Star Takes My Position on Elections

One of today's Indianapolis Star editorials took my position that moving the school board elections from the Primary Election to the General Election in November would be beneficial. From the Star editorial:

Our position: Moving school board elections from May to November would help voters to have more influence on education.

Wonder if races for school board seats in Indiana should be moved from the primary period in May to the general election in November? Consider the spectacularly low voter turnout for the last round of school district elections in 2004.

Only 13 percent of voters cast ballots in races for seats on 10 Marion County school boards in May 2004, lower than the 19 percent turnout for the overall primary and four times smaller than for the general election six months later.

...

The fact that the elections take place during the primary in May, a time in which intraparty struggles are decided, means few voters who aren't registered as Democrats or Republicans will show up. The new media also tend to pay less attention to primary elections.

Moving school board elections from May to November would enable voters to receive more information on issues surrounding the races. They're also more likely to pay attention during the fall election cycle. And turnout is sure to be higher.

Given the importance of education, school board elections deserve a higher profile. A shift to November is overdue.

Now, if only the Star could give credit where credit is due. Here are excerpts from my April 3, 2006 press release, which was widely circulated to various columnists, reporters, and editorial staffers:

Primary Elections Are Also Open To Libertarians and Independent Voters

All voters, regardless of party, can vote on important school board seats

Fishers, IN- Turnout at Primary Elections are routinely low throughout Indiana. One reason is that Primaries are dominated by the party business of the Republicans and Democrats, marginalizing voters who aren’t true believers of those parties.

That’s too bad, because important non-partisan races for school board are a significant part of the primary ballot in many Hoosier counties, and everybody can vote for these candidates.

Libertarians and independent voters often feel marginalized by the Primary Election process. While they wish to fulfill their civic duty by voting on Primary Election Day, because they have no interest in taking a partisan Republican or Democrat ballot, these voters too often stay home.

Even with the big combined Presidential-Gubernatorial, an embarrassing 21% of registered Indiana voters turned out at the 2004 Indiana Primaries.

...

It’s curious that the two parties don’t use conventions more broadly to slate candidates. They will nominate some of their candidates at a statewide convention this summer, so they know how to do it.

Non-partisan school board candidates could be voted on in the General Election, eliminating the Primary Election entirely. The taxpayers would be relieved of the cost of the spring election and the free day for government employees.

Some original thoughts over at the Star's editorial board, eh? It would be nice to get just acknowledgment from the Star. Unfortunately, old media that they are, the Star is behind the trending growth and relevance of the Libertarian Party here in Indiana. Let's hope that changes soon. We are saying things a month in advance of anyone else that are wholly relevant to public policy. Why blacklist us?

Radio Notes

Is this sounding familiar? Tune in to 1430-am WXNT in Indy Monday morning at 7:45, for the "Abdul in the Morning" show. I'll be calling in with comment on the Stadium Authority's spin-o-rama on the NK Hurst deal. In fact, tune in at 7:00am, as Rick Hurst will be on with Abdul to talk about the deal. Listen from anywhere online, at www.wxnt.com

WXNT includes Libertarians with frequency. I like to reward this fact, and besides, a great many friends of liberty listen to the station because of the kind of programming they air.

This is the primary election season, and with it, high advertising season. The political rates for advertising are in effect this week, and I would like to take advantage.

1-minute ads are going for about $9/each. This is about 20% of the usual rate! I would like to place about 100-125 ads on the station in the run-up to the primary.

I know- Libertarians aren't in the primaries. That's a point worth making. Libertarians don't cost the taxpayers a dime when it comes to the slating of its candidates. It's time the Democrats and Republicans stopped riding the backs of the taxpayers for their party business. They should stage conventions, too, just like the Libertarian Party. We'll also let voters know that we support voting machines that produce an auditable paper trail because we believe voters should leave the polls knowing their vote was accurately counted.

Let's raise $1,000 in the next 24 hours, and I'll make the buy on WXNT. If you want to see ads of this nature on stations outside of Indy, contact me with the station call letters, frequency, and location (e.g.: WXNT 1430-am, Indianapolis), and the amount of support you are giving to get it done, and the Kole Campaign will do the rest.

Here's the fastest way to contribute- Follow this link for safe, secure, online credit card donations. When contributed this way, the money is available immediately.

This campaign is doing things Libertarian campaigns haven't done before. We will see results. Join the excitement!

Spin-O-Rama

It was fascinating to attend today's press conference with the Stadium Authority and the NK Hurst Company. The newspapers will tell the story of how a deal has been reached at long last. The pictures on TV will show the participants from both sides looking happy. The public will assume this was a deal of mutual benefit.

Rick Hurst on the TV camera firing line.

The Hursts are such good people. You can tell that all they want is to remain where they are to fulfill their personal commitment to the City of Indianapolis and to their employees. They gave away their land without even a commitment from the Stadium Authority on how much they would be paid for the loss. From the Indy Star:

Though both sides haven't agreed on how much the Hurst company will be paid for the lost land, the stadium authority will immediately pay the family $400,000, and put $1.65 million in an escrow account until a final pricetag is determined.

The agreement is part of a land swap in which the Hursts give up 2.7 acres of their original property, but get one acre the stadium owns immediately to the west of the Hurst property. Now, that one acre is home to a giant pile of dirt from construction of the new Lucas Oil Stadium, which started in September and will end in the fall of 2008. Instead of an L-shape, the Hurst property will now be shaped like a square.

That land is worth waaaaaay more that that. I would have gone to the wall over this. God bless the Hursts, for they are just trying to get back to what they do- selling beans and soups.

The thing that most struck me most is the thing that will not be reported, in all likelihood. It was fascinating listening to Mr. Mutz and Mr. Frick and their choice of words. They spoke as though the Hurst land was already theirs, and that the Stadium Authority was making a concession to the Hursts!

This is exactly backwards. The Hursts made all of the concessions, giving up their land. The spin was so thick I was getting dizzy.

The Stadium Authority made no concession whatsoever. What are they giving up? If the project costs more due to needing to build a parking garage, it won't cost the members of the Authority a penny. It will cost the taxpayers. Of course, it this were a private project as it should have been from the get-go, the taxpayers wouldn't be paying a penny, either.

In a sick way, the Colts may even make more money on a garage. They already get a portion of the proceeds from the lot. They will probably get a portion from the garage, too. What about if the garage is used for non-football events? Man, it's good to be Jim Irsay!

Speaking of whom... The cost for a new garage was stated to be about $15 million. I figure that Mr. Irsay can peel off a cool $15 for that garage and still have $106 million left from that naming rights deal. It would go a long way towards showing that he can be something of the kind of corporate citizens the Hursts are, and have been all along.

This whole deal just shows that there is often little reward for being good people, and ample reward for being snakes.

Update: Spin-O-Rama continues. Even the Star reporter used words that indicated that somehow the Stadium Authority is making concession, in the updated article for Saturday morning:

Under an agreement it reached with Hurst, the stadium authority, which had faced public pressure to end its land dispute with the family business, will lose space for up to 500 surface parking spots for fans. As a result, it may have to spend $15 million on a parking garage. (Emphasis mine.)

Let's be crystal clear here- The Stadium Authority isn't losing anything. It gained 2.7 acres from the Hursts!!! Certainly, the Stadium Authority had to alter its plans, but it certainly did not lose anything. It gained 2.7 acres it didn't have, and would not have ever gotten if not for the threat of an eminent domain taking.

I'd call this a very successful press conference Mr. Mutz, Mr. Frick, and the State.

NK Hurst Ordeal Ending?

Many sources are stating that the NK Hurst Company and the Stadium Authority are poised to announce an agreement this morning, and it would include the NK Hurst Company remaining on some of its land, retaining its building.

That's very nice, but it's far, far less than perfect. Mainly, the Daniels Administration has behaved in disgraceful ways that underscore its disregard for property rights. Don't lose sight of the following:

• The NK Hurst Company owns its land, period. If NK Hurst wants to sell, and on what terms, should be up to them and them alone. The State should meet those terms, or walk away.
• Under no circumstances should their land be stolen. The "public good" argument is bunk. This will benefit a private business entity- the Indianapolis Colts.
• The Stadium Authority filed suit against NK Hurst in order to avoid more restrictive eminent domain laws that were coming up thanks to the horrible Kelo v. New London decision. This is the opposite of negotiating in good faith.
• The NK Hurst Company is a model corporate citizen, one that stuck with the inner city when it was fashionable to leave. This is a lousy reward for them, and an awful signal to other inner city business owners, that your property is not safe.

Let's hope this press conference is where it is announced that the Colts have taken the high road, and contributed a few million dollars from their enormous $121 million naming rights deal. That would help everyone believe that Mr. Irsay isn't merely a spoiled, greedy child who is content to use the muscle of ego-driven govenment force, but in fact, half the decent corporate citizen the Hursts are. That would be refreshing, and redeeming.

Let's hope the Stadium Authority concedes full asking value to the Hursts. The overruns have already begun in the way of lining lawyers pockets. Let's see a rightful recipient get just compensation.

Indiana's Net Loss

The prevalent idea that Indiana is losing "native" population has recently been confirmed by the US Census. Immigrants are taking up the slack, but that's not viewed too favorably in many quarters. From the Indy Star report:

But since immigrants typically don't have high-paying jobs, Indiana's net loss through domestic migration is troubling. "I don't think 'alarmed' is the right word, but it needs to be watched," said Carol Rogers, of Indiana University's Business Research Center.

The Daniels Administration will probably be quick to point out that the Census figures stop at 2004, hanging this data on the Democratic governors that proceded him. Very well- the Daniels Administration has been on the clock for two years. Let's see the post 2004 numbers soon.

Any time the Daniels Administration wants to turn Indiana into a jobs, wealth, and population magnet, it can take some very simple steps.

1. Cut or eliminate the state income tax. Seven other states have no income tax. Indiana should become the 8th.
2. Cut or eliminate the corporate taxes. Business go off-shore or to other states to flee the tax burden. Eliminate that burden, and they wil flock here instead.

Elect Libertarians, and these things will take place. We have the spine to do it. Keep electing Republicans for fear of electing Democrats, and you'll keep getting empty rhetoric. Look to see if Daniels calls on the Legislature for these growth tools.

Candidate Forum Report

This afternoon was pleasantly spent in Richmond, on the campus of IU East- a commuter school, which is familiar territory to me as I attended and graduated from Cleveland State University. The students tend to be older, and usually hold jobs while furthering their education. Open minds, but with real-world experience.

I was surprised at the attendance, or lack thereof, by the candidates. Not a single Republican candidate bothered to show. I'm not quite sure what to make of that.

The result was a lot of floor time for myself and fellow Libertarian candidate Rex Bell. We were able to be a part of an extended dialogue directly with the audience, on topics such as the nature of teh primary elections, ballot access, the role of third parties, the application of Libertarian policy solutions to issues such as education, child care, and of course, taxes.

I was pleased with our showing, and those present seemed to enjoy our participation. A good percentage of those present left with Kole bumper stickers, which was gratifying.

I hope candidates from the other parties continue to take these events for granted and not show up. No doubt it reflected poorly on them, and well on the Libertarian Party today.

How Can I Help? III

Here's the latest in the series. I get regular emails asking exactly this- how can I help? Here are three more ways:

1. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Is there a position that I have taken on a particular issue that really resonates with you? Write a letter stating that you like my position on that issue, and because of it, you support my campaign, and urge others to do likewise. Most newspaper websites include a "Letters" form, often on either the Editorials page, or on the Customer Service page. Letters that are 150 words or less tend to get published. Check the archives on this blog for my most in-depth discussions on issues, but also be sure to check out my campaign site: www.mikekole.com

2. Add a "Vote for Mike Kole" signature file to your email accounts. Many people have signature files with quotes from famous people or witty one-liners. Adding a simple message like, "I'm supporting Mike Kole for Secretary of State" and then the campaign website: www.mikekole.com, is a simple way to reach people in an unintrusive way. Think of how many emails you send each day, and who you send them to. With a signature file message, you could reach 20 or more people every day.

3. Get a bumper sticker on your vehicle. If you send an email to mikekole@msn.com, the Campaign Team will send you a bumper sticker. They look great, and they help build name recognition. Here's the bumper sticker:

I appreciate the email requests from people looking for ways to help. The Campaign Team is still growing. If you have an interest beyond these simple things, and into more traditional campaign roles such as fundraiser or precinct walker, by all means contact us on mikekole@msn.com.

Candidate Forum Tuesday

I have been invited to a candidate forum, scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday) at Noon. This is a campus town hall meeting at Indiana University East, held in the Library Atrium, Hayes Hall. The campus is in Richmond. Link to map.

I am looking forward to sharing Libertarian ideas with what I imagine will be a mostly collegiate audience. I believe this event is open to the public, so if you are a Richmond, Hagerstown, or Wayne County resident, and able to break free in the afternoon, please attend. It's always great to hear what candidates are backing.

Update: Rex Bell, Libertarian candidate for Indiana Representative in District 54 will also be at this forum. I will enjoy this event if only for hearing Rex speak! He's good. Attend if you can!

Featured Letter

With Tax Day here, Libertarians always have featured letters and articles in our nation's newspapers. Today's Indy Star is no exception, with a feature letter by Dr. Eric Schansberg. His topic is the payroll taxes. From his letter:

Unlike the income tax, there are no deductions or exemptions for the payroll tax. Every single dollar is taxed. As such, it is easy to imagine why payroll taxes typically impose a larger burden than income taxes. And it should be easy to see why the working poor are hit hardest of all.

April 15 - Just Another Day?

Hopefully, soon it will be. I am a proponent of the Fair Tax, which would eliminate at the very least, the seven hours I put into completing my forms this year.

The Fair Tax is not perfect. It does nothing to question the amount of federal spending, or the priorities of that spending, nor whether the object of the spending is even proper in the first place.

However, here's what the Fair Tax does do, which makes it worthy of support:

* It eliminates the IRS
* It ceases the punishment on earning
* It ceases the punishment on saving and investment
* It abolishes the 16th Amendment, which authorized the personal income tax
* It makes it unnecessary for individuals to fill out cumbersome forms, or hire accountants to do it for them, making compliance easier and less costly
* It eliminates the Alternative Minimum Tax, which was designed to snare millionaires, but now bilkes upper middle class people * It eliminates corporate taxes, which would make the USA a haven for businesses from around the world and end the off-shoring American companies engage in
* It eliminates hidden taxes- the ones corporations pass along embedded in their prices, which most Americans scarcely know are there
* It collects dollars that are currently not collected from people who operate in the underground economy

Get all this done, and our economy will soar immediately. And, because the tax is a consumption tax with a visible 23% price tag, Americans will finally see how much they are paying, and will begin to question the amount of taxation and federal spending, the priorities, and whether the objects of the spending are within the proper role of government in the first place. Get this done, and the average American will get eight hours of his life back, will be encouraged to save and to invest, and take on more work. It just disgusts me that the tax code discourages people from doing these things for fear the gains would kick them into a higher tax bracket.

Go to the Fair Tax website for more details. Also, Neal Boortz' book on the Fair Tax is finally hitting library shelves and getting into paperback, so you can read up on it there.

Update: C-Span is airing Neal Boortz in a debate with Yale Law Professor Michael Graetz right now (Saturday evening, 7pm)! C-Span will air this item again Sunday early morning at 2:30am, and then again at 10:30am, all times EDST. Set up the Tivo!

Greenfield Report

Libertarians and a concerned citizens group held a Freedom Rally outside city hall prior to the Greenfield City Council meeting last night. It was interesting, to say the least.

The rally came in response to Greenfield's smoking ban. Some of the concerned citizens are smokers, others are business owners that catered to smokers, and others are defenders of property rights. The group took the time to craft a compromise ordinance, that would give greater options to business owners. It would permit restauranteurs to make their establishment an adult-only facility, which matches the law in nearby Indianapolis.

The meeting started with a discussion on all things related to the ban, but it was a council-only discussion. The issue of the literal interpretation of the ban, which would prevent churches from burning incense at services, was discussed at length, as were the issues of enforcement.

The Council entertained two amendments to the ordinance that were suggested by Council members. They voted on these, and moved on.

They did not introduce the amendments proposed by the citizens group. They took public comment after the voting was completed.

It really served as excellent commentary on how much interest the Council has in public input.

But, public input was taken, and an interesting group of people spoke. Two were from the Daniels Administration, and both commended the Council on the passage of the ordinance. One said it made his job of luring business to Indiana easier. How's that? By showing people property rights have no place here? I'm really doubting that the floodgates of corporate relocations are now beginning to burst. Slash the tax rates and pump smoke into every room, and then you'll see an exodus to Indiana.

Another supporter, who spoke directly before me, made the claim that "Big Tobacco" was behind the opposition with big dollars, that opponents always couch their arguments in terms of rights, and that we always ask the question, "if this now, what next"? He got 2 out of 3.

I spoke and made no apologies for defending the rights of property owners. I made the case for the primacy of property rights. The dynamic involved in backing non-smokers who want the policy enforced over the objections of the restaurant property owner is this: "I'm here now, so you get to change to suit me". I stated that Libertarians believe that the owner gets to call the shots, not every body else but the owner. Alas, this is the absurd world we live in.

I did ask "what next", because if a City can ban smoking within a business, can they not use the same rationale to extend the same law to your home? Health is the rationale, and it seems entirely foreseeable to me that banning smoking in the home to protect children is next.

As for "Big Tobacco", I said I sure would love to see about $300,000 in tobacco money. I turned and asked the gallery if anyone had even seen a nickel from a tobacco company. Of course, nobody had. In fact, tobacco is one of the most curious industries in the USA today. It is the only legal product whereby its producers have to spend millions of dollars urging people not to use it. More importantly, and contrary to the assertion made by the man who preceded me, Big Tobacco actually funds the non-profit organizations that do the work of pushing these bans on the cities. The websites that host the model legislation are paid for by Big Tobacco dollars.

Well, why let facts, or liberty, get in the way of an unfortunate ordinance? I don't smoke, by my own choice. It was choice that was squashed in Greenfield once again.

I am eagerly awaiting the publication of the Greenfield paper. I was having a conversation with a friend as the reporter stood by. He asked me what I thought of the Councilor who made a claim to this effect- (paraphrasing) "I try to listen to the constituents and go with them. More people who were in favor of the ban spoke to me and urged me to vote this way. This is the right way to govern, in my opinion".

What do I think of that? Not much. What I said was, "That man has no moral compass". The reporter wrote hungrily in her notebook. That's fine. I knew she was there.

I meant it. If a preponderance of residents approach this Councilor and urge him to enact an 80% tax on guys named Fred, would he do it only because it was the will of the majority? Right and wrong has no basis? Principle has no place? That was what this man explained for all to hear. What matters is the mob.

What the heck- business was good for me. About 30 people took lovely 'Kole' bumper stickers. I really wish there was zero interest in them last night. I would have gone away happier knowing that the health of our nation -the defense of property rights- hadn't been traded away to the health nannies.

Radio Appearance Tomorrow

I will be on WXNT 1430-am once again, Friday morning, from 6-7:00 am. Those in and around Indy can tune in. Others can go to www.wxnt.com and listen to the streamed signal.

Brad Klopfenstien is the fill-in host tomorrow, as Abdul takes his comedy act on the road. Klopfenstien is the Executive Director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association.

We'll talk about the issues of the day, take calls, and talk about the nature of the primary election system, the snafu's being encountered by the various counties with their primary ballots, and the expected anti-April 15th comment everyone comes to expect from a Libertarian candidate for office!

Greenfield Freedom Rally

I will be standing with others who support the right of business property owners to set their own policies on their properties in Greenfield this evening, around 6:30pm. Come down and show your support! We'll be right downtown, at City Hall.

This date and time was chosen as the Greenfield City Council meets at 7:00pm. The purpose is to remind the City Council that their smoking ban has crippled the operations of small, mom-and-pop restaurants, such as Annie's, which is owned by Ann Tomey. I have chronicled her plight many times, but here's the bottom line: the change in the law caused her to see her business drop by 80%. People who smoke seemed to really like to eat at Annie's. The City Council never consulted her to see how their law would impact her.

The City Council may not support her, but Libertarians do. We'll show it again tonight.

Lawsuit Filed To Block Toll Road Deal

A citizens group filed suit today, suing the state on constitutional grounds, in the hopes of blocking the Major Moves toll road deal from moving forward. From the Indy Star:

Within hours of the state signing a deal to lease the Indiana Toll Road for 75 years, a citizens' group filed a lawsuit to block the agreement.

State officials signed the lease this morning with Macquarie-Cintra, a private Australian-Spanish consortium, for $3.85 billion. Meanwhile, the Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana filed a lawsuit in St. Joseph County arguing the agreement violates the state's constitution.

Dave Menzer, a campaign organizer for the Indianapolis-based group, argued the Indiana Constitution requires the proceeds from any state-owned asset must go toward paying down public debt.

Proceeds from the lease would be used to fund Gov. Mitch Daniels' Major Moves roads initiative, which includes the extension of I-69 from Indianapolis to Evansville.

Libertarians are generally in favor of privatization. The constitutional argument made by the citizens group is an excellent one. Pay down the debt! Libertarians issued other objections prior to the passage of the law, on the following grounds:

• The deal is too long. 15 years for the same money would have been appropriate, not 75.
• This is a socialistic redistribution of wealth program, where uses of the road in the northern counties are paying to build roads in other parts of the state.
• New terrain I-69 is the main target for new construction. Libertarian prefer upgrading existing roads to Interstate standards before consuming new terrain.
• The people of the northern counties were against it. Their will should have been respected, or at least a better job of selling the deal to them by the Daniels Administration should have happened.

Relax With Marion County Libertarians

Travis Cross has done great things in putting together a strong Marion County Libertarian Meet-Up group, and also a regular after-hours meet-up.

Tomorrow will be one of the after-hours events. Meet at Bearno's Pizza downtown (Google Map) beginning at 5:00pm and talk politics and issues of the day with other supporters of free markets and individual freedom! You can RSVP here if you want to be included in future notifications of Marion County Libertarian Meet-Up events, or simply show up.

New Poll Time

The Libertarian Party of Indiana hosts annual state conventions, attracting delegates from all over Indiana who vote on party business. Link to LPIN State Convention info.

The 2006 state convention is in the most important of the four-year election cycles, as it nominates the party's candidate for Secretary of State. The SoS candidate's outcome in November determines the LPIN's ballot status. The candidates for other statewide offices, such as Auditor and Treasurer will also be nomindated, along with candidates for State Representative, State Senator, and others.

Do you plan to attend your party's state convention? Take the poll!

Here are the results of the last poll:

When the Libertarian Party earns Major Party status this year, it will be eligible to participate in the 2007 Primaries. The LPIN should:

57% Take the moral high road and opt out. Continue to spare taxpayers the expense, and nominate candidates at party-funded conventions.

29% Participate in the Primaries. It shows Hoosiers the LP is major just like Rs & Ds.

14% Participate in the Primaries. The Rs & Ds use them to figure out who will be their volunteers and contributors. Why should they enjoy this advantage?

This was pretty much as I thought it would be. It would be interesting to poll this question seriously among Hoosiers statewide. I don't think most citizens give much thought to the question of how the primaries are funded, and to the benefit of whom. If they did, I think they would want a change.

NK Hurst "Update"

If two parties come to an agreement in principle in January, it doesn't necessarily mean that the documents have to be signed in any kind of hurry, does it?

Not if the Stadium Authority is involved, apparently. Oh, sure, they'll commission digging half-way to China and piling the soil such that it dwarfs the NK Hurst building (is that intimidation?) before construction season even begins, but sign an important deal that sends a signal of good faith? Bah. Why rush? From John Ketzenberger's Indy Star report:

Optimism ran high after a marathon meeting Jan. 21 between the two sides. The grueling nine-hour session ended with an agreement in principle: The company could stay on the property and would be paid for a 3-acre parcel shared with the stadium, if it agreed to give control of the land to the state.

Emotions ebbed and flowed at that meeting, the first face-to-face gathering since the state filed suit Dec. 30 to take the land. The breakthrough came at mid-afternoon, according to people at the meeting, when stadium authority member John Mutz made it clear the Hursts could stay on the land.

A few days after the big meeting, Mutz, a Broad Ripple High School classmate of company exec Needham Hurst, predicted a done deal in short order.

Now it's nearing mid-April, and the huge mound of dirt just west of the two-story Hurst factory is at least triple the height of the brick building's roofline.

I don't know if the Star ran pictures of the mound in the print version (I don't buy the Star because they don't cover Libertarians enough), so here's one of mine, from March 16. Somehow, it doesn't convey the feeling of being there. Oh, that's right- if you take the photo from the other side of the mound, you can't see the building at all.

(T)he Hursts got a tour of the site, including a trip to the top of the dirt mound Jim Hurst called Mount Klipsch in honor of the stadium authority's point man, John Klipsch. "I told him that," Hurst said, "and he thought it was pretty funny."

If you can't laugh about it, you might cry. Let's hope this thing ends as it should- on terms favorable to the Hursts. Then let's pray we never see another pointless, ugly eminent domain theft attempt in Central Indiana again.

Abdul On Stage

After a year of hearing about radio host Abdul Hakim-Shabazz having the stand-up comic alter ego for about a year, I finally got to witness his act, and without having to drive to Springfield, IL, where he often goes to do it.

Abdul opened for former Saturday Night Live cast member Victoria Jackson last night at Crackers in Broad Ripple, and in my opinion, was the best of the three comics this evening.

My favorite Abdul gag was the one about frivilous racial lawsuits, such as the recent one against Southwest Airlines. Abdul's got his own waiting in the wings. It has to do with opening aspirin bottles and having to pick cotton out of them. Abdul warmed to his routine as he progressed through it and won the crowd over by time he handed the mic off to the next comic.

He's been saying on his morning show that there is a lot of material in his act that he can't use on WXNT. He delivered in that as much as I've heard him on the air, there were plenty of lines I've never heard from him before, and actually, he probably could use it on the air without any worries from the FCC.

I ended up feeling a bit sorry for Jackson. It can't be good for the self-esteem trading on the good ol' SNL days, being a platinum blond telling dumb blond jokes, and getting some of the biggest applause for doing a handstand.

How Can I Help II?

There are so many ways to help the Kole Campaign, or any other campaign for office, all of which fall below the answer of "write a check for $1,000".

1. Walk your home precinct on behalf of the candidate. This is a very effective method a impressing upon your neighbors that the candidate you support is worthy of their vote. Precincts are small enough chunks of neighborhoods that a committed walker can get the whole area covered in a few weeks, walking less than two hours per evening.

2. Take and use the candidate's bumper stickers and yard signs. Some people don't like affecting the re-sale value of their car by marring it with stickers. No problem- tape the sticker to the inside of the window. Driving with a single bumper sticker on your vehicle makes it a moving billboard. Parking it in the same lot every day creates the repetition necessary to generate name recognition. Placing the yard sign in your yard tells people you support the candidate. Placing a yard sign at a busy intersection merely tells people that the candidate has plenty of money to toss into the breeze. The personal support of a sign on your property is a meaningful statement to your neighbors.

3. Donate to the campaign. Small contributions are important! Many small contributions add up in meaningful ways. If all you can afford to contribute is $20, don't hold back. That $20 will become at least two radio ads, which will then bring the message of smaller government to several thousand people. Combined with similar contributions from hundreds of other supporters, suddenly there is money for a major media buy that can blanket the entire state. Besides, the supporters of big government won't be holding back. They contribute and their message gets out. There is no good reason that their message should be the only message being heard. Follow this link to donate.

How Can I Help?

I am very grateful to be getting an increasing number of inquiries of people asking this question in regards to my campaign. Here are three things that would be most helpful:

Sign up for the Libertarian Party of Indiana's state convention. This is where all statewide candidates are nominated by delegates from across the state. Friendships are built here as is the momentum the newly minted candidates will ride. My nomination is not a foregone conclusion. Any Libertarian who recalls the 2004 national convention in Atlanta also recalls that someone can come from relative obscurity to win a nomination. I don't take it for granted, so please- follow this link and sign up today! The early bird discount for registration is today, so don't miss out.

Host a Meet & Greet at your home. The single most effective way for any candidate to leave a positive impression on people is to meet them personally. It's the most effective when the candidate is being introduced to the family, friends, and co-workers of a trusted person. You are that trusted person! Host a two-hour event- a coffee, a sports on TV night, a poker night, etc.- where I can be introduced to those close to you. You don't have to spend a lot of money to have a very successful event.

Donate to the campaign. Most of the money any candidate spends is on advertizing, and the Kole Campaign will do likewise. The ads we run will be designed to put pressure on office holders- Republicans in particular- to reduce the size of government and taxes. With so many dissatisfied fiscal conservatives across the state, there is a huge opportunity for the Libertarian Party to successfully move policy in our direction via political pressure, win or lose. And of course, Secretary of State is the Libertarian Party's ballot status race. 2% means continued ballot access, but 10% means major party status. This is our minimum goal in 2006, while winning is our ultimate goal! Follow this link to donate.

I thank you for supporting me and my campaign!

Let The Overruns Begin

The financing hallmark of a publicly funded stadium is the massive cost overruns. The Lucas Oil Stadium will apparently be different- the overruns are starting way earlier than usual under the oversight of the Daniels Administration. From an Indy Star staff report:

Seven months into construction of the Lucas Oil Stadium, building officials already have drained half of the contingency fund set aside for unexpected expenses.

So far, $26.4 million of the stadium's $50 million contingency fund has been used for bids that came in higher than expected and for contaminated soil found during excavation, according to budget data released at this week's meeting of the Indiana Stadium and Convention Building Authority.

About $350 million in contracts have been awarded for the project, which has a budgeted price tag of $675 million. That includes construction costs, the $50 million contingency fund and "soft" costs such as design and legal fees.

Wouldn't it have been nice for the state to have gotten even a third of that $121 million in naming rights, instead of having it all gone to the Colts? It would look good in buffering that contingency fund right about now.

The Stadium Authority can watch millions dribble away on "soft" costs while they fail to meet the terms of the NK Hurst Company. I would declare it amazing if it weren't rather predictable. Every publicly funded stadium project in the USA goes like this.

Common Sense Prevails

The case of a young man who made an honest mistake in bringing a knife to school and turned it in when he realized he had it only to be suspended has been made right. The school cancelled the expulsion hearing that was days away. From the Indy Star report:

Today the district administrators cancelled an April 10 hearing that would have considered expelling Elliot, and the school board said in a letter that "we can all learn from this incident and in the future apply some common sense when interpreting rules."

Well, the school board positions are part of the May 2 Primaries, so that might have inspired the reversal. A little national embarrassment couldn't have hurt. Word is that Hannity & Colmes covered the story.

Thanks to Kevin for his tip on Indiana House Bill 1093. As he pointed out, this law is not yet in effect. From the State of Indiana website:

HOUSE BILL No. 1093

Synopsis: Possession of knives at school. Makes possessing a knife on school property or on a school bus a Class B misdemeanor. Makes the offense a Class A misdemeanor if the offender has a previous unrelated conviction and a Class D felony if the offense results in bodily injury or serious bodily injury to another person.

Effective: July 1, 2006.

Good management = rewarding good behavior, punishing bad behavior. Never deter young people from pursuing good behavior.

Radio Alert

I will appear on the "Abdul in the Morning" show on WXNT 1430-am, Thursday, at 7am. Set your DST-altered alarm clock!

Abdul will be asking me about the Libertarian Party's upcoming state convention, how Libertarians fill our ballot and the Primaries, and issues of the day.

Be sure to tune in! WXNT is an Indianapolis station, but they stream their signal for the world to hear. Go to their website and click the black, vertical bar that reads, "listen live!".

Out With The Old...

Here comes a new poll. But first- the results of the last one:

Do you want local or statewide candidates to talk about Federal issues?

35% Yes - I want to know the whole range of positions the candidate takes

0% Yes - I am a single issue voter (abortion, war, etc.) who only votes for candidates who match my views on my top issue

60% No - If you are running for dog catcher, talk about being a good dog catcher

5% Who cares? I'm going to vote my party no matter what they say or do.

Well, readers here just aren't average voters. We knew that, but at the polls in November, the single issue voters and party-line-toers will be out in force. I appreciate the intellectual integrity of the soul brave enough to admit that he will be voting party line. I just hope you're one of ours.
The new poll is interesting in that I expect the Libertarian Party of Indiana to be part of the 2007 Primaries, by virtue of having gained Major Party status via a 10% statewide finish for Secretary of State. The Republicans and Democrats doubly burden Hoosier taxpayers, by making them pay for political party business, and by giving so many government workers a paid vacation day on Primary Election day.

I expect that most Libertarians will want the LPIN to take the moral high road by opting out of the Primaries, while shaming the Rs & Ds for continuing to participate in them.

What say you? The new poll is at the right.

A Little Common Sense, Please

What do you do with a young man who makes an honest mistake, and reports his honest mistake to the correct authority immediately?

a) Thank him for his forthcoming behavior
b) Thank him for his forthcoming behavior, but slap his wrist gently
c) Throw the book at him! Rules are rules! To the gas chamber- go!

I think you see where this is heading. From today's Indy Star report:

A Far-Eastside couple say they are stunned that a Warren Township Schools principal suspended their son and recommended his expulsion for possession of a
pocketknife even though he turned the knife in to the office as soon as he arrived at school.

After turning in the knife, the eighth-grader was suspended from Stonybrook Middle School for 10 days and may be expelled.

Elizabeth Voge-Wehrheim and Frank Wehrheim, the boy's mother and stepfather, have hired Indianapolis attorney Lawrence T. Newman to represent them.

"This young man made the most responsible choice under any policy possible," Newman said of the boy, Elliot Voge. "They are treating him as the most irresponsible student under the circumstances."

A or B are acceptable outcomes. It's fine to send the message that actions have responsibilities, even if the actions are accidental. Slap the wrist if you must. But throw the book?

(Principal Jimmy) Meadows, in his expulsion-recommendation summary, wrote: "Realizing that the knife was an item he should not have on school property, Elliot immediately went into the main office and handed the knife to our school treasurer."

Meadows noted in his summary that "throughout the entire investigation and student due-process, Elliott (sic) was a model student."

So there is no reward for model students for are forthcoming with the truth. That's a fabulous message to send to teens. The principal will get to reap what he has sown, as other kids learn that it is better to run the risk of hiding contraband rather than surrender it. Poetic justice for him, but very bad for the other students and teachers.

I do hope we have a few school board candidates in Warren Township!

LP Conventions Saturday

I was honored to be asked to speak at LP county conventions in LaPorte and Wayne counties. Unfortunately, both scheduled at the same time. Libertarians have great policy solutions for a great many issues, but sadly, have not solved how to be in two places that are 200 miles apart at once.

So I have chosen to speak at the combined Wayne County & Henry County convention. I am pleased to owe LaPorte County a great deal of attention in the future!

Per Wayne County Chair Rex Bell, the event begins Saturday, April 1st, 6:00 P.M., at 47 East Main Street, Hagerstown. Rex says, "Please plan on attending, and bring an overtaxed friend". That should be easy enough to accomplish, again, sadly. Dinner at Welliver's afterwards should be lure enough for anyone. Mapquest link. Richmond paper news brief. Muncie paper news brief.

Letter in Today's Noblesville Ledger

Addressing the issue of where Libertarians and independents fit into the primary election, my letter was printed in today's Ledger. Link to letter.

The bottom line is this: ask for the "School Board ballot". School board candidates are non-partisan, meaning you can vote on them even if you do not take a Republican or Democratic ballot. If you do take an 'R' or 'D', the act of taking it is a sworn statement, under threat of perjury, that you intend to cast the majority of your votes for that party's candidates in the November general election.

It's an unenforced law, but voting should be on the up-and-up, so I encourage appropriate choices.

Los Cabos Pics

Again, let's hear it for the medical profession. They put their professional conferences in excellent vacation spots, like Los Cabos, Mexico. While Ame was at the conference, Isabel & I roamed the beaches. Here are a few photos:

This lower photo is a humpback whale. If you would like to see more, go here.

Go George Mason!

Since the Indiana schools are out of the NCAA Tourney, and my bracket is shot to pieces, I'm now pulling for George Mason. It's not on Cinderella grounds. It's on ideology. From the Washington Times:

Established first as a University of Virginia offshoot in 1957 and then as an independent university in 1972, George Mason boomed with the population of Northern Virginia and now is the largest university in the state with an enrollment of nearly 30,000.

The school -- named the most diverse in the country by the Princeton Review this year -- has campuses in Arlington, Fairfax and Prince William counties.

and

The university also is known as a haven for libertarian political thought, with a number of professors -- mainly in the economics and law departments -- who stress the principles of libertarianism, which champions individual freedom.

"George Mason is classified as a school where there are some libertarian professors, and that makes it somewhat unusual," said David Boaz, executive vice president of the Cato Institute in the District. "There are a lot of colleges not welcoming to libertarians and conservatives."

George Mason boasts two Nobel Prize laureates as professors, James Buchanan and Vernon Smith, who both won their awards in the field of economic sciences.

However, the school's namesake is still the original source of Patriot pride.

George Mason, one of America's Founding Fathers, wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which Thomas Jefferson used as a model for the Bill of Rights.

George Mason doen't get the attention that others, such as Washington, Jefferson, Madison, or Monroe get. Not being an early President, as these others were, makes it so. His refusal to sign the original Constitution also makes it so. He objected on the lack of a statement of rights. Of course, The Bill of Rights was later added as Amendments one through ten, justifying his grounds. Short bio.

GO GMU!!!

New Poll

It has been a long-running debate within the Libertarian Party, whether candidates or even county or state affiliates should engage much in discussing Federal issues. Some say 'yes', it helps the voter get a fuller picture of what our candidates are about. Others say 'no', little point in discussing issues outside of the scope of the offices being sought by a candidate. I think the Libertarians most against our candidates limiting the scope of their talking points are those who have pet issues they want enunciated, whether by the candidate who can affect the issue if elect, or by the candidate for dog catcher. I don't find it terribly practical, and a little arrogant.

But that's just me. The new poll is here for your use, at the right. The poll is not limited to Libertarians or to Hoosiers, so have at it. You earn my esteemed respect if you are a party line voter and have the integrity to say so in the poll.

Poll Results

Time for the three polls to go. I thought they were interesting and worthwhile questions.

1. What was the highlight of this legislative session?

58% Passage of law curtailing eminent domain
21% Passage of Major Moves
16% There were no highlights
5% Passage of temporary property tax relief
0% Defeat of Indy Works

I agree with the majority here. Restricting eminent domain was the best thing the legislature did. It could have gone further and banned the practice, which would have been better, but this is positive. Interesting that Indy Works, despite the massive press coverage, got no interest here.

2. What was the lowlight of this legislative session?

37% Passage of Major Moves
26% Isn't the short session supposed to be for *emergency* legislation?
16% Party line voting
11% Too tough to pick the lowest of the low
5% Failure to pass anti-gerrymandering bill
5% Passage of shell-game property tax relief

In other years, I think the shell-game property tax 'relief' would have won, but with Major Moves on the books, and many readers from the northern counties who have this strange desire to avoid the redistibution of wealth across the state, it took the prize. In the future, the Libertarian Party will have to make more of the fact that the short session was designed for passage of emergency measures, not sweeping policy items like Major Moves, and not grandstanding items like banning certain foods from school vending machines.

3. What is your top priority for the 2007 legislative session?

47% Good grief, where do you start?
32% Cut the budget by at least 1% across the board
11% Create property tax relief without shifting tax burden
5% Eliminate state income tax
5% Pass tougher eminent domain bill
0% Pass anti-gerrymandering legislation

Good to know! Gerrymandering was the top issue for Libertarians in the Secretary of State race in 2002. It's an issue that is kind of like a music album that is a critical review. People know it's good, but they aren't moved by it in numbers. The 'good grief' bit shows a lot of frustration with the legislature. Cutting the budget is the winner here, ahead of tax cuts. I'd love to see this get traction.

Thanks to all who participated in these polls. New ones to come soon!

Take The Day Off

It is very important that Libertarians make the commitment now to take election day off this year. Go to your boss today and request the day off for Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Plan to work at the polling place, or in other support of Libertarian candidates.

This is a commitment and a sacrifice that Libertarians have to make. Government employees will be given the day off, and many will be at the polls for the benefit of big government candidates in either the Republican or Democratic parties. That's a huge workforce they have at their disposal. We need to counter with a huge force of our own.

Make the commitment today. Presence at the polling places means an extra few percentage points. In some places, this is the difference between a win and a strong second. Statewide, it may be the difference between major party and minor party status. It's a big deal.

Primary Vote Deadline Approaching

If you intend to vote in the Indiana primary elections, you need to get registered to vote if you aren't already. From the Noblesville Ledger article:

If you're going to vote in the May 2 primary, you've got to register by 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The stakes are high. Officeholders will determine tax rates, decide how schools will operate, prosecute criminals, establish budgets for poor relief and township fire protection and run communities and county offices, among other duties.

In northern Hamilton County, 86 names will be on the Republican and school board ballots. A handful of Democrats are challenging some Republicans and those races will be determined in the Nov. 7 general election, but many of the offices will be filled when votes are cast May 2.

What this means is that in many counties across Indiana, often one party is so dominant that the primary election is the de facto election, as the second and third parties are so distant that they fail to post a significant challenge. In some counties, the second party doesn't even post candidates. This is can be the case for Democrats in Hamilton and other counties, and Republicans in Lake and other counties, where the Libertarians will post more candidates in November than the minorty major party.

The Libertarian Party of Indiana currently has minor party status, and does not participate in the primary elections. Libertarians spare the taxpayers the expense, and host their own county conventions.

The law is such that if you vote in the primary election and select either a Republican or Democratic ballot, you are making the statement, under the penalty of perjury, that you intend to vote for that party's candidates as the majority of your votes in the general election. Here are your options if you vote Libertarian and wish to vote on primary election day:

Simply ask for an independent ballot. There may be local issues on the primary ballot, but it is unlikely. Independent voters can still cast votes for candidates for non-partisan office such as school board.

If you intend to cast the majority of your votes for Republicans or Democrats, select that ballot. You can still split your November ballot and vote for Libertarians.

Head Scratching in Georgia

Big thanks to my old friend Matt Dudas for submitting this photo:

Yes, Matt lives in Georgia, but he's proudly displaying a Mike Kole for Indiana Secretary of State sticker on his car's bumper! (I took the liberty of erasing tell-tale portions of characters from his plates.)

The purple sticker must be causing some delightful confusion for his neighbors and co-workers. I hope it causes discussions about the Libertarians and the good people that run on their ticket.

For your own Kole sticker, email the campaign at mikekole@msn.com and ask!

Back Home!

It's been a few days since posting, as I was vacationing in Los Cabos, Mexico with the family.

The main draw for Ame was a medical conference. Isabel & I roamed the beach. I'll say this- the medical profession knows where to stage their conferences. We've been to Vegas, Hilton Head, and now Mexico on these conferences. The engineering conferences and training I've been to have been in places like Madison, WI and Chicago. Nice enough places... in June. Madison was one frosty January a few years back.

The highlight was an afternoon cruise on the Sea of Cortez, where we spotted hundreds of dolphins and dozens of humpback whales. It was an absolute thrill! The food was outstanding as well.

Look for more posts in upcoming days- and perhaps some pics from Los Cabos.

Schedule Your Tee Times!

The Libertarian Party of Hendricks County is hosting a golf outing. The proceeds will be divided between the county party and the Kole Campaign- two very worthy beneficiaries! Here are the details:

What: 2006 LPHC Golf Outing
Where: Oak Tree Golf Course on East US 40 in Plainfield on
When: Saturday, May 13, 2006. Play begins at 1:00 p.m. with dinner at the Elk's Club afterwards.
Cost: $65 for an individual entry - $240 for a foursome
Details: Shotgun start / scramble play. Dinner provided afterwards at the Elk's Club. Door Prizes awarded at Dinner. Cost includes fees and cart for play, beverage cart availability, and awards dinner afterward at Elk's.

For more information and signup details visit http://www.lphc.org/

I'll speak briefly at dinner. Big Thanks to the Hendricks County Libertarians, especially County Chair Todd Singer and Event Coordinator David Washburn.

New Polls

First, the results on the old polls. The voters are mainly Hoosier Libertarians, with the numbers looking like this:

Voted for in '04:

Gividen 19
Daniels 9
Kernan 2

If given a second chance in '06:

Gividen 21
Daniels 5
Kernan 1
None of the above 4

With the legislative session having just concluded, I thought the time was right to reflect on what just passed (or didn't), and to think about the 2007 legislative session.

My highlight was the passage of the eminent domain bill. It wasn't everything the defenders of private property rights could have wanted, but it is an improvement over what was law before, and we found that there are some legislators, like Dave Wolkins, who do respect private property.

My lowlight was the overactivity of the session. The old quote is that no one's life or liberty is safe when the legislature is in session. The short session is supposed to be for the consideration of emergency legislation. The only item that qualified was the eminent domain bill, in light of the state's "negoatiations" with the NK Hurst Company. Most everything else was just puffery designed to make the legislators look significant. Well, that doesn't explain Major Moves, does it?

My top priority for 2007 is across-the-board budget cuts of at least 1%. The full session is the budgetary session, so Libertarians need to put pressure on the GOP to make this their priority so long as they have the majority... which they might not have by time the session begins.

If your top issues aren't in the poll, clue me in with comments!

People Vote With Their Feet

Today's Indy Star published an interesting article by Bill Ruthhart this morning. It should serve as a lesson for Marion County's elected officials, and a cautionary tale for Hamilton County's. From Ruthhart's article:

Some of the suburban county's growth is at the expense of Marion County, where the population drain is evident in the census estimates.

From 2000 to 2005, Hamilton County's population increased 32 percent, making it the 18th fastest-growing in the nation. Hendricks was the only other Indiana county to crack the Top 100, ranking as the 75th fastest-growing county with a 22 percent increase.

"An awful lot of this is coming from what we call suburban flight," said Vince Thompson, an economic research analyst with the Indiana Business Research Center in Bloomington.

While the newcomers moving into Central Indiana's suburban areas surged over the past five years, Marion County has seen people continue to move out. From 2000 to 2005, the number of U.S. residents moving out of Marion County outnumbered those moving in by more than 47,000.

What the article did not do is site anyone willing to make a political statement as to why the shift. As a former Marion County resident who chose to become a Hamilton County resident, I can shed some light: people vote with their feet.

The policies that carry the day in Marion County today drive wealth away. When living in Marion County, I could see that my tax burdens were only going to go up, and that my reward for staying would be a fight against urban decay. Consider:

• IndyGo is more than 80% funded by tax dollars.
• IPS continues to reach for ever more tax dollars without improving test scores or even security.
• The streets and sidewalks (where you can find sidewalks) were crumbling.
• The sewers lack the capacity to handle rainfalls of greater than a half-inch.
• Etc. I mean, you could go on endlessly.

Also, where you have people who embrace public policies such as these, you will have people of means looking for the escape hatch.

Here's the biggest difference I found in attitude. I sent my son to IPS for exactly one half year. His teacher was excellent. When he goofed off, she called me on her cell phone to let me know. That was effort beyond the call of duty on her part, and I appreciated it.

I sat in her classroom one day and, being a product of private schooling that included a regiment of corporal punishment, I was appalled at the amount of time wasted just trying to get kids to sit down and settle down sufficient to hear the instruction. At a break I asked the teacher why it is as it is, understanding that the yardstick and paddle aren't available any more.

She told me that it didn't matter if she held the yardstick or if the parents did, as long as one of them held it. Didn't even have to use it, just hold it. She reported that a majority of parents would actually argue with her about the child's behavior, telling her it didn't happen the way she was reporting, and besides, it's her job to educate. It's the parent's job to get the kid to the bus stop.

Simply put, here in Hamilton County, a majority of parents expect their kids to produce in school and to succeed. That attitude makes all the difference.

At the core of it, the difference between Marion County and Hamilton County is the present population's relationship to the concept of self-responsibility.

That's why I am concerned for the future of Hamilton County. Just as so many people who reject self-responsibility embrace Marion County for that place's tolerance of it, Hamilton County is moving towards policies that will make it more hospitable to those who reject self-responsibility. The prime example of this is the embrace of public transportation. It is plain that the riders of mass transit do not foot the bill alone, but that others who never use it bear the lion's share of the cost.

Add to mass transit the approval of low-income housing apartments in Noblesville, the proliferation of Habitat for Humanity housing, also mainly in Noblesville, higher taxes and bigger government, and you have the makings for the reinvention of Marion County north of 96th Street.

Especially when you have children, you consider things like these. If you have the means, you go where you think it best for your children. There was simply no way I was going to be willing to stay in Indianapolis with a newborn in our future, so we moved.

People have been running away from the dominant policies of the dominant population centers for centuries. I come from immigrant stock on four sides- Irish, Polish, Hungarian, and Slovenian. Three of my four forebearers fled starvation. Two additionally fled political persecution. Today's immigrants continue to flee poverty, seeking opportunity. While the flight of wealth is a new American phenomenon, the impetous is the same- people just yearn to be free.

At some point, we need to reverse the dominant public policies in our core cities and return them to self-responsibility so that Americans will not continue this trend of leaving rotted cores for cities and consuming ever more land in developing new cities. You want to stop sprawl? Make the cities more attractive. Want to make the cities more attractive? Make people of means feel safe in cities- financially, in their person, esthetically, and especially, intellectually.

Hillary in '08?

Here's a nice cartoon laff for you: link. It looks like one of those Jib-Jab cartoons you will recall from the '04 presidential campaigns.

It would have been a tad funnier to me personally if Dennis Kucinich was on the chorus line. That's just me, though. (Kucinich was my US Rep. when I lived in Cleveland.)

Fort Wayne TV Appearance Tomorrow

I will be the guest of the Fort Wayne Libertarians tomorrow at 7pm on their live broadcast on cable TV channel 57. Doug Horner is the host, and we'll take calls.

I plan to discuss the highlights and low points of the recently concluded legislative session and issues Libertarians would like to see taken up in next year's session, such as the gerrymandering of electoral districts, and a 1% across-the-board budget cut.

It would be great to get a DVD of this show and the other two I have appeared on, to get clips available for viewing here or on the campaign website.

Tentative Good News Announcement

Just as the blind squirrel finds a nut, the General Assembly is poised to pass minor property tax relief. From an Indy Star report:

Legislative negotiators sealed a deal this afternoon on a property tax relief plan that will give homeowners $227 million worth of tax breaks this year and next.

The final version of House Bill 1001, which will be voted on today, provides $100 million in property tax credit for homeowners in 2006. On average, homeowners will pay 4 percent less this year than they would have without this break.

In 2007, the property tax break would become a deduction, which will mean the standard deduction off Hoosiers' assessed valuation will increase from $35,000 per home to $45,000 per home.

Let's not get crazy with full celebration mode yet. The final vote hasn't happened yet, and if new municipal taxes are attached to it, this is just a shift in how you pay. After all, if there are $227 million in tax cuts without commensurate cuts in spending, one of two things must happen- new tax burdens created elsewhere, or deficit spending.

Now- let's see the final tally on Major Moves!

How Should Elected Officials Vote?

Abdul led an interesting conversation on WXNT this morning asking this question. Should elected officials be beholden to the will of the people issue by issue? Or, should they take stock that they were elected to sometimes make tough decisions?

I believe in the latter. They elected you, so it was up to the voters to know what you were about. If it turns out the voters don't like the specifics of what you're about, they can unelect you next time.

The reason Abdul was having this discussion is that the vote on Major Moves happens today. In particular, the northern counties are very opposed to Major Moves, which presumably makes any Republican that votes in favor vulnerable in the next election.

Sticking to your guns is a function of having the strength and courage of your convictions. If Republicans are wavering, it tells me that they aren't completely sold on Major Moves, or that they have failed to do a good job of communicating what Major Moves is about to their voters.

I'll go back to Ronald Reagan, as I have many times in comparing Mitch Daniels. Reagan was brilliant at taking an idea to the people, communicating the benefits of a plan very clearly, often in advance of giving the plan to the legislature. The public was often on board from the beginning, making the decisions for the majority party less difficult. In fact, this is why the phenomenon of Reagan Democrats existed- because Reagan sold plans to the public so well, it became a difficult decision for the other party.

If Mitch Daniels were any kind of communicator, Major Moves might not be a controversial measure at all. If the Republican leadership, such as Kenley, Espich, etc., were any kind of communicators, it might be an easy vote today.

There are still many questions that seem unanswered to the majority of voters, which is why this has become such a controversial issue.

Can't Afford It?

Let me see if I got this straight. Earlier this week, the Colts got $120+ million in naming rights for the unbuilt stadium. Today, Edgerrin James signs with the Cardinals- because the Colts can't afford it? From ESPN's report:

The 27-year-old James played the 2005 season with the Colts under the one-year qualifying offer for a franchise tailback. Indianapolis officials had made it clear they could not afford to bring James back for another season, and the Colts likely will look to the draft for a replacement.

Did Mr. Irsay just blow all the money on the biggest whopping party since Sodom & Gommorah? How on earth could the Colts not afford to bring James back?

Mind boggling. It gets harder and harder to be a Colts fan. From the Indy Star report:

"If you look at our record, when Edgerrin's played, it's spectacular,'' Dungy about the veteran running back, who joined with Manning and receiver Marvin Harrison to form the Colts' highly acclaimed "Triplets."

With James in the lineup, the Colts posted a 70-26 regular-season record. Without him, they're 7-9.

"That says something about his value,'' Dungy said.

Agreed. Which makes it maddening to not have him back. Oh well, light another cigar with a $100 bill, Mr. Irsay.

Stretch Run

This year's short legislative session is coming to a close, and the pressure is on to deal with the Major Moves proposal.

I wish I could be for it, because I am in favor of this kind of privatization, whereby the state retains its' assets, and the private company manages the operation. However,

75 years is too long. 10 years is ideal.
No new terrain I-69. People along the majority of the route don't want it.
The money must be kept in the upper third of the state. No redistribution of wealth.

The Libertarian Party of Indiana has more details on it's legislative page. The LPIN calls for action! Contact your legislator and make your position known!

Link to Indiana's "Who's My Legislator" page.

Campaign Finance Reform, Eh?

Fascinating to look at today's Washington Post and see an article predicting the financing that will be required of a presidential candidate in 2008. From the Post article:

Michael E. Toner, the chairman of the Federal Election Commission, has some friendly advice for presidential candidates who plan to be taken seriously by the time nominating contests start in early 2008: Bring your wallet.

"There is a growing sense that there is going to be a $100 million entry fee at the end of 2007 to be considered a serious candidate," Toner said in a recent interview.

And who's picture is there to accompany the article? Why, it's John McCain, co-author of McCain-Feingold, one of the badly misnamed campaign finance 'reform' laws. The reason?

One of the least known but most important dimensions of the early competition to raise cash is securing the support of men and women who have proven effective in the past at raising large sums -- usually from a well-tended network of business associates, corporate subordinates and clients.

The 2004 Bush campaign designated these people as "Pioneers" (raised $100,000), "Rangers" ($200,000) and "Super Rangers" ($300,000).

Texas lawyer Thomas G. Loeffler, a Bush Ranger in 2004, has already signed on to help Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2008; Northern Virginia real estate developer Dwight C. Schar, a Ranger in 2004, was on the host committee for a Super Bowl fundraiser to benefit Sen. George Allen (R-Va.). A senior GOP strategist said these Bush backers undoubtedly are "being swarmed over" by the president's would-be successors.

McCain plays the populist, but is no such thing. Drafting the laws regarding campaign finance and then running for President is very clever. It certainly gives you an inside track.

Thanks for 'taking the money out of elections', John!

Annie Update

It happened that work took me to Greenfield, so I stopped for a minute to visit Ann Tomie, owner of Annie's Restaurant. I knew that the smoking bans affecting her business had been in effect for nine days, and I wanted to see how business was in this new climate.

The smoking bans are killing her business. This was forseeable by Ann. She knows her customers better than anyone. This is why Ann spoke up at Greenfield City Council meetings in opposition to the bans. She knew it would hurt her.

I stood with Ann Tomey outside her restaurant in October. I stand with her today.

What I didn't know was that Ann had appeared again before the City Council, yesterday, to report to them just how badly it was hurting her. From the Greenfield Reporter article:

Tomey approached the council saying she knows it is tired of seeing her and she is tired of coming to meetings, but she wanted the council to know one thing: The new ban on smoking in public is destroying her business.

“This might be the last thing I ask you to do, but talk to the workers,” Tomey said.

She then read a letter from a waitress at her downtown restaurant. The letter said the waitress cannot survive on the income she makes without tips due the lack of business she blamed on the new ordinance. Tomey said many people have been affected by the smoking ban and she had asked them to come to the meeting, but they didn’t show up.

The council listened, but members didn’t budge when they were again asked to change the law.

There was no sign of the tears that would later cause Tomey to leave the meeting when she told the council that this year she has made only $28,000 from her business, or about $500 to $600 of business daily. Since the smoking ordinance took effect March 1, she has had days where she only makes $125 from her business before expenses.

The Greenfield City Council is comprised of six Republicans and one Democrat. These officials did not consult Ann or any other restaurant owner prior to introducing the legislation. They remain unconcerned that her business is suffering. They have never been interested in defending her property rights. They have only been interested in passing feel-good legislation.

I can tell you this, from looking in Ann's face this morning- she doesn't feel good at all.

When I left the restaurant at 11:30 this morning, two diners occupied one table.

The Libertarian Party is the defender of small business owners like Ann Tomey. The Republicans and Democrats work together to crush small business, through their indifference and their unwillingness to consider secondary outcomes. Annie is the proof.

It's a tremendous shame that the people who believe in property rights have not been willing to appear in numbers at Town Council meetings. Without the numbers of citizens to confront government officials, and to run for office against them, they can safely surmise that there really isn't an opinion against them, and they need not change their ways.

People often ask me, "Mike, what can I do?" It's simple.

Be seen. Be heard. Sign your name to letters. Put signs in your front yard. Be enormously visible.

Take stock in John Hancock, signer of the Declaration of Independence. He knew that signing was an act of treason against the British, so he signed with a flourish.

The issues that confront us today and assault our freedoms are significant, but the risk we bear today is miniscule compared to what Hancock signed on for.

Isabel at Nine Months

It's incredible how the time has flown. Isabel is nine months old today. Here are some of Proud Papa's pictures from earlier this evening.

Trust Me!

The Indy Star has an interesting report this evening, with the CEO of the Spanish-Australian company making the pitch for the toll road deal. From the Star article:

At a Statehouse news conference, Stephen Allen, chief executive officer for Macquarie Infrastructure Group of Sydney, sought to ease resistance among some lawmakers and the public to overseas ownership. Macquarie, along with Cintra, a Madrid-based firm, has offered the state an immediate payment of $3.85 billion for the right to take control of Toll Road operations, maintenance and revenues for 75 years.

"What I'm actually doing is proposing to invest in Indiana," Allen said. "I'm actually talking about creating jobs here."

That's true, but he's also talking about minimizing potential, squandering opportunity.

Thanks to Greg Kelver and the LaPorte Libertarians for the sign that says it all.

When the CEO of the company feels compelled to try to sell the deal through the media, my nonsense detector starts beeping. When any salesman works too hard to tell you what a great deal he's bringing to you, it's time to run for the door. When the Governor tells you you're for this deal or against the future, you know there is a lack of confidence in the strength of the deal.

Take this together with the fact that the Daniels Administration gave the store away to the Colts on the naming rights deal, and there is every reason to believe this is a Major Mishap waiting to occur.

• 75 years is too long. Get the $3.75 billion for 10 years, and then you're talking a good deal.
• Cut new terrain I-69 from the deal. The people of Perry Township, Morgan County, Monroe County, and on down south don't want new terrain I-69.
• Keep the money in the area that generates it- the northern counties. Otherwise, you're just talking socialism, robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Let's see if House Bill 1008 isn't rightly seen as an anchor around the necks of our legislators who face the voters this November. Libertarians are keeping score.

Legislative Review on WXNT

The "Abdul In The Morning" show continues its series of periodic roundtables, with representatives of each of Indiana's three balloted political parties on to discuss and debate.

Libertarian Party of Indiana Executive Director Dan Drexler will join Mike Edmonson of the Democrats and a top official from the Republicans to discuss this year's nearly completed legislative session.

I love the Libertarian role in these roundtables. While the Ds and Rs claim everything their legislators introduced was great and everything the other side introduced was bunk, Libertarians end up as the voice of reason by agreeing with both parties on some items, and disagreeing on some others, rather than being merely contrarian.

You may recall that I represented the Libertarian Party after the President's State of the Union Address, a few weeks back.

Listen to Newstalk 1430-am Friday morning. If you are outside of reception range, you can stream the signal. Go to www.wxnt.com.

Indianapolis Libertarian Meet-Up Info

This Meet-up group has been very successful to date, with about 20 or so participants each time I've visited. Very spirited conversations!

The next Indianapolis Libertarian Meet-up takes place next Wednesday, March 22nd, at 8pm, at the Border's Bookstore at Keystone at the Crossing. Here's a link to the Meet-up group.

The Polls So Far

The latest polls at the right are surprising to me. Mainly, most visitors here wouldn't change their 2004 gubernatorial vote. Then again, the majority who voted in the polls are Libertarians, so I'm not surprised about them.

The number of poll-takers is way below the number of daily visitors, so I'm adding a third poll. It caters to out-of-state visitors on their 2004 gubernatorial and/or presidential votes. In light of Tom Delay's easy primary victory in Texas, perhaps I should expect little difference.

Data Mining

As many Libertarian leaders check this site, I'd like to direct them to an excellent Washington Post article that highlights the interest of a Democratic Party faction in developing better data mining techniques.

Why are they interested? For the same reasons we should be. From the Post article:

The pressure on Democrats to begin more aggressive "data mining" in the hunt for votes began after the 2002 midterm elections and intensified after the 2004 presidential contest, when the GOP harnessed data technology to powerful effect.

In 2002, for the first time in recent memory, Republicans ran better get-out-the-vote programs than Democrats. When well done, such drives typically raise a candidate's Election Day performance by two to four percentage points. Democrats have become increasingly fearful that the GOP is capitalizing on high-speed computers and the growing volume of data available from government files and consumer marketing firms -- as well as the party's own surveys -- to better target potential supporters.

The Republican database has allowed the party and its candidates to
tailor messages to individual voters and households, using information
about the kind of magazines they receive, whether they own guns, the churches they attend, their incomes, their charitable contributions and their voting histories.

This makes it possible to specifically address the issues of voters who, in the case of many GOP supporters, may oppose abortion, support gun rights or be angry about government use of eminent domain to take private property. A personalized pitch can be made during door-knocking, through direct mail and e-mail, and via phone banks.

(Emphasis is mine.)

This is an area where Libertarians could capitalize. The GOP is targeting eminent domain angered voters? Republican officials instigate as many eminent domain grabs as do Democrats. Mitch Daniels and NK Hurst, anyone? Republicans curtail 2nd Amendment rights as fast as Democrats. Etc.

I am pleased that the Libertarian Party of Indiana is taking this seriously, as shown in our recent County Chairs Convention. A 2% or 4% bump could make a huge difference for us county to county in the SoS race, where ballot ranking and other status issues are resolved.

I hope other LP state affiliates also get deeply involved with database development- especially those states that struggle to earn and keep ballot access

Frost Illustrated Carries Column

Periodically, I contribute a column to the Libertarian Writers' Bureau. My most recent item was picked up by Fort Wayne's Frost Illustrated.

The column ties the gerrymandering of districts and the relative responsive of elected officials together, citing several examples, including Major Moves:

The I-80 toll road is likely to be leased to foreign investors, with the strong possibility of increased tolls. Those who live in the region and use the toll road weren't consulted— not even as an afterthought. After all, leasing the toll road is an attempt to solve problems away from the road itself.

and

So, it was very refreshing to see State Rep. Jerry Torr (R-Carmel) pick up the Libertarian Party's top issue in the 2002 Secretary of State race, and introduce HB 1099, which would eliminate the gerrymandering of districts to suit the parties, and would instead draw districts that are balanced in population, yet geographically sensible.

Torr's introduction of the bill is courageous in light of the major parties' interest in preserving the status quo. The bill's passage might lead to a more responsive, more representative government that asks citizens what is important, and then actually carries out their wishes.

Frost Illustrated serves Fort Wayne's black community as its target audience. Recently, it has been consistently including Libertarian commentary on its pages and website. I am grateful for this. Check out Frost Illustrated.

Thanks to Mike Sylvester for the tip!


Technorati tags: Libertarian, Major Moves, Major Moves, Jerry Torr, Fort Wayne, Mike Sylvester

New Polls

I have heard much discussion about Mitch Daniels and his approval ratings. Many of the grumblings actually come from my Republican friends, who are feeling they aren't getting what they bargained for in Daniels.

In particular, I have cause to encounter many elected Republican township officials. They are angry that he would eliminate their livelihood and effectively destroy the GOP grassroots. Actually, I'm kind of amused by their grassroots being mowed down by one of their own. Fire up the Lawn Boy, Mitch!

Mr. Daniels is fond of reminding folks that he doesn't much care what people think of his work, that he does what he thinks is right. I find that admirable, but of course I don't agree with him on everything with regards to right and wrong. See socialized football stadiums and 75-year toll road leases for my prime examples.

Many of my Republican friends tell me that they wish they had voted for Daniels' primary challenger Eric Miller, or Libertarian Kenn Gividen. I've even had a few tell me they would sooner vote for Kernan if they had it to do all over again.

So, let's have it to do all over again here. It obviously doesn't count, but it's a fun exercise.

I voted Gividen in '04, and would happily do so again. What about you?


Technorati Tags: Mitch Daniels, Kenn Gividen, Eric Miller

Poll Results In

The last poll question posted on Kole Hard Facts asked, What is the best single issue for a Libertarian to run on? Here are the results:

38% None- Libertarian philosophy as a whole
19% Making government less intrusive
14% Lower taxes
14% Libertarians aren't Democrats or Republicans
10% Implementing the Fair Tax
5% Ending eminent domain abuse
0% Opposing forced annexation
0% Daylight Savings Time (for or against)

The correct answer is- none of the above. It depends on the office being sought, and what matters to the people within the jurisdiction as related to the office being sought.

Even though a majority of respondents cited Libertarian philosophy as a whole, that doesn't work so well, because while libertarians eat it up, the public isn't able to get their arms around the whole of it, and besides, they may embrace 2/3rds of it while rejecting 1/3rd. In sum, if you're running for Dog Catcher, you really have little to gain in talking about the Federal Reserve System.

Clearly, forced annexation is a regional issue. It may not affect the reader in Kokomo, or Florida. Ditto, DST... although both may be contained in "Making government less intrusive".

As I've said, these polls are less than scientific, but fun!