Maybe I'm Just Not Finding Them

Articles, that is. Articles that point out that allowing the Colts to take all of the naming rights money, and that this is a big dropped ball on the part of the State of Indiana. Articles that link this dropped ball to the Major Moves plan because if the state could give away the store to the Colts, they could most certainly do it again on a toll road.

Please forward links if I am simply not finding these articles on my own. It would surprise me, because I have been checking the statewide media every morning.

There is little time left in the session, and this track record should be brought to light by the media, prior to the final votes in the Statehouse.

The track record is of shoddy negotiation on behalf of the taxpayers of Indiana. There is no good reason to trust the negotiators in the Daniels Administration, based on this track record.

What I am fearing here is the Indy Star treatment given the Colts stadium project last year. The Star remained largely silent or hinted that the project was okay, but then after it was finalized, their columnists started offering the opinion that the deal wasn't so great. A lot of good that did. Likewise, there will be little benefit in making this linkage after the deal is signed.


Technorati tags: major moves, Mitch Daniels

Gaping Holes

I was astonished to scan the myriad Sunday news sources throughout our state and to not find commentary linking the Lucas Oil-Colts stadium naming rights deal to the Major Moves toll road deal proposed by the State.

The Daniels Administration oversees the stadium via the Stadium Authority. Thus, the Daniels Administration somehow allowed the deal to permit the Colts to collect 100% of the naming rights money, to the tune of $122 million. Naming rights deals are major components of stadium packages. Can the Daniels Administration and the Stadium Authority be so oblivious as to give away that plum? Apparently so.

So, it follows that if the Daniels Administration can give away the store to the Colts, it most certainly can do the same thing with the toll road. Governor Daniels can say all he likes about the benefits of the deal with the Australian/Spanish outfit, but his other major deal has resulted mainly in benefits for the party sitting across the table. That's a fact.

There are gaping holes in the coverage, just as there are gaping holes in the deals. With two weeks left in the session, it will be interesting to observe the votes by our State Representatives, and see if the media points out this glaring, obvious hole in the naming rights deal.


Technorati tags: major moves, naming rights, Mitch Daniels, Lucas Oil

Harry Browne, 1933-2006

The Libertarian world lost a giant yesterday when Harry Browne passed away.

Harry Browne was the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000. It was Browne who interested me in joining the LP in 1996, during his campaign. Hammer of Truth has an excellent obit.

I had a personal encounter with Browne, in 2002. I had the pleasure of meeting Harry at the 2002 national convention, here in Indianapolis. I was a Cleveland resident at the time, and I shared the story of how I put Harry Browne into the #2 position in my home precinct, as Geroge Bush received zero votes in that very heavily unionized precinct, carried by Al Gore. My lone vote put him in second. Harry enjoyed a good laugh at that.

Harry did a great thing when he was running in 1996, that inspired me to join. He closed his speeches by asking those who agreed with his positions to get behind the Libertarian Party, by joining, supporting candidates or becoming one, and by donating. I've done all of these things, and it is because Harry Browne asked.

This is something I have tried to remember to do when I speak- especially before non-libertarian groups. Not everyone will agree, but those who do should get involved.

Harry Browne will be missed.


Technorati tags: Harry Browne, Libertarian Party, Libertarian

Pro-Privatization?

I've been getting a lot of questions about the toll road issue and privatization in general. Mainly, folks expect Libertarians to be in favor of privatization.

In general, yes we are in favor of privatization. In fact, Libertarians like toll roads and other cost solutions that involve user fees, whereby those who use a government managed resource pay for their use, while those who do not use it, do not pay.

With all things, the devil's in the details. Libertarians like a good, equitable deal. We are concerned that Major Moves does not provide the best deal possible for Hoosiers. We are concerned that a 75-year lease leaves too many unanswered questions. For instance, what will the rate of inflation be in 2068? Nobody can answer that, but it will be a major factor in the assesment of tolls. Libertarians prefer a 10- or 15-year lease.

Also, we are not convinced the Daniels Administration is capable of swinging a deal that points the lion's share of the benefits towards the people of this state. Daniels has a short track record, but a very easily assessed record.

The naming rights for the new, unbuilt stadium are being awarded today. The talk is that the rights will rake about $50 million. That's just talk, so we'll have to wait and see.

What isn't talk is that the Colts will get ALL of that money. None of it goes to the state, to defer the cost of construction.

This is a horrible example of giving away the store. Some measure of the money should have been going to the state, had a better- for Hoosiers- deal been worked. Maybe half of the money, or 30% of the money, or even an amount split in proportion to what is borne in costruction costs by both the state and the Colts. Yeah, it's a great deal for Mr. Irsay.

So, yes, Libertarians are skeptical about the deal negotiated with a Spanish-Australian firm. If "Quick Fix" Mitch was able give away so much to the Colts, why are we to suppose the Major Moves deal is any different?

All we have is a short, blemished track record to go by.

Update: It's more lucrative for Irsay than ever imagined, as the Lucas Oil naming deal poised to yield over $120 million. The state's cut remains the same: zero. Per today's Indy Star report:

The Colts will keep the money from this naming-rights deal as they do from the current agreement with RCA. The team is kicking in $100 million toward the cost of the stadium, but the city is helping the Colts out by paying the team $48 million for early termination of the RCA Dome lease.

Construction on the $500 million stadium with a retractable roof began last year and is expected to end in time for the 2008 season's first kickoff.

So, on naming rights alone, the Colts are done paying for "their share" of this project, and are already into their profits- unlike the people of Indiana, who will pay and pay.

Again, we are skeptical of the Daniels Administration on privatization. The Colts stadium should have been private, but Daniels made it public, and worse, gave away the store. The privatization of roads is a good idea, unless you give away the store.

County Chairs Conference Friday

The Libertarian Party of Indiana is hosting its annual County Chairs Conference right here in Fishers, this weekend.

The festivities begin at my home Friday evening, where Ame, Isabel, and I will welcome the County Chairs with a reception. Cocktails at 7pm, poker at 9:30. Contact me by email if you would like to stop by the reception.

The business commences Saturday morning at the Hampton Inn & Suites on 116th, just west of I-69. There will be several speakers and presentations geared towards educating and motivating Chairs and other local level party officers, towards greater effectiveness in organization and getting results at the ballot box. Link for full details.

Forced Annexation Foes Moving Forward

The Noblesville Daily Times reported Saturday that the Geist United Opposition raised over $10,000 at their most recent public meeting last Tuesday. That's quite outstanding for one evening. From the Times:

United Geist Opposition collected more than $10,000 Tuesday night from area residents opposed to annexation by the town of Fishers. Opposition leaders estimate that legal costs could be as much as $125,000.

The meeting at Hamilton Southeastern High School drew over 300 people. Residents were introduced to Stephen R. Buschmann, the attorney retained to represent the Geist opposition. Buschmann had recently represented Home Place in its successful campaign against annexation by Carmel.

I found Hamilton County Sheriff Doug Carter's comments most interesting:

In a phone interview Wednesday, Carter said he wanted to put an end to the rhetoric about police protection. Carter told those attending that Geist is adequately protected and that police protection would not necessarily improve if annexation is successful.

“This political hot potato that's being passed around has nothing to do with public safety,” Carter said Wednesday.

I like to believe that I get a good read on a person when they speak. In the Sheriff, I have always observed a deep earnestness in his approach to his work. I believe him when he says that if the Fishers Police Chief calls for 50 of his deputees in a moment of need that he will send them. And, when Carter says that the issues surrounding annexation are nothing to do with public safety, I believe him there, too.

Smoking Bans In Force Soon

The Indy Star has a lengthy article in today's edition, discussing the smoking bans that will soon be in force around Central Indiana. Many of these bans take effect March 1.

I'll restate my position here. I do not smoke. I never have. I don't like second-hand smoke. When a place is too smoky for my liking, I leave. I never take my son or infant daughter into a place that allows smoking. However, I believe that while the health issues have strong merit, I also believe that the property rights of business owners come first. The property owners should have the right to set their own policies as regards their businesses on their properties. It should be sufficient to post a sign on the front door indicating the smoking policy at any establishment so that a customer can make the appropriate decision. Besides, tobacco is a legal product for adults in the United States.

Alas, this America has drifted away from its' land of the free status towards a nanny state, where decisions are made in everyone's best interest ahead of time, reducing the choices of business owners and customers alike.

Annie Tomey, a Greenfield restaurant owner, was quoted in this article, sounding these same notes:

While some places are adapting to the change, a group continues to lobby for a less restrictive ban. Among them is business owner Annie Tomey, 58, who has been one of the ban's most vocal critics.

She estimates that 80 percent of her patrons at Annie's Restaurant are smokers. She'll follow the ban when it goes into effect -- "or they're going to fine me to death" -- but she's not happy.

She and several other business owners have formed a coalition to change the law.

The smoking ban "is about taking our freedom of choice away from us," Tomey said.

As other area restaurants have voluntarily gone smoke-free in recent years, smokers have gravitated to her business, Tomey said.

"This is still the best country to live in," Tomey said. "But it's getting to the point where our politicians are going overboard."

I support Annie Tomey's property rights. Greenfield does not. Here I stood with Annie outside her restaurant in October, as Libertarians stood with her to oppose the then-proposed law.

Greenfield is not unlike other municipalities, who were swayed by the lobbying efforts of the American Heart Association and other groups. Again, I do not debate the dangers of cigarette smoke. I do debate the means by which we address the issue.

One of the compelling arguments the Heart Association makes is that society bears the medical costs associated with smoking. Unfortunately, that's increasingly true, as we have increasingly socialized medicine in this country. Since Americans are decreasingly responsible for their own health care costs, they can walk away from the cost consequences associated with bad health decision making. We wouldn't need health nannies if Americans were responsible for their choices. We wouldn't need health nannies if this example offered in the Star weren't so common:

Jennifer Deeter and her 3-year-old, Emma, ate lunch Thursday at the Hard Rock Cafe less than 10 feet from a man at the bar smoking an American Spirit cigarette.

Having her daughter so close to someone lighting up bothered Deeter. A smoker herself, the 32-year-old Irvington artist tries to abstain around her four children.

Why would a mother take a 3-year-old to lunch at the Hard Rock and allow the hostesss to seat them 10 feet from the bar? Is it honestly possible that she didn't know that the Hard Rock allowed smoking? Or, that people smoke at bars? Was it not possible for her to choose a smoke-free establishment to take her child to?

This is what it comes down to- selfish patrons wanting to have it both ways. "I'm here now, so you have to change". Cities bolster citizens who of their own volition would make bad choices unless the parameters are altered to make the place safe for them.

So, we are willing to sacrifice property rights to accomodate them. That's a real tragedy. This example reminds me of the family who builds a home alongside the railroad tracks that carried trains for the past 150 years in that spot, and then the family complains about the noise. It's arrogant and selfish. But more than that, it's irresponsible.

The result is that the intelligent business owners who had both smoking and non-smoking sections can no longer accomodate smokers and non-smokers. It doesn't matter how good the ventilation is. Unless the situation is like the Fishers Claude & Annie's, where the bar and restaurant are literally separated by a wall, the business owner has to choose to lose one segment of their clientele.

A number of Downtown restaurants focus on dining at lunch and drinks at night, but only a handful have chosen to cut out the lucrative market of family diners and become something more like a bar. The Slippery Noodle Inn, the Elbow Room and MacNiven's are among those choosing the adults-only route.

The choice is especially tough for steak houses, where cigars are part of the culture. Morton's and St. Elmo will go nonsmoking; Mo's and 14 West will not.

Most restaurants will choose to keep family dining and hope it doesn't hurt their bottom lines.

"What we may lose in smoking regulars, we may gain on the other side in families that choose to eat out more often," said Keith Reilly, manager of Champps, a Downtown restaurant where an aisle separates a large smoking bar area from the dining area.

"We hope" is no way to draw up a business plan. But arrogant lawmakers are unconcerned.

Nearly all of the establishments asking to allow smoking appear to be taverns that don't admit patrons younger than 21, said Greg Bowes, the City-County Council member who wrote the ordinance. There are 983 liquor or wine and beer permits in the county.

"I'm seeing it work exactly the way we anticipated," he said. "We specifically created a dilemma where places must choose between smokers and customers under 18. We felt that was the fairest way to make a distinction between bars and restaurants."

Tremendous! Councilor Bowes intended to create a dilemma for business owners! Isn't that helpful?

Actually, that's revisionist history and bunk. When Libertarians confronted Bowes during one of our pub crawls in support of the bar owners, he appeared and confessed that he hadn't given a single bit of thought to how it would affect property owners. His sole concern was health.

Again, it's good to be concerned about health. A nice educational campaign would have achieved that without limiting anybody's rights. The affect on property owners was an unintended consequence.

Isn't it time to have lawmakers who keep property rights as a primary focus rather than the object of secondary outcomes? If you think so, you need to vote Libertarian. The smoking bans were passed in the following locations, with the following majorities on their councils:

Indianapolis/Marion County- Democrat
Carmel- Reublican
Greenfield- Republican
Greenwood- Republican
Bloomington- Democrat

New Poll

Well, the last poll didn't exactly fire up the readers, so here's a new one.

For the record, Thursday evening won out on the last poll. Feel free to suggest ideas for polls. They aren't the least bit scientific, but we can have some fun with them!

Bonus Coverage

Who knew reading a good book could lead to so much attention?

I recently contributed a selection to the Indy Star, and they published the item in their Sunday edition. I have had a surprising amount of people stop me in the street and ask me about the Battle of Trafalgar. Cool by me!

The latest is a mention on Austin Cassidy's Third Party Watch site, where I was named Candidate of the Day for today. Here's the link.

Mr. Cassidy's site runs the entire gamut of third party candidates, not just Libertarians.

Friday Morning Joke

I love a good government joke on a Friday morning. Here's one that's been making the rounds:

Internal Revenue Service
Department of the Treasury
Washington, DC 20001

Dear IRS...

Enclosed is my 2005 Form 1040, together with payment.

For explanation, please note the attached article from "USAToday" archives. It says that the Pentagon paid $171.50 each for hammers and that NASA paid $600.00 each for toilet seats.

Please find enclosed in this package four toilet seats (according to your valuation, worth $2,400.00) and six hammers (using the same calculation, value of$1,029.00). This is in payment of my total tax due of $3,429.00.

Out of a sense of patriotic duty, I am also enclosing a 1.5inch Phillips head screw, for which HUD duly recorded and approved a purchase value of $2200, as my contribution to the Election Fund option on Form 1040.

It has been a pleasure to pay my taxes this year, and I look forward to paying them again next year in accordance with officially established government values.

Sincerely,
Another satisfied taxpayer

Kole Bumper Stickers Available!

I am pleased to announce that my campaign bumper stickers are available. Here's what they look like:

If you would like one or more, email your request to mikekole@msn.com.

Donations are naturally appreciated. Donations are payable to, and can be sent to:

Committee to Elect Mike Kole
7916 Turkel Drive
Fishers IN 46038

Two Ways To Balance A Budget

Over and over, the approaches our lawmakers have taken to trying to bring about tax relief, which is very popular, has revealed a desire to have it both ways. They also want to maintain ever higher spending levels, because that is also apparently very popular.

Providing tax relief is actually very easy if you don't mind cutting a budget. This is where the brain knots start forming. No elected officials at any level have proven willing to cut a budget. Observe the latest evidence, as provided by the Indy Star:

"If I could get rid of (property taxes), everybody would be happy," said Sen. Gary Dillon, R-Columbia City.

But, he asked, "How do you replace that income for local government?"

Instead, he added a provision to the bill that would give local government the option of raising income taxes in order to reduce property taxes.

Sen. Robert L. Meeks, R-LaGrange, called the bill "a responsible way to eliminate property taxes. It's a first step."

It doesn't really matter to the working man if you cut property taxes but raise income taxes. It would be a wash for him, although while retirees who are no longer drawing an income get a benefit from the property tax cut. If the towns and cities aren't willing to cut spending, those who are drawing an income will be facing a heavier tax burden, making this kind of relief no relief at all.

Actually, municipal taxes are some of the worst kinds of taxes, because those who make the most have the greatest incentive to leave. This policy chases wealth away. Brilliant.

Simple and best solution: Cut spending.

Now The Veto?

Are you kidding me? President Bush has hidden the veto pen throughout his entire Presidency, amiably signing into law any hideous legislation the Congress puts before him, including every bill loaded with pork barrell spending. Now he's found the hill he's willing to battle to the death upon? One Congressman has it exactly right. From the Washington Post report:

Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) called Bush politically tone-deaf. "Of all the bills to veto, if he lays down this gauntlet, he'll probably have 350 members of the House ready to accept that challenge," Foley said.

Bush welcomed the fight. "They ought to look at the facts and understand the consequences of what they're going to do," Bush said. "But if they pass a law, I'll deal with it, with a veto."

I'm generally as laissez-faire a capitalist as it get, but I have a real problem with foreign governments owning our ports, especially a government that has the reputation of harboring terrorists, such as the United Arab Emirates has. Also from the Post:

But many Republicans and Democrats who represent the seaport regions remain deeply skeptical of a UAE-owned company playing such a central role at some of the most sensitive entry points in the country. They noted that some of the hijackers involved in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks used the United Arab Emirates as an operational and financial hub.

This is well-placed skepticism, and a poorly placed veto threat. Bush tried to invoke the imagery of Ronald Reagan in his campaigns, but he's far from Reaganesque. His lack of vetoes to date on budgetary issues is the proof. And you can bet that Reagan never would have struck this deal with the UAE.

Another Big Geist Turnout

The Geist residents who are in opposition to the Town of Fishers' forced annexation met again tonight, with about 400 present, including the local news media. This group really has it together. There is no doubt in my mind that they will defeat the Town's attempts. They had the power point presentations, tables set up for accepting charge card doantions, a block captain system set up, and one more very interesting thing-

For the first time, an elected Republican official stood up and declared that forced annexation is wrong. County Commissioner Steve Dillinger has broken the silent ranks of the GOP and spoke out.

Should he run for another term, I'm sure he will be well rewarded at the polls in the Geist area for having recognized the obvious- that these people want no part of a forced annexation.

Amusingly, one Republican precinct committeeman stood up and spoke in roundabout ways about how the annexation couldn't be all bad. Talk about not knowing your audience. The rumbling of discontent swirled through the room. I was delighted, of course. My point on forced annexation is that it is wrong, period, and that the GOP has been conspicuously out of touch. The people sitting at my table all took my business cards and palm cards, thanks to the man's comments. I do thank him kindly.

His position will probably cost him his postion. Nedra Moran, a Geist resident and annexation foe, is challenging him for the Precinct Committee post.

This is what is delightful to me: The people of the area are becoming rather politically savvy. They are looking for candidates to back, whether incumbents or challengers. The single issue is the position on forced annexation. If incumbents are unwilling to represent their views, they will back a challenger to replace the office holder. I hope to earn their backing.

Sheriff Doug Carter was there and said words to the effect that he had never seen a finer display of the democratic process in action. I couldn't agree more.

Update: Link to Indy Star coverage. Also, WTHR-TV coverage. Also, WISH-TV coverage.

Fruedian Slip in Greenwood

Johnson County municipality Greenwood is prepared to pass their smoking ban ordinance tonight. It would be one of the most restrictive I've seen in our state.

The issue of city employees' smoking habits arose when considering smoking in city-owned vehicles. The conversation went further, to extend to employees using their own vehicles, but conducting city business. From the Indy Star report:

According to Greenwood City Attorney Shawna Koons-Davis, the ban would prohibit smoking -- "if you have to use your vehicle for business."

But Councilwoman Jessie Reed, who spearheaded the initiative, said the ban would be limited to vehicles the city owns.

"Anyplace that has something to do with the public," she said. "I don't think we're quite that Gestapo."

So, according to Reed, Greenwood is willing to be Gestapo, but not that Gestapo. Wow.

I know that in retrospect, Reed will be hating the fact that she said this. It's a Freudian Slip on the grandest order.

That must be reassuring to the good people of Greenwood, for the business owner who believes he should have the right to set his own policy within the four walls of his business, and for the person who believes her car is her property, no matter who it is serving at any given moment.

Never wonder why Indiana drives people away. Sure, I like smoke-free environments. I don't smoke, and never have. But this is a heavy price to pay for smoke-free environments. Why must civil liberties always be the first thing to hit the curb in the quest for a solution to a problem? Why is force the first thing governments turn to? The arguments against smoking are compelling enough. Can't we let it go at that?

Where To Start?

It can be a frustrating endeavor if you are a supporter of limited government and greater liberty, trying to figure out where to start to apply your efforts in pursuit of your principles. All levels of life are rife with assaults on freedom, whether these are direct attacks or the results of unintended consequences.

Because allocation of resources is a factor, I always advocate starting with the smallest level of governance possible. I use that word intentionally. You'll see why in a moment.

Sure, federal issues are sexy. These are discussed on the network news, on the Sunday morning pundit shows, so you can easily talk to anybody about these issues and make your points. What you cannot is affect change easily, because just as anyone can talk about these, everybody with a million dollars and an advocacy group that spends millions of dollars also talks about, and lobbies on, these federal issues.

Local issues aren't so flashy, but they affect you, and probably more directly, and in ways you feel. Everybody talks about Iraq, but really only a small percentage of people feel this directly. Sure, we all pay federal taxes, but that money goes into the hopper and is dispersed over many more allocations than we could begin to name or even count. When a municipality has a smoking ban, and you smoke, you feel it. If you own a restaurant business, and the smoking ban is enacted, you feel its effect on the numbers of customers you draw.

If you live in a modern subdivision that has a set of covenants included with the recorded plat, coupled with a vigorous enforcement effort by a Homeowners Association (HOA), you can really feel it.

Some HOAs regulate on an order never dreamt on by Soviet Politboro, much less know-it-all city planning commissions. They regulate such arcane things as the color of the roof or the paint on the walls, the make & model of the mailbox, the dates you are permitted to have Christmas lights hung on the house, whether or not you may have a shed or pole barn, etc. Your neighbors may be the very ones keeping an eye on you so they can rat you out to the HOA, insisting you take down a political sign, or re-paint your house a more neutral color.

Today's Indy Star has an excellent article outlining the stresses of living within subdivisions with vigorous HOAs. From the article:

More than 54 million Americans are living in subdivisions subject to covenants and homeowners associations, according to the Community Associations Institute's national headquarters in Alexandria, Va.

Critics say covenants, which gained popularity during the rise of suburbia following World War II, often are overly restrictive. Advocates, however, say the documents protect homeowners' interests by establishing and enforcing community standards.

"They provide homeowners the chance to govern themselves, maintain the property and enhance property values," said Matt Englert, president of the Central Indiana chapter of the Community Associations Institute.

There is no doubt that most homeowners buy blindly, failing to even read the restrictive covenants. It often looks like so much legalese and gobbledegook, that buyers gloss over and sign the purchase documents. At that point, they have locked themselves into not having a backyard pool or Christmas lights in April. As ever, Caveat Emptor.

However, this is a place where Libertarians can do much good. In my Fishers subdivision, there is a covenant about the mailboxes. Nobody adheres to it. Heaven forbid some busybody with nothing else to do should become the HOA president, and enforce the convenants. About 75% of the neighborhood will find itself shelling out some 50 bucks to get the "right" mailbox.

One's choice of mailboxes is not what makes or breaks a subdivision. General upkeep of the properties means a whole lot more than a personalized mailbox.

Libertarians need to get involved with their HOAs on a leadership level. I know- it isn't nearly as much fun as talking about Iraq or earmarks, but it does two things. It makes home a much happier, freer place to live, and, it gives a nice resume item that shows you can work with people and that the neighborhood didn't go up in flames in the way the paranoid distopian fantasies the opponents of freedom like to describe any time you talk about scaling back control and command with regard to property ownership.

Besides, unless you are a millionaire celebrity, you aren't getting elected to the US Senate without having served a lower office first anyway. At home is where you can start to make a large difference.

My Reading List

The Indianapolis Star runs an occasional feature in some Sunday editions called "What Hoosiers Are Reading". I decided to submit "Nelson's Trafalgar, The Battle That Changed The World". The Star ran the item this morning.

This is a great book that coincided with my third trip to southern Spain to visit my son, Alex. The interest came from our annual side trips to Gibraltar, where veterans of the Battle of Trafalgar are buried in Trafalgar Cemetary. I like to read up on the places I visit immediately before or after the trips.

Gate entrance to Gibraltar's Trafalgar Cemetary

The Battle of Trafalgar was a pivotal moment in world history, and unfortunately not well studied in the US. This was the last great naval battle involving wooden ships, but resulted because Napolean desperately wished to control the seas for a few hours so his invasion fleet could make way to Britain across the English Channel. The combined French & Spanish fleets failed to budge the British, even for a few hours. The result was British naval supremacy taht gave rise to an empire on which the sun never set.

If you enjoyed the movie Master & Commander with Russell Crowe, and especially if you have enjoyed the books by M&C author Patrick O'Brian, you'll value the graphic descriptions of life at sea while at war, in the early 19th century. An unbelievable way of life.

The book is as much a biography of Nelson, who remains popular on Gibraltar to this day, more than 200 years after his death at this battle. Posters commemorating the man were available at shops on Gibraltar last month during our visit.

Great Olympic Action

I'm really enjoying NBC's coverage of the Olympics, and especially the hockey- both men's & women's.

It's been tough for the USA so far, with the women losing to someone other than Canada for the first time ever, in more than 100 Olympic games, and with the men struggling to qualify for the next round.

NBC has provided excellent coverage for the hockey. They air entire games on any one of their various networks. CNBC has hosted a great many, and this morning I watched Germany-Switzerland and now Russia-Latvia. The USA plays at 10:30 EST this morning, and I can't wait.

Very rarely were entire games aired in previous Olympiads. With single networks juggling a variety of sports, you might get to see five minutes of hockey, and then luge and skiing, missing key moments of games, sitting in suspense over what you couldn't see. Seeing the whole USA-USSR game live was a rare event, and the Miracle On Ice completely justified it. That game made me a hockey fan forever, and an Olympic hockey fan.

Negotiating 101

As someone who has negotiated land use rights for a living, I have always has a certain professional nose to look down on for those negotiating on behalf of governments. It has everything to do with the fact that those I approach with a proposal can slam the door in my face if they choose. Government negotiators can have the door bulldozed sometimes. Just ask the good folks at NK Hurst.

Thus, it was interesting to read a recent article in on Reason Magazine's website, which demostrates that dynamic, using Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson as the dark example. From Jacob Sullum's article:

"Cities use eminent domain most often as a negotiating tool with property owners," explained Peterson, who was speaking for the National League of Cities. "Just having the tool available makes it possible to negotiate with landowners." Sure it does—in the same way just having a gun available makes it possible for a bank robber to negotiate with a teller.

Im my acquisitions, it was always possible to negotiate with landowners. You had to bring a lot of dollars to the table to trade, but more importantly, you had to convince the opposite party that they wer getting value equal to or greater than what your client would be getting. Demonstrating value to the other party isn't even on the radar in eminent domain cases. Eminent Domain isn't trade. It's force. That's why private negiators look down their nose at government counterparts. Brute force requires very little application of skill.

By the way, Reason has a great blog, called Reason Hit & Run. I keep a permenant link at the right. The comments are a delight.

Eating Endangered Species?

I was listening to Neal Boortz the other day, and he was trying to provoke his audience and Belinda, one of his show producers, by saying he was glad that the Bald Eagle was being removed from the endangered species list so that he could hunt one for the purpose of eating it.

This rubbed me wrong on so many levels, but that's what Boortz was angling for. I simply couldn't eat the bird that is the symbol for our nation. I also couldn't eat a creature that was so recently on the verge of extinction.

Then I read a Washington Post article that suggests that maybe I am doing exactly that. I was stunned, because I eat salmon at least three times a month, grilling it at home, even as the snow flies. From the Post article:

In 2004, federal and state governments spent more than $160 million to preserve that salmon species, commonly known as chinook -- listed by the federal government as endangered in the early 1990s. And that doesn't include the millions spent on other kinds of salmon, such as sockeye, coho and chum.

I don't believe I've ever had chinook salmon, but I seek out sockeye and coho for the health benefits of eating the Pacific varieties. Besides, salmon is the only fish Ame will eat. But I never thought of sockeye salmon as endangered. I buy it at Jonah's Market in the Geist area, and even at my local Target store.

It begs the question- Are these varieties of fish truly endangered, or, is this so much more money tossed out the window to appease a special interest group? Also from the Post:

The report, which regularly invites controversy, provides information to Congress so lawmakers can make decisions on conservation spending, according to the service.

This is as it should be. If salmon is truly endangered, I'm not going to eat it. If it isn't, what are we throwing our money at? The money could be better allocated on real needs, or even returned to the taxpayers, perish the thought!

Thanks, J.A.!

J.A. Thomas has announced his candidacy for Indiana Representative in District 64, which includes his home town of Vincennes, and his home county of Knox. Here's the link to J.A. Thomas' campaign website.

Thomas' entry into the race should make things delightfully uncomfortable for incumbent Republican Troy Woodruff, who won election in 2004 by a mere 189 votes. Mr. Woodruff would be well advised to vote for smaller government with every vote, lest he lose a several thousand to Thomas, along with his hopes for re-election.

I'm glad J.A. announced his candidacy now. It gives him a chance to build momentum now, rather than after our late-April convention. Unless you have big money, time coupled with effort is the only thing on a candidate's side for gaining strength.

Big thanks to J.A on a personal note. He has pledged his support in working together for the highest possible outcome in the Secretary of State race, in which I am a candidate. Indiana election rules tie the parties' ballot status to this race. Our minimum goal in 2006 is Major Party status.

J.A. has my pledge for support as well. Together, we will work to build the 8th District.

I pledge my support to work together with other leaders who step forward to do the necessary work. J.A. Thomas is leading by example.

Thanks, J.A.!

Poll Added

You will note the snappy freebie poll posted at the right side of the page. Nothing too scientific here, but I'd like to get a better idea of times people are inclined to attend a campaign meeting.

This comes in response to the District 5 organizational meeting held last Saturday at Claude & Annie's. The turnout was decent, but I received more emails and voice mails expressing regrets than there were folks present. That tells me I could have done better in selecting a time.

You get one bite at the apple here. Use it well. Thanks!

Fort Wayne Annexation Report

Hamilton County is not the only county to suffer significant forced annexations. In fact, Allen County and Fort Wayne are the seasoned veterans.

Fort Wayne Libertarian Mike Sylvester has a report on a series of pending annexations that affect thousnads of property owners.

Of note, while no elected official in Hamilton County has spoken in opposition to forced annexation, several Fort Wayne city councilors were elected on platforms that included opposition to annexations. These councilors are silent today.

What is it about being elected to office that takes a fiscal conservative and suddenly transforms that person into a tax-and-spend liberal?

What is it about an electorate that re-elects those who fail to keep their word?

Klop on WXNT

It was great to tune in to Newstalk 1430-am this morning and hear Brad Klopfenstein on Abdul's show, along with John Livengood. Brad is the former Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. He now holds the same position with the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association. Points of interest:

Brad & John pointed to the unintended consequences of the Marion County smoking ban. In particular, the restaurants had to decide- do they continue to permit smoking by excluding patrons under 18 years of age, or do they cater to families and exclude smoking? Many have chosen to exclude minors. Business owners had to decide which demographic, smokers or kids, comprised the smaller subset of their business, and then lose that subset. Not exactly business friendly.

John declared himself a 'civil libertarian' on the issue of smoking. It was an interesting choice of words, as Mr. Livengood was once an elected Democratic official, and that isn't the line most Dems choose on smoking. Sure, he represents the hospitality industry and has to take that position, but the word 'libertarian' was pleasant to hear from him. I hope to word rolls off his lips when he is in touch with his clients discussing political parties that took his side on smoking issues and food & beverage taxes throughout the state.

Wither 2002?

The Indianapolis Star has run two reports recently, covering the possibility that Indy could host the 2008 GOP national convention. The bid has been deep-sixed before it could even get going. From the latest Indy Star report:

Jennifer Hallowell, executive director of the Indiana Republican Party, said it notified the Republican National Committee that it wouldn't submit a proposal.

In addition to the cost and effort of pursuing a bid, Indianapolis would face a timing problem. The convention would conflict with the transition from the old RCA Dome to the new stadium and expanded Indiana Convention Center, which is not expected to open until late summer 2008.

Calling it a "timing problem" really glosses over the fact that the Convention Center will be torn up, thanks to the Governor tying its' expansion to the construction of a new stadium for the Colts. It's a dark irony that the Indiana GOP might have been able to host their party's biggest party of the 4-year election cycle, except that one of their own Governors in ram-rodding a political project home that should have been wholly private anyway left the only site in town for such a thing unavailable. Oh, well. Republicans from across the country can take their millions of dollars and bless some other city with it instead.

There was an error in the report that requires some housekeeping:

Indianapolis has never hosted a national political convention. Chicago has hosted the most: 13 Democratic and 13 Republican conventions.

That is factually incorrect. Indianapolis was host to the 2002 national convention of the Libertarian Party. That event was life-changing for me, in retrospect.

At the time, I was a resident of Cleveland, and served the Convention as a delegate from the state of Ohio. Ame had finished her Master's work and was review potential work locations where she could fulfill service requirements tied to her education. Indianapolis was on the list, along with New York City and some lesser locations.

I stayed on the north side, at Keystone at the Crossing, and was afforded a drive to and from the Convention, whereby I could meander around town en route, examining neighborhoods, picking up sales slips from houses with 'for sale' signs in the front yard.

I was rather taken by the friendly nature of people, both on the north side and in the downtown area. The cost of living was reasonable, and the Libertarian Party of Indiana was the best state affiliate I encountered at the Convention. The state income tax was 4% lower than Ohio, the property taxes were 75% lower than Cleveland, the sales tax was 3% lower than Cleveland, and there was no municipal income tax in Indy, versus a 2% tax in Cle. These were among the numerous factors that made the move exciting for me.

Now we have our own home in Fishers, and we plan to be here for many years to come.

So, please, correct that error in the Star. It is an injustice to our area, and to the Libertarian Party. The Indiana Libertarians did a great job of showcasing Indianapolis and the Central Indiana region.

Who Do You Trust?

CNN published an interesting report on a recent Gallup Poll. Who has a clear plan for the country? From the CNN article:

Democrats? No, according to 68% of those polled.
Republicans? No, according to 67% of those polled.

Apparently, Americans don't trust either party. This begins to explain why voter turn-out is so low in this country. What it doesn't explain is why more Americans aren't willing to turn to other parties. Sure, I'll stump for the Libertarians, but I would extend that inquiry to any other party.

I'd love to see the same poll reissued, but adding libertarian philosophy of smaller government and lower taxes to the questions, to see what rating the public would give it. I bet higher than 32 or 33%.

It just doesn't make sense to keep voting for parties you don't trust.

Greenfield Report

The Libertarian Party of Hancock County held a fun, informal dinner meeting at El Rodeo restaurant in Greenfield, on SR 9, just south of the interstate.

Most of the people there were folks I had not met before. Most were rather disenchanted with the Republican Party. They want smaller government in general. They want to be left alone by what they consider a meddling, busy-body government. This was one extremely pro-liberty group, and it was a delight to be amongst them.

Phil Miller gave me the floor for about 20 minutes. I spoke about the campaign, and I urged them to not only work in support of my campaign, but to allow me to work to support them in their campaigns. The only way to make an unresponsive government take notice is to put the very office at stake, by becoming candidates.

It's not for everyone, but I suspect some of the people I met there tonight will become candidates.

Legislative Update

Dan Drexler of the Libertarian Party of Indiana has been doing a great job of tracking bills that the party supports and opposes. He has posted a useful update today. Check it out via this link.

Top item is the Eminent Domain bill, HB 1010. While it has passed the House, sadly it is stalled in committee awaiting the Senate. Time to give your State Senator a call to urge movement on this bill to curtail the theft of private property by governments on behalf of private interests.

Glad I Left Marion County

This was predictable. You had to know that if municipalities were given the chance, they would initiate municipal income taxes. Marion County leads the way, to ruin. From the Indy Star report:

Two members of the City-County Council are proposing a county income tax to raise about $33 million.

The proposal from council member Jackie Nytes would levy a County Economic Development Income Tax to help pay for the IndyGo bus service and to make up money expected to be lost by next year’s planned elimination of the state’s inventory tax.

“Unfortunately, the State Legislature has resisted efforts from local officials to have more control over funding for local projects, services and operations,” Nytes said in a council news release issued Friday night.

“We are offering this proposal as a starting point for discussion of how we fund local governments, provide tax relief to citizens, and address the elimination of the inventory tax. I'm sure it will be amended along the way.”

That's a curious way of providing tax relief, by proposing the inititation of a new tax.

Here's an idea: CUT SPENDING. Put that at the top of the list of items for discussion on how to balance the books. Increasing taxes is only one way to accomplish that goal.

Municipal taxes lead to the destruction of core cities. I have witnessed this in Cleveland, where the municipal tax was 2% when I lived there. Eventually, towns and cities get to haggling over the rightful collector of the tax.

I lived in Cleveland, but worked in suburban Parma. Both wanted 2% in munipal taxes. After two years of this nonsense, I moved to Parma, thereby preserving 2% of my income. Two years after that, I moved to Indiana, where there was no municipal income tax, thereby preserving another 2%.

Here's the most devastating part: the more you make, the greater your incentive to leave. The 0.35% that Nytes proposes isn't a whole lot to a person making $18,000/year, but is to someone making a million a year. Cleveland's experience was that people of means simply left, leaving only the poor and lower middle class. The city- not only the inner city, but even the fringes- suffered as people of means fled for the suburbs.

That's what Indy is headed for if they pass this tax.

It's really stupid, because Indiana was very competitive relative to the states east of it when I got here. The state income tax was lower, property taxes were lower, and there was no municipal income tax. I calculated that I preserved fully 7% of my income when comparing the Cleveland residence to the Indianapolis residence.

Now, the property taxes are nearly even. Now, Indianapolis is considering a tax hike to support IndyGo, which is already supported by taxes to the tune of 80% of its revenue.

I'm really glad I left Marion County for Hamilton County. I'm just very afraid that Hamilton County is going to reinvent Marion County, and make it another place to flee in order to preserve income. That would be a shame.

Hancock County Meeting is Next

The campaign season is really going to be in full swing now, as I work towards securing the nomination of my party to be our candidate for Secretary of State. This means winning over the votes of the delegates to the Libertarian Party of Indiana's annual State Convention. This year's convention will be held the weekend of April 28-30, in Indianapolis.

On Monday, I will be attending the dinner/business meeting of the Libertarian Party of Hancock County. The dinner begins at 6pm at El Rodeo Restaurant in Greenfield, on SR 9, off I-70.

I am looking forward to this meeting as the attendance at Hancock County meetings has been steadily rising. I attribute this to their increased visibility in defending small business owners from impositions local governments would place on them. Generally, the Libertarians are their only defenders politically. Also, Jenn Bradshaw writes a great column in the Greenfield Daily Reporter.

Bob Barr Has It Right

Even though many on the right think of Bob Barr as royal pain, the former Georgia Republican Congressman is right on the money. Barr has been challenging his party on all things related to the Bill of Rights and the Constitution, leaving cognitive dissonance in his wake. Observe these zingers offered at the recent CPAC assembly. From the Washington Post report:

"Are we losing our lodestar, which is the Bill of Rights?" Barr beseeched the several hundred conservatives at the Omni Shoreham in Woodley Park. "Are we in danger of putting allegiance to party ahead of allegiance to principle?"

and

Dinh brought the crowd to a raucous ovation when he judged: "The threat to Americans' liberty today comes from al Qaeda and its associates and the people who would destroy America and her people, not the brave men and women who work to defend this country!"

It was the sort of tactic that has intimidated Democrats and the last few libertarian Republicans who question the program's legality.But Barr is not easily suppressed. During a 2002 Senate primary, he accidentally fired a pistol at a campaign event; at a charity event a decade earlier, he licked whipped cream from the chests of two women.

Barr wasn't going to get a lesson on patriotism from this young product of the Bush Justice Department. "That, folks, was a red herring," he announced. "This debate is very simple: It is a debate about whether or not we will remain a nation subject to and governed by the rule of law or the whim of men."

For the past five years or so, I concluded that the direction the Republican Party was taking was moving away from Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater, and towards a big government distinct from the kind of big government the Democrats prefer- but big government all the same. The fiscal conservatives, the "small-L" libertarians still clinging to the GOP would at last be cast aside, with the Libertarian Party as their only possible home.

This is not a small constituency within the GOP, so in time, I believe that the divide will come to represent the questions of big government/small government, and individualism/collectivism. The result will again be two dominant parties, but far better defined.

In 2001, I had the timeline for this metamorphosis at 25-30 years. Now, I have it at about 15 years.

In my own way, I hope that the Republican leadership continues to ignore Barr. It will result in the Republican Party going to way of the Whigs, to be replaced by the Libertarian Party.

There They Go Again

The easiest way to tell that a government is growing is that buildings are being added, or added to.

The Town of Fishers, led by an all-Republican town council, is growing. The proof can be found in the expansion of the Town Hall, which will begin this summer. From Bill Fouts' report in the Fishers Weekly:

The expansion is will add 18,945 square feet to the existing Town Hall and will include a “light spire” that Passen said was really more of a dome reminiscent of a capitol dome.

“It's very striking and it's going to look very different than it does now,” Passen said.

In other words, it isn't merely getting bigger, it's getting more palacial. So where will the money come from? Again, from the Fishers Weekly article:

The project will be paid for through bond issues. Huff said some bond money has already been approved.

“I don't know yet whether that's going to be enough to do it depending on all the other things we're tying to do with this building,” Huff said. “We may have to add some to it. We'll just have to wait and see.”

Translated into straight English, this means the Town was counting on the successful forced annexation of the Geist area, which would have at once added the bonding capacity, and would require even more space, because a bigger area to govern means bigger government.

That's today's GOP for you. There they go again, burying the legacy of Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater.

I wish the Town Council and Manager would take stock in what allowed Fishers to develop into a great town, one that earned that fabulous Money Magazine ranking. It was the relative absence of government, the low taxes, and the tiny bond obligation. They seem bent on reinventing Marion County by growing government and bond obligations, which all leads to higher taxes, which drives people of means on to the next Fishers. Why louse up a good thing?

Excellent Organizational Meeting

I was delighted with Saturday's organizational meeting for District 5. It was attended by 20 good people who want to see my campaign, and the Libertarian Party, move to the next level.

Two homework assignments were issued.

#1 Bring 3 people to the next meeting. This is a fun exercise, because even if the person hears 'no' from 12 friends, relatives, or business associates before finding three to say 'yes', that many more people have heard good things about the Kole Campaign and the Libertarian Party from trusted people with relationships and shared values.

#2 Conduct online research on at least one Indiana County. Determine the media outlets (TV, radio, print, blogs, etc.) and their newsroom and contact info. Also, determine the big-deal annual events, such as parades, festivals, fairs, etc., along with the dates, times, locations, and contact info.

Those who were unable to attend but wish to participate are most welcome to do so! Send me an email at mikekole@msn.com, and I will be glad to send the Word Documents with the details.

The event was reported by LPIN State Chair Mark Rutherford in his blog, and by LP of Hamilton County Secretary Michael Jarrell, in his blog. Special thanks to Michael for presenting me with a nice bottle of Boylan's Root Beer!

I learned that Saturday afternoon is not the best time for a meeting, especially when IU and Purdue basketball is happening at the same time. There were more email and voice mail regrets than there were folks present. That's my fault. Chalk it up as a learning experience.

In other news, I am working with Jeff Thomas of Vincennes to put an organizational meeting together for the 8th District. Watch this blog and the campaign website www.mikekole.com for details on organizational meetings statewide.

Campaign Organizational Meeting Saturday

Supporters of the Libertarian Party and the Kole Campaign are invited to the Campaign's first organizational meeting, this Saturday afternoon, from 2-4pm, at Claude & Annie's in Fishers, located at 141st & SR 37. Map to Claude & Annie's.

We need volunteers to staff a wide variety of positions on the team, including: campaign manager, fundraising coordinator, volunteer coordinator, advertising coordinator, media liason, web presence optimizer, hosts for home or office meet-and-greets, door-to-door staff, phone bank staff, election day poll workers, and special projects managers. As you can see, this will be one large team!

I will look forward to seeing supporters on Saturday! If you cannot attend, and you want to be a part of the team, please contact me by email (mikekole@msn.com) so that we can discuss your involvement.

The plan is to have similar meetings throughout the state, so look for future announcements for meetings close to you.

Radio Ads On WXNT

The Committee to Elect Mike Kole did buy ads on Newstalk 1430-am WXNT, airing on the "Abdul In The Morning" program, and on Neal Boortz.

I have had supporters ask if I have a schedule for the ads. Graciously, the good folks at WXNT did supply me with a schedule. The ads run two more days, Thursday & Friday. The schedule:

Thursday, February 9- 6:22AM, 6:45AM, 7:22AM, 7:33AM, 8:24AM, 8:46AM, 12:21PM, 12:51PM, 1:34PM, 2:50PM

Friday, February 10- 7:53AM, 8:53AM, 12:19PM, 1:49PM, 2:50PM

The ads promote the Campaign's organizational meeting on Saturday, 2-4pm, at Claude & Annie's in Fishers, located at the southwest corner of 141st & SR 37. They also promote the Libertarian Party as the true home for people who believe in smaller government and lower taxes.

Tune in to WXNT 1430-am, or listen online. Go to www.wxnt.com and follow the links to the streamed signal.

Recent Press Hits

I have been pleased to receive several citations in the media in the past few days. Here are three:

Howey Political Report. The respected political insider publication noted my ad buy on WXNT, and the serious level of campaigning it represents. It was very gratifying to have a citation here. The Howey Political report is a subscription service, so the specific item cannot be linked. The main page offers the top story. They do offer a trial sample.

The Indiana Daily Student covered the Libertarian Party of Indiana's Collegiate Conclave, and noted by lunchtime speech. Here's a quote from the IDS report:

"I intend to deflect that stereotypical bromide that you're wasting your vote if you vote for a libertarian," Kole said. "You're wasting your vote if you believe in free speech and privacy, and you vote for a Democrat. And you're wasting your vote if you believe in small government and fiscal conservatism, and you vote for a Republican."

AtGeist is both a newsletter and website, targeted to residents and business owners of the Geist area, both in Hamilton and Marion counties. The website features a report on my upcoming organizational meeting, as I am an opponent of the forced annexations the Hamilton County Geist property owners are facing. This item is also very gratifying, as it is near to home, and I am very keen to build strong relationships with like-minded neighbors, and to support them. Here's a quote from the report:

"My position on forced annexation is simple. It's wrong, period," said Kole. "It's too bad the Republican Party doesn't believe in property rights or lower taxes anymore, because they talk the talk without walking the walk," he said. "Actions matter far more than rhetoric. If Libertarians made up the majority of the Fishers Town Council, the issue of forced annexation would not even appeared. But then, the Town Council is made up of Republicans, including the GOP's County Chair, so you can see where that party stands on such things," said Kole.

Forgive me if I sound like a broken record, but these press hits are very gratifying. These three sources represent the kind of growth the Libertarian Party is experiencing. We are increasingly included in press coverage on the strength of the validity of our positions, and the fact that we have shown organizational endurance. We are not a top-down party that crumbles as our standard bearers move on. We are here to stay. In the past, we would get the bulk of our press hits within two weeks of an election. Now we get solid coverage nine months prior to the election. These citations are in my mind an acknowledgment of all of this.

If you see press citations, please forward email links to mikekole@msn.com. It is deeply appreciated!

Gividen Letter Printed

Kenn Gividen was the Libertarian Party's candidate for Governor in 2004. He has been following issues surrounding the subject matter in high school newspapers. He draws a distinction between free enterprise journalism and taxpayer funded school journalism.

His letter to the Noblesville Daily Times is on the Noblesville High School newspapers deliberations over printing an article on oral sex. You may recall that Columbus High School's newspaper covered exactly this ground a few weeks ago. Kenn Gividen is a Columbus resident. Exerpt:

The students at North and Noblesville High Schools aren't to be blamed for exercising First Amendment rights. They are to be applauded. The staff and faculty of the schools, however, should be taken to task for gross incompetence.

Logo Unveiled, Bumper Stickers Soon

I am pleased to announce that the Kole Campaign has its image.


Every campaign needs to have an instantly recognized image. That's why I've shied away from a red-white-and-blue logo. Everyone uses red-white-and-blue, and nobody can tell whose sticker it is when zipping along on the highway.

Mitch Daniels used green-and-white to tremendous effect in 2004. I hope that my royal purple and yellow will do likewise.

Bumper stickers should be available as early as Wednesday. Go to www.mikekole.com for more details and to request a sticker or three for your cars!

Letter In Sunday's Star

The Indianapolis Star printed my letter today in response to their article last Sunday on the Geist annexations. Again, I am fascinated by the headline the newspapers choose to write for my letters. Here's the text:

No need for Democrats in Hamilton County

Fishers Town Council President Scott Faultless got it 100 percent correct in The Star when he confirmed that the key issue in the Geist annexation is money.

Mainly, the town wants to take it from the Geist property owners, who want to preserve their money.

There is one other, more high-minded principle to consider: the right to self-determination. The people of Geist simply do not want to be forcibly annexed into Fishers. The Libertarian Party has stood alone in taking the position that forced annexation is wrong, period.

This is lost on Hamilton County Republicans. The all-Republican Fishers Town Council and the all-Republican Carmel City Council both ignored the wishes of their annexation targets and acted with the backing of force to grab tax dollars, which seem to be paramount to their thinking.

A neighbor asked me why there are so few Democrats in Hamilton County. The answer is clear. With tax-spend-Republicans such as these, Democrats become rather unnecessary.

Mike Kole
Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State
Fishers

Collegiate Conclave Today

The Libertarian Party of Indian is hosting an important event today- its first annual Collegiate Conclave.

College Libertarians from the myriad Indiana colleges and universities will gather at the University of Indianapolis to begin to network and to strategize for their participation in the 2006 election campaigns. The event begins at 9am and runs through 4pm with a full program of speakers and work sessions. Info.

I am among the speakers today, which includes Dr. Jim Lark of the Univeristy of Virginia. Dr. Lark is the former chair of the Libertarian National Committee.

I am very excited to meet our College Libertarians. I have had delightful experiences meeting with CLs at Notre Dame and at Indiana Wesleyan, where the students were positively energized about pro-liberty activism. I can't wait to meet more.

Letter In The Topics

Another of my letters on the Geist annexation and the Republican Party's role in the tax grab was printed. This one was in the Thursday, February 3 edition of the Fishers Topics- a free weekly that is distributed to residents of Fishers, Lawrence, and Geist. Link to the letter, and the text:

Letter to the editor: GOP sees Geist residents as ATM.

February 2, 2006

I support the freedom rally the Geist residents staged (Jan. 26) to coincide with the governor's visit for a fund-raiser right in the Geist area. It's an enormous insult to the Geist property owners for the Republicans to at once try to force them into Fishers to steal tax dollars from them, and then to try to make them overlook it with the presence of the governor.

I think this strategic fund- raiser will backfire badly on the Republicans. They would have been much smarter to offer something the Geist property owners want, like a reduction in taxes or abandoning the forced annexation. Instead, the Republican Party shows up with their hands out for donations. That they expect to be rewarded for putting the screws to the people of Geist speaks to how incredibly out of touch Charlie White and the Republican Party is.

The Republican Party is making the lives of the people of Geist harder, so it is important that they let the GOP know that they will withhold their support from them unless and until they return to policies that are in line with the fiscal conservatism now only espoused by Libertarians.

Hopefully, the people of Geist are beginning to see that Charlie White and the GOP merely see the people of Geist as an ATM that he can run to and cash in, without ever returning anything of value to them. I think they are beginning to see that the Libertarian Party is the only option left to them.

Mike Cole (sic)
Fishers

My name was misspelled, but that's okay. The pronunciation is the same, and when people in Geist ask, "Who's on our side?" and they say, "Mike Kole and the Libertarians," it comes out the same either way.

Letter Published

The Noblesville Daily Times printed my letter with reactions to the reactions of Fishers Town Council President Scott Faultless, and the Hamilton County Republican Party, on all things related to forced annexations.

Here's the link to the letter on NBT. Read entries below for fuller discussions on the same topics. It's a dandy headline, although I can't take credit for having written it. Newpapers create their own headlines for letters to the editor.

Bottome line: Libertarians are opposed to forced annexations because it is wrong, period.

Good Appearance on Abdul's Show

I sat in this morning with the state Executive Directors from the Democrats and Republicans today, and was pleased with my performance in reviewing yesterday's State of the Union Address. Big thanks to Abdul, Andrew, and WXNT for having me on the show! Top points made:

• President Bush is asking for the line-item veto. There's hardly a track record backing the idea that he would use the tool if it were given to him. No President has used the regular veto less in my lifetime.
• Bush spoke of the need to curtail spending. I described that as hard to believe, as he could have been instrumental in curbing spending by using the veto, and by using the prestige of his office to direct the Congress to do so in the previous five years of his Presidency. I pointed to poor Mike Pence, who said essentially what the President said, and who was taken to the woodshed for it by Tom DeLay.
• The President spoke of improving health care in America, but then spoke of deeper government involvement with health care insurance. That's a mistake, as the government involved with mandatory insurance is the problem. Elective, uninsured procedures like Lasik have seen prices drop while quality of care improves. The opposite is true of everything mandated insurance has touched.
• With the past two Administrations, Clinton & Bush, both parties have labored to characterize the other as corrupt and unethical. Consider me sold! Both parties are correct. It's time to trust Libertarians.
• The partisan divide between Democrats & Republicans is vast. Each should get real and begin to acknowledge that each side has merits. Both need to get away from substituting ethical charges for policy solutions. Libertarians are putting good, substantial ideas on the table, especially when we say 'no' to another party's policy proposals.

One caller asked me and Republican Jennifer Hallowell where we stood on the Fair Tax. Jennifer said she was unsure. I told the caller that I am a supporter of the Fair Tax, and have helped to host a presentation on the Fair Tax in Noblesville, back in November. I don't think the Fair Tax is perfect, but it is an excellent way to eliminate the hidden taxes imbedded in the goods & services we buy, which would be an enormous boost to our economy.

There were other points I would have made, had the show been longer, or had I gotten more time to keep on:

• President Bush spoke of not retreating into protectionism. I couldn't agree more, so it has been a source of frustration for me that Bush has backed protectionist tariffs and quotas on steel, lumber, cotton, textiles, sugar, corn, wheat, and a host of other commodities.
• The President urged us not to retreat into isolationism. I agree that now that we have gotten into Iraq, we cannot simply cut & run. We have a responsibility to leave the country in the best shape possible. However, is American internationalism going to take us to war with Iran? South Korea? Communist China has nuclear weapons. Are they on the list? Where will it end? The President had no details on this.
• I think a certain isolationism is well overdue. We have American military protecting developed western nations for free. It's time for Japan, Germany, France, Spain, and a host of others to start defending themselves, or at least footing 100% of the bill for us to do the job.

I hope the performance was well-received. Federal issues are not my strong suit, but I think I turned in a good showing on behalf of the Libertarian Party today.

Pre-State of the Union Notes

I'll be viewing the President's State of the Union Address in about 20 minutes, with a deep interest in the fiscal side of the report. Beyond my interest as a citizen and a political partisan, I will give the Libertarian response on WXNT's "Abdul In The Morning" tomorrow at 8am, along with representatives of the other two parties.

One thing that has struck me in viewing pre-Address coverage on CNN and Fox News is how everything surrounding the event is staged. I understand that the President has to rehearse the speech. I've rehearsed speeches. But what struck me was how the acknowledgements the President will make are carefully and politically scripted. Not only that, the Democrats issued a response before the speech has been given!

I'm waiting to analyze and judge the speech until after President Bush has completed it. I think that's the only genuine way to go about it.

Gosh, That Map Looks... Gone!

In the course of examining the questionable Faultless annexation, I had cause to re-examine the horribly gerrymandered Fishers Town Council District Map. Last Monday, I posted comments on the absurd nature of the map, likening the map to the work of drunks, or of those seeking to create political districts to suit the status quo among Counil members.

In the wake of this commentary, I have had friends and co-workers want to know more about the map. They tried the link I offered, which was to the Hamilton County Map Room. That was a mistake on my part. The link should have been to the Town's website, to the Council page. So, I went back to correct my error.

La-tee-dah. Wouldn't you know the link to the map has disappeared from the Town's webpage?

Isn't that just the most amazing coincidence? The map just vanished! Poof! Gone! The link used to be on the right-hand side of the page, above the links to Council Agenda Packets. No more.

Fortunately, I have a bit of foresight on such things, and made a screen-shot capture. Here is the map for all to see- even if the Council doesn't want you to see it.

Drunks with Crayolas, or just Councilors keeping their seats? The orange District is the one Scott Faultless represents. The purple one is Stuart Easley's.

One fact of electoral life makes the crazy, gerrymandered districts most unnecessary. From the Council Page on the Fishers website:

All councilors are considered "at large" which means all Fishers residents vote on all councilors, not just the councilor representing their particular district.

In other words, the Districts have no actual direct electoral accountability. With Republican supermajorities here -to date- the Councilors have to know that there was no real threat of being unseated by candidates from other parties. Only moving out of the District could unseat them.

With that being the case, there really is only one reason to rig the districts as they are- to be certain that the sitting Councilors can remain sitting Councilors. As much as it looks like the work of drunks, the drawing of these Districts is very deliberate.

Yet more shady ethics, on parade in Fishers.

I call on the Town of Fishers to re-draw the Council District Map with Districts that are geographically sensible.

I call for the electoral rules to be changed such that only the citizens who live within a District may vote on their Town Councilor. The at-large system must end.

On Abdul's Show Wednesday

Be sure to tune in to Newstalk 1430-am WXNT and the "Abdul In The Morning" show Wednesday at 8am. I will be on the show to give the Libertarian response to President Bush's State of the Union Address.

When I tune in to the State of the Union Address, I am expecting to hear a great deal on foreign policy. However, I am most interested in hearing the fiscal report and plan for the next year.

The ecomomy is in decent shape, in my opinion, but that's a shame, because it could be incredibly robust. Cut taxes by 1% and trim spending by 5%, and we'll have explosive growth and reversing our horrible deficit situation immediately.

I am concerned for a possible major foreign policy announcement. I participate in a fair amount of polling, and a recent one by Zogby raised my eyebrow. It was loaded with questions looking for my level of comfort with nuking Iran and/or North Korea. That's not a typo. Nuking. I don't believe John Zogby pulled that battery of questions from out of thin air, so we'll see what the President has to say.

Geist Annexation Featured in Sunday Star

The Indianapolis Star ran a feature article in today's edition, with a thumbnail sketch.

One notable comment was issued by Fishers Town Council President Scott Faultless. From Bruce C. Smith's report:

For Fishers, the added territory could mean $2 million more a year to pay for police and fire services, parks and roads. The homeowners say it could raise taxes 20 percent for services they already get.

"This is a fight over money," said Town Council President Scott Faultless, who is spearheading the annexation effort.

"It is the motivation for both sides. Everything else is a distraction."

That's the first time Mr. Faultless has been quoted where he got right to the point. He's 100% correct here- it's about money.

The Town wants to take money from the Geist property owners, who want to preserve it.

It only took him two months to cut to the chase. In that time, he was saying the annexation was about unifying the community, the merits of a Fishers address, and other smoke. Now, at last, the truth.

Readers of this blog will recall my Saturday, November 19, 2005 letter in the Fishers Weekly, that ran with the headline, "Annexation is all about taxes". The letter began thusly:

The all-Republican Fishers Town Council has just reinforced what we learned from the all-Republican Carmel City Council: it's all about grabbing tax dollars.

Thanks, Mr. Faultless, for confirming the obvious as seen in mid-November. Better late than never. The letter continued:

The burden is on the Town Council to show that there is something more awaiting them than a higher tax bill.

On this count, Faultless and his fellow Councilors have failed utterly. They keep reverting to the idea that the Geist property owners are getting something for nothing. From the Star report:

"And then there is the fairness issue,'' Faultless added. "The folks living in the (unannexed) holes are benefiting from the town's services, whether they want
to admit it or not."

If the Geist residents are benefitting from Town services, it must be that the Town Council gave away the store at some point, whether Council President Faultless wants to admit it or not. The Council approves the developments that proceed in the annexed areas that surround Geist.

Or, maybe Mr. Faultless is really just a socialist who believes that if you even drive once over a road in the Town, and you live somewhere in the region, you should be taxed for the privilege of having passed on the road.

This is why the Geist residents picketed the GOP fundraiser. They thought Republicans stood for less taxation and smaller government. Stood. Past tense. Only the Libertarians stand for less taxation and smaller government any more.

While in Europe, I had an amusing thought along the lines of the Faultless reasoning. There I was, in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, and briefly, France. I ran the water in each country. Should I now be a taxpayer to all four nations? I enjoyed their services, after all.

It's a weak attempt at high-minded principle. Here's the real deal-

Forced annexation is wrong, period. People have the right to self-determination, and that should go without saying in the United States of America, the home of the free. The only annexations that occur should be voluntary.

This is the Libertarian position. End of story.


Update: In response to the comments that have ensured, I have a number of links going back to posts that had to do with the various food & beverage taxes that passed throughout Hamilton County, and the Fishers proposal that failed without a vote. It includes my letter of praise for Fishers, which was printed in all of the Hamilton County newspapers. This voluminous activity, and the myriad press citations the Libertarian Party earned, all point to why we took some credit for the defeat of the tax in Fishers.

A similar scenario is playing out with forced annexation- the GOP proposes to tax, the Libertarians stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the affected parties.

June 7, 2005, Mitch Daniels pitches tax increases
June 8, 2005, Press Coverage of my face-to-face with Governor Daniels
June 23, 2005, pre-Pub Crawl work
June 24, 2005, Pub Crawl in Fishers & Noblesville in support of restaruant & bar owners
June 24, 2005, Pub Crawl Press Coverage
June 26, 2005, Hamilton County & Noblesville
June 27, 2005, filled in on WXNT, had restaurant owners on as guests
June 27, 2005, Central Indiana
June 29, 2005, Carmel
June 29, 2005, Noblesville
July 1, 2005, Noblesville
July 10, 2005, Westfield
July 11, 2005, Westfield
July 14, 2005, Westfield
August 11, 2005, Fishers
August 11, 2005, Letter of Praise for Fishers
August 22, 2005, Fishers
August 29, 2005, Fishers Tax Killed- No Vote Taken

Point Made, Point Missed

Several Geist area property owners appeared yesterday at the Bella Vita Ristorante, where the Republican Party was holding a fundraiser. They held 'No Annexation' signs with the idea being to get the Party's attention, that there is a connection between financial support for statewide Republicans and the actions of local Republicans.

Indy Star coverage link. WISH-TV coverage link. Fishers Blog coverage link. All have excellent photos, but the Fishers Blog has some nice comments about the Libertarians and the Kole Campaign, which is greatly appreciated!

The Fishers Town Council is an all-Republican body. Charlie White is a member of the Council, and the GOP County Chair. He managed Mitch Daniels' election efforts in Hamilton County. The Party gets the connection on the receiving end of fundraising, that's for sure, so Daniels was the main attraction in this $400/plate event.

So it was fascinating to read a quote in this morning's Indy Star, by the county GOP's fundraising chief:

Participants at the Hamilton County GOP fundraiser paid $400 each to be there, said Peter Emigh, county party finance chairman.

He wasn't upset about the protest.

"I think these people are nice people, good people," he said. "At the same time, this has nothing to do with the Fishers Town Council."

Obtuse? Or, genuine disconnect from reality? Nothing to do with the Council? Does Mr. Emigh think the Council is comprised of Democrats? He could be forgiven, as the Council certainly looks as though it is.

But, to quote a famous Democrat, "All politics is local". Indeed, politics never gets closer to home than the home itself. This seems utterly lost on local Republicans.

Actually, there is an enormous disconnect within the Republican Party. Mainly, it doesn't stand for much of anything. That which it claims to stand for, it fails to deliver on.

When campaigning, Republicans say they are for lower taxes. This forced annexation attempt by the Republican government certainly doesn't reflect that belief, as the property taxes of the Geist residents would soar immediately upon the completion of the annexation.

When campaigning, Republicans say they are for smaller government. The forced annexation literally expands the area to be governed. It appears that the only thing Republicans are consistent on is bringing in money to spend. They are constantly fundraising as an organization, and constantly taxing as government officials.

This is typical throughout Hamilton County. The governing bodies, whether at the municipal or county levels, are endlessly scheming for ways to bring in more tax revenues, and they are all Republican.

In the last calendar year, we have seen an increase in food & beverage taxes by the County Council, and by Carmel, Noblesville, and Westfield. A wheel tax was considered by the County. Carmel has floated an enormous amount in bonds. The County is backing a billion-dollar light rail boondoggle, and is studying a bus system like IndyGo. A forced annexations were completed near Home Place, another was defeated in Home Place, and others in Southwest Clay and in Geist are still on the table. Tax, tax, tax.

Charlie White is the County Chair/Town Councilor. County Chairs that have any effectiveness drive political policy. So, either White is a tax-and-spend liberal Republican, or he is ineffective at directing his Party. White hasn't been seen pulling back the annexation attempt, that's for sure. Here's White's statement, from the main page of the Hamilton County GOP website:

The Hamilton County Republican Party does not take a position for or against the proposed annexation of the unincorporated residents of the Geist area. One can be a good and active Republican and be on either side of this very important topic. Although Republicans may differ on the annexation issue, we all continue to support our national and statewide Republican leaders. Friends, neighbors and relatives may not always agree, but in the end we are Republicans, Hoosiers and Americans. Residents of this county, whether they are for or against this issue, are always welcome in the Republican Party.

The Republican Party doesn't take a position! Like I said, the Republican Party doesn't stand for anything.

Libertarians are plain on this issue: Forced annexation is always wrong, period.

For Geist residents, Here is the next opportunity to try to make your point:

Support my campaign for Secretary of State. The Libertarian Party is the only Party that consistently backs the rights of property owners. The Secretary of State's race determines which political parties get automatic ballot access in Indiana. If we fail to get our numbers, Indiana loses its only defender of property rights, and the only political opponent to forced annexation.

The Kole Campaign will host an organizational meeting on Saturday, February 11. Details on time and location will be forthcoming, so keep an eye on this blog, and on the campaign website: www.mikekole.com

The Republican Party won't listen to reason, and made like your protest was not a big deal. They may understand losing dollars and votes. In the end, though, you shouldn't have to beg. Libertarians support the Geist property owners without reservation.

To that end, here is a quote from the Fishers Blog:

We originally found about the Geist protest from the website of Libertarian candidate for Indiana Secretary of State, Mike Kole. Mike has a blog feature on his website which he updates frequently. The Libertarian Party of Indiana has jumped aboard the Fishers / Geist Annexation issue without a second thought. It is an appropriate issue for them to support as it relates to their core principles of individual freedom and small government. The Libertarian Party just may reap some benefits next election from Geist residents who are upset with Fishers Town Council Republicans trying to annex their neighborhoods.