See my profile picture for an 'action photo' behind WXNT's microphone.

Since Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath are still big news, management wants Abdul on the microphone. Instead of filling in, Brad & I will Abdul's guests.

Feel free to call in, on 317-228-1430. Those outside the Indy area can listen to the streamed signal via the website. We'll give the 1-800 number during the broadcast.

Awful Scene, Awful Selective Coverage

Why is it that an important story about the horrible conditions within the Superdome immediately after the Hurricane passed is under-reported in the US? Why did I have to go to a New Zealand newspaper's site to find such a story?

It seems that a sizeable effort has been made to try to hide the facts, and probably with the major media's complicity. Why? If only that effort was more properly spent- in assisting and protecting the refugees- the situation might have been improved to the point that it would be reported on here. For my own edification, I gave up on the major media for this story and checked out New Orleans bloggers, who were on or near the scene, and who did not mince words.

Let's not hide the embarrassing stuff. Let's get it out in the open. That's the only way you can ever begin to address it.

Blog links:

The Interdictor. This is the most amazing blog I have seen since the events of September 11. The sheer volume and journalistic quality of the photographs will stagger you. Fans of historian Howard Zinn should take note. History books will one day give facts and statistics about Katrina. Anyone really wanting to get a detailed human look at humanity on the ground can already get it, first-hand. Talk about a primary source. Beware- you could spend a lot of time here. It's hard not to get caught up in the real-life drama.

Dancing With Katrina. I think the writers thought it would be cute to blog the Hurricane. Yeah, cute. It's worth reading to see reality sink in over time, and starkly depicted.

Google Earth. The satelite images of New Orleans for the days of Katrina are becoming available. You could rebuild, but why would you want to risk duplicating this mess?

New Orleans Pics

Here's a link to amazing and voluminous pictures from atop a downtown New Orleans building. Let's hear it for the digital camera, the internet, and the blog!

http://sigmund.biz/kat/index.html

More Boortz

Check in to Neal's Nuze again today. It is excellent, as it has been all week. Some of the best commentary on Katrina and its aftermath can be found there. Here are links to the Nuze from the past few days:

Thu 9/1 Wed 8/31 Tue 8/30

New Orleans Anarchy

The natural disaster caused by Hurricane Katrina has often moved me. The scope of the devastation caused by it, and especially the human misery, has often given me pause over the past few days.

However, the subhuman reaction by many in New Orleans has also given rise to anger in me. There is enough human misery there already, and no need to compound it with the general lawlessness.

AP report on general lawlessness. Unfortunately, the police are a large part of the problem. Beyond participating in the looting themselves, this quote seems to sum up their attitude:

Tourist Debbie Durso of Washington, Mich., said she asked a police officer for assistance and his response was, "'Go to hell - it's every man for himself.'"

Here, we are unfortunately seeing the result of actions by so many within a society that do not respect individual rights or property rights. These are most assuredly not libertarians looting and raping. Indeed, the justifications for the looting in particular offered by so many are classic socialism. As you can see, socialism unleashed is a frightening spectacle.

Pics from the scene. Pictures are worth 1,000 words. The one that shook me to my core is of a little girl abandoned by her family, who was overjoyed at receiving bottled water.

Let's get around to teaching property rights to the people of New Orleans once the rebuilding is reasonably completed. Natural disasters can occur at any time, and it is likely that New Orleans will again see flooding and hurricanes. The misery caused by natural disasters cannot be prevented. The misery caused by humans in the aftermath can- and should- be prevented.

As a Libertarian spokesman who often engages in debate over policy solutions, I so frequently hear that a move to a more libertarian society would bring anarchy. Well, New Orleans is experiencing real anarchy right now, and it isn't happening because there is a widespread belief that one's home is his castle, that any theft is theft no matter the reason, or that it is wrong to initiate force against another human being. Look on it well. This is the result of teaching socialism, that individual need trumps individual rights.

In fact, New Orleans could have used a libertarian mindset over the last few days.

Excellent Neal's Nuze

Every day, Neal Boortz posts his running commentary, that are equal parts show notes, mini op-ed columns, and reading assignments. Today's is excellent, and addresses many things I would like to cover in the wake of Katrina given unlimited time and energy. The following is all from Neal Boortz. I don't usually cut such large portions of other's work, but this is so good and really, I would just be duplicating him, so I may as well just step aside and give Boortz the floor and the credit.

Boortz on looting:

I saw a picture on Yahoo News yesterday. The picture showed two people wading through chest-deep water in New Orleans. The lady has some food with her. The caption says "Two residents wade through chest-deep water after finding bread and soda from a local grocery store after Hurricane Katrina came through the area in New Orleans, Louisiana" Finding? They found the food? Sorry ... they stole it. Just because they're white doesn't mean they "found" food. Another picture on Yahoo News showed a black person with food taken from a grocery store. This person was
identified as a "looter." White, black ... whatever. It's stealing.

Fellow Hoosier Libertarian Rob Beck has excellent commentary on looting.

Boortz on gas prices:

There has never in the history of the world been a better way to allocate scarce resources than to simply allow the law of supply and demand to take its course. Whenever government steps in to interfere, shortages occur and chaos often reigns.

The way to handle the gas panic in Atlanta yesterday was to RAISE PRICES! It's not price gouging. It's the law of supply and demand at work. Today there will be people in Atlanta who might not be able to drive their own cars to work, to doctors appointments or to buy groceries who would otherwise be driving if gas stations throughout Atlanta had raised their prices in response to the increased demand and limited supply.

Let me explain:

As the panic spread, and the demand increased, the prices at the pumps were pretty much unchanged ... for a while. As a result people decided to top off every vehicle they owned .. .no matter how much gas remained in the tank. The predictable result was that stations soon ran out of fuel. The word spread, and more people hit the streets to fill more cars. Today people in Atlanta will find that many gas stations still have their pumps shut down. Throughout the night tanker trucks were busy trying to replenish the stations, but there simply aren't enough trucks to meet this demand. Another supply problem.

So .. what was the solution? For the politician the solution may have been to pander to the electorate by talking about imposing fines on gas station operators who "overcharge", whatever that means, consumers. The real solution, though, was to increase prices in response to the increased demand and limited supply. This is what the uninformed and the political class call "price gouging."

Let's take a look at what would have happened if the free market had been allowed to do what it has always done so well -- when left alone -- and that is to allocate scarce resources. If gas prices had risen strongly yesterday (as they in fact did at some stations) then people would have given a second thought to filling every car they own. If the prices were, say, $5 a gallon, consumers would have purchased what they thought they might need to get through the next few days, and would have started making plans for conservation., Certainly few people would have been shuttling back and forth filling up every car they owned. As a result, the gas that one consumer didn't pump into his second or third car because the price was so high would have been gas available for someone to put into the car they actually needed to get to work.

Keeping the prices artificially low encouraged over-consumption and hoarding.

This is why we can expect to find shortages in Hawaii, California, or any other place that puts artificial price caps on gasoline. A dear price makes you think carefully about use. This is one thing environmentalists understand about the mechanism of price when they call for artificially high prices. I hope those folks are happy now.

Boortz on "price records" and refining capacity:

At long last, we finally have a gas price record. The media has been reporting for years about "record gas prices," but they never have actually been records. The left, in their never-ending quest to demonize the oil industry, doesn't adjust gas prices for inflation. You simply cannot compare prices from one era to the next without adjusting for inflation.

So what was the record? In 2005 dollars, gasoline cost an average of $3.08 a gallon in March of 1981. It only took almost a quarter of a century to break the record. So what about bringing down prices now?

Prices have shot up in the wake of Katrina because 10% of the United States' refining capacity has been knocked out. Those refineries are along the Gulf Coast. Since there are only 149 gasoline refineries in the United States, and since none have been built in the last 30 years, knocking a few offline means supply doesn't meet demand. Thus the price goes up.

The answer is to build more refineries...and fast. If we had enough refineries to pick up the slack and continue meeting the demand, the rest of the country wouldn't be paying so much at the pump right now. So who is to blame?

Your friendly neighborhood environmentalist, that's who. It takes years to get a permit to build a refinery, if it can be done at all. We haven't built any in so long because Democratic, liberal, leftist, socialist enviro-wackos are preventing the permits from being pulled. No new refineries means every last one is running at full capacity in the summer. A hiccup of any kind means an interruption in supply. It's made worse by the fact that the oil companies have to refine dozens of special environmental blends to satisfy the politicians in various cities.

So as you fill up today and tomorrow for your holiday weekend, just know that you are paying so much because of the radical environmental movement in this country.

Thanks, Neal!

Pump Prices

Yes, it's bad. It's to where the price per gallon is where we've never seen it before- even in California! This is my photo from the local Co-Op, in Noblesville:

For perspective, gasoline pump prices are now on par with where they were in the early 1980s. Adjusted for inflation, that is. The screaming is that the prices are the highest ever. That screaming was happening a dollar per gallon ago. Now it's finally true.

So, since it is finally true, perhaps we can start to address the root of the problem- the lack of refining capacity in the United States.

Mike On The Air

Here's a reason to wake up early on Labor Day. Libertarian Party Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein will fill in on the Abdul In The Morning show on WXNT 1430-am, from 6-9am, next Monday morning. I will be Brad's guest.

If you want to listen from outside the Indy area, go to WXNT's website and pick up the streamed signal. Remember that Indiana is on Central Time right now.

Victory Viewing

The Fishers Town Council Meeting will air three times today on Channel 19 (at least on Insight cable). I'll be checking it out to see my speech. I'd love to tape it and make it available somehow. Anyhow, here's the schedule: 1pm, 5pm, and 9pm.

Update: Total rip-off!!! The one-hour broadcast just happened to conclude with the end of Scott Faultless' remarks... and just before I took the podium!

In fact, none of the remarks of anyone but Council members and the Town Manager were aired. The non-vote on the food & beverage tax was not aired. The Council members' rationales for voting against the tax were not aired. What gives?!

These programs are supposed to be a public service, not merely a propaganda service on behalf of the members of government. I'll be looking into this nonsense.

Libertarians Have Solutions

What makes the Libertarian Party of Indiana distinct from some other state parties is that we offer solutions, not merely criticism.

Margaret Fette is the Chair of the LP of Monroe County. She recently submitted a proposal for a map redistricting for Bloomington. Her map meets the requirements for distributing roughly equal populations per district, but is free of electoral bias. It lets the voters decide who will be their representative rather than the party bosses.

From the Hoosier Times:

Libertarians' map merits consideration

August 30, 2005

The Monroe County Libertarian Party, not wanting to be out of the loop in the Republican-pushed mid-decade county redistricting process, has submitted a map for new county council districts that merits serious consideration by the redistricting committee when it meets Wednesday.

and

(T)he map makes a lot of sense - more than the one the Democrat-controlled
redistricting committee and county commissioners approved in 2001.

It's not enough to criticize. Offer a counter-proposal, submit it, and stand behind it. Margaret showed that even in a fairly hostile political environment such as in Bloomington, good ideas cut through the fog like a beacon of light.

Margaret's map is an important strike against the practice of gerrymandering, which serves the major political parties well, but is a major disservice to the people in such districts, and is damaging to the democratic process by ensuring unresponsive elected officials.

Note: I would include a link to the Hoosier Times story, but it is only available to subscribers.

Good News As Bad News Letter

I submitted a revised version of my recent post "Good News That's Kinda Stinky" to the Noblesville Daily Times. It was printed as a letter in today's edition. Link to letter.

VICTORY!!!

After a lengthy campaign, the Libertarians in Hamilton County finally helped Republican Council members re-discover fiscal conservatism and defeat a tax.

Fishers Town Council voted to not vote on the proposed 1% food & beverage tax tonight, effectively allowing it to die on the vine. It was curious that they chose not to vote. You would have thougth that they would have wanted to be on record voting against a tax.

Coverage from the Noblesville Daily Times.

The Libertarian Party provided the only consistent opposition to the food & beverage tax increases. Libertarians spoke out against each tax. These were considered and passed in Hamilton County, then Carmel, Noblesville, and Westfield.

Libertarians wrote several letters that were printed in the Noblesville Ledger and Daily Times. We spoke on WXNT 1430-am. We directed an email campaign to contact the Councilors. We led pub crawls that finally gave the business owners and patrons a voice. This has all been chronicled on this blog over the last few months.

All of the Councilors on all of these bodies are Republicans. We beat them up for being tax-and-spenders. Finally, one of these bodies decided it didn't want to get beat up on this any more.

This is the value of having Libertarians on the ballot. If we weren't on the ballot here in Indiana, there would not have been any opposition to the taxes. The Republicans created them. The Democrats, such as exist in Hamilton County, stood by silently, absently. They attended no meetings.

If Libertarians didn't show up in all of these places, this tax would have passed.

After Town Council President Scott Faultless gave a powerful speech in favor of the tax, I got up to speak in opposition to the tax, but also in support of keeping my Town great, and in support of Fishers' restuarant and tavern owners.

My main points were pretty simple, and followed from what Mr. Faultless gave me. He cited the #1 statewide ranking the Town of Fishers was awarded by Money Magazine. He also cited the Town's fiscal conservatism of the recent past. He meant this latter as justification that one little tax hike now isn't a big deal. My counter was that the high ranking and the low tax rate are not inseperable. If the Town moves away from what made it great and earned the high ranking, we can only expect that ranking to slip.

Mr. Faultless cited several other targeted taxes we have in Fishers- on tobacco, on alcohol, on hotel rooms, and on a host of others. Rather than having made the case that the trend justified extending, I felt that Faultless made the opposite case, that we sure do single out a lot of little groups of people, and that's unfair. The hospitality industry shouldn't be singled out to carry the tax load.

The ordinance included language that cited the fact that restaurants were subject to the same 1% extra tax, so adding it in Fishers wouldn't put our restaurants in a comparative disadvantage. I argued that by defeating the tax, the Council could instead put Fishers restaurants at a comparative advantage compared to those in Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, and Indianapolis. I argued that the Town should always act in such a way to make Fishers more attractive to business, not less.

My arguments won the day. Of course, I was not alone. John Livengood from the Hospitality Industry spoke, as did Dave Dore of White Castle. Fishers resident Gregg Puls also spoke.

Research Results

I am currently in the draft mode for an article on the gerrymandering of districts. Think it isn't a problem in Indiana?

In 2004, there were 100 races for State Representative, as all 100 seats are contested each year. I use the word "contested" with some hesitation. 32 seats were not contested at all. Completely unchallenged. Free pass for the incumbent.

Of the remaining 69, 9 were challenged only by the Libertarian candidate. One more was contested by a write-in candidate, who received five (5) votes.

In fact, only 13 of the 100 were in any way competitive. In this sense, I define competitive as a non-blowout, where the second-place finisher was at least within 10% of the victor.

On over to the State Senate in 2004, 25 races were "contested". Here 9 seats were completely unchallenged, with the incumbent getting a free pass. 5 seats were contested only by a Libertarian candidate.

Only one race, for District 5, was competitive. Get that. Only one. 24 of the 25 races were uncompetitive, meaning, blowouts.

If you are wondering why your elected officials seem a bit aloof to your concerns, here you go. Both sides know they are going to be re-elected in certain districts because people are not willing to vote against their natural inclinations no matter how bone-headed the elected official is with policy; and, the major party opposition will not field a serious candidate with serious financial backing to honestly challenge. The reason these two statements are so is gerrymandering: The practice of creating electoral districts in such a way that satisfies electoral rules for population distribution, while creating outcome certainties so that the major political parties can largely conserve their resources.

Not exactly representative government at its finest.

This is one of two issues that will make up my main campaign platform.

Parade in Markle

Yesterday's Wildcat Parade in Markle was great fun, and a nice chance to get in front of some voters. The theme of the parade was Mardi Gras, and we gave away beads- about 50 dozen all told.Ame and Isabel look on as I untangle beads with Sheri Conover Sharlow.

Jeannette Jaquish's daughter Zephyr dressed as Lady Liberty, and led the parade. My son Alex is holding my banner as he waits for the line to start moving.

Interestingly, not all of the Democrats of Republicans were marching in the parade. Some lined the streets, probably so that they could more directly work the crowds. I made it a point to give beads to some from both parties. They were speachless, which was amusing. I wished them good luck in the elections in 2006, and finally they were able to manage weak smiles. I never understand what the constant feeling of antagonism is all about with those guys.

This was Isabel's first parade, and was not merely a spectator. Actually, as Ame pushed her in the stroller, Isabel slept. This was amazing, because we were followed by emergency vehicles that ran their sirens almost continuously. This shot is from the end of the parade, and I had given out nearly all my beads.

I remarked to the family that I may well spend every Summer weekend in 2006 this way, as the campaign gets along towards the election. We'll test that theory that everyone loves a parade.

There were people who said that they would vote for me, only because I gave their kids beads and others didn't. It's not the best reason, but it matters, and I'll take it.

GOP = Tax & Spend

I thought the time was right to compile some articles showing that the trend I have chronicled here- tax & spend Republicans- is not merely a Hamilton County phenomenon.

Item: Fox News, the conservative news channel itself, ran Radly Balko's critique on GOP spending at the Federal level. This is not Ronald Reagan's GOP anymore.

Item: Washington Post article, "In Congress, the GOP Embraces Its Spending Side".

Item: Mark Tapscott's article "Has the GOP Lost Its Soul" appears on Townhall.com, and discusses the pork-barrell spending and Bush's lack of veto.

Item: The Daily Kos describes Alabama's new governor's flip-flop on taxes. Alabama actually has a GOP chair, though, who spoke in frustration on this situation instead of toeing the line. Has three links to additional items.

The Cato Institute: Cato has about 30 or so articles on this topic. Here's the link to the main page on Federal spending. Cato's 20-page study in pdf format, "The Grand Old Spending Party".

There are hundreds more. You get the picture: The GOP has abandoned fiscal conservatism. Only the Libertarian Party opposes tax-and-spend anymore.

Colts Negotiations Failings

As someone who has conducted negotiations for a paycheck, I have marvelled for months at the tremendous gaffe the governments side has allowed to float along.

The Colts haven't signed anything.

This is Negotiation 101. One party should never begin to act and to commit resources unless and until the other side has committed to do so as well.

The government side has been so eager to act, they didn't bother getting the Colts to agree to the $3/ticket tax, or even to sign a lease. Touchdown Colts! This did not stop the Central Indiana counties from passing a 1% increase in their food & beverage taxes. Touchdown Colts!

So, the Colts are completely in the driver's seat. The governments have no leverage (Field Goal Colts!) beyond the hope that if the Colts play hardball, the public will resent it. That's a bad bet, because the governments were betting that the public would not resent a raise in taxes to support the team and a new stadium. Touchdown Colts!

In fact, the Colts never even issued the threat of leaving Indianapolis. The pols- Mayor Peterson, Governor Daniels, Senator Kenley- have all made it out that the Colts put that item on the table. Perhaps the team did behind closed doors, but no team spokesman has ever said this on the record. Touchdown Colts!

Score: Colts 31, Governments 0

Today's Indy Star report makes for amusing reading, if one is amused by three governments that fumbled into the waiting arms of team owner Jim Irsay. So, it makes for irritating reading.

Peterson said he understands the ticket tax is no longer part of the deal because the stadium can be paid for without it. Chuck Schalliol, director of the Indiana Office of Management and Budget and Gov. Mitch Daniels' chief financial official, said Thursday the tax is not essential.

This is called Giving Away The Store. Had I done something like this when negotiating on behalf of utility companies, I would have been fired before the conclusion of the negotiation.

Kenley said the legislation did not fund the authority without a lease agreement to safeguard public money. Without a deadline, there would be no pressure to finish the lease, he said. Nearing construction within months of the session's May ending is extraordinary, he added.

"Why commit that kind of money without a lease?" Kenley said. "It takes all three parties to get the resources."

Why indeed, Senator Kenley! We already have committed the money without a lease. The Republican County Councilors in Hamilton and other doughnut counties have voted for the tax increases. The taxes are already being collected by restauranteurs in some jurisdictions. Bottom line: the lease should have been signed before a single tax vote was even taken. Alas.

No part of this project has yet begun to look like anything positive for this region. This is tax & spend crony capitalism at its worst, and on display for all to see.

Bus Blues Reprise

This is a re-post from 2003. My sentiment is entirely the same today.

Great gravy, has school resumed already? I've had to stop in traffic, seeing the yellow busses with the railroad crossing-quality warning signals flashing ahead, letting kids on and off.

Every year, I get to thinking about the costs of busing kids to school. This is absolutely not a complaint about desegregation busing. This is a complaint about busing kids at all.

With all of the charges of childhood obesity and poor physical condition, the bus looks like yet another enabler of that condition. Let the kids discover that they have legs, and that those things below the waist do a remarkable job of propelling from A-to-B.

With all of the budgetary shortfalls school administrators endlessly wail about, consider how many more books, computer labs, athletic items, and heck, roof repairs, could be had, if not for the expenditures related to busses:

The bus itself
Fuel for the bus
Maintenance for the bus

A bus barn
Property on which the bus barn sits
Security for these facilities

The salary of the bus driver
Benefits for the bus driver
Matching taxes- social security, workers comp., etc, for the driver
Ditto these three for the maintenance staff
Ditto these three for security

Insurance on the bus itself
On the bus barn
On the property on which the bus barn sits
On the bus driver
On the maintenance staff
On the security

I think of all of the fuel wasted in traffic as cars sit while mommies fuss one last time before the kid gets on the bus. I think of it in terms of lost money and gained pollution. I think of the time lost. I think of the lost opportunity for a nice, brisk, one-mile daily walk in the morning. I think of property released for other uses, generating tax revenues in so many ways. I think of new books, repaired roofs, new tubas, and new athletic gear. Get rid of the busses!

Certainly, the savings would be enough to put one copy Atlas Shrugged in every teacher's lounge, and a copy of The Road to Serfdom on the School Board President's desk.

Get Over It!

I was listening to Abdul In The Morning on WXNT 1430-am today, and was disgusted to hear discussion on Daylight Savings Time. Enough already! This is hardly the most pressing issue facing Hoosiers today, and yet, so many treat it as though it is.

If you're a farmer and concerned, I understand. If you own a drive-in theatre, I understand. Otherwise? Good grief! Look at this list of issues. Can you honestly tell me with a straight face that remaining outside of DST is more crucial?

Jobs
Safety Issues - Fire, Police, Emergency Response Facing Budget Cuts
Transition From Manufacturing
Fair Elections / Paper Trail Voting Systems
Ever-Higher Taxes
Competitive Elections / Gerrymandering of Districts
Methamphetamine Plague
Underperforming Educational System

Reality check, folks. If the average Hoosier put as much energy into any one of the above issues as into fighting DST, we would be on the road to a better, more secure future.

If The Dollar Store Can Do It...

... Why can't Indiana?

Leave it to our state government to fail to do what any retailer will do effortlessly: produce a receipt you take home with you.

Buy something completely innocuous- sweat socks, disposable diapers, any Al Franken book- and you'll get a receipt. You'll have eternal proof of how much money you spent, where you spent it, when you spent it, and what you spent it on.

Exercise the most precious right of American citizenship and vote, and you'll walk away empty handed, and unsure that your vote was definitively counted.

Was there petulant, ponderous resistance among retailers when the time came for them to install machines in their stores that would produce purchase receipts? Not among the intelligent retailers. These machines actually helped them track their inventory better, which allowed them to become more efficient while serving their customers better.

In the same way, intelligent governments should eagerly obtain the sort of voting machines that at once produce a detailed receipt for the voter and tally the votes.

Indiana's voting machines currently lag some 25 years behind the cash register at Wal-Mart. It's time to rectify that situation, and make a paper trail for votes as important as a paper trail for purchases of kitty litter.

Good News That Is Kinda Stinky

Congratulations to the City of Noblesville for finally landing an actual tenant in the Noblesville Corporate Campus, in the area of I-69 & SR 238. Simon will be developing an enormous shopping area in the Campus.

While that's obviously great news for Noblesville and Hamilton County, the development is also representative of a sort of failing on the part of the City.

The Corporate Campus was touted as the future key location in the I-69 "Life Sciences Corridor".

For those who need the nudging, a shopping mall is not exactly life sciences. Again- it's great news, but hardly part of the plan, which has only had false starts, and nothing in the way of results. The eager reception by the City smacks of desperation. From the Indy Star:

City Council members here smiled and nodded through a presentation Tuesday night for the Hamilton Town Center -- an expansive retail project that could become the largest open-air shopping center in the metro area.

Then council members piled on the compliments, with some proclaiming the vast retail project would forever change the historic Hamilton County seat.

The way the Campus was developed is objectionable and incorrect.

Hamilton County is not the kind of place that is desperate for development, requiring prodding and pleading in order to draw it. No, Hamilton County is the fasting growing County in the state of Indiana.

And generally, when a developer selects a location for conversion from farm ground to commercial space, the developer provides the infrastructure, building the roads and sewers, and then transfering it all as a gift to the City.

The City of Noblesville built the infrastructure here. Roads to nowhere have occupied the Noblesville Corporate Campus area for two years. Sewers conveying nothing have been in the ground for the same time. This infrastructure is not a gift to the City. It is a gift to the developers, paid for by the City. Unnecessarily. At taxpayer expense. This goes way beyond mere zoning, which tries to plan and dictate what kind of development goes where.

According to a Noblesville Daily Times article that the City has maintained on its website, Noblesville spent $60 million on this infrastructure. http://www.cityofnoblesville.org/egov/docs/1122473294_483032.pdf That's an enormous amount of money to lay out on a project that has had roads to nowhere for two years, especially in light of the budget issues area governments have faced.

Again, the Simon development will be a wonderful thing. It's just that Simon should be preparing to foot the bill for the infrastructure right about now.

One other thing reported in the Star article is noteworthy:

"Since I became mayor two years ago, I've wanted to get the Corporate Campus off to a real strong start and not just take the first business that came along," Mayor John Ditslear said. "But never did I think we'd hit a home run like this with a Simon mall."

He's right about not taking the first business to come along. This is the second. Whatever happened to Helmer? Wasn't that the start to this regional development? We haven't heard much about Helmer lately, and that is curious. The idea behind the Life Sciences Corridor was to attract excellent, high-wage jobs. Helmer's website offers no news about the creation of its new headquarters in the Corporate Campus. A shopping area is great, and has the City drooling over projected tax revenues. But as for job creation? Give me all the Helmers we can find.

Then, lets get back to letting developers be developers, footing the bill for their projects.

A Joke That Rings True

While walking down the street one day a Republican Town Councilor is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

"Welcome to heaven," says St. Peter. "Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see an elected official around these parts, you see, so we're not sure what to do with you."

"No problem, just let me in," says the man.

"Well, I'd like to but I have orders from higher up. What we'll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose were to spend eternity."

"Really, I've made up my mind. I want to be in heaven," says the Republican Town Councilor.

"I'm sorry but we have our rules."

And with that, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a club and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him. Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. It's the Elephant Open. Or is it the Commissioner's Outing?

They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne. Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that, before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises.

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.
"Now it's time to visit heaven."

So, 24 hours pass with the Republican Town Councilor joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

"Well then, you've spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity."

The Republican Town Councilor reflects for a minute, then answers: "Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell."

So, St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he's in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags. The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

"I don't understand," stammers the Republican Town Councilor. "Yesterday I was here and there was the Elephant Open... or was it the Commissioners Outing? We ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now all there is a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?"

The devil looks at him, smiled and said, "Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted. Our policies are a little different than our campaign promises."

"But you know all about that."

The next opportunity for seeing this joke played out on the people of Hamilton County comes Monday, August 29, at 7pm, when the Town of Fishers votes on its 1% food & beverage tax.

That is, unless you act to convince them otherwise. They seem not to have much in the way of principles, and open to blowing whichever way the breeze takes them. Give them a strong anti-tax gust by email or in person at the meeting at Fishers Town Hall.

A House A Mess

It's a sort of trouble in paradise for the Republican Party here in Hamilton County. On the one hand, they are the dominant party here. On the other, they are coming unglued in embarrassing ways. Matt Tully's column in the Sunday Star.

The battle is being fought by a pair of Hamilton County's top political names -- new county GOP Chairman Charlie White and longtime County Commissioner Steve Dillinger.

White calls Dillinger an annoying "Boss Hogg" who is too friendly with firms doing county business. Dillinger counters that White has betrayed former allies and doesn't have the trust of many county Republicans.

Concerns over this battle are spilling beyond Hamilton County's borders. Gov. Mitch Daniels won the GOP stronghold by nearly 50,000 votes last year, and state Republican leaders fear a party split heading into the 2006 elections.

That suits me very well. Throw in the Libertarian strategy of exposing the tax-and-spend ways of the Hamilton County GOP, and voters turning up their noses at these childish, amateurish displays, and we may well see the whole thing come apart, with voters going Libertarian.

They're only a heartbeat away right now. Certainly several small business owners -restauranteers mainly- are making the jump. That will happen so long as the GOP abandons its fiscal conservative side in favor of toeing the line for the Governor, or in balancing budgets through tax increases.

The next chance to see the GOP step on their tails is when Fishers votes on a 1% food & beverage tax, Monday, August 29.

My Local Libertarian Newspaper?

Last week, I discussed how much I was enjoying the local Hamilton County newspaper scene, and in particular, the Noblesville Daily Times. The sentiment only has grown this week.

Since my comments were posted, they ran another of my letters, which is always a wonderful thing. Yesterday, they also had an article on Social Security by Alex Epstein of the Ayn Rand Institute, and another today on the three-party political campaign dynamics by Kenn Gividen, the 2004 Libertarian candidate for governor.

My fellow Hamilton County Libertarians, I urge you to enjoy the local newspapers, and these days, especially the Noblesville Daily Times.

Gratuitous Post

This is a gratuitous post designed to drive website hits. I have to say that it pleases me already that when someone does a google search for the "Geist Annexation", this blog comes up on the first page. Likewise for "Mitch Daniels Sucks". That one's amusing because I have never actually said that, except in referrence to others doing searches on that phrase, and this blog getting hit as a result.

Anyway, I like having the blog come up high on search pages, so here goes!

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Schools Experiment

The Indianapolis Public Schools are undertaking a sweeping change- taking their five high schools and making 20+ high schools out of them. The theory is that smaller is better, that it means more attention for students, more of a community feel, and less falling through the cracks. Indy Star story.

IPS is carving its five high schools into 24 small academies in a sweeping bid to boost test scores and improve abysmal graduation rates.

The wholesale overhaul is the largest of its kind in the nation and one that state officials will watch closely as they consider similar changes for the rest of Indiana's high schools.

The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation is putting up several million dollars to help fund the project. If you've ever cursed Microsoft and the wealth of Bill Gates, this is what you have cursed, by the way.

On the surface, I think it's a wonderful development. However, I am only cautiously optimistic for results in areas like graduation rates and test scores. Reason? Teachers can give students all the attention in the world, but the real issue is always parents.

If the parents do not hold the child accountable for producing good grades or completing to graduation in a big school setting, the only thing that changes here is the school setting. At the end of the day, the parents aren't changing their accountability standards.

Too many parents take the attitude that educating children is solely an educator's job, and in no way a parental responsibility. Homework isn't going to be done by children who have the distractions of the television, friends, video games, etc., if the parents fail to see to it that it gets done.

Then there's the community. If the community attitude is that brainy = geek, and D+ = cool, then no amount of time in a classroom of 12 students is going to matter. Moreover, no amount of Bill Gates' money will matter, if the parents and the community are lazy or worse.

Sadly, what I've seen of IPS students and community is laziness and worse.

When my son Alex was at IPS, he had a wonderful teacher. She had a cell phone and wasn't afraid to use it. She called me directly any time Alex was out of line. It was great, because I knew exactly what was going on, and what needed to be corrected.

I sat in her class one day, to get a feel for things. It was appalling. The teacher spent most of the time trying to gain order. At the break, I asked her why she wasn't on the phone with the parents of those couple of children who were causing disruptions. She said that she had given up on those, because their parents were unresponsive or worse. Those parents would either throw the call back in her face ("You're the teacher, so it's your job to get him to shut up.), or were resentful of her punishments ("How dare you single out my little angel!").

Where discipline is not a tool in the teacher's workbench, and where parents refuse to impose discipline, there will only be chaos.

My concern is that it will now be spread over 20+ schools instead of just 5. But hey- it's Bill Gates' money and an attempt at improvement, so let's see how it goes. I swore I would never send my son back to IPS schools, and we moved out of Indianapolis for Fishers, where the parents insist on achievement. I still think that latter will always carry the day.

Radio Appearance

I had a nice, lengthy radio interview yesterday, which Hoosier probably missed. The reason? It aired live on WRUW in Cleveland. Fortunately, you can download the streamed signal for the next few days on WRUW's website. We talked about the progress of the Libertarian Party in Indiana, the value the LP could bring to Ohio if it were on the ballot there, and eminent domain.

Big thanks the Stella, who hosts the show; and her husband AP Magee, who scheduled the interview. Thanks also to Alchemy For Dummies, who blogged the appearance and reminded me that the stream is available.

Welcome Fellow Blogger

Welcome to Rob Beck, who recently launched his blog "Shall Not Perish". Check it out.

Rob ran for Hamilton County Auditor on the Libertarian ticket, and showed very well in his debates and in the local media. I will have to invite him to lunch sometime soon, as we had great conversations over chow during his campaign.

Tools For Ending Eminent Domain Abuse

The Castle Coalition is leading the charge for ending the theft of property from people unwilling to sell their land, with a campaign called, "Hands Off My Home".

One tool is to ask for pledges from state governors that they oppose the practice of using eminent domain for commercial uses. Tell your governor that you want them to sign the pledge. Link. Here's the pledge:

Pledge For Governors

I pledge to the citizens of this State that I will:
Oppose efforts by my state government or municipalities within my state to use the government power of eminent domain for private development.

Support legislation and other efforts to ensure that the citizens of this State are safe from eminent domain for private development.

Also consider forwarding the Castle Coalition's model legislation to your State Representative or State Senator, especially if you have the idea that they are pro-property rights, or even somewhat awake.

Un-SuperSize Me

You all know about SuperSize Me, where filmmaker Morgan Spurlock exclusively ate food from McDonald's for 30 days and put on a bunch of weight.

In reaction to this, some people are now doing the same thing angling for different results. From CNN:

One person went so far as to make her own independent film about dieting at McDonald's. "Me and Mickey D" follows Soso Whaley, of Kensington, New Hampshire, as she spends three 30-day periods on the diet. She dropped from 175 to 139 pounds, eating 2,000 calories-a-day at McDonald's.

Actually, McDonald's strikes me as a very forward thinking company. While many Americans are indeed sleepwalking through their lives, ordering burgers and fries meal after meal, others are taking advantage of McDonald's ever diversifying menu, which generally gets healthier as the months pass, not worse.

As might be expected, McDonald's also objected to the impressions left by Spurlock's film. Walt Riker, the company's vice president of corporate communications, said Oak Brook, Illinois-based company is pleased -- but not surprised -- that some customers have lost weight eating only at the fast-food giant.

Spurlock's film "really spurred a backlash based on common sense," Riker said.

Like anything else in life, the glass is either half empty or half full. McDonald's offers all sorts of selections, but ultimately, it's the choices the consumer makes that dictate weight gain or loss, health or ill health. It's just a cop-out to abdicate that self-responsibility.

I Love My Home Town, But...

Another Hamilton County GOP Sneak Attack Tax

Remember: I speak up about my home town's policies because I love it, and want it always to improve, and never to drift from the things that made it great.

So it was said, on Page 4 of the Republican Party's pamphlet, "How To Govern," that the best thing to do when considering a tax at a public forum is to make sure the public has as little notice about it as possible, so as to minimize the opposition.

I got an email this afternoon from a Fishers restaurant owner advising me that the Town would be considering a 1% food & beverage tax at their Monday, August 15 meeting. He got the email from the Town Manager.

As of this post (date and time stamped below), the agenda is not yet posted on the Town's website.

The meeting is merely 4 days and 22 minutes away, and the public has not been notified, except by me, via a restaurant owner.

That's very convenient, if the objective is to minimize opposition attendance. It's very convenient if the objective is to make sure that the Libertarian Party can't stage another one of its pub crawls. Clearly, the objective is to minimize public input and participation.

That's just lousy representative government.

In the meantime, write the Council and tell them you are opposed to any increase in the food & beverage taxes. Here are the email addresses for the Fishers Town Council Members:

Scott Faultless, President - faultless@fishers.in.us
Stuart Easley, Vice President - easley@fishers.in.us
Timothy Lima - lima@fishers.in.us
Eileen Pritchard - pritchard@fishers.in.us
Daniel Henke - henke@fishers.in.us
Charles White - white@fishers.in.us
David George - george@fishers.in.us

It didn't take long for me to have to work against my own letter of praise. *sigh*

I Love My Home Town

I was absolutely delighted when my home town of Fishers, IN was named one of the Top 25 places to live by Money Magazine. I had heard criticisms of Central Indiana from some friends and family based on their vastly outdated notion that this is 'flyover country'.

Guess what? New York City isn't on the list. Neither is Cleveland.

The Fishers Topics printed my letter in today's edition. It is reprinted below:

As a Fishers resident, I took a great deal of pride in the town's recent ranking as one of the best American communities in which to live. This ranking is a tribute to those visionary people who helped create what we see in Fishers today, from developers to civic leaders.

I believe my experience is fairly typical of so many other Fishers residents. After living in Marion County and comparing notes on the communities throughout the region, my wife and I made Fishers the place to live and to raise our family, as a matter of first choice.

The excellent school system, the parks, the friendly people, and the relative laissez-faire approach to government are but a few of the qualities that make Fishers so attractive.

While town residents and officials revel in this ranking, let us all keep in mind the difficult task that lies ahead: making a great community even greater.

Many communities experience declines after years of ascent. This is because they drift from the things that made them great in the first place.

Let us never lose sight of the things that make Fishers great: high standards for quality of life balanced by low taxes.

Let us be mindful, too, that when people speak in support of the things that make Fishers great, and in opposition to policies that would set us adrift, they do so because they love their community, and want it continue the climb to No. 1 in the rankings.

Mike Kole, Fishers

Tell Me Why We Need NASA?

NASA's been dragging along with the Space Shuttle program -1970s technology, by the way- and not getting around to real human achievement in some long time.

Here's the real deal: private trips to the moon. It won't cost taxpayers a thing. Those who want to play astronaut can do so for the princely fee of $100 million. All the while, humans get closer to the day where our Universe more literally expands. From the AP story:

"For the first time in history, a private company is organizing a mission to the moon," Space Adventures CEO Eric Anderson said at a Manhattan news conference Wednesday, a day after space shuttle Discovery safely returned to Earth. "This mission will inspire countries of the world, citizens ... our youth."

Anderson said he already has prospective "private explorers" who are interested in the trip and could afford the ticket.

How lame is NASA's track record in my lifetime? It started so well, with landings in the late 1960...

The initial travelers would be the first to orbit the moon in more than 33 years, according to the Arlington, Va., company. Only 27 people have ever made such a journey.

This is the clarian call for the end of the directionless black hole for money that is NASA, and the encouragement of more private entities to explore at their own expense, and yet to all of our benefit.

Opponents to Eminent Domain Heard

Yesterday's legislative study committee hearing was a libertarian dream come true. Citizens from all backgrounds- rich, poor; black, white; Democrat, Republican, Libertarian- expressed a common understanding of the slippery slope that is the doctrine of the common good. Legislators listened earnestly. The lead speakers were from the Institute for Justice and the Reason Foundation. Indy Star story.

Dr. Sam Staley spoke for the Reason Foundation. This link is text to his remarks.
Stephen Anderson spoke for the Institute for Justice and the Castle Coalition. CC provides model legislation, much of which I hope becomes law in Indiana.

For my part, I spoke off-the-cuff, abbreviating my prepared comments to focus on two concepts:

• Your home is your castle
• Your home is the very American Dream itself

I really loathe zero-sum games, but through the obvious injustice of Kelo v. New London, libertarian principles have at last been clearly illustrated to the average American. The danger of not acting in defense of the individual, but for the so-called "common good" has been laid bare.

Municipalities such as New London have indeed been acting in the interest of what they call the common good, which is to say, a fatter tax roll. If the tax roll is fatter, more people can be better served with those tax dollars. If sacrificing the homes of a few homeowners is what it takes, so be it.

It's all good, until you become the sacrificial lamb. The sacrificial lambs are the handful of individuals who own their properties. They are pitted against the collective whole of the society.

Libertarians defend the individual because we believe no person should be a sacrificial animal. No person. No matter how seemingly powerless or small. Ever.

Let us hope that finally, a good percentage of Americans come to understand that there is no such thing as the common good. More importantly, let us hope that they have come to understand that the individual must be defended in every area of life, but especially in the right of property.

Please continue to communicate with your State Senators and State Reps. Urge them to enact a total ban on the use of eminent domain for commercial purposes. Based on what I observed yesterday, Indiana lawmakers are very receptive. Let us take full advantage. The committee meets again in October, and the more they hear from foes of eminent domain, the better the chances of getting the most restrictive law.

The Libertarian Party needs to track the legislators carefully, and make it a point to run strong candidates against any State Rep or Senator who would vote to permit cities to help steal private property.

Hearing Wednesday Afternoon

The issue of eminent domain abuse will be discussed at a public hearing Wednesday afternoon, at the Statehouse. I will attend, and intend to speak before the study panel. The text of my prepared speech follows below.

If you can attend, please do. If you can call or write your representative, please do. Your home should be your castle.


Good Afternoon. My name is Mike Kole. I reside at 7916 Turkel Drive in Fishers. I am a Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State.

I’d like to thank the members of this study panel for the opportunity to share my views with you on the important subject of eminent domain.

The US Supreme Court’s recent decision in Kelo versus New London left most Americans stunned, and the reason is very simple. Like never before, most Americans, and most Hoosiers, are property owners. Unfortunately, like never before, property owners feel threatened.

This issue isn’t like so many other political issues you will consider. It doesn’t matter if one is rich or poor; a Democrat, a Republican, or a Libertarian. If you are a property owner, your stomach sank when you learned about the Kelo decision, because you knew at that moment that you were vulnerable in the one place you want security the most- in your home. In your property.

The idea that your home is your castle is probably one of the most deeply held, most typically American sentiments that define us as a free nation, and separate us from the rest of the world. The Kelo decision flies in the face of this principle.

There is a reason that American society has stood as the most stable society on this earth for more than 200 years. It is not our system of government, per se. It is the fact that our governments have been instructed to respect the property rights of the people. American citizens were secure in the knowledge that nobody, no matter how poor or relatively powerless they might appear, were the absolute owners of their properties, and that nobody, no matter how wealthy or powerful, could take that property from them.

Perhaps you have been to Atlantic City. If you have, you may have seen the home in the middle of the casino parking lot. A widow named Vera Coking owns her home in an area where Donald Trump wanted to expand a casino and a parking lot. Mrs. Coking refused. Her home still stands, surrounded by the parking lot. She stayed as a matter of principle. She simply did not care to sell at any price. Her home is her castle. Fortunately, her property rights were upheld in a court of law.

When property rights are upheld, not even Donald Trump can get your property from you, unless you agree to sell.

That’s no longer true, thanks to the Kelo decision. There now exists the very real threat that Hoosiers can lose their properties to re-development, whether or not they agree to sell their land; whether or not it was even for sale. And it isn’t merely smaller property owners who are at risk.

Because taking land by eminent domain for commercial purposes is driven by the tax revenues produced by the property, current owners are threatened by any project that could be proposed that would fatten the tax rolls faster than the current user does.
Hoosiers who own small parcels in genuinely blighted areas, or those merely declared blighted, are now at very much at risk of losing their property to any developer who would bulldoze the old and build the new.

If you think that change is a good idea, be certain to consider your own home. You might live, as I do, in a nice suburban home, in an affluent community. We are at risk all the same. If a developer proposes a redevelopment for your neighborhood that would bring more tax dollars to your town or city, you had better be ready to pack your bags. You are at risk.

The neighborhood of modest homes is at risk of being replaced with upscale homes. The neighborhood of upscale homes is at risk of being replaced with multi-use, residential / commercial complexes. The residential / commercial complex is at risk of being replaced with a 12-story office building. The 12-story office building is at risk of being replaced with a 20-story building.

Churches produce no tax revenue whatsoever. Are they now at risk? This Statehouse produces no tax revenue. In fact, this is where the tax revenue disappears from. Could we get a redevelopment project here?

I digress… But the point is clear. There is always somebody out there with a bigger bankroll, with a bigger plan, and with more political pull. At any moment, absent new legislation that would ban eminent domain for commercial use, a plan could come along and pull any Hoosier out of their home… their castle.

While it is important to fund our municipalities for their core functions, it is more important to protect the property rights of each and every citizen, as a matter of principle.

The greedy appetites of our towns and cities are beginning to run amok in the quest for more and more revenue. In order to grab more money, some Indiana municipalities have shamefully run roughshod over the rights of property owners and allowed others to take their lands. In the home of the free. Where the home is the castle. It’s disgraceful.

Fortunately, the Indiana Legislature has the opportunity to return the sense of security to all Hoosier property owners- rich or poor, large or small- by banning the use of eminent domain for commercial purposes.

Let Indiana join states such as Alabama in banning eminent domain for commercial uses. 31 states, including Indiana, are studying the issue of eminent domain abuse. Let us be certain that Indiana is not a state where property owners have to fear redevelopment, where they have to look over their shoulders. Let us not drive property owners who want to be secure in their ownership away from Indiana.

I urge the Legislature to act to ensure that Indiana is one state where property rights are protected and secure.

I urge you to pass legislation that bans the use of eminent domain for commercial purposes.

I thank you for your consideration.

Membership Changes at National LP

The membership structure of the national Libertarian Party has long been criticized. Mainly, there are thousands of people who vote Libertarian, but for every 1,000 who do, only one person has joined the party. The membership fee has been cited as the primary obstacle.

Because those fees led to a funding program for state affiliates (in addition to supporting the national office), a doubling of the fees was recently considered. Price elasticity and all.

Today, the Libertarian Party announced the end of membership fees altogether. The best thing is that focus will shift from trying to build membership to winning elections. There's a novel idea! From the LP's website:

The shift to a zero-dues structure will essentially move the National Libertarian Party from an organization heavily focused on membership to an organization that is focused on winning elections above all else. The national staff has already started planning to make a seamless transition to zero dues and is beginning to develop training programs to assist the states.

The membership drive was carrying on over the last few months. For my own part, I have struggled with the renewal of my national membership. Mainly, I would like the focus to shift to property rigths and fiscal issues. But, I only have so many dollars to ladle out, and because I believe so solidly in the Libertarian Party of Indiana, for the most part, my money has stayed at home, supporting my state affiliate.

I am pleased that membership remains a feature for those who wish to declare themselves members. With the cost barrier removed, I think we'll see a good many who've resisted come to us.

Gardening Results

Now that Ame & I own our home, I have been interested in gardening again. This year's effort was pretty modest and experimental in nature. I was mainly attempting to find good locations for the kinds of plants I wanted to grow, namely: several varieties of Sunflowers; herbs such as cilantro and basil; vegetables such as cucumbers and bell peppers. I planted green, yellow, orange, and red peppers.

Of course, that means that I found places that were not well suited for certain plants. Also, despite a good amount of area, very little of it gets direct sunlight, which limits production. The front of the house gets the most direct sun.

The sunflowers thrive in direct sunlight, and look great in front of the house to boot. The Mammoth Sunflowers grew ridiculously tall. I thought 8 feet would be enough room under the roof line!

They are heavy with seeds, many of which will be saved for next year's plantings. That's a big deal, because ten of the sunflower plants sprouted on the day Isabel was born. I'm very excited about propagating those plants by saving the seeds. We'll always have Isabel sunflowers!

This fits in with our tradition of planting our Christmas trees. We planted the first one this year on New Years Day, and it has thrived.

I planted four cucumber plants, and have reaped the first five cucumbers. Beware, my co-workers. You will soon have cucumbers for your salads to last the next month. I know I do already.
The peppers are really late. The reason is that I left my starter plants in flats, and happened to be away from home in April when we had an unexpected heat wave, with 80-degree temperatures. They all died. In fact, only the herbs and sunflowers survived that heat. I learned the lesson: Get the plants into the ground! The second flats of peppers are now beginning to produce fruits. In about two weeks, I'll be overwhelmed with peppers.

I will plant more basil next year. I planted ten of the lemon basil variety, and they are only now really full with leaves. I've only enjoyed the leaves sparingly, because I've wanted to make sure there would be enough to make a pesto. Next year, it will be ten traditional basil and ten lemon plants. Now I have enough for the pesto.

See me for cucumbers and peppers!

Sites To Check Out

For those very interestedly following eminent domain issues in the wake of the Kelo v. New London decision, I recommend checking out the Eminent Domain Watch blog. EDW has links to several eminent domain notable sites and tracks news articles and cases from all 50 states. Great source!

Also, check out the Institute For Justice website. IJ litigated on behalf of Kelo in the sadly losing effort, and is probably the most prominent of those sites.

Republicans Do What They Are Good At

They're good at raising taxes. Well, that's how you balance a budget, right? Well, you can also hire a consultant. Don't follow? Keep reading.

Because Republicans aren't fiscal conservatives, they are only dimly aware that the other way to balance a budget is by cutting spending.

As professional politicians, they completely understand one thing about cutting spending- it leaves interested parties howling. Interested parties often contribute funds to campaigns, which means they could contribute to campaigns of other candidates. Never mind the taxpayers. The taxpayers don't howl quite so loud, or so close to the ear of the professional politician, so they can be easily enough ignored.

Fortunately, the Libertarians in Hamilton County have been tenacious in their criticism of these GOP flaws. It will be hard for Republicans to raise another tax in order to balance the budget. They already raised one this year.

All of this leads to why the all-Republican Hamilton County Council hired a consultant to examine the budget and to find cuts. They could do as I did- look over the budget, and in about an hour, they could come up with the necessary cuts in the area of about $1 million. However, that would leave them open to the howling. Better for the Councilors to have a consultant point to cuts to make so that they can hide behind him. I can just see the conversation between a Councilor and a Department Head now...

Department Head: "How could you cut my budget by 5%? I helped you get elected! We've been through the wars together. How could you do this to me?"
County Councilor: "You know I wanted to save your budget. Heck- I wanted to give you a 5% increase. But that lousy consultant told us we have to cut your budget. You know how bad it would look if we failed to act on the consultant's advice. We paid him close to $50,000."

The Department Head goes away steamed, but knows she can't make too great a fuss. It would be foolish. She goes back to her office looking for a way to create an 'emergency' by which she can be given an appropriation of funds at a later date. The County Councilor knows that he will vote for the appropriation at that time.

The Republican Party will crow to the media that the Libertarians are all wet, that they know how to balance a budget without too many tax increases, and that besides, the consultant was a real value, turning up $1 million in cuts for the low price of about $50,000. Over time, the budget will be overspent by 'emergency' appropriations, so that there is no real-life savings at all. A consultant will get fat. The County Council will be spared an angry mob of insiders. The taxpayers will get rooked.

Business as usual, brought to you by the Republican Party.

My letter to the Noblesville Daily Times on the subject was printed today.
The Daily Times article on the hiring of the consultant.

Great Newspaper Reading

Few places I know of have as great a newspaper environment as Hamilton County. There are two local papers. The Noblesville Daily Times is a daily, while the Noblesville Ledger is a twice-weekly. Each has a special weekly edition for Fishers, where I live.

Both papers have real news staffs who cover actual news. Don't laugh. Look at your local newspapers and see if the majority of the front page isn't comprised of AP, New York Times, or other stories. Our local papers write about actual local news. Moreover, it isn't fluff. The Times and the Ledger cover Council meetings and goings-on that truly impact people.

The Indy Star gives Hamilton County more real news coverage than Indianapolis at times. The Star doesn't cover every council meeting within Marion County, but they do frequently manage to cover Hamilton County events. Well, this is where the high-dollar demographic can be found. Ergo, the coverage.

Anyway, today's Noblesville Daily Times is outstanding. Here are some links, for your pleasure.

• My letter to the Daily Times on the GOP's hiring of a budget consultant.
• The Supreme Court's Kelo v. New London decision is front page news as the Indiana Legislature studies the topic, with a hearing Wednesday. I could have been quoted in this article since I will attend, but the Reason Foundation was cited, and that's very good.
• Raymond Keating's editorial offers a brief personal responsibility quiz. It should be published in every newspaper across the country.

Which leads me to recommend this to you: Forward a link to this blog entry to the editor of your local paper. Tell the editor that you want real news, and to cut out the fluff, and that you want a libertarian viewpoint at least occasionally represented. As with politicians, editors need to hear from you if you believe their direction is misguided. Likewise, if you like what you see, offer compliments. I subscribe to the papers. I tend to think they like that as much as a note of praise.

Eminent Domain Hearing Approaches

Here's the reminder: Go to the Statehouse Wednesday to be seen in heard by a House study panel. The House seeks input on the issue of eminent domain. Many Libertarians, including myself, Mike Sylvester of Fort Wayne, and Margaret Fette of Bloomington will be on hand to make our case for restricting the use of eminent domain in the most severe way.

Kenn Gividen, former Libetarian candidate for governor, made his case on the pages of today's Indy Star.

The motive to abuse eminent domain is simple: It will increase revenue by reassigning real estate to those who will pay higher taxes. Low-income families are the logical targets.

One example was seen in New London, Conn., where local residents were forced to sell their modest homes. The city handed over its power of eminent domain to the New London Development Corp., a private body, to take the entire neighborhood for private development. One resident, Susette Kelo, sued NLCD for the right to retain her home. The case was heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. Kelo lost her case.

This decision threatens every property owner in Indiana. Local government can force you to sell your property to a private enterprise. Unless, that is, Gov. Daniels and the Indiana legislature take the necessary steps to prevent it. On Wednesday, your voice can help make the change.

It isn't just low-income families who could suffer. Sure, the high-end homes in the Lockerbie Square neighborhood are fabulous. But what if a developer came up with a mixed-use plan for higher density luxury condos and retail space- all of which would generate greater tax revenues? Poof! That's what would happen. The City of Indianapolis would gladly facilitate the theft of those older homes in favor of re-development. So, Kenn's right. This threatens every property owner in Indiana.

If you can't attend, make sure to email or call your state Representative. Follow this link to find out who your legislator is: http://www.in.gov/apps/sos/legislator/search/

Let you rep know that you oppose the use of eminent domain for any commercial purposes, and that you oppose the widespread abuse of eminent domain in general.

If they don't hear from you, they assume it doesn't matter to you.

Boortz Commentary

The Kelo backlash and the Fair Tax dovetail nicely. They aren't perfect libertarian solutions. If they were, they would eliminate virtually all eminent domain and would eliminate most federal taxes. Again, these are steps in the right direction, which I support.

Boortz identifies the one thing that is especially appealing about these remedies, in today's edition of Neal's Nuze:

With the implementation of the FairTax politicians would lose power.

This is what political solutions to perceived problems invariably do: build personal power in politicians. I'm 100% in favor of policies that serve to strip away this power. More from Boortz:

During the fully expected delays at LaGuardia airport last night I was looking at a USA Today story on eminent domain. Politicians across the country and in Washington are working to pass laws to protect private property rights in light of that hideous Kelo vs. New London Supreme Court decision. Now just why are politicians suddenly so worried about private property rights? The Supreme's decision on eminent domain was a boon to politicians! It increased their power! Now they're trying to give that power back to the people? When is the last time you saw politicians act on their own, without any provocation, to surrender power? Answer ... probably never. So why now? Voters, that's why. The people were so outraged over the Supreme Court decision that the political class new they had to act, or risk losing support.

And so it is with the FairTax. With the implementation of the FairTax politicians would lose power. They would no longer have the ability to easily manipulate the tax code to curry favor with one class of voters over another. The class war aspects of tax policy would be over since the poor would essentially be relieved of the obligation to pay any federal taxes at all. Under the FairTax there really is no way for any politician to manipulate federal tax policy for votes or to elicit huge campaign contributions from favored business or individual taxpayers.

States Respond To Kelo

Whether you like the Supreme Court's decision in Kelo v. New London (I don't), some states are taking appropriate steps to respond- correctly, in my view, to limit eminent domain abuse.

I've chronicled below how Indiana is considering the issue in a House Study. A hearing will be held August 10, and I encourage supporters of property rights to attend and to speak up.

Blogger ProfessorBaimbridge has chronicled efforts in other states, where legislation is already passing into law, curtailing eminent domain. Backlash link.

Interesting quotes in a related USA Today article:

In Washington, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said his office received more calls from constituents angry about this case than it did for the Supreme Court ruling that limited displays of the Ten Commandments on public property. Cornyn is proposing a bill to bar cities and counties from using federal funds for economic development projects that involve seized property.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., a liberal who rarely supports Republican bills, has signed onto two GOP bills and proposed two of her own. "The people who get hurt are the many poor people and working people who don't think they can fight City Hall," she said.

In fact, anybody can be hurt by commercial eminent domain takings. Even if you are someone as huge as Simon Malls, Donald Trump could come along with a bigger project proposal for Simon's property. Etc. There's always someone bigger.

It's great that a property rights issue has stirred up such a fuss. It's about time the average American began to take note of how property rights have eroded over the years.

Hat tip to WXNT's Andrew Lee for these items.