Pre-Emptive Strike Fired

Fearing that suburban municipalities would duplicate the recently passed Indianapolis smoking ban, opponents are organizing in advance of any solid proposals. Yesterday's meeting at Claude & Annie's was front page news on today's Noblesville Daily Times, placed above the fold.

In attendance were two members of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party, the
president of the Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana, executive director of the Indiana Licensed Beverage Association, the ILBA attorney and two others associated with area bars.

One of those was Mark Imgrassia, owner of the Sandpiper in Noblesville. A smoking ban would affect his business "very negatively," he said, which is why he decided to
attend the gathering.

and

"If we want to live in a free society, at some point we need to allow people to make their own decisions for themselves," (Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana President John Livengood) said.

Libertarians Brad Klopfenstein and Mike Kole agree, which is why they are lending their support to the group."

We believe it's the right of the property owner," Kole said.

Bill Smythe from Claude & Annie's is a property owner who was burned in his Marion County establishments by the approval of a smoking ban there. Together with the Libertarian Party, Bill was one of the most outspoken opponents to the ban as it was being discussed.

He lamented that it was tough taking the defensive position, reacting to a proposed law. He believed it would be easier to stake out a position in Hamilton County in advance of any proposals to ban smoking than to repeat the defensive position again.

The only political interests present were the Libertarians. The other two parties are the ones diminishing property rights in this country, after all. We'd love it if Republicans or Democrats were in favor of property rights, personal choices, individual liberty, and individual responsibility, but if we have to be the only ones to make the case, so be it. We're proud to be taking the high road.

It's Real!

The NHL really will have a season this time around. The League just released the schedule within the hour and I've had a look at it.

Good fortune smiles on me in my quest to check out San Jose Sharks games in the midwest, as the Sharks visit the midwest in October, and on weekend dates! They return to the region in March. This means the chances of freezing rain and huge snow drifts in the Interstate are slim at best. Road trip!

Now, if we could one day lure the NHL, or even top-flight minor league action here to Indianapolis once again, I'd be absolute ecstatic. The highest level of hockey in Indiana is third-tier UHL action in Fort Wayne.

It's About Time!

The return of major league hockey will finally become real tomorrow at Noon, when the NHL releases its 2005-06 schedule.

I will eagerly check for San Jose Sharks games in Columbus, Chicago, Nashville, and St. Louis. All are within a four hour drive. I'd add Detroit, which is three hours away, but the tickets for Wings games are too expensive, even if you can get them.

Off to the Wilds!

Kole Hard Facts will by seriously underproducing over the next few days as Alex & I join fellow roughriders Steve and Greg in the Adirondacks.

From left: Steve, me, Ame, Shasta, and Greg. We're standing on a rock peninsula that juts into one of the several finger lakes in the Adirondacks. The flat top of the rock is our usual camp site. The lake is called Long Pond, and is in a wonderful, pristine area north of the tiny town of Speculator, NY.

This will be my seventh trip to Long Pond, and Alex's second. Stories and pictures to follow next week.

Bambi

I was walking along an open ditch north of 146th Street in Noblesville at the new Brenwick development, and I nearly stepped on Bambi.

She was left behind by her mother in the high grass. I just happened to look down before placing the step that would have been on her. She darted out, but only a few feet away, which allowed me to get these pictures.

Welcome!

Hello to those jumping over from the Club For Growth's Carnival of Capitalism! The Club For Growth performs a valuable service- backing fiscally conservative candidates for office. That's an increasingly difficult task. While conventional wisdom points pro-growth, anti-tax voters to the Republican Party, the actual policies enacted by elected Republicans makes some folks wonder what point there is to Democrats.

The Club is essentially doing what I am doing in my own way- working to steer candidates away from the intoxicating power of taxation and the spoils of looted tax dollars, and back to the principles this country was founded on: limited government and self-responsibility.

I do it a little differently, though. I have been thoroughly convinced by the Republicans themselves that they have no use for smaller government. I am a philosophical libertarian who is a Libertarian Party member, and Libertarian candidate for office. I'm running for Secretary of State, which is the Libertarian Party of Indiana's ballot access race. See www.mikekole.com for details.

If you have the time, scroll down through some of the posts from the last two months, where I chronicle the wreckage of Republican domination here in Hamilton County, IN.

This county enjoys the reputation of being the most Republican county in the state of Indiana, and yet the all-GOP County Council, and all-GOP city or town councils of Carmel, Noblesville, and Westfield have all passed new taxes within the last six weeks. Read the rhetoric of the elected Republicans. If you didn't know better, you might think you were seeing the words of Ted Kennedy of Nancy Pelosi.

Thanks for your visit! I hope you enjoy what you find here... at least in terms of my writing and the points I make.

Isabel's First Smile Pics

Proud Papa interrupts this political blog once again with another picture of precious little Isabel. This time, it's her first smile picture.

She had been starting to form little half-smiles over the past week, but today we saw the first full-fledge smiles and grins. Isabel has great facial expressions. We just kind of hold her and talk to her, watching her reactions.

Estate Taxes = Bad Policy

Eric Schansberg recently penned a very sensible article on the delerious effect the "death taxes" have, punishing thrift and investment, and limiting the ability of one who passes on to exercise fully their right to give what's theirs to whomever they choose.

Where Schansberg surprised me is on his charge that these taxes greatly affect the poor.

It has been said that the only sure things in life are death and taxes. It seems that Democrats are fond of combining the two-- especially for the wealthy and the working poor.

Schansberg's article at the Libertarian Writers Bureau.

I'll be looking forward to making a campaign issue of the death taxes in Indiana. I was astonished to learn that my home county, Hamilton County, has a division of the Assessor's Office that does nothing but oversee the appllication of Indiana's death tax! From the County's website:

The Hamilton County Assessor’s Inheritance Tax Division's main function is to determine the Indiana State Inheritance Tax liability of each heir or beneficiary in a decedent’s estate. The Indiana inheritance tax is not a tax on the property itself, but on the transferee’s (heir’s) right to receive or succeed to property.

The transferee's right to receive the property? Wow. Correct me, but this is the United States of America, right? There's more:

The tax is imposed at progressive rates with exemptions decreasing and the rates rising the more distant the relationship of the decedent to the recipient of the property.

So, if I want to leave my money to my son, it's taxed at lower rate than if I leave it to my grandchildren for their college education. What kind of bone-headed policy is that? If I want to leave it to my best friend, who is no blood relation to me, it is taxed at the higest rate. Likewise if I leave it to charity or a church, which is again no relation to me. No wonder elderly people move to other states.

This is stupid law. Stupid policy. Some wonder why there's a brain drain in this state.

Here's an idea- let's make Indiana a wealth magnet by repealing the death taxes. Let's attract people with means rather than send them away.

I Am An Unrepentant Dreamer

I look forward to reading columns by Morton Marcus. The man gets it. He was described recently as an "unrepentant dreamer". I am his kindred spirit. I long for a world of individual liberty and personal responsibility.

Read Mr. Marcus' latest column.

A Most Worthy Debate

The national Libertarian Party is right now engaged in a dialogue that should have been out in the open at least 10 years ago on the pages of the LP News, and in its conventions.

Purism and Pragmatism. Link to dialogue.

Thumbs way up, LP! This is the white elephant that's been avoided for too long. Here's my take on the discourse:

I think the thing to focus on here is the purpose of a political party, which is to get people elected to office and to move public policy in the party's direction.

Unfortunately, it has been my experience that this party has been effectively more of a philosophical debate society than a political party, and that the purists actually enjoy the fact that Michael Badnarik's highest percentage was 0.76%, in Indiana, because by gosh he was 100% platform.

We take a lot of scorn here in Indiana for being possibly the most pragmatic state affiliate of the bunch. We elect candidates in *partisan* elections, and have an effect on public policy- just like a political party should. We don't talk about Iraq if we are running for offices that have nothing to do with foreign policy, such as County Commissioner.

Notice that we do not compromise on our principles. We merely choose carefully which positions to enunciate, starting in the places where we believe we have agreement with the local electorate.

For example, in a Republican-dominated county, we often speak almost explusively on taxes and budegtary issues. There we can present ourselves as the true fiscal conservatives, showing how Republicans are tax-and-spend.

In Democrat-dominated counties, we often speak almost exclusively about areas of personal life. There we present ourselves as the true defenders of individual liberties, showing how Democrats are as interested in curtailing liberties as the Republicans.

This is called strategy.

I have seen far too many Libertarian candidates, all full of themselves and drunk on the platform, rush into debates or other public discourse leading on an issue precisely where we have known disagreement with the electorate.

You can be the professional iconoclast if you want to, but you should ask yourself if taking that tack is in the best interest of advancing the philosophy you say you cherish so deeply.
Purism and Pragmatism must co-exist, with the principles underlying the action.

http://www.lp.org/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/42

Another Day, Another GOP Tax

This evening the Westfield Town Council finally got to hear the voice of the people, and it was overwhelmingly against the 1% food & beverage tax.

So, naturally, the Town Council passed the tax.

Conceded, it was by a narrow 3-2 margin, which was the closest yet in Hamilton County. But it did pass, and add to the burden of restaurant owner, employees, and patrons. Westfield joins Carmel, Noblesville, and the County itself in levying taxes on all manner of prepared foods.

This sums up the Republican Party: Tax & Spend, and disinterested in the will of the people.

The Libertarian Party was again the only voice of opposition to this tax, speaking on record at the meeting, but more importantly, in contacting the restaurant owners and managers to get their opinion. The wide consensus among these business people is that they were not consulted by their Republican officials, and if they had been consulted, they would have been glad to offer their opposition.

But the will of the people isn't what interests Republican official holders. The only thing that matters is more and more money coming in. If you want a change, you have to start voting Libertarian.

A Mayor Who Gets It

Kudos to Mayor John Zumer of Crwafordsville, who bucked the trend toward the Nanny State here in Indiana by issuing his veto to a smoking ban recently passed by the City Council there. Indy Star story.

He vetoed the ordinance for the right reasons.

The council last year imposed a smoking ban in all city-owned property and considered the ban for all places of employment throughout the city after a campaign by a local anti-smoking group.

Zumer, however, said he was against such government regulation on legal products and that people were not forced to work at or visit places that allowed smoking.

“Adults naturally concerned about their health and the health of minors entrusted to them are not required to patronize establishments that allow cigarette usage,” Zumer said.

The Chamber of Commerce doesn't get it- in a huge way.

The Chamber of Commerce in the city about 40 miles northwest of Indianapolis had backed the tighter restrictions, saying health concerns outweighed arguments for personal and business owners rights.

Good grief, but the Chamber of Commerce is supposed to be the advocate of local business, and here they are advocating interference in local business owners setting their own policies. If I were a restauranteur in Crawfordsville, I'd withdraw from the Chamber immediately.

Way to go, Mr. Mayor!

Finally, a Hockey Season!

At long last, it appears that the NHL is on the verge of a return to play on the ice. Before this happy moment could come, hockey fans have had to endure more than 300 days of sheer stupidity. From ESPN:

This lockout was worse than any in sports, dwarfing the one that cut the 1994-95 hockey season nearly in half and resulted in the agreement that expired last September.

In February, commissioner Gary Bettman canceled the season, making the NHL the first North American sports league to lose a year because of a labor dispute.

Stupid, pointless greed. Idiotic lowlights:

• Players who complained the NHL deal was unfair left their million dollar contracts to play for one-tenth the amount in the minor leagues or in Europe. If it was okay to play there for less, why not in the NHL?
• Owners complained about the spiraling salary costs. Well, who offers thos contracts to the players? The Tooth Fairy?

What's really stupid about all this is that hockey has traditionally been a distant fourth in the minds of sports fans, way behind baseball, football, and basketball. To make a whole season disappear was to make the game invisible when it was already the least visible, except that it was most visible only in the worst way- when either side was crying like the spoiled brats they are. As ever, Wayne Gretzky got it right in his comments:

"At the end of the day everybody lost," said Wayne Gretzky, the NHL's career scoring leader and the managing partner of the Phoenix Coyotes. "We almost crippled our industry. It was very disappointing what happened."

Time to close up the deal. Put this ugly chapter in the past and get on the ice.

Courage That Gets Applause

Sometimes, you just have to dig in and refuse to obey. Hats off to Charlie's Drive-In Restaurant in Martinsville, where the owners are refusing to abide by a smoking ban ordinance. From RTV-6:

Bob Williams and Linda Dunigan, owners of Charlie's Drive-In Restaurant, have been fined $200 for refusing to comply with the ordinance. A note posted on the restaurant's door spells out their position.

"This restaurant allows smoking. If this offends you, please feel free to visit one of our competitors," the sign reads. "If you choose to come in, then you enter at your own risk. Thank You."

Really, their position is, "We own this place. We reserve the right to set our policies in our place". Americans used to better understand that the home was the castle, and that one's business was merely an extention of the castle. Alas.

I hate cigarette smoke, but next time I'm near Martinsville, I'll go out of my way to eat at Charlie's.

Thanks to Kevin Fleming for the heads-up on the story.

Another Look At Kelo V. New London, the Constitution, and the Supreme Court

Rex Bell is the Chair of the Libertarian Party of Wayne County, and penned an excellent look at the Supreme Court's recent offensive ruling on eminent domain, and the nature of an 'evolving' Constitution. The column was run in the Muncie Star Press, and other papers. From the column:

The "living document" interpretation by all three branches of government has given us the free speech censorship of the McCain-Feingold Act, over 22,000 gun control laws across the nation, and the near nullification of the entire Bill of Rights by the Patriot Act. It has also allowed Congress to abdicate its responsibility for declaring war, and has allowed the federal government to play doctor in another recent Supreme Court snafu.

Check it out. Rex's thoughts are well-reasoned in explaining important distinctions that seem like semantics to far too many.

Westfield Update

The front-page article on today's Noblesville Daily Times was at once frustrating and illustrating.

It was frustrating in that it turned out that I couldn't attend Westfield's Town Council meeting, as Isabel got cranky right as I was about to go to the meeting. Worse, nobody else attended. I could have had the stage to myself.

It was illustrating in that the charge I made was that the Town was rushing the whole process, going from announcement to vote in under seven days. Nobody else showed up thanks to the short notice.

My letter in the same issue of the Daily Times, with my charges is essentially the same as the one in the Ledger, and the blog entry below.

Taking Action in Westfield

In trading emails with Town Council members, I have found that at least one intends to vote against the proposed food & beverage tax. If we can sway two more, we'll beat this thing in Westfield!

Check here for info on the pub crawl. In the meantime, write your letters or call your Councilor. Here's my letter, in Tuesday's Ledger:

The onward march of arrogant, elitist local Republican officials continues to plow over Hamilton County like a steamroller.

Despite significant popular opposition to any new taxes, the all-Republican councils for Hamilton County, Noblesville and Carmel have voted to enact individual 1 percent food and beverage taxes. ("Some have trouble digesting food, beverage tax" Page A16 July 1 Noblesville Ledger.)

Now it's Westfield's turn.

Westfield's council members have clearly attended the same GOP school of governance as Noblesville's and Carmel's councils. These cities are cramming
ordinances through the entire process, from announcement to vote, within a mere
seven days. This time frame makes it obvious that their intention is to minimize
organized opposition and public input.

Republicans have argued that the tax is really very small, and doesn't hurt terribly much, which makes it rather like getting hit on the head lightly with a ball peen hammer, then. You can take a few hits, but why on earth would you want to?

And there's the arrogance. Our councilors didn't bother to ask restaurant owners, workers or patrons whether or not these were hits we would like to take. They just feel that they know best, and that your job is to shut up and take it.

Join in showing support for the restaurants and taverns in Westfield by attending the public meetings, contacting the council members and by participating in the Libertarian Party's pub crawl Wednesday evening. It's time to stop this ravenous Republican tax machine in its tracks.

Mike Kole
Fishers

NPR as an American Pravda?

I actually hadn't thought of NPR or PBS so clearly before, as a parallel to the old Soviet nationalized newspaper Pravda, but that is exactly what NPR (especially) is.

Today, David Boaz of the Cato Institute made the sort of arguments that I never quite so clearly enunciated myself. From Boaz's statement, as found on the Cato website:

We wouldn't want the federal government to publish a national newspaper. Neither should we have a government television network and a government radio network. If anything should be kept separate from government and politics, it's the news and public affairs programming that informs Americans about government and its policies. When government brings us the news -- with all the inevitable bias and spin -- the government is putting its thumb on the scales of democracy. Journalists should not work for the government. Taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize news and public-affairs programming.

I had always marveled at the left's embrace of NPR. Sure, NPR espouses their viewpoint, but apart from content, it really is the most repugnant sort of news source, the sort that the left should stand against- in opposition to the Official Truth, and in favor of genuine, independent journalism.

What is also fascinating is his report on the demographics NPR and PBS reach out to: wealthy, white, and suburban.

One dirty little secret that NPR and PBS don't like to acknowledge in public debate is the wealth of their listeners and viewers. But they're happy to tell their advertisers about the affluent audience they're reaching. In 1999 NPR commissioned Mediamark Research to study its listeners. NPR then enthusiastically told advertisers that its listeners are 66 percent wealthier than the average American, three times as likely to be college graduates, and 150 percent more likely to be professionals or managers.

Now It's Westfield

The onward march of liberal, tax-and-spend Republicans continues to plow over Hamilton County like a steamroller.

First, the all-Republican Hamilton County Council voted to enact a 1% food & beverage tax. The next day, the all-Republican Noblesville Common Council voted to enact a 1% food & beverage tax of its own. Three days later, the all-Republican Carmel City Council voted to enact its own 1% food & beverage tax.

See a pattern here? Republicans are enacting taxes. The hospitality industry is the whipping boy.

On Monday, the Westfield Town Council will introduce an ordinance for -you guessed it- its own 1% food & beverage tax. Then on Thursday, July 14, Westfield will vote on the new tax.

Westfield's Council members must have gone to the same school of governance as Noblesville's and Carmel's. Both of those cities introduced and voted on their ordinances with lightning speed, so as to minimize organized opposition and public input. Westfield posted the item to their website late Friday afternoon. Thanks for the lead time, and your deep interest in the public viewpoint!

The Libertarian Party will again mount the only organized opposition. Please attend these meetings, especially if you are an owner of an establishment that serves food and beverages, or if you are a Westfield resident, or someone who frequents Westfield restaurants & taverns.

Meeting info:

Monday, July 11, 2005 at 7:00pm
Town Council Meeting
Town Hall - Assembly Room
130 Penn Street
Agenda

Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 7:00pm
Town Council Meeting
Oak Trace Elementary School
16504 Oak Ridge Road
Agenda

If attending, be early! These items can blow by in a matter of seconds. If you are late, you lose your opportunity for public comment. The meeting on Thursday features the food & beverage tax as the first of only two items on the agenda, so it could be over in as little as 5 minutes.

Call or write the Council members immediately. Be polite and friendly, but firm in your opposition.

Jack Hart / 317-896-5707 / hartjb@insightbb.com
David Mikesell / 317-896-5147 / dmikes4860@aol.com
Teresa Otis Skelton / 317-896-2636 / teresa@taos-westfield.org
Bob Smith / 317-896-3728 / bsmith@westfield.in.gov
Ron Thomas / 317-867-5318 / ronthomaswf@cs.com

If they don't hear the voice of opposition, they assume that there isn't any, and they will proceed with this tax. Be heard!

One Month!

Isabel is already one month old. I know this month seems to have passed very slowly for Ame, but it has zipped by for me. It just doesn't seem possible that she's already been with us a month. The birth seems like it was just a few days ago.


Here's one-month-old Isabel!

Cultural Item #2

I've become quite a fan of AJ Quinnell's thriller novels. Many thanks to co-worker Val Swift who turned me on to Quinnell's best-known title, "Man on Fire." That one has been made into a Hollywood film twice, most recently in one starring Denzel Washington as the burned-out mercenary John Creasy.

I enjoyed "Man on Fire" so much, that I began to seek out Quinnell's other books at nearby bookstores. No luck. Then I turned to Amazon. No luck. Only "Man on Fire".

After about two months of fruitless searches in bookstores, I finally found two Quinnell titles: "In The Name of The Father," and "Siege of Silence". I was delighted to find them on the shelf! Problem is, I only get to that bookstore once a year. It's in Gibraltar!

The books were so good that I read them both before my plane touched down in Indianapolis.

"In The Name of The Father" was actually fairly timely, as it depicts a fictional struggle between the Vatican and the Kremlin to assassinate the other's leaders- Pope John Paul 2, and Yuri Andropov. Of course, Andropov died in 1981, but he utters a great line in Quinnell's book- "I'll be damned if that bastard Priest outlives me!" And, as it was, the Pope was dying at the time of my trip.

"Siege of Silence" is unique in that it is written in the first person, with chapters alternate back and forth between the two main characters. One is an American spy, the other a Cuban interrogator. There is far less action in this book than in the other two, but wonderful intellectual and emotional tension between the two characters engaged in a mental chess match.

If you venture into any American bookstore, you will find "Man on Fire" on the shelves with other thrillers. The still from the movie is now the cover, with Denzel Washington shielding a little girl. What you will not find on the shelf are any other books penned by Quinnell, not even the two I found in Gibraltar. You would think that even if the other books were awful, a reprinting would be warranted on the heels of one of them being made into a film, with Denzel Washington as the star. Book publishers are in the business of selling books, after all, and the film had to highten interest in Quinell.

I decided that I'd have to go to dreaded Ebay to find other Quinnell books. Don't get me wrong- I always love to sell things on Ebay, and sometimes I like to buy things there, but it's hit and miss, and if what I want is in demand, it's often expensive for what it is.

Well, the Denzel Washington film did highten interest in Quinnell, who has written some 10 other books, including a handful that feature the Creasy character. Those books, "The Blue Ring" and "Message From Hell" show up on Ebay from time to time, but are always bid ridiculously high.

Three copies of "Message From Hell" recently sold. The lowest winning auction bid for any one used, ragged copy sold on Ebay was $42! For a used paperback! One copy is available now for $83- no picture, only a discription claiming, 'good'.

Ame gave me two Quinell books for my birthday- "The Mahdi" and "Snap Shot". She bought them on Ebay and won't tell me the price she paid. One came from Australia. This all scares me, so I try not to think about it when reading the books.

Hello, publisher! If there are 10 people out there willing to pay better than $30 for a paperback by one of your authors, there are 1,000 people willing to pay $7 for the same book. Fire up the presses! Quinnell bibliography.

If you enjoy Tom Clancy's books, but occasionally wanted a lighter, less thoroughly detailed thriller read, check out "Man on Fire" or any other Quinnell book you are lucky enough to find.

Seat Belt Nannies March Onward

For years, pick-up truck drivers had been exempt from Indiana's seat belt laws. This year, the nannies in the Statehouse removed that exemption so that all Hoosiers might be free from having the choice. This is in line with most other states in the Union, so how much further can seat belt laws go?

Turn to Pennsylvania, where a Republican is suggesting that dogs should be strapped in. Full story.

Stevenson said the bill will protect "not only human lives, but pet lives. I think it's going to be a great idea because it's going to cut down on driver distractions."

This Stevenson is one Rep. Tom Stevenson (R-PA), who holds an annual "There Ought to be a Law" contest. Don't listen when conservative talk radio hosts yammer that it is only the Democrats committed to creating a nanny state. Both major parties share the commitment. Libertarians should hold an annual, "Here's a Law that Ought to be Repealed" contest.

I can hear Stevenson grandstanding, saying, "it's for the... dogs," or, "anything we can do to save just one dog". I know this- if we have to strap in our dog Sasquatch, we won't be able to drive anywhere. He'll fight against the strap for the entire drive and pee all over the seat. Dog and human will be miserable together, but lorded after by some mindless nanny law.


Sasquatch. Yes, he can jump the fence.

Fighting the Good Fight

Three cheers for the people of Home Place, who appear to be on their way towards repelling Carmel's forced annexation attempt. Indy Star story.

I'm not against annexation that occurs because the citizens want it. I'm against it because I am against the use of force, and because I am in favor of self-determination. Home Place residents don't want to be a part of Carmel, so they remonstrated against the city's unwanted overtures.

Stephen Buschmann, the attorney representing the Home Place property owners, said the trial isn't expected to last past Friday.

"The people in Home Place have done a tremendous amount of work, and now it's down to two days," he said. "I admire citizens like them who are willing to stand up.

I admire the residents of Home Place, too. I hope they ultimately win.

Light Rail and Terror

It seems that when terrorists want a target, they look to mass transit. Witness the carnage in London today. CNN story.

The other place that comes to mind is Madrid's Atocha Station. Ame & I passed through Atocha five weeks before the bombings that hit there when we went to visit Alex. On my last trip, I avoided Atocha. It's a known target, after all.

What seems clear is that busses, trains and rail stations make for excellent collection points for terrorists who think in terms of assembling the most human targets.

Jarvis Medhurst told CNN: "I was working at the Tavistock Hotel and the bus exploded literally 40 meters away from me. There was a massive explosion and a
cloud of smoke, and then when the smoke stated to die down, you could see the wrecked bus, which was on fire.

"There were bodies everywhere. Heads and bits of bodies, heads and arms and legs all ripped away.

and

Another man, clearly shaken by his experience, described being on a smoke-filled carriage on the same train, he and his fellow passengers afraid to try to leave the train.

"We were all trapped like sardines waiting to die," said Angelo Power. "I honestly thought I was going to die, as did everyone else."

A police spokesman urged Londoners to "stay where you are."

"There's no way to travel around London at the moment," he said.

Isn't it the point of public transportation to eliminate congestion? Well, thanks to reliance on public transportation, London is frozen.

These events provide yet another very sensible reason for opposing public transportation. While 1-3 people in a car is fuel inefficient, it is very efficient in making commuters less appealing as targets for would-be terrorists.

Thursday's Cultural Item #1

The superhero movies, most of which have been grand productions over the years, have consistently left me flat- with one notable exception: the first Christopher Reeve Superman film.

I have consistently ignored the Batman movies, especially as they have increasingly featured the darker side of the Bruce Wayne character. Now it turns out that I'll want to see the current Batman film, thanks to a Washington Post review.

'Batman' flies right for some
Movie about the comic-book hero resonates with libertarians, others.

... "Batman Begins" has become something of a cult hit among fans of free markets, individualism and Ayn Rand, among other things. Perform a cursory Google search with the terms "Batman Begins" and "capitalism," for instance, and you come up with a blogosphere love-fest, with conservative and especially libertarian commentators praising the film's pro-business, anti-statist themes.

and

David Boaz, executive vice president of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, saw "Batman Begins" recently at the encouragement of a friend at the Objectivist Center, which according to its Web site champions "reason, individualism, freedom and achievement."

Looks like a trip to the multi-plex is in order! I will keep in mind that one pro-capitalism think tank, the Ludwig von Mises Institute has written it's own review, warning that the film does not live up to the Post's hype. All the more reason to see for myself.

Nice Letter, Dennis!

Fellow Libertarian Dennis Derrick of Avon submitted a fine letter to the Indy Star, who printed it today.

As you know by now, the Hendricks County Council voted 7-0 to pass the Colts tax onto us. These are all "fiscally responsible" Republicans that represent us, the taxpayers. The 7-0 vote means we have no one who will even attempt to keep our taxes low.

Taxpayers and small business owners who spoke against it were ignored. Is this true representation of Hendricks County taxpayers? I do have to applaud the Morgan County, which rejected the tax, as having the only County Council that truly represents its taxpayers.

Well said, Dennis! Now it's up to those taxpayers to remember how their Councils voted, and to act accordingly.

Brother, Meet Sister

Yesterday was an outstanding day, as I picked up my son Alex in Cleveland and brought him home to Fishers to meet his sister Isabel for the first time.

Looking at the Rules Affecting Political Parties

I received an interesting suggestion from Ed Gluck of Terre Haute for a policy position to take with my campaign.

He has suggested that the Libertarian Party of Indiana push for conventions for all three parties. This is to save the state money and should lessen the influence of big monied special interests.

I see where it would have the effect of saving the taxpayers some money directly, as the taxpayers pay for the primary elections, and the parties pay for their own conventions.

I disagree, however, that it would take the money interests out of it. After all, if the public isn't paying for primaries via tax dollars, then somebody is paying for the conventions- and with the major parties, that means corporations and special interests.

I am very interested in gaining major party status for the Libertarian Party with my ballot results. If I get 10%, it happens, and we will be part of the primary process too. While that will include us in the cost to the taxpayer, it would give us a powerful tool that the major parties have kept from us all this time. As Indiana is not a registration state, the way the political parties can find out who their supporters are is by checking out who takes a dedicated party primary ballot. Right now, Libertarians cannot take a dedicated party ballot, so Libertarian voters can either not participate in the primaries (which stinks if there are issues on the primary ballot), or they can take an independent ballot and vote only on the issues.

When the Libertarian Party does its homework and looks at who takes the independent ballots, we are getting access to some Libertarians, but also to Greens, Socialists, and non-partisans. It's very efficient for the Democrats and Republicans, and wholly inefficient for us. This is by their design.

I would like to put the Libertarian Party on even footing with the D's & R's in as many ways as possible. Having the vanity license plate money taken away from the D's & R's was an outstanding thing that brought those parties down to our level of having to be self-sufficient, as we have been all along. It has been amusing to watch the Democrats struggle at the state level. They just aren't used to self-sufficiency.

Ed raised an interesting question. I am interested in getting it all wherever I can, so I am open to suggestion. Should Libertarians lobby to make Indiana a registration state, while lobbying for the elimination of the primaries? It would serve to reduce the cost to the taxpayer while eliminating the unfair advantage the D's & R's have over us and any other 3rd party that might come along.

More Coverage in Defense of Small Business

Again, the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County was featured prominently in a news article, in support of local restaurant owners, employees, and patrons, and in opposition to the food & beverage taxes. From today's Noblesville Ledger:

Calling it a "Republican-led tax increase" to support the state's financing plan for a Colts stadium and expanded convention center, Hamilton County Libertarians Rob Place and Wayne Kirk told city councilors that some people may "vote with our feet" by not attending games or buying Colts merchandise.

"Let's not use our small business owners as scapegoats to solve a minor budget problem," Place said.

and

Libertarian Mike Kole said good representative government responds to the will of the people. "The majority of Hamilton County residents are opposed to any tax increases, for any purpose," he said. "Affected business owners and employees were not consulted as to the impact they would feel.

The county council arrogantly rejected the will of the people in order to placate the governor, on the basis of party politics."

We didn't defeat this motion. It passed, 5-2. But we changed those two votes. Those two Councilors had to respect the fact that we run serious local candidates, and that we could beat them in the local 2006 elections.

As we continue to build on our momentum with more pub crawls and media events as these taxes are considered by Fishers and Westfield, we may well see Libertarian victories- defeat of the taxes- in one or both of those Towns.

Here's a clue for my fellow Libertarians who check this blog from across the country: Follow Tip O'Neill's advice. He said that all politics is local. You can interpret that statement many ways, but I do it this way: forget about Federal issues. Only address local issues.

This is tough advice for some Libertarians to swallow, because they are most passionate about Federal issues. Remember that nobody starts at CEO. You have to show people that you can be effective and trustworthy at the local level before they give you the keys to the Pentagon, the Capitol, or the White House.

Besides- it's easiest to make our case where people have an immediate connection to the issue at hand, and they feel specifically let down by the existing political power, and where there is a feeling that something can be done about it. If either of these three elements are missing, Libertarians aren't going to sway voters in large blocks. That last element is missing in a huge way when talking about Federal issues.

So, if you want futility, focus on Federal issues. Consider: if you oppose, say, the war in Iraq, do you think that there is much you can do about changing the policy? Heck, you have a major party trying to affect that, with no success.

If you want success, take on local issues, where you can look local policy makers in the eye and make them see the opposition and feel it viscerally. US Senators and even US Reps aren't threatened in the slightest by a hnadful of local opponents. After all- they get their campaign support nationally any more, and from corporations. Indiana's Senators scarcely even campaign at home. Local officials- county commissioners, county councilors, county recorders- they all get their support locally.

Election returns bear this out. The higher up the ticket you look at Libertarian candidates, the lower the election results. As you descend down the ticket, you see higher and higher returns.

Why buck the trend and common sense at the same time? Let's win local elections and earn the trust of the American people. When we do, they'll beg for the chance to give us the keys.

Here Come The City Taxes

When the all-Republican Hamilton County Council passed new food & beverage tax, it triggered a law passed by the Republican-dominated State Legislature allowing a handful of municipalities to raise an additional tax of their own.

Confused? A lot of people are. They used to think that Republicans stood for lower taxes and smaller government. This is neither your father's nor Ronald Reagan's GOP anymore.

Fortunately, the Libertarian Party is there so that fiscal conservatives need not be politically homeless. Although the Noblesville Common Council voted to pass their own food & beverage tax last night, Libertarians were there to voice the opposition. From the Noblesville Daily Times:

The vote was not a squeaker, but when the Noblesville Common Council voted 5-2 to establish an additional 1 percent food and beverage tax for city eateries it was clear they heard the voice of protest from those who vociferously opposed the tax.

Rob Place and Wayne Kirk, chair and vice chair of the Hamilton County Libertarian Party, both urged the council to vote down the ordinance."

Please let us not use the small business owner as a scapegoat to solve minor budget problems," Place said.

He suggested council members take a harder look at the city's budget or impose user fees for parks and libraries as alternatives to the tax.

Kirk said he is a small business owner who takes clients out to dinner."Now I'm having to think about how I spend my money," he said. "When we get these tax increases it does steal from the common person."

Today's Daily Times also ran my letter, criticizing the County Council vote in favor of the new tax:

Libertarian is disappointed with county's approval of new food and beverage tax

The Hamilton County Council's vote in favor of the food and beverage tax was expected, but still disappointing for a variety of reasons.

1. Taxes are a drag on the economy, no matter what they are for.

2. Public policy enacted by the County Council should always serve to make Hamilton County more competitive, not less.

3. Good representative government responds to the will of the people. The majority of Hamilton County residents are opposed to any tax increases, for any purpose. Affected business owners and employees were not consulted as to the impact they would feel. The County Council arrogantly rejected the will of the people in order to placate the governor, on the basis of party politics.

4. Food and beverage taxes for Marion County stadium projects have a history of outliving the buildings they pay for. History will repeat itself.

5. Contrary to the rhetoric issued by the Council, conventioneers in downtown Indianapolis will not be visiting eateries in Sheridan, Cicero, Noblesville, Carmel or Fishers. Most conventions are catered and most conventioneers walk to nearby attractions.

6. Contrary to the small government talk Republicans spout at election time, their track record is increasingly tax-and-spend liberal policy.

7. The regionalism touted by Republican officials should set off warning signals to Hamilton County residents, who chose to live here, not in Marion County. Regionalism ensures that the dominant population center sets policy direction at the expense of the satellites. This vote shows the result, which reads like textbook Karl Marx — from those according to their ability, to each according to his need. This is only the first blow. Just wait until the bill comes for the regional transit plans.

The Libertarian Party mounted the only organized opposition to these taxes and provided the only organized support for the affected business owners, workers and patrons. As the Republican Party continues to drift ever leftward, the Libertarian Party remains as the only true home for fiscal conservatives who believe in limited government, lower taxes, home rule, and — most importantly — responsive government.

The Libertarian Party is eager to run candidates against those councilors who voted in favor of the taxes. I encourage people who share our views to get involved with us, to help build a party that best represents the views of Hamilton County residents. Call Hamilton County Chair Rob Place at 776-1042, or call me at 845-9857.

Mike Kole, Fishers

Mike Kole is the former Hamilton County chairman for the Libertarian Party.

More Council Arrogance

In an incredible display of arrogance, the Carmel City Council called a special afternoon meeting yesterday, introduced an ordinance, and passed it- all before any citizen could act.

Carmel zipped through the process, passing a 1% food & beverage tax in their city. It comes one day after the County passed a 1% food & beverage tax of its own.

The city put the spin on the way it hid from public comment and the opportunity for opposition forces such as the Libertarian Party to mount a campaign. From the Indy Star story:

Carmel and Noblesville leaders said they pushed their votes ahead Tuesday so their local tax will take effect the same date the county tax does -- Aug. 1.

That, they argued, would keep hundreds of businesses from having to reprogram their cash registers and computers twice.

See? These cities are the friends of the restaurant and bar owners!

Of course, the hospitality industry knows this isn't shinola. From the same article:

John Livengood, president of the Restaurant & Hospitality Association of Indiana, called both votes a rush to add the tax without public input.

"They didn't have to do this the day after the county did," Livengood said.

The Carmel City Council voted in front of an empty room after it decided to hold an unusual Tuesday night meeting for the vote. Council member Fred Glaser asked in vain to postpone the decision to allow more public input.

"There was not adequate public notice by Carmel," said Livengood, who hurried to attend the meeting after learning of it late Tuesday afternoon.

These cities are going to keep the Libertarian Party so busy over the next few election cycles. Every time a City Council practices this kind of imperious government- no public notice, no public comment, taxing despite a public weary of taxes- we will post candidates to run against the Councilors.

This is what Charlie White's Republican Party looks like: tax & spend liberal, arrogant, imperious, and greedy. The Libertarian Party is crucial to bring things back to sanity.

200th Anniversary of Trafalgar

Since I've been going crazy with the pictures of late, I thought I'd share something pretty unique- my pictures of Trafalgar Cemetary, in Gibraltar.

The literal anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar is not until October 21, but a celebration event took place today, with a collection of tall ships gathering, and a fireworks display. More on the event from the Scotsman.

Here are three of my photos from Trafalgar Cemetary, from January of this year, when I visited there with my son Alex:

I'm especially fond of this marker with the touching tribute from fellow officers, and cannonball on top.

Isabel

I'm a proud papa, and I'm just not satisfied with adding links to Yahoo for photos of my little girl, so here are two pictures.

Mama Ame holds Isabel.

Just Desserts for Supreme Court Justices?

The Supreme Court's abhorrent decision in the landmark Kelo v. New London case gave municipalities the ability to use eminent domain to take private land not for public uses such as roads or bridges, but for private, for-profit development.

I wonder if the five Justices on the majority side gave any thought to their own homes when they handed the decision down? Freestar Media has. From their press release:

Could a hotel be built on the land owned by Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter? A new ruling by the Supreme Court which was supported by Justice Souter himself itself might allow it. A private developer is seeking to use this very law to build a hotel on Souter's land.

...

On Monday June 27, Logan Darrow Clements, faxed a request to Chip Meany the code enforcement officer of the Towne of Weare, New Hampshire seeking to start the application process to build a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road. This is the present location of Mr. Souter's home.

Clements, CEO of Freestar Media, LLC, points out that the City of Weare will certainly gain greater tax revenue and economic benefits with a hotel on 34 Cilley Hill Road than allowing Mr. Souter to own the land.

The proposed development, called "The Lost Liberty Hotel" will feature the "Just Desserts Café" and include a museum, open to the public, featuring a permanent exhibit on the loss of freedom in America. Instead of a Gideon's Bible each guest will receive a free copy of Ayn Rand's novel "Atlas Shrugged."

It all looks like poetic justice for this Justice.

Al Barger needs to get in touch with the good folks at Freestar. Hat tip to Gregg Puls.

County Council Votes Complete - One Surprise!

Let's hear it for the Morgan County Council, whose members listened to their constituents and consciences, and voted accordingly, defeating the food & beverage tax by a 4-3 vote. Indy Star story.

Predictably, the tax passed today in Hendricks and Hamilton Counties, by wider margins.

Here's my bullet point summation:

• Taxes are a drag on the economy, no matter what they are for.
• Public policy enacted by the County Council should always serve to make the home County more competitive, not less.
• Good representative government responds to the will of the people. The majority of suburban County residents are opposed to any tax increases, for any purpose. Affected business owners and employees were not consulted as to the impact they would feel. The County Councils arrogantly rejected the will of the people in order to placate the Governor, on the basis of party politics.
• Food & beverage taxes for Marion County stadium projects have a history of outliving the buildings they pay for. History will repeat itself.
• Contrary to the rhetoric issued by the Council, conventioneers in downtown Indianapolis will not be visiting eateries in Sheridan, Cicero, Noblesville, Carmel, or Fishers... or Avon, Zionsville, Greenwood, or Greenfield. Most conventions are catered, and most conventioneers walk to nearby attractions.
• Contrary to the small government Republicans spout at election time, their track record is increasingly tax & spend liberal policy.
• The regionalism touted by Republican officials should set off warning signals to suburban county residents, who chose to live outside Marion County. Regionalism ensures that the dominant population center sets policy direction at the expense of the satellites. This vote shows the result, which reads like textbook Karl Marx- from those according to their ability, to each according to his need. This is only the first blow. Just wait until the bill comes for the regional transit plans.

The Libertarian Party mounted the only organized opposition to these taxes, and provided the only organized support for the affected business owners, workers, and patrons. As the Republican Party continues to drift ever leftward, the Libertarian Party remains as the only true home for fiscal conservatives who believe in limited government, lower taxes, home rule, and most importantly- responsive government.

The Libertarian Party is eager to run candidates against those Councilors who voted in favor of the taxes, in all of the counties. I encourage people who share our views to get involved with us, to help build county parties that best represents the views of suburban county residents. Go to the Libertarian Party of Indiana's web site for contact info on the various county affiliates: www.lpin.org

Here's what Hamilton County Chair Rob Place had to say about the tax & spend Republicans, per the Star:

"We're going to remind people that these are the guys that raise taxes, and there is an alternative for those people who don't want to send their money down to Marion County," Place said.

Fill-In on WXNT

For the second time, Libertarian Party of Indiana Executive Director Brad Klopfenstein filled in for Abdul on the Abdul in the Morning show on Newstalk 1430, WXNT-am. Brad invited me to be his in-studio guest.

The show was quite a success, as we talked about the food & beverage taxes being voted on later in the day in Hamilton, Hendricks, and Morgan Counties. Reagan Assistant Doug Bandow, now a Senior Fellow of the Cato Institute, spoke about the folly of publicly funded stadiums as economic engines.

Brad Klopfenstein on WXNT

Yours Truly

Brad also had restaurant owners Bill Smythe of Claude & Annie's, and Pete Watson of BW3s. Each gave his perspective of the impact the food & beverage taxes would have on their businesses, employees, and patrons. Sam Goldstein is leading a remonstrance against a multi-million dollar bond issue the Washington Township (Marion County) schools are considering for high end athletic facilities.

I think we gave perspectives that needed to be voiced, and were entertaining in the process.

Votes Monday and Tuesday

The first votes on the 1% food & beverage taxes are right around the corner. It is not too late to take action, to try to prevent passage. Keep in mind that if the County Council fails to pass the measure Monday evening, the Noblesville Common Council cannot pass their measure on Tuesday evening. Helping defeat one measure Monday is like defeating five tax measures in all, since Noblesville, Carmel, Fishers, and Westfield would then be thwarted.

The first thing to do is to contact your representatives on the Hamilton County Council. You will have one District Representative, and three At-Large reps. Contact all four of these reps!

It is very important that they hear from constituents who are opposed to higher taxes. If they do not hear from you, they can and will assume that they are voting correctly when they vote in favor of higher taxes. It also puts more at stake for them if you let them know that you intend to vote Libertarian because they have moved towards more and more taxes. If they think you will continue to vote Republican, they learn that they can take you for gratned. Be friendly always, even if letting them know that you are upset or even angry about the direction local government is taking. It's human nature to listen more openly and carefully to friendly voices.

Meredith Carter – Carmel – mlc1@co.hamilton.in.us
John Hiatt – Sheridan & Westfield – jah1@co.hamilton.in.us
Judy Levine – Fishers – jrl1@co.hamilton.in.us
Steve Schwartz – Noblesville, Arcadia, Atlanta & Cicero – sns@co.hamilton.in.us
Brad Beaver - At-Large bdb@co.hamilton.in.us
Jim Belden - At-Large jjb@co.hamilton.in.us
Rick McKinney - At-Large rfm@co.hamilton.in.us

Same phone number for all. They probably won't be there to answer, but you can leave voice mail, and they do pick up their messages. (317) 776-8402

If you are a Noblesville resident, contact the Noblesville Common Council, Follow the link to the City District Map. Determine which district you are in, and then go back to the page with the Councilors on it to find their contact information.

Noblesville residents have two At-Large representatives. Please contact each.

Brian Ayer: 317-773-1078 / BrianA2662@aol.com
Mary Sue Rowland: 317-877-4126 / marysuerowland@yahoo.com

Pass the above info on to family, neighbors, and friends in Hamilton County and Noblesville. Please do this quickly! Hamilton County Council votes Monday, and Nobelsville votes Tuesday.

It is also not too late to write a letter to the local newspapers, urging the Councils to vote against the taxes. Don't worry about writing perfect prose. Make your point in 100 words, and it will be printed.

Here are links to the Noblesville papers:

Noblesville Daily Times; Robert Hansen, Managing Editor: rhansen@noblesvilledailytimes.com
Noblesville Ledger: http://www.thenoblesvilleledger.com/help/letter_to_the_editor_form.html

For publication in The Daily Times, get the letter in by 9am. For The Ledger, get your letter in by 5pm Monday.

Attend the meetings where the votes will take place. It is important that people show up in numbers to let the Councils know that the vote is important to the voters, and that they are against higher taxes. If the Councilors do not see a lot of people, they assume it isn't important to the voters, and they can vote whichever way they want, without immediate accountability. There's nothing more frightening to an elected official than having to look in the eyes of the voters while casting a vote in favor of a tax. They'd much rather have an empty room.

Hamilton County Council meets Monday, June 27 at 7:00pm to vote. Do not be late! The vote may be over by 7:02! The County Council meets in the Commissioners Chambers, in the new Judicial Center, in downtown Noblesville.

Noblesville County Council meets Tuesday, June 28 at 7:00pm, at City Hall. http://209.43.125.203/council/

Pub Crawl Coverage

The pub crawl was front page news in today's Noblesville Daily Times, complete with a nice photo of County Chair Rob Place talking with a BW3's patron about the 1% food & beverage taxes.

One series of quotes in the article is worth highlighting and discussing:

Place said no one in Hamilton County is buying the argument that regional
establishments will benefit from the increase in business brought in from Colts
fans.

"The argument that they're going to be going to a Colts game, then driving
20 miles away up to, say, Noblesville for a beer after a game is hogwash.
They'll stay in downtown Indianapolis," Place said.

...

County Council member Judith Levine also disagreed that local eateries
won't benefit from the tax.

"This stadium and convention center expansion will bring bigger and better
conventions here, and we do get the overflow. We do benefit," she said.

I actually have the experience of having come from Cleveland to Indianapolis for a convention. My hotel stay was not downtown, but in the north side of Indy, near I-465 and Keystone. Not once did I go for a meal or a drink in Nora or at Castleton, which were right around the corner, let alone journey up to Carmel, Westfield, Noblesville, or Sheridan.

In fact, most of the meals were served right in the Convention Center itself. They were catered. On a three-day convention, I recall eating two meals outside of the Convention Center- one at the Slippery Noodle, and another at Champs.

My experience was a typical convention experience. If you aren't familiar with the metropolitan area you are visiting, you won't venture. It will be the exceptionally rare conventioneer who eats a meal in Cicero, or in Atlanta. It's just a load of BS to suggest that there is a huge benefit to suffering this tax in Hamilton County.

Dark Day For Property Rights

The Supreme Court handed down an infuriating decision yesterday on an eminent domain case. In a 5-4 decision, the Court upheld the right of local governments to act on behalf of one private entity to take land from a private property owner under the aegis of eminent domain.

The Wall Street Journal correctly calls this the reversal of the liberal Justices' championing of the little guy. WSJ story. George Will hoped that for once, judicial activism would benefit the conservative, and the Court would finally put a leash on local governments. George Will's column.

These aren't takings using eminent domain for public uses such as roads, sewers, or bridges. These are takings for private developers, who will eliminate residential housing in order to put up a Wal-Mart or a strip center. The rationale? The Wal-Mart or shopping center will create more tax revenue and jobs than a block of residences will.

It's all about governmental greed. Feed the tax coffers- at any price. The ends justify the means.

This should scare the daylights out of any property owner in an area in transition. If you own a home or an office building in an area that is ripe for re-development, you might have been excited in the past for the possibility of a profitable sale. No more. If the developer eyeing your land doesn't like the price you demand, he can now just go to the city and ask for the use of eminent domain, and they can then take your land- as backed up by the Supreme Court's decision.

It should scare you because there is always a developer out there who is bigger than you, and the bigger the developer, the more likely he is to have political clout. Heck- you could even own an incredibly profitable building that pays taxes out the wazoo, but if a developer comes along with a plan for a building three stories higher, he might win the day over you on the basis of a few more dollars for the tax roll, and a few more jobs than you currently offer.

If you thought laissez-faire capitalism was dog-eat-dog, wait till you get a load of government backed eminent domain involved in business.

The Institute For Justice were the good guys in this case, fighting in defense of the homeowners. When it comes time to make a charitable contribution, please keep them in mind.

Successful Pub Crawl

The Libertarian Party led a pub crawl through Hamilton County last night in support of restaurant owners, workers, and patrons, raising awareness of the various 1% food & beverage taxes being proposed here.

1% F&B proposed by the Hamilton County Council, being voted on Monday, June 27
1% F&B proposed by the Noblesville Common Council, being voted on Tuesday, June 28
1% F&B proposed by the Carmel City Council, date of vote not yet known
1% F&B likely to be proposed by the Fishers Town Council upon passage of the County's tax
1% F&B possibly to be proposed by the Westfield Town Council. I have heard indications that Westfield may not propose the tax, even though the Indiana legislature made the option available to them.

Hamilton County Chair Rob Place was interviewed in advance of the event by WIBC 1070-am, who led their afternoon newscasts with the item. Online story. He was also interviewed by radio Network Indiana, and the Noblesville Daily Times. We'll look forward to today's coverage of the event.

At the restaurants we visited, I found that people were interested in our position. Generally, Hamilton County's residents are wary of any new tax. There were plenty of people I spoke with who are Colts fans and are concerned that the team could leave without a new stadium. They were pleased to know that our solution was more involved than waving goodbye, but included a casino deal for Jim Irsay, as suggested by Executive Director Brad Klopfenstien, and my own suggestion for the Governor using teh prestige of his office to assemble an investment team.

We found that the restaurant owners and staff were not consulted at any point by the Republican office holders, with one exception. Claude & Annie's Bill Smythe has been contacted, but only after he attended Council meetings to speak in opposition to the tax, and began writing letters of opposition to the Councilors.

Writing letters is the last thing to do before the vote if there is any hope of defeating this thing.

District Council Representatives
Meredith Carter – Carmel – (317) 776-8402 / mlc1@co.hamilton.in.us
John Hiatt – Sheridan & Westfield – (317) 776-8402 / jah1@co.hamilton.in.us
Judy Levine – Fishers – (317) 776-8402 / jrl1@co.hamilton.in.us
Steve Schwartz – Noblesville, Arcadia, Atlanta & Cicero – (317) 776-8402 / sns@co.hamilton.in.us

For more information on “District Maps for County Officials,” click on the following link:
http://www.co.hamilton.in.us/services.asp?id=2307&entity=2325

At-large Council Representatives
Brad Beaver (317) 776-8402 / bdb@co.hamilton.in.us
Jim Belden (317) 776-8402 / jjb@co.hamilton.in.us
Rick McKinney (317) 776-8402 / rfm@co.hamilton.in.us

Carter, Hiatt, Levine, and Schwartz are the Councilors who seats are up for election on the next ballot. It is especially important that they understand that they can expect the most significant ballot box opposition if the are on record voting for the tax. That is a message they understand.

Pub Crawl Tonight

Those wishing to support restaurant owners, worker, and patrons are encouraged to join a Hamilton County pub crawl tonight. Meet up for dinner at Claude & Annie's in Fishers at 6:00. At 7:30, we'll go next-door to BW3's. Later in the evening, we'll wind up at my Thursday home for poker- Barley Island, in downtown Noblesville.

Join us if you are:

• In favor of lower taxes and smaller government
• Of the belief that sports arenas and convention centers should be privately funded
• Of the belief that it is wrong to rob Peter to pay Paul
• Support local businesses, owned and operated by neighbors and friends

If you can't go, please contact your Hamilton County Council representative and let them know that you intend to vote for anyone who will oppose them in the next elections if they vote for the 1% food & beverage tax.

The Hamilton County Council is poised to vote in favor of a 1% food & beverage tax next Monday. They heard overwhelming opposition to the tax, but will vote for it anyway because a) they believe that they can't be voted out of office no matter what they do; and b) because they are far more interested in giving the Governor what he wants than in representing the will of their constituents.

It's late in the game for making them think twice, but not too late. If they see that the opposition is serious and growing, they could just be brought back to common sense and actual representative government.

If we fail to act, we in essence tell them that they can indeed take us for granted.

Isabel

Isabel Annalise Kole was born at home on Thursday, June 9, 2005, at 9:18pm. She weighed 9 lbs. 0 oz. at birth, and measured 21 inches in length.

That's a big baby. Just ask Ame!

More pictures from Isabel's first 10 days:

Daddy holds Isabel, just 90 minutes after her birth.
Ame holds a bit of a press conference, shaing the news with relatives on the phone.
Isabel rests in Mommy's lap.
Little girl sleeps peacfully.
Sleepy Daddy with Isabel on Father's Day.

Isabel!

Long time no post, but for good reason: Ame & I have a baby daughter, Isabel!

I'll have details and pictures in the near future.

Mitch's Dog & Pony Show

The Governor's tax tour continued last night, with a stop in Hamilton County. I was fortunate enough to have been picked by Daniels to stand up and make comment.

I hammered a theme I have made my own since the idea of a Colts stadium first came to my attention about three years ago: Private enterprise, private funding. A convention cetner should also be private, by the way. Appropriate government is the management of roads and sewers, courts, police and other safety forces. Management of a convention center is not what any sincere person identifies as a core responsibility of government.

I asked the governor why he hadn't used the prestige of his office to attract high-level investors to back the project, and then offer a sale of bonds and stocks for smaller investors. In this way, only people who believe in the project need partcipate. Those who don't want to, don't have to just because they decided to have a burger or a steak.

The Governor's response floored me. From WTHR-TV 13:

Mike Cole (sic) suggested to Daniels that finding private investors would be a much better idea than adding another tax. The governor responded, "Your idea occurred to me as well. It didn't pan out."

He elaborated further that no investors would touch the project, because they didn't see it as a good profit opportunity. Well, if they won't go for it, why should the taxpayers? Time to chacge the subject. (Be sure to check out the video link "Town Hall Meetings" for my interlude with the Governor.) Today's Noblesville Daily Times also quotes me in their coverage.

It was fascinating to watch the local elected Republicans. They so clearly want to do the Governor's bidding, despite any notions that the GOP are home to fiscal conservatives. If I was an elected Republican (perish the thought), I would be grinding my teeth at the sight of him. Politically, Daniels has put the various County Councilors in one hell of a spot. He's asking them to vote for a tax, contrary to a lifetime of anti-tax rhetoric. But what the heck? These folks can sell their souls for the opportunity to be Mitch's lap dogs.

What is really the case is sheer arrogance. The room was about 60-40 against the tax. Councilors are saying that they are getting phone messages and emails in the same ratio against the tax. So, what will they do? Vote for the tax.

The arrogance goes like this: Whatcha gonna do? Vote Democrat? You'd sooner slide down a sliding board of razor blades into a pool of rubbing alcohol than vote Democrat. Whatcha gonna do? Vote Libertarian? You know they have no chance in hell.

This arrogance is precisely why fiscal conservatives MUST join the Libertarian Party. Otherwise, the GOP will have learned that they definitely can take fiscal conservatives for granted, forevermore.

For a re-statement of these views, see my letter in today's Noblesville Daily Times.

I commend the Hamilton County Council for voting against the wheel tax. That tax, combined with all projected revenues to be gained in the proposed countywide 1 percent food and beverage tax, would still fail to close the budget deficit. What is the point in raising taxes that fail to address the most pressing needs?

It will be interesting to continue to watch the council. The members seem to desperately want to pass the 1 percent food and beverage tax at the request of Governor Daniels. The question Hamilton County residents and restaurant owners need to ask is, will the councilors act on behalf of Hamilton County and defeat the tax, or, will they act as lapdogs for the governor and pass the tax?

Our county elected officials need to remember that they serve the people who elected them, and not another elected official who happens to be of the same party.

Mike Kole, Fishers

Mitch Daniel's Whirlwind Tour

The Governor is on his tour of the doughnut counties, letting people vent some spleen while trying to get the various County Councilors on his lap, er, on board on voting for a 1% food & beverage tax that would support the Marion County project for the Colts and for a convention center.

The tour has already visited Shelby and Hancock Counties. Like all the other doughnut Counties, these are Republican-dominated. Those attending want to support the Governor, but just don't like the idea of taxes. From the Indy Star:

About 70 residents in this Republican stronghold, where Daniels won by about a 2-1 margin in 2004, gave the governor a polite but unenthusiastic reception. Most applauded briefly as the governor was peppered with questions about increasing taxes.

These projects didn't have to be taxpayer funded. They could have, and should have, been private investments. The Governor could have used the presitge of his office to attract major investors, who could have then issued bonds and stocks to other smaller investors who believe in the project and want to support it. That way, those who want no part of it could have been left alone. Alas- officials, Republican or Democrat just don't think this way. They only think of taxes. This is why the Governor, Mayor Bart Peterson, State Senator Luke Kenley, State Rep Mike Murphy, and others all came up with solutions that only relied on taxes.

Another issue has arisen, and has to do with similarity of thinking. The Governor is now claiming that the importance of regional thinking.

Those counties have a stake in the regional economy, Daniels said, noting that about 14,000 Hancock County residents work in Marion County.

Enacting the tax in all seven adjacent suburban counties would keep any one of those counties from having an advantage, Daniels said.

The growth of the doughnut counties is due to many things, but a huge factor is that many people are leaving behind the policies of Indianapolis for the relative freedom the suburbs offer. I know- I am one such transplant. My neighborhood in Fishers, in Hamilton County, is full of other such people.

Regionalism is a dangerous way to govern. It ensures that the dominant populations and cultures- in this case, Indianapolis and Marion County- dominate the smaller ones. What happened with Uni-Gov? The dominant culture of Center Township spread out into the surrounding townships, and people began to flee to the doughnut counties.

If you want to make the suburbs subservient to Indianapolis, take a regional approach. The immediate result will be that the suburbs will pay for the big city. The long-term effect will be that people of means will not only leave the big city. They'll leave the doughnut counties.

Ever wonder what causes sprawl?

The tour continues. Be sure to attend, tell the Governor that you are a Libertarian, and that you oppose paying for someone else's stadium. Above all, you appose the Marxist regionalism of 'from each according to his ability, to each according to his need'.

Boone County - today, noon at the Fairgrounds 4H Community Bldg in Lebanon
Hamilton County - today, 5:30 at the newer Judicial Center in Noblesville
Hendricks County - Wednesday, noon at the Mayberry Cafe in Danville
Morgan County - Thursday, 12:30 at Forky's restaurant in Martinsville
Johnson County - Thursday, 5:30 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds in Franklin

The Only Advocate

There is only one consistent advocate on behalf of all citizens to keep more of their own money in their own pockets- the Libertarian Party. Republicans and Democrats are inconsistent on this at best, and more often, are leading the charge to do what they can to take money away from you by raising taxes.

This was enormously evident yesterday in Hamilton County, where only the Libertarian Party bothered to send representatives to both the joint retreat of the County Council and County Commissioners and to the County Council meeting later in the evening.

The value in these appearances is that the elected officials, all Republicans, knew that they were on the spot. They knew that there was someone taking notes, observing their direction either towards or away from new taxes. When I spoke on record in opposition to the proposed food & beverage tax, I raised the stakes. I reminded the County Council that four of them would be up for re-election in 2006, and that the Libertarian Party would eagerly look forward to running candidates against those who were on record voting for any new tax.

Later in the meeting, the vote was taken on the proposed additional wheel tax. This is a tax that I spoke on the record before the Council in opposition, back in early May. Knowing they were on the spot, the Council defeated the wheel tax, 5-1. Notably, all four Councilors up for re-election in 2006 voted against the tax.

It gets interesting from here. The County Council so want to be Governor Daniels' lap dogs. They want to do anything they can for him. When they spoke about the proposed food & beverage tax, they spoke about it in the past tense, as though it had already passed. However, it hasn't passed, and they know that they will again be put on the spot by the Libertarian Party. The Councilors will be made uncomfortable. We will see how uncomfortable. Uncomfortable enough to remember that they serve the citizens of Hamilton County and not the Governor?

The Governor is coming to Hamilton County on Tuesday, June 7 for a 5:30pm Town Hall meeting. It's a nice, inconvenient time, certain to attract the smallest attendance possible during the dinner hour. That's ok. The Libertarian Party will be there, again as the only reliable, consistent advocate for the taxpayers.

Outstanding Media Day

I love it when a plan comes together. I began the day as a guest on WXNT 1430-am, talking Hamilton County politics and Carmel bond issues on the Abdul In The Morning show. From there, I discovered that the Star got around to running my letter on the smoking ban, and then the Noblesville Daily Times ran my column on the Hamilton County budget.

Daily Times Column:

As the Hamilton County Councilors and Commissioners head to their joint retreat Wednesday afternoon, they might consider some ideas for solving the County's budgetary woes.

Any deficit can be resolved either by spending less, or by generating more income. The philosophy of the Councilors and Commissioners will be their guiding light. If they are fiscal conservatives, they will choose to spend less. If they are fiscal liberals, they will choose to generate more income, which is to say, raise taxes.

After the Council made a very commendable round of budget cuts, the County's deficit was reduced but not eliminated. The attempts to cut appear to be complete, which means that the next efforts to balance the budget involve increasing taxes.

At the County Council's last meeting, I took the opportunity to address the Councilors on the issue of a proposed wheel tax, and in response to my comments,
two challenges were issued to me:

What would you have us do? Cut the Sheriff's Office or other safety forces?Look at the budget. You won't be able to find any additional cuts to make without layoffs.

I would not advocate any cuts to the safety forces. Safety forces are always a government's top priority. Everything else should be subjected to deep cuts before even considering minor cuts to safety forces.

Additional cuts are possible without a single layoff, and without a single reduction in salary. Having obtained a copy of the 2005 budget, I examined it carefully, with a strict prioritization of needs:

No cuts to safety forces or courts.
No salary cuts or position eliminations.
Question those things that do not appear to be a core function of government.

Can the Council consider cutting all overtime? If all overtime were cut, almost $241,000 would be saved.

Can the Council consider cutting all seminars and training that are not related to safety or courts? If all other seminars and training were cut, more than $175,000 would be saved.

Can the Council consider cutting the 4-H Fair expenses? If this item were cut, $93,120 would be saved. Eliminating the 4-H from the sphere of county
government would save an additional $281,000. Why is 4-H a function of county
government?

Can the Council consider cutting the budget item "Other Travel" from the Auditor's office? If this item were cut, $10,000 would be saved.

Can the Council consider cutting landscaping and lawn maintenance? If so, the county would save $54,000.

Areas such as these seem like opportunities for innovation. For instance, couldn't the county conduct a bidding for landscape contractors to provide these services at their cost in exchange for advertising? The payoff could be signs that read, "Lawn care services provided by ABC Landscape Company."

These are items where, if full cuts were enacted, would yield a significant savings — more than three-quarters of a million dollars. And yet, it still does not bring about a balanced budget.

The purpose of the joint retreat is to discuss capital projects. These projects tend not to represent absolute needs, such as safety forces are. These projects can certainly have the effect of enhancing life in our county, but without them, it is unlikely that life here will suffer.

The most startling line item in the budget is found in the county general fund: "Land Acquisition." This item features a $16 million allocation. This amount represents more than a quarter of the county's total budget.

The County Council could ignore all of the cuts suggested above simply by cutting this single line item in half. Doing so would actually create a budget surplus. No wheel tax necessary. No 1 percent food and beverage tax required.

An allocation as large as this should be subject to sharp scrutiny. It should be fully justified as a need in today's budgetary climate. This can be shown easily enough in the case of acquiring additional land to support new bridges that are being built to replace old ones that were crumbling and of insufficient width besides. $16 million buys a lot of right-of-way. What is this money allocated for?

If this is a time of budgetary crisis, and the rhetoric heard from these Republican county officials suggests that it is, then pet projects should be the first put on the chopping block — not items of essential need, such as safety forces or courts. It seems that the priority list has been upside down to date.

It would be a wonderful thing to see this budget balanced without an increased tax burden. Imagine balancing the budget on cuts and then getting word that the COIT issues have been resolved. With the money coming back to the county from the state, the Council could begin discussing raises for county employees instead of layoffs, look at lowering the tax rate, or begin those pet projects.

I believe that the majority of Hamilton County residents are fiscal conservatives who would prefer to see more cuts before more taxes. I urge the County Councilors and Commissioners to re-examine their spending priorities and to balance this budget as fiscal conservatives.

Mike Kole, Fishers

Mike Kole was chair of the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County in 2004-2005, and was secretary of the Libertarian Party of Indiana from 2003-2005.

Star letter:

Education better than forced compliance

The most regrettable thing about the smoking-ban ordinance was that it created an either/or choice between public health concerns and the right of business owners to set their own policies within their establishments.

The Star's May 25 editorial praising passage of the ordinance was equally lamentable. It justified stomping the rights of business owners on the basis that those rights have been curtailed before by having to post exit signs and conform to other regulations. Following The Star's logic, it would be acceptable to trample First Amendment rights, or any other civil rights, so long as they have been trampled before and a health issue could be conjured to justify it.

It would have been significantly better for the health of liberty in Indianapolis had the council and The Star resolved to ramp up educational campaigns to persuade changes in behavior rather than to promote forced obedience.

Mike Kole
Fishers