Super Bowl Poll

Lookee to the right at the Super Bowl poll. Cast your vote!

Now, the reason I put it up there is that I suspect a good many regular readers are only here for the politics and couldn't give a rip about sports.

As for me, I usually don't care too much about the actual Super Bowl. I would normally watch for the commercials, but I never watch the halftime show. That's a good time to bring in some more wood for the fire and fold some laundry.

I rarely would watch the whole game. But this year is different with the Colts in the game. The region I live in is getting about as excited about it as it can, being fans of open wheel racing, NASCAR, college football, college and high school hoops before the NFL. So, I watch with interest, rooting for the Colts. I know that if they win, it's really nothing to do with me, but as long as we've made the policy decisions we have, and spent the money, we may as well get some return in enjoying any victories that may come on the field.

If Enron's CEO is in Prison...

I am endlessly fascinated by where people place their suspicions. When it comes to financial power, there are two places one can have great suspicion- with corporations, and with government.

I think a healthy dose of suspicion of each is healthy. Both have the ability to buy you out of your life as you know it. However, corporations cannot do so unless you consent... unless government helps bring force into the equation. Government is force. The most dangerous thing to be suspicious of is a government that is too cozy with corporations.

So, it was with interest that I read Rex Bell's latest blog entry. Rex recently ran for Indiana House in District 54 and had the best showing ever by a Libertarian Party candidate in Indiana in a three-way race for that level of office. From Rex's post:

From David Walker, U.S. Comptroller..."The largest employer in the world announced on Dec. 15 that it lost about $450 billion in fiscal 2006. Its auditor found that its financial statements were unreliable and that its controls were inadequate for the 10th straight year. On top of that, the entity's total liabilities and unfunded commitments rose to about $50 trillion, up from $20 trillion in just six years.

If this announcement related to a private company, the news would have been on the front page of major newspapers. Unfortunately, such was not the case -- even though the entity is the U.S. government."

And yet we continually look to the government to solve our problems. It's failed policies of artificial market supports, forced wealth distribution and strangling over-regulation will only continue to force businesses to close or relocate.

Too bad Rex wasn't elected. We need more common sense, no shell games kinds of people like him in our legislatures, in Indiana and in the Congress.

So, those who would rail on about the evils of thieving corporations, I challenge you: Be consistent. If you believe fraudulent accounting should be prosecuted, go the whole route. Also assail the governments that practice Enron-accounting with the tenacity with which you assail large corporations. Remember that there is a greater good to protect here. While Enron may have swindled its shareholders, governments swindle taxpayers who have their money withheld from them prior to receiving their paychecks.

Paint The Town BLUE!

I finally made it downtown with some walking around time and snapped off a bunch of photos of city scenes with plenty of Colts spirit. Here are my favorites of the bunch.

Clear winner. The banner at the top of the building reads, "Actually... Bears fumble in the woods. Go Colts!" On Monument Circle's interior, there stand several ornate light poles. See the detail of the restrained bear. I really like that. Tell the Star to hire me for a photo job.

Walkway from Convention Center. The RCA Dome is visible beneath. This is
probably the most colorful and interesting daytime scene I have encountered.

The Indiana Sports Corporation Building. Days before a Super Bowl, a building across from the RCA Dome should have a decoration in every window. Come to think of it, most downtown buildings should, too.

The Statehouse had nothing. That's as it should be. The State shouldn't be spending a nickel on sports. OK, so the horse is out of the barn on this, but these thoughts still made me grin on this frigid Thursday afternoon.

Union Station and Pan Am Plaza. Several different Colts flags twisting in the breeze.

Mass Transit Debate at the Statehouse



I've had many, many posts showing how mass transit is just a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. I just cannot fathom the lack of reason on this. It's like the windmills in Europe- They don't really do what it is thought they do, but they make people feel good.

I loved hearing Marc Fisher of the Indy Chamber on Abdul's show this morning. he and I debated light rail a few months ago, and today Fisher returned to his talking point: We can't build our way out of congestion. His solution? Build light rail?

Pardon me, but isn't that building your way out of congestion?

And what about the average 80% losses on the average mass transit system? Should we just sweep those under the rug?

Let's hope this doesn't get out of committee.

Look for a master post linking all of my previous mass transit posts. Too much to re-hash and re-research.

Prediction Time

Colts 34, Bears 27.

Peyton Manning hasn't had a really good playoff game yet this year, but I think he's due. Winning three playoff games, plus New England again, really clears the hurdles for him. When he has confidence, Manning has no rival. The Colts have lost enough playoff games in the last few years to learn from. The defense will allow some points, and plenty of rushing yards, but consider it done.

The Bears remind me of last year's Seahawks- a surprisingly good team greatly aided by a soft division and conference, but hardly battle tested. In the big game, these teams tend to fall short. there have been teams that have won Super Bowls despite their quarterback- the Baltimore Ravens come to mind- but with the turnaround the Colts defense has made, I don't see the Bears running over the Colts a la Jacksonville. That's what would be needed. Grossman had exactly one good series against the Saints. He's going to need an excellent game if the Bears are to even be in it at halftime.

Let's see your picks!

Mac Vs PC

I've enjoyed those unique, instantly recognizeable Mac ads with the cool slacker Mac guy and the slightly overwieght, stodgy PC guy.

So, I really like this counterpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0gRgls2eYc

Blue Fever, Around Central Indiana

Here are some of my recent pictures of the more interesting or exuberant Colts related things I've seen around the region.

Nothing more interesting or exuberant than my little girl! Isabel sports her
Joseph Addai jersey.

My insurance agent, Chad Humes at Monte Smith's State Farm, Fishers.

Propane tank at the Co-Op, Noblesville.

A two-story Lombardi Trophy, "Coming Soon to Indy", at Dick's Sporting Goods, Carmel. It was tough to get a decent shot of this, as the sun and snow glare was impossible.

I'm still finding that the business community is having a lot of fun with this, but residences aren't being decorated much at all. I'm going to try to get into the South Side neighborhoods to see what the response is, along with downtown Indy.

The Indy Chicken

Are you enjoying the antics of the Indy Chicken? I sure am. I love seeing news reports with the big yellow chicken standing at City Council meetings.



Don't get me wrong, I rather prefer ponderous, thoughtful discourse, but since Indianapolis is not a place where that sort of thing carries the day, a big yellow chicken will have to do. It's hard to argue against the effect the guy's having.

At any rate, the Chicken has a web site. No word yet on podcasts. From the Chicken's site:

Reason for Protesting: Crime Rate and our Mayors inability to respond appropriately. Tired of dishonest politicians. Tired of unprofessional people in politics. Ignorance & arrogance have no place in City Leadership. If I wanted to live in Detroit, Mich. or Oakland, Ca., I would have moved there. Our City Government is heading Indy in those directions.

Rah rah, Chicken!

Update: I found a link to an RTV6 slideshow: http://www.theindychannel.com/slideshow/news/10778501/detail.html

Super Bowl? Anyone?

So far, I've been left rather flat by the response to the Colts and the Super Bowl. Sure, the rabid football fans are going crazy, but the region is not.

Remember, I'm from Cleveland. People there are nuts about the Browns. The signs and banners we see here in Central Indiana for the Super Bowl Colts right now are little less than what you see around Cleveland at mid-season when the Browns go 6-10.

In my neighborhood, the response is almost non-existent. There were two snowmen wearing Colts jerseys. One was Edgerrin James... who plays for Arizona now.

The 'best' of Sunblest. I like the creativity of dressing up the most melted snowman in Patriots colors. That's pretty cool.

Great sentiment, but The Edge is in Phoenix now.

Not a lot to report here. It's a Super Bowl!

I was told when I got here that in Indiana, basketball comes first. That's fine, but this is a championship after all! Then again, the Browns fans in Cleveland were most intense in the working class neighborhoods. Perhaps Fishers is just too effete, or too caught up in the rat race to notice. I'll visit other areas to see the outward support.

Enjoying The Run

Those who have come to rely on my opposition to the public financing of stadiums may be surprised to learn that I am enjoying the Colts run to the Super Bowl. It is possible to have a set of political beliefs and enjoy the game at the same time. I'm no interested in the disappearance of the NFL, just a major change in public policy. My main beefs are with the governments of my state, my county, and several other county and municipal governments who voted to give Jim Irsay the earth, stars, and moon.

So, I will have some posts this week about the Colts and the build-up to the Super Bowl.

Keep this in mind: I'm originally from Cleveland, so I'm enjoying this. In my lifetime, the best the Cleveland Browns could muster was three trips to the AFC championship in the mid- and late-1980s. (Against Denver, who won all three AFC crowns, and who promptly lost all three Super Bowls, badly.) Other than that, the Browns were generally terrible. The Indians were generally terrible, with the exception of those offensive powerhouses in the 90s that couldn't pitch their way out of single-A rookie league ball. Two trips to the World Series, two lost World Series. The Cavs have always been awful. They never have even made it to an Eastern Conference championship series. Well, they could have been something, but there was this guy named Michael Jordan in Chicago. The NHL Barons were so pitiful in the late 70s that they only lasted two seasons after moving from Oakland.

I was a big sports fan as a kid. My city never won it all. Cleveland was a city that desperately wanted something in those years. I'll never forget my experience in 1997, when the Indians were going to the World Series, when I had to hide in the basement because people were firing guns in the air in the streets. Now, obviously I don't condone that kind of third world stupidity, but it points to the kind of foolish exuberance some places display when they have a civic win.

I'm looking to enjoy the exuberance here in Central Indiana, in the hopes of an absence of foolishness. Look for plenty of pictures!

Alex is 15!

It's simply amazing for me to think that Alex is 15 now. It shouldn't be. He's my height already, which is hard to miss. It's cliche, but the time really does get away from you.

The Koles love to eat to celebrate, and Alex is right on board. We took him to a local restaurant of his choosing for his actual birthday meal, and then took a special trip last night for another.

Two fisted dessert Alex. He choose the Old Country Buffet in Westfield. Nothing a young man enjoys more than endless choices that he gets to make.

Alex sports the desired post-celebration meal pose. Isabel mainly wanted to run around.

At the Don Quijote Restaurante in Valparaiso. After living in Spain for three years, Alex gets a hankering for some of the flavors of Andalucia.

There are a handful of Indiana stores where one can buy Jamon Serrano (and, we actually went to Cincinnati to Jungle Jim's for some), but I'm not aware of any other restaurants that serve Paella and dishes from Spain's various regions. Don Quijote also has an import store where you can get Spanish wines, olive oil, Manchego cheese, cookies, tiles, and other recognizably Spanish items.

Make a wish!

Eminent Domain Watch, SR 32

At what cost will we widen a road? At the cost of chasing a good Westfield business to Florida. From the Noblesville Daily Times report:

When David O. Nelson opened the doors to Performance Feeders, the plant was located on Westfield Road in Noblesville – the same spot where Backyard Archery now stands. Thirty-three years later and a move down the road into Westfield, the plant is closing its doors for good in Hamilton County and moving its operation to another location in Oldsmar, Fla.

Westfield plant president Carl Nelson, son of founder David Nelson, said the whole thing is “horrible.” He said the reason the plant is closing is because the state of Indiana has taken the property by eminent domain to widen Indiana 32.Nelson explained that the plant’s septic system lies in the 10 to 15 feet of property the state wants for the expansion, and there is no other place on the firm’s property to install new sewers, in essence condemning the building.“So because of that is why they have to take the building — it’s only over, literally, like 15 feet, but you can’t operate,” he said.

A dose of common sense would have been a good thing here. For 15 feet, why not shift the road at Performance Feeders so that it could stay? Is that less important than a perfectly straight road? I guess so. Nelson is understandably upset:

“The governor works awfully hard to bring manufacturing here, and they just don’t work too hard to keep it once they get it,” he said. “When you listen to them with their big deals with all these tax breaks and stuff, but with the small manufacturing companies — mom and pop companies with under 50 employees, that’s not really where they’re interested.”

The man speaks the truth. If you have a flashy name, like "Indianapolis Colts" or "Lucas Oil", then you get fabulous considerations. If you are just the salt of the earth Hoosier, you can go pound sand with our government of Republicans and Democrats.

Libertarians oppose mindless use of eminent domain such as this. Libertarians were on the forefront of the opposition to the Kelo v. New London decision, the attempt to take the NK Hurst bean plant in Indianapolis, and countless other less notable cases. We will grudgingly concede the use of eminent domain in true public need cases, such as dams, roads, and bridges, but we insist on fair compensation for the property owner, and we insist on common sense.

Too bad there isn't any common sense here. I hope this is an isolated case, but I imagine this is the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Just wait til the US 31 eminent domain games begin. That will be quite a spectacle.

Justice, Swiftly Delivered

I was just thinking back to the old pre-Super Bowl days, when NFL championships were hosted by one of the teams. As a kid, I heard stories of how Cleveland was really abuzz in 1964 when the Browns hosted the Big Game, because the action was all right there- not in Miami, or Pasadena,or under a dome.

I was further thinking how good it really is that the Big Game isn't being hosted here in Indianapolis. Bart would have to play Hide The Homeless for two weeks and then pray to God the murders and carjacking subside.

So it came to pass that Indy suffered another carjacking last night. This would have been all over the national news, I'm sure, if the Big Game were being played here. Let's hope the news story makes the national news anyhow, because it has a happy ending. From the Star:

Indianapolis metropolitan police said a man who tried to steal a car at an Eastside service station was shot by the car's owner.

The would-be car thief was placed under arrest and sent to the hospital. The car's owner, Isaac Wilson, was questioned by detectives but not arrested. Police said they would submit the case to the Marion County prosecutor for a decision on charges.

Steven A. Dotson, 32, was arrested on a preliminary charge of attempted carjacking. Police said he was at a service station at 25th Street and Keystone Avenue when Wilson stopped for fuel in his Jaguar. When Dotson tried to take the Jaguar, Wilson pulled a gun and shot Dotson in the knee.

Now, that is justice! Better than that, it's a reminder to any would-be carjacker that while Indy may be Bart's Wild West, the law-abiding citizenry has not yet been fully emasculated and served up to criminals as defenseless milquetoast. Oh no! Isaac Wilson has shown that if you take criminal action, the risks are immediate, not set to some indetermine future time the cops should happen to show up.

Carjackings are crimes of great opportunity. The thief has the getaway vehicle, after all. By time the bewildered victim gets his bearings and calls 911, the robber is miles down the road. The police usually fail to find the perp. So, Wilson has done what law enforcement couldn't do- remind would-be carjackers that there is an immediate risk to life and limb. This is just one of the many reasons I support both the US Constitution and the Indiana Constitution and thier provisions for bearing arms. Criminals never mind bearing arms. It goes with the territory. When citizens are known to be armed, they are far less likely to be robbed. Every carjacker in Indianapolis must now think twice, and didn't have to until today.

Good show, Isaac Wilson!

The Kickback Arrives

You had to figure that since the Colts were able to pursuade the Legislature to pass a law allowing the doughnut counties to raise a tax to build their revenue-generating palace, plus the City-County Council, there had to be some kind of kickback. Well, today we learn what that kickback is. From Mary Beth Schneider's article:

Too bad you're not a politician.

The Indianapolis Colts on Thursday offered the 150 lawmakers in the state legislature and other Indiana politicians -- including Indiana's two U.S. senators, nine members of Congress and the 29 members of the City-County Council -- two tickets for the face value of $600 each.

Here we see what an ingrate piker that Jim Irsay is. 450 tickets at face value absolutely pales compared to the amount raised in taxes.

Interestingly, those making comment on the article are shouting indignation that the politicians cut the line in front of season ticket holders. It tells us a lot about the partial sense of justice Hoosiers have. Yeah, the season ticket holders should come first, but what about the taxpayers? The taxpayers are building the new stadium, so where's the cry for them? (I mean, besides from me and Fred McCarthy.)

Missing The Hammer

Hammer of Truth was one of my favorite Libertarian blogs. It's been down 'for updates' for several months now- since the election, in fact. Any KHF regular readers know what's going on there?

Consider It Done

Hilary Clinton may not need to be elected President to ensure socialized health care here in Indiana. Republican Governor Mitch Daniels may just beat her to the punch.

Daniels has twice used a State of the State address to promote a 25 cent/pack hike in the cigarette tax. This latest push was a little more specific than the first, with the suggestion that all the money raised should go towards smoking cessation programs, and more fascinatingly, towards paying for uninsured Hoosiers' health care.

I've long noted that persistence with political ideas wins the day. The idea scarcely could get a sponsor last year. This year it seems to be on every Indiana lawmaker's radar. I noted in the Hamilton County Libertarian blog that my own House Rep Kathy Richardson (R-Noblesville) circulated a questionaire that included this question:

Would you support a 40-cents per pack cigarette tax increase if the funds were only used to provide health insurance for Indiana's uninsured, as well as anti-smoking campaigns?

Now, polling info has been released showing that 62% of Hoosiers support a dollar/pack tax - not a quarter - so long as the money goes to socialized health care. From an Indy Star report:

Support for the tax increase crosses partisan lines, the poll showed, with 61 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans and independents favoring a $1 tax increase on cigarettes.

"It's clear that a majority of Hoosiers support increasing the tobacco tax, and we are going to work this session to make sure legislators vote (to do that.) We are committed to this. It is the right thing to do for our youth. It is the right thing to do for Indiana," said Patricia Richards Ells, a spokeswoman for the American Cancer Society.

So, consider it done. The fingers have been stuck into the air and the winds blow for this tax. More Republicans support it than Democrats. Should Libertarians perhaps just give up now? Is it too overwhelmingly clear that Hoosiers, heck Americans, reject the principles that founded this country? Individual responsibility? No thank you. Please, let's have the state look after every aspect of our lives. Please give me minimal comfort and remove the burden of any need to think or plan on my own.

The steady drumbeat of increasing socialism is really depressing to me. The feeling of political helplessness and hopelessness is very great. Thank goodness Ame & I make a decent living that outstrips our tax burden and a good pot of soup. I fled Ohio, giving myself an 8% raise in taxes saved. I fled Marion County and gave myself a huge savings on insurance and COIT taxes. Why must I always look to greener pastures elsewhere?

Scary, Scary, Scary

No, not the ability of the Colts to comeback when all looks hopeless. I'm talking about the number of bills filed by Indiana House Representatives and Senators in this year's full session: 1,420.

This is scary because I agree with Mark Twain's age-old wisdom that nobody's money or liberty are safe when the legislature is in session. Scary because hte legislators cannot possibly read ever word of every bill, as they should. Scary that in the recent past, there were even more bills filed in those sessions. It's scary that the Indy Star printed an article that contained actual news! Is the sky falling?

The only saving grace is that about 3/4 of the bills filed fail to become law. As usual, the overwhelming majority of the bills would make government more intrusive, more expensive, and make government bigger. Let's hope the bi-partisan kumbaya spirit offered by Daniels evaporates immediately and less than 10% become law.

Great Indy Star article. Actual news!

Now We're Cooking!

Another thing not being involved in a campaign has allowed me to do more: cook! I love to cook, and right now, I'm getting into making soups.

It took me being dirt poor to appreciate soups. Big thanks to Steve Wainstead on that count. When we roomed together, both being flat broke, we did some long-range planning. We bought a 50-lb. sack of rice, 10 pounds of pasta, and several cans of Hunts pasta sauce. We would go to the West Side Market in Cleveland late in the afternoon on Saturdays, because you could barter best with the produce merchants near closing. We'd ask for a dozen apples or two dozen green peppers for a dollar. They'd yell that we were taking money out of the mouths of their children. We'd counter that they could take the stuff back with them to rot. We usually got what we wanted.

But, what do you do when you have two pounds of parsnips? Or, five pounds of celery and ten pounds of carrots? It could as easily have rotted in our fridge. Make soup! That was Steve's solution. He made some interesting and delicious soups. Until then, I had never tried to make soup, even though I would cook quite a bit.

So, I carry on- not because I'm broke. I'm cheap, to be sure, but I like soup as healthy comfort food. It's hot and filling!

So, today I am making a sweet potato chowder. I've already made yellow split pea soup twice this winter, and once I cheated by making Hurst's 15-bean soup. I say cheated because that one isn't 100% from scratch. The second pea soup was served to guests who seemed to enjoy it very well.

It's a challenge for me to find soups that the whole family will like. I have to balance Ame and Alex. Ame's a vegetarian, and Alex is rather the carnivore. I'm an omnivore, so I'm easy. I'll probably make a few soups this winter that have two pots going- one vegetarian, and one meat. I have it mind to make a few soups that fit that bill. Tortilla soup is at the top of the list. I guess you can't call it "ox tail soup" without the ox tails, but I want to try to find some kind of substitute.

Ox tail soup was another poor person soup my Mom used to make. It was loaded with barley, and the meat and marrow was from the ox tails. Like ham hocks or chicken wings, ox tails were once throw-away items that you could get for cheap from the butcher or grocery store. They have become popular enough over time to fetch gourmet prices, which is a shame... me being cheap and all.

Glad I Fled Marion County, Part 9

Pity Fred McCarthy, myself, and about 273 people or so who are actually concerned about the finances of Marion County. We were left shaking our heads, or trying to collect to skull fragments after heads exploded, when we learned that the City of Indianapolis is going to shovel a mountain of money at a hotel project.

Indianapolis is the city that has a murder every three days, and a carjacking every 30 hours or so. The crime is so bad that Mayor Peterson is talking about raising taxes, because there isn't enough money to put enough police on the streets, enough courtrooms, or jail space.

And yet, there is $48.5 million lying around to gift to a developer. Astonishing. I am so glad I fled Marion County. From the Indy Star report:

The city of Indianapolis is willing to spend as much as $48.5 million of taxpayer money to help build a mega-hotel of up to 1,000 rooms to service the expanding Indiana Convention Center.

It used to be that Republicans were guilty of giving away public money to developers. At least in other cities that's true, and Democrats cry foul, correctly, on the basis of corporate welfare. Do Indy Democrats give Mayor Peterson a pass because he's a Democrat, or because he's a developer? More from the Star:

Democratic council member, Jackie Nytes, said the city should gain from the hotel deal because it will create jobs and a larger tax base. "Whatever incentives we give them will be paid for by the increased taxes we get," Nytes said.

It just doesn't seem to matter who's in charge. Whether Republicans or Democrats are in charge, the taxpayers are robbed to benefit the politically connected.

Indeed, I was talking with Abdul Hakim-Shabazz the other day about whether or not things will change in Indy. My assertion is that they will not. Marion County's murder rate could increase to a daily occurance, and there would be no appreciable shift in policy. Will the voters of Marion County vote Peterson out? No way. The Democrats wouldn't dream of putting a primary challenger up, because it is more important to the Democratic Party to have 'D' in the Mayor's office than to have safe streets and otherwise sane policy. The voters who are glad that they have a 'D' in the Mayor's office are a majority of Marion County voters, and they too would rather have a 'D' in the office that safe streets, and all sooner than see an 'R' or an 'L' there. Not that the 'R' would make that great a difference either.

So, once again I sing the praises of my good decision to flee Marion County, for the temporarily safer streets of Hamilton County. As we reinvent Marion County north of 96th, I'm sure I will flee here some day too. Until then, I hum contentedly in my suburban home.

Review of Bills

I've been woefully behind in reviewing the bills legislators in my county have penned or backed. Coming soon!

In the meantime, check out Doug Masson's blog for reviews of many Indian House and Senate bills. I don't always agree with Doug's take, but then a) that's what makes the world an interesting place; b) he's been diligently tackling the stinking heap; and c) I haven't found a single human being I agree on everything with. (If you're on that trek, give it up. Utterly pointless.)

State of the State Review

Big thanks to Abdul Hakim-Shabazz for including me in the tri-partisan panel on WXNT 1430-am this evening. I was joined in studio in reviewing Governor Mitch Daniels' "State of the State Address" by the Executive Directors of the other parties- Mike Edmonson from the Dems and Jennifer Hollowell from the GOP. So, here are my thoughts:

This was The Kumbaya Speech. Governor Daniels repeatedly made clear overtures to the Democrats, urging bi-partisanship and cooperation. He could have sounded these themes before the Republicans lost their majority in the Indiana House this past November, but it wasn't necessary then as it is now if he wants his agenda advanced. Interestingly, Democrats had been calling for bi-partisanship, but here Daniels called for it and they played it cool, remaining seated while Republicans gave an ovation on the cooperation tone.

But that's not the substance. For me, it was impossible to miss the idea that Mitch Daniels, alleged arch-conservative, clearly believes in government as the best solution to so many of our problems.

While Dems snipe about 'selling' assets like the Toll Road, Daniels has really privatized very little and eliminated nothing. It's nice that state government is off the hook for a handful of employees on the Toll Road, and potentially at the Hoosier Lottery. It's a good start, but a very short list, and nowhere was he talking of eliminating departments or even cutting budgets.

Daniels could be at the fore of getting government out of the business of education, but instead works to expand the role of the state in calling for full day kindergarten. He could be at the fore of moving Hoosiers towards self-responsibility in the area of health care, but instead reinforces budding socialized medicine by working to impose another tax on cigarettes and earmarking the proceeds for providing care to those who choose to be uninsured. The speech was a complete abdication of the principle of self-responsibility, and typical of today's Republican.

Indeed, the worst thing is the predictable, badly misplaced invocation of Ronald Reagan. While the late President was more a smaller government man rhetorically than in reality, at least he had rhetoric. Daniels actually said that he is eager to"reinvest our bonanza". Both in word and deed, the man is about growing the size, scope, and expense of government. He may balance the budget, thereby claiming the phrase "fiscally responsible", but clearly Mitch Daniels is no "fiscal conservative".

"Investment," curiously enough, is the word Democrats currently use when they want to talk about spending, and Daniels is using their word. It apparently never crossed his mind to cut the budget and taxes, to return the money to the taxpayers.

It's time to retire Mitch's nickname, "The Blade", or at least modify it for some truth in advertising. Make we can call him "The Penkife", or "The Clippers". Many of us had hoped in 2004 that we would see "The Chainsaw" slashing through the budget behind a deep commitment to smaller government. Alas.

So, I expect the new era of cooperation and bi-partisanship to move full steam ahead. Democrats have long been in favor of more government. They have just the man to help them to that end.

Ron Paul Running Again

The former Libertarian candidate for President, and 9-term Republican Congressman from Texas is running for President again, this time as a Republican. From an AP Report:

Ron Paul, the iconoclastic nine-term congressman from southeast Texas, took the first step Thursday toward launching a second presidential bid in 2008, this time as a Republican.

Paul filed incorporation papers in Texas on Thursday to create a presidential exploratory committee that allows him and his supporters to collect money on behalf of his bid. This will be Paul's second try for the White House; he was the Libertarian nominee for president in 1988.

I endlessly get the question, "Wouldn't libertarians be better off trying to change the Republican Party from within?" I am shown how a man like Paul barely got 1% in 1988 running for President with an (L) next to his name, but is elected and re-elected repeatedly with an (R) next to his name. Same man, same principles, same votes.

Well, do consider this other part of the AP article:

Paul, of Lake Jackson, acknowledges that the national GOP has never fully embraced him despite his nine terms in office under its banner. He gets little money from the GOP's large traditional donors, but benefits from individual conservative and Libertarian donors outside Texas.

In fact, the GOP undertook a re-districting for the purpose of gerrymandering, not to eliminate a Democrat, but to eliminate Ron Paul! Funny enough, Paul won the next election anyway. From Paul's Wikipedia entry:

After his presidential bid, Paul returned to Congress in 1996. He was again elected as a Republican, but against the wishes of the party leadership, which had backed Paul's primary opponent, the incumbent Democratic representative who had switched party affiliation.

Given the tax-and-spend nature of Republicans, and the "Never Mind The Principles, Just Win" attitude of Republican supporters, I can't see Paul getting very far.

But, because I get the question so endlessly, let's make Paul's campaign the litmus test for the future. I ask those small-l libertarians who vote R to get behind Ron Paul for President. If he wins the Republican nomination, you will have made your point, that the GOP can be reformed from within. After all, this is a 9-term Libertarian/Republican fusion candidate. He's electable, obviously.

As for myself, I have overwhelming doubts that the culture of the Republican Party is any different than before the Congressional beating it just took in November. I look no further than my state government, and a Governor with a nickname like "The Blade" still putting forth budgets that are larger than before, with no actual cuts, with Republicans rah-rahing the thing as great progress. I still believe the best way to pressure Republicans into change is from the outside, putting the votes of fiscal conservatives at stake. The GOP has buried too many libertarians, from Andy Horning here in Indiana, to Ron Paul in Texas.

But, I'll be watching with interest!

State of the State Reviewer

I will represent the Libertarian response to Governor Mitch Daniels' State of the State Address, Tuesday evening on WXNT 1430-am, heard on-air throught Central Indiana, or online at www.wxnt.com.

As I understand it, WXNT's Abdul Hakim Shabazz will host a special evening edition of his show with representatives of the three parties issuing a preview of what we expect to hear, and then a re-cap with our takes on the speech.

These are fun events, as the Republican can be expected to rah-rah or at least spin everything Mitch says, the Democrat will assail or spin everything, and I'm free to simply analyze- does it make government smaller, less expensive, or less intrusive- on those merits.

Look for more broadcast details shortly.

Hat Tip to Congressional Democrats

This comes begrudgingly, because I happen to like foundering members of Congress... which defined the Republican majorities. Those clowns wrote damaging law, but without any particular sense of purpose or urgency.

This is unlike the Democrats. They do have a sense of purpose and urgency. I respect that. I like it a lot better when it happens in the private sector, because my liberty (personal and economic) isn't threatened one iota there. But give the Dems credit- they knew what they wanted to accomplish, and they are accomplishing it.

US House Passes Minimum Wage

No surprise, really. This was high on the Democrats' agenda, and they have the majority. Ever House Democrat voted for a hike in the minimum wage.

Because no Libertarian would have voted in favor of a minimum wage to begin with, let alone a hike, and because too many believe that Libertarians are just a different shade of Republican, I thought it would be useful to trot out the stats. From the AP report:

All 233 Democrats voted for the minimum wage measure, along with 82 Republicans. All 116 votes in opposition came from Republicans.

Get that? 82 US House Republicans voted with the Democrats in support of the minimum wage hike.

Message Recieved and Understood- At Last

At long last, due to severe embarrassment, Bart Peterson now gets it. It's the crime, stupid!

From Matt Tully's Indy Star column:

Mayor Bart Peterson went on TV last night to grab the attention of state lawmakers. He wanted to let them know the state's stumbling capital city has a serious problem with public safety.

Consider the message received. Received like a hard slap to the face. But not because of the mayor's much-touted "prime-time" speech -- the one that got "Inside Edition" bumped from Channel 8's Tuesday night lineup.

Nope. Lawmakers got the message the old-fashioned way -- with a simple street mugging. It happened when freshman state Sen. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, walked outside a Butler-Tarkington CVS and bumped into a pair of thugs. There was a gun and a punch to the eye and, in the end, a missing purse, a few stitches and another ugly headline for the city.

Too bad the great number of homicides wasn't the catalyst to revelation. It took the mugging of a State Senator to bring reality home like a sledgehammer. This has been in plain view for some time. The little people in body bags didn't register, but a State Senator with a shiner and stiches? Whoa, Nelly! We've got a problem!

Once again, I'm glad I left Marion County. It took me two years to figure out that it was not the place I wanted to raise a family. I've lived in areas on the bubble before, and our first Central Indiana residence was another such place. 58th & Keystone- just south of Glendale Mall, and east of Broad Ripple. Would the area rise or fall? It really looked like it could go either way. When you have the ability to choose and are preparing to spend good money on a home, you want certainty. That's why I chose to get out of Marion County and the Warfleigh neighborhood. It held no promise that it would rise, that the energy of Broad Ripple would extend further east, that Glendale Mall would survive and attract top notch retailers, that the negative influence of 38th Street wouldn't continue to drift northerly. We fled. I feel justified in that flight every time I read headlines with endless homicides and punched-out lawmakers.

That's the message Peterson needs to get.

So, Peterson was speechifying on Tuesday, explaining, rationalizing, and preparing the people for a tax hike. From Tully:

Even though the message was received, Peterson spent most of Tuesday explaining the city's plight. The mayor who would be governor boiled it down this way: We're broke, we're crime-ridden and we need a whole lot more cash.

Peterson has been Mayor for how many years now? If the city is broke, the Peterson Adminstration has failed. If the city is crime ridden, the Peterson Administration has failed. If the city needs a whole lot more cash, the Peterson Administration has failed.

Anyway, the mayor went on to announce an $85 million-a-year spending package. It would tackle the city's unfunded police and fire pension debt, a rash of recent anti-crime measures, and future policing and crime-prevention programs.

"The bottom line," Peterson said, "is there are going to be hard decisions. There is not going to be a painless way."

No- This should be an easy decision. It should have been an easy decision all along, but it was too tempting for Peterson to look at sexier things, like trying to get a stadium project under the city's aegis. No, public safety always comes first! Libertarians get this. A Democrat like Peterson only gets it when campaigning or embarrassed. If there's to be any 'pain', it's that tertiary priority items hit the cutting room floor. Big deal. Snip! See? That was easy!

Peterson could have made crime a priority. I understand he ran on it, way back when. It's easy to overlook priorities when they seem not to be problems, but if you don't, they suddenly become huge.

Or, in the case of the murder rate, not so suddenly. Anyhow, this is why JFK said that the time to fix the roof is before the rain. Well, Mayor Peterson, you have a full-blown storm. Better jack your butt up the ladder and fix the stuff before everything inside is flushed away.

Such as more people like me- people who take seriously the task of raising their families in safety.

Time To Examine Priorities In Indy Yet?

It's a shame it comes to this, but if a State Senator get mugged in a city, my bet is that city finally starts taking a good, hard look at its' crime problem.

Welcome to Indianapolis, Senator. From the Indy Star:

Sen. Sue Errington, D-Muncie, was thrown to the ground and lost her purse during the attack outside a CVS, 119 W. 56th St., about 9:30 p.m. Monday, according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department police report.

One of the two robbers showed her a pistol and grabbed the purse, while Errington hung on.

The other bandit struck her in the eye.

When State Senators are being mugged in places perceived as not the hard parts of town, there's a widespread problem. Butler-Tarkington is really a fair place to be, as Indy goes. And yet, people commit these kinds of crimes there.

Is this the wake-up call Indianapolis has needed? It seems the shocking murder total for 2006 wasn't enough to make police and safety top priority, over the new hotel largesse, or socialized football stadium, or a library debacle. Does it take the mugging of a State Senator to provide the impetus to think, "my gosh, our city might not be seen in the most positive light".

Let's hope the light bulbs are appearing over 29 heads in the City-County Council, and one searchlight over the head of the Mayor. Nothing should be prioritized over public safety. Period.

Time To Hide Your Wallet

The Indiana Legislature is in session beginning tomorrow and in the words of Mark Twain, "No man's life nor liberty are safe when the Legislature is in session." I couldn't agree more.

I've posted a listing of the Indiana House & Senate members for Hamilton County, over in the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County blog. Link. Later, I'll review all of the bills these scoundrels, er, elected officials have proposed for this year's full session.

I urge my fellow Libertarian bloggers to list and review the proposed legislation that has been proposed by their elected officials. This is where the rubber meets the road.

2006 Winners & Losers

A short political re-cap as seen through these eyes. First, the winners...

1. Indiana Democrats, on the surface. They won a majority of US House seats this year, ousting three Republican incumbents. That is a big deal, so it was played up on the major media. But there is much more to Indiana politics than the US House. Indeed, we rarely see our US House Reps back home once they win. Dems also won a narrow majority in the Indiana House, which is also quite a reversal in a state that is vastly more conservative than liberal.

2. Fiscal conservatives. No, the Republican Party did not rediscover Barry Goldwater. The Democratic gains in the Congress and the Indiana House brings us gridlock, the partisan battle that will freeze spending far more effectively than a Republican majority any day. I love it!

3. Property Rights. The Kelo v. New London decision opened the door for massive discontent and a wave of new laws limiting the use of eminent domain in Indiana and many, many other states. Very refreshing!

4. District 6 Libertarians. The Bells and crew have made large gains. Today in Hagerstown, an elected Libertarian Judge (Susan Bell) will swear in two elected Libertarian Township officials- Conley Tillson and Steve Coffman. Rex Bell had the strongest showing ever in a 3-way Indiana House race in District 54. Other areas have elected Libertarians, but rather than it being a one-time occurrence, the Wayne and Henry County Libertarians continue to grow and elected more and more to office. Never mind New Hampshire, this is the Free State Project.

5. Jim Irsay. I gotta hand it to the guy. He got all $121 million in naming rights for a stadium he won't own. He gets the lion's share of the operating revenue for the stadium he won't own. He paid almost nothing into the construction of that stadium. After all- he won't own it! The brilliance of Jim Irsay is that he wasn't agressive about promoting this fleecing. He allowed panicky, fearful politicians rush to give him the sun, moon, and stars. He stood quietly and accepted their gifts. All hail Jim Irsay!

Losers

1. The Republican Party. How do you set up the Republicans positioning as a close second? Give them overwhelming majorities across the land and then wait a short while. They had the greatest majorities seen in 100 years of Federal government, and yet failed to advance any meaningful agenda. If I told you ten years ago that the Federal government would advance a sweeping Medicare prescription drug plan, you might have guessed that Teddy Kennedy was President with a Democratic Congress.

2. Indiana Dems. Yes they won that US House majority. Yes, they won the majority in the Indiana House. However, if you can't run a candidate for US Senate, if you lose all three statewide offices, and the overwhelming majority of the state's township offices are won by Republicans, and you barely have a third of the state Senate, you really are the equivalent of a third party. Dems have the gerrymandering of districts to thank for their Indiana House majority, and the ineptitude of Republicans to thank almost entirely for their other gains. Republicans dominate more than 70 of the 92 counties, as was evidenced by the Township returns. Dems were mostly smart enough to ride the wave in. It's hardly a foundation for a lasting shift. The swing voters will certainly swing again.

3. Property Rights. The other wave of laws sweeping Indiana and the country are the smoking bans. Although not intended as such, they are limits on property rights whereby the interests of the patrons trump those of the business property owner. With the War on Food as the next nanny state frontier, the hospitality industry is essentially being dictated to, with owners and patrons losing choices. This is an enormously disturbing trend.

4. Fiscal Conservatives. Even with precious gridlock, the premise of spending as much as possible will be unquestioned by Republicans and Democrats. Only partisan war will prevent spending from being as outrageous as it was under GOP majorities. Sadly, despite all the efforts of libertarians, whether the Libertarian Party, the Reason Foundation, the Cato Institute, and the myriad others sounding the alarm against an all-consuming government, we still move in that direction.

5. Melina Kennedy. Her run for Marion County Prosecutor must certainly be the worst run Democratic campaign in Indiana this year. Republican ineptitude allowed Dems to make gains in many high profile seats, except this one. Curious, because Marion County is now a Democratic bellweather. If Kennedy's campaign was positive, she could have simply ridden the wave into office. I was pleased to see another negative campaign go down in flames.

Toss Up

1. Foreign Policy. Democrats have been questioning US foreign policy in Iraq. Is this the beginning of a deeper introspection on the US role as World's Cop, seeking an end to so much US intervention into world affairs, or is it merely a shallow political attack on George W Bush?

2. Democratic Congressional Agenda. After campaigning on themes of bi-partisan spirit, can the Dems resist the thrill of power and avoid repeating history with their own attempt at impeaching a lame duck president? Will it be too much fun for Dems to say, "but we're right"? Also, can they really live up to the laughable perception that Democrats are fiscally responsible? Sure, the GOP is a bad yardstick to measure up to. Still.

3. Bold Daniels. I don't think Daniels will stop looking for cute, inventive ways to score quick revenue. Will the Democrats' slim majority in the Indiana House be enough to slow him down?

4. Libertarian Mayor? Will this be the year? Indiana Libertarians continued to make incremental gains wherever they ran local candidates. With past wins at the township and even city council level, mayor is the next rung up the ladder. It's a possibility in smaller locales where advertising money is less a factor, and personal reputations count for much more.

5. Where will it end? With the smoking bans in private businesses continuing to advance, and bans on trans-fats next, what will be the new frontier? Will smoking be banned in private homes? Will Americans have to keep and submit a log of foods consumed? Many scoff at this line of inquiry, but 20 years ago, we never would have believed the restrictions that passed in 2006. Is choice dead, or just dying? Will there be a backlash, or will Americans simply roll over and obey? My money is on the advance of the nanny state and the decline of personal choice and responsibility. I hope I'm wrong, but I have smart money.

Busy Week

Posts have been few and far between, but I'll be catching up shortly.

Now that Alex lives with me, he takes his breaks with his Mom and/or her family. We saw him off for a flight from Cincinnati on Thursday, so much of the week was spent being with him before he left.

Alex had me playing Time Splitters for many hours. I enjoy shoot-em-up video games, but rarely get to indulge in them. With it being the single-least productive week of the year (was anybody but me working?) we had plenty of time to play. Since both of us are very competitive, we play against each other. Naturally, he's way better at the games, so I was on a huge learning curve. No doubt he enjoyed beating on his Old Man.

Election Notes #5, Precinct Results

This is just a very thin scan of the precinct results that make me feel good, in response to a comment on my Election Notes #4. I'll only post a few in detail because it takes up a lot of space. Besides, this sort of analysis is what the County Chairs are supposed to do. Anyhow, LPIN State Chair Mark Rutherford has a blog entry with links to the LaPorte, Wayne, and Henry County results.

My best numbers were in areas where we have strong local Libertarian candidates and/or strong local Libertarian Party affiliates. So, I did especially well in Wayne County, where Rex Bell ran an outstanding campaign for Indiana House, and where Susan Bell is the elected Hagerstown Judge, and where Conley Tillson was just elected to Township office. Check out this precinct result, in Wayne County, Hagerson, Jefferson 1:

SECRETARY OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TODD ROKITA (REP). . . . . . . . . 152 42.94
JOE PEARSON (DEM). . . . . . . . . 122 34.46
MIKE KOLE (LIB) . . . . . . . . . 80 22.60
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Total . . . . . . . . . . 354

AUDITOR OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TIM BERRY (REP) . . . . . . . . . 168 49.85
JUDY ANDERSON (DEM) . . . . . . . . 169 50.15
Total . . . . . . . . . . 337

TREASURER OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
RICHARD E. MOURDOCK (REP) . . . . . . 176 52.85
MICHAEL W. GRIFFIN (DEM) . . . . . . 157 47.15
Total . . . . . . . . . . 333

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 54 VOTE FOR ONLY 1
THOMAS E. (TOM) SAUNDERS (REP) . . . . 111 31.09
DAVID G. SADLER (DEM) . . . . . . . 82 22.97
REX BELL (LIB). . . . . . . . . . 164 45.94
Total . . . . . . . . . . 357

Thanks for the Coattails there, Rex! Interestingly, when compared to the other statewide offices, it appears I took more votes away from the Democrat than the Republican, even though I clearly drew down both of them. That certainly flies in the face of conventional wisdom. Rex took a lot away from both of his opponents, to be sure.

Here's another from Wayne County, Hagerstown, Jefferson 2:

SECRETARY OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TODD ROKITA (REP). . . . . . . . . 165 47.28
JOE PEARSON (DEM). . . . . . . . . 105 30.09
MIKE KOLE (LIB) . . . . . . . . . 79 22.64
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Total . . . . . . . . . . 349

AUDITOR OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TIM BERRY (REP) . . . . . . . . . 201 57.76
JUDY ANDERSON (DEM) . . . . . . . . 147 42.24
Total . . . . . . . . . . 348

TREASURER OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
RICHARD E. MOURDOCK (REP) . . . . . . 194 55.91
MICHAEL W. GRIFFIN (DEM) . . . . . . 153 44.09
Total . . . . . . . . . . 347

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 54 VOTE FOR ONLY 1
THOMAS E. (TOM) SAUNDERS (REP) . . . . 122 34.27
DAVID G. SADLER (DEM) . . . . . . . 79 22.19
REX BELL (LIB). . . . . . . . . . 155 43.54
Total . . . . . . . . . . 356

Same situation. Well, I made more than 10 campaign appearances in Wayne County, with I think six of them in Hagerstown. This is the hometown of Rex & Susan Bell. Put it all together, and you get these numbers. Here's one from Wayne County, Perry, Economy:

SECRETARY OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TODD ROKITA (REP). . . . . . . . . 86 44.79
JOE PEARSON (DEM). . . . . . . . . 76 39.58
MIKE KOLE (LIB) . . . . . . . . . 30 15.63
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . . 0
Total . . . . . . . . . . 192

AUDITOR OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
TIM BERRY (REP) . . . . . . . . . 102 53.13
JUDY ANDERSON (DEM) . . . . . . . . 90 46.88
Total . . . . . . . . . . 192

TREASURER OF STATE VOTE FOR ONLY 1
RICHARD E. MOURDOCK (REP) . . . . . . 107 56.91
MICHAEL W. GRIFFIN (DEM) . . . . . . 81 43.09
Total . . . . . . . . . . 188

STATE REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 54 VOTE FOR ONLY 1
THOMAS E. (TOM) SAUNDERS (REP) . . . . 65 32.66
DAVID G. SADLER (DEM) . . . . . . . 42 21.11
REX BELL (LIB). . . . . . . . . . 92 46.23
Total . . . . . . . . . . 199

In this area Rex still whupped 'em, but my numbers dipped a bit, and I was drawing more from Repulicans. Still, these are great numbers!

No Spin, Indeed

I was listening to Bill O'Reily today, because I wanted to self-flagellate for some private guilt. It was horrible! He was talking about this wrestling match or boxing match between Donald Trump and Rosie O'Donnell. My sins were absolved, and I got to hear O'Reilly get to the essence of what he believes.

He said, and I'm working from memory here, 'the day we are for the individual instead of the common good, we are done'.

So, for those of you who thought O'Reilly anything other than the collectivist populist that he is, there it is. He was very plain. Individualism is bad. Collectivism is good. The power of the state is good so long as it serves you!

The Star Has It Wrong

The Indy Star published an opinion on annexation this morning. It's the usual Star brand of milquetoast, taking no solid position, aiming for some amorphous, gray, middle of the road.Along the way, they said some stupid things:

But lawmakers should use caution in hobbling annexation efforts. Had Indianapolis been foreclosed from annexation, it could be a Byzantine collection of tiny communities. Resistance to annexation led to the passage of Uni-Gov, effectively a wholesale annexation that many credit with helping Indianapolis become the Cinderella of the Rust Belt.

Wow, that's chock full of stupid.

For instance, what's wrong with a Byzantine collection of tiny communities? Tiny communities tend to be tighter-knit, with more common ground from one side of town to the other, and better still, with a government small enough to be responsive.

When the whole region is one municipality, many decent areas suffer being dragged down by the worst areas in town. Consider: Why do people from Lawrence, Washington, and Pike townships flee for Hamilton County? To escape the higher Uni-Gov taxes, to escape higher sales tax rates, to escape the horrible IPS schools, to escape the higher auto insurance rates, to escape the higher home insurance rates, to escape the domination of Center Township politics... just for starters.

You might consider how Crows Nest, Beech Grove, and Speedway are pleasant oases within Marion County. Yes, it's those Byzantine tiny communities, with their sense of identity and pride- and of not being Indianapolis.

Cleveland is a good counterpoint to Indy. Yes, Cleveland is one dismal city, but people there tend more to flee the city, not all of Cuyahoga County. Sure, the lousy suburban communities suffer flight, but that's as it should be. For the most part, people still happily reside in most of Cuyahoga County's inner and outer ring suburbs, embracing their schools and their communities. If Strongsville or Bratenahl suddenly became incorporated into Cleveland, you would see for sale signs spring up and wholesale flight throughout the formerly independent towns, because the well-to-do would want to get their kids out and to protect their assets. Annex Beech Grove into Indy and you would see the same thing. On the other hand, offer the Broad Ripple area the opportunity to break away and become its own municipality and you would see an amazing flowering happen there, beyond the interesting things that are already there.

In fact, Marion County would be greatly served by dismantling Uni-Gov, and creating a Byzantine collection of tiny communities. You might start to see better schools, less government waste, and less flight as people have more reasons to choose to identify with their communities. I'm proof. I fled Indy after just two years. I removed my son forevermore from IPS schools after just one semester. There was absolutely no way I would permit my family to live within the city limits of Indianapolis so long as I had children.

Indianapolis, the Cinderella of the Rust Belt? Bwaahahaha! Just check out the murder rate for a reality check on that puffery. Then, the schools.

Then, let the people decide whether or not they want to be a part of a city. They chose to live where they are on the basis of what the place is. In Geist, Home Place, and Southwest Clay, it's township living. It should be almost impossibly hard for a city or town to annex. The burden of petitioning should be on the entity that wants to gobble its neighbor, not on the defenders.

Being annexed into Carmel or Fishers is obviously not as detrimental to one's bottom line or safety as is being annexed into Indianapolis. Still, the right to self-determination should be paramount. And no matter how good a government is, the smaller it is, the more responsive it is. Thus, the urge to annex should be curbed.

(This opinion was first posted to the Hamilton County Libertarian Blog. I post there along with three other Hamilton County Libertarians. Check it out!)

Technorati Tags:Libertarian, Forced Annexation, Indianapolis, Geist, Indiana

Election Notes, Part 4

Immediately after the election, I was pretty down on my results. I'm not used to losing, and while I accepted going in that the overwhelming odds were against me and that I needed to take stock in the secondary objectives, I found that easier to say than to do.

Mainly, my numbers were less than our candidate for the same office the last time around. Indiana Libertarians improved in every category but one- mine. So, I found myself questioning my strategies.

Logistics

I am convinced that in terms of this years results, making 200 campaign appearances made no difference. I could have done 1000, and my numbers would have been the same. I was actually advised not to run a real campaign, but to sit back and raise money exclusively. I rejected that advice, so I can't complain too stridently. In short term thinking, I was plainly wrong.

Long term, though, I believe the results will be better for future candidates because of the full-scale campaign. I was at so many events where my R & D counterparts failed to turn up that it was literally becoming front page news. We improved relationships with the media and the hosts of events, especially by turning up in Clark County, Knox County, LaPorte County, and others on the remote corners of the state.

Also, the bar has been raised up high. It will be tough for any future statewide candidate to run the way we used to, as paper candidates, and not have some scrutiny come their way. This is good, because if we are going to compete, running a real campaign is one key component. Raising a million remains the other significant one.

Message

I also came to question my focused message. Having heard the complaints from media and voters while observing other campaigns about irrelevant candidacies (running on drug war opposition while seeking the office of surveyor!), I was determined to be germaine. I was running for Secretary of State, so I endeavored to learn about the office and to formulate policy positions aimed at improving that office to the extent I could. This means, I couldn't eliminate the office, but I could make it less wasteful, less a tool for self-promotion, more adherent to the core functions prescribed by the Constitution and by law. I could further lobby to change the law.

This bored our base and the undecided voters alike, but especially our base. While very few had enough interest in improving my campaign, or even the courage of their convictions to question my message directly to me, there was plenty of sniping going on about the boring nature of the campaign. Well, Secretary of State is a boring office. I don't think you get anywhere by turning the campaign into a circus. Some Libertarian candidates get short-term media hits by flashing part of their anatomy, but many of those hits happen on News of the Weird. Oscar Wilde was wrong. Sometimes it is better to be ignored than covered, if you're being an idiot. No, the goal was to further the growing opinion that Libertarian candidates are serious candidates and not charlatans.

You have to know that I really questioned this after seeing the results. It would have been a lot more fun for me to talk about the issues that really rile me up. Many times I said to myself, "I should have cut loose! I should have just gone off! The results would have at least been the same, but maybe a bit higher." But really, while that would have been self-satisfying, I was running for something bigger than my own short-term satisfaction. I was running to assure continued Libertarian Party ballot access as a minimum, and to build the esteem of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. This was achieved. That will give me long-term satisfaction.

Bridge Building

I began seeing this with greater clarity once Bob Barr signed on to be a representative on the Libertarian National Committee. Bob Barr is a former Republican Congressman. As it happens, the LP was instrumental in defeating Barr in his re-election attempt, as we targeted him on his drug message, running a candidate in that race and turning the district over to the Democrat. Barr hasn't entirely walked away from his position on drugs, and this has upset many Libertarians. This recalled for me the fact that there isn't a single person alive that I agree with 100%. Believe me, I've looked.

So, Barr is with us enough to become a life member with a contribution of $1,000 and to take a large leadership role. Why isn't that good enough? So, he doesn't agree with the whole platform? He is willing to advance the Party, thus, the platform and the principles that the candidates will espouse.

There was a great comment on Reason Hit & Run from a Gerry Tripwell:

Welcome Mr. Barr to the party and give him some time and slack. I became a Libertarian 15 years, mostly in response to Bush I's war in the middle-east. I accepted the party's positions one-by-one and the last one that I accepted was the oppposition to the war on drugs.

Liberty applies to the whole scope of human affairs. Is it better to embrace a man who has a 95% appreciation of liberty, or to alienate him for the 5% he can't see?

I say it's better to embrace one who even only gets liberty on one issue. Show appreciation and affection, and soon enough that person will begin to see it on more and more issues. Indeed, some of the more ardent Libertarians I know came from other parties and with reservations. Today, they are the staunchest, most stalwart Libertarians you could ever hope to meet.

I was a Democrat as a teen. I got liberty on exactly three issues. For the rest, the coercive power of the state was excellent, as far as I was concerned, especially where money was involved. In time, I came to see the injustice of state interference in every area of life. It took time- until I was 25. If a Libertarian had gotten in my face about an issue, it would have hindered my acceptance of liberty, not accelerated it.

So, I did what I thought was the respectful thing, and tried to find the area where a person had affinity with liberty, and talked it up. It seemed so entirely pointless to learn the area where we had disagreement and to zero in on that and let the person know he was wrong and stupid, and that I had the right answer. No, I worked to build a bridge on our agreement and encouraged them to seek out our positions in other areas of life.

After seeing the comments on Barr I finally got over my disappointment with the numbers. I found some peace with my campaign. I have no regrets. I believe I did it correctly, long term.

Update: Bob Barr's position on the War on Drugs is already moving towards a more pure libertarian philosophy, per Reason Hit & Run.

Glad I Fled Marion County, Part 8

The City-County Council Democrats showed where they have their priorities. From this morning's Star:

The City-County Council tabled a 3 percent pay raise for county elected officials and introduced a 2008 pay raise of 75 percent for themselves Monday night.

Me, me, me, me, me, me, me. There's the spirit of public service for all to see. But, here's the finest Allow-Me-To-Insult-Your-Intelligence line of 2006:

"I think it's long overdue," said Monroe Gray, the council president. "It's not for us; it's for the next council."

Bwaahahahaha! What a load. If you believe that nonsense, please contact me right away for the real estate bargain of the century. Meanwhile, the City-County Republican comments reflected their usual stellar best- 35% correct.

Philip Borst, the Republican leader, said the timing is not right to raise council salaries. The city already faces more than $100 million in shortages for public safety and other needs, he said.

"He's doing it the right way, but it sends the wrong message," Borst said.

Read with clarity, he means that the timing is poor because the municipal elections are coming up in 2007, and this thing could hurt them all. Doesn't Rozelle Boyd, who introduced this measure, understand that the time to do anything obviously controversial is immediately after elections? That way time passes and the people forget.

Indianapolis has a murder rate this year that makes people think well of Washington DC and Detroit, and these clowns are thinking about giving themselves raises. Harumpf!

Yessir, I'm glad I fled Marion County!

Check Your Premises

Thanks to Jeff Pruitt for offering the thought provoking response to my previous post! I disagree with him at the most fundamental level, but his comments made me think about privatization beyond it being a mere function.

I think the fundamental difference is that government is responsible to the people (directly) and private entities are responsible to the shareholders. What is good for the shareholders is not always inline with the common good.

I think that it's safe to say that along these lines, one of the common leftward criticisms of capitalism is that it creates winners and losers.

It's time for some intellectual honesty here, with regard to the "common good", and "winners and losers". But first, I will give my intellectual honesty.

Capitalism does create winners and losers. Those who offer little to employers tend to get little in the way of rewards, and are losers. Those who offer much to employers thend to be greatly rewarded. I believe that to be just. I like it. I work hard myself to be one of capitalism's winners.
I always bristle at the notion of the common good. I find it rather a falicy. For instance, stalwart Republicans would tell you that a ban on gay marriage is for the common good. The majority of Americans support a ban on gay marriage, so it must be so. At the same time, stalwart Democrats would tell you that government intervention into health care is for the common good. A majority of Americans support government intervention into health care, so it must be so.

The proponents of doing things for the common good must recognize that they create winners and losers, if they have any intellectual honesty. Certainly, gay people are the losers in the first example. Certainly, people in good health who end up paying for the health care of others are the losers in the second. Both left and right need to own up to this.

The difference is, with capitalism, you can opt out.

• Don't like Wal Mart? No problem. You don't have to shop there.
• Don't like American social policy? Tough. You're in the minority. Suck it up.

See the differences? What's done in the name of the common good invariably oppresses the minority.

How you like them apples, those of you on the left?

Sure, government is "accountable to the people". That's the abstract of it. Don't like public policy? Just vote 'em out! But, something for nothing is very popular. The reality is that it is virtually impossible to remove an incumbent.

• In capitalism, a 2% market share is enormous. You become wealthy on that. You're a winner!
• In goverment, a 49% vote share is a bitter loss. You find something else to do afterwards. Your a loser!

Besides all this, I think it's important to question those who are high and mighty enough to let you know that they represent the common good. What kind of conceited, self-righteous powermonger does it take to issue proclamations that not only is their side "the common good", but that it's so "good" that even those who don't like it have go along with it? The worst kind, as far as I can tell.

To me, the hallmark of freedom is the ability to withhold your participation. I guess that's why I like capitalism. I can choose whether or not I'll eat at McDonalds, shop at Wal Mart, use Tide or Ecover in the wash. I don't suffer the insult of choosing to go to Kroger's and then endure having to buy brussels sprouts, beef liver, and Wonder Bread- all of which I detest.

But, that's how government works. I cannot choose government a la carte. I can't say that I will withhold my taxes if I oppose certain policy. No, I have to fund it against my better judgment and without my approval! I cannot say, well, I support having public police, fire, safety & rescue, and courts and am glad to pay for those, but will withhold that percentage of my taxes that goes to fund the war in Iraq, the war on drugs, and socialized football. These have all been adjudged by our elected officials to be, you got it, the common good. It's an all or nothing proposition. The taxes come out of our pockets, go into the meatgrinder that is the Treasury, and goes out according to all these things that are, we are told, the common good. Things that you may well regard as bad or worse so often get fully funded, and you get to contribute to it. Justice? My eye!

So, if doing things for the common good is part of your fundamental M.O., please do me a favor and acknowledge that you create more winners and losers than capitalism does, but only if you would like me to hold you in the esteem of one intellectually honest.

Privatization Fears?

Indiana's left blogosphere is suffering a heavy case of Chicken Little-ism right now over the growing number of privatization initiatives being taken by governor Mitch Daniels.

While concern over cronyism is certainly valid, and contracts should be awarded by bids only, I am pleased by the move.

The recently deceased Nobel-winning economist Milton Friedman summed up in his series and book "Free To Choose" why private enterprises are more likely to better deliver on the services than government. Check out Friedman explaining " The Four Ways To Spend Money", on this grainy clip:

The 4 Ways to Spend Money by Milton Friedman


Private employers spend their own money on their employees in the pursuit of making more money. Government employers spend someone else's money on their employees, not in the pursuit of making money. So often you hear people say, "I don't expect this government enterprise to make money". So, yeah, I figure privatization will be a blessing in cost savings- so long as there isn't cronyism, or no-bid contracts being awarded.

I question the motives of those fearing privatization. Mainly, privatizing a service performed by government doesn't eliminate that service. It merely allows for the likelihood of more efficient delivery of that service. Especially for those on the left, don't you want to see social services better delivered to the recipients? Or, is the real motivation protecting cushy government jobs?

Just asking.

Statewide Anti-Annexation PAC Formed

I was delighted to learn that the statewide anti-forced annexation political action committee (PAC) is at last being formed.

While forced annexation has been a hot topic here in Hamilton County as Carmel tries to forcibly annex Southwest Clay and Home Place, and Fishers does likewise with Geist, it is not isolated to this part of the state. It is in fact a statewide issue, with actions and remonstrances also happening in the Muncie, Fort Wayne, Jeffersonville areas, just to name a few.

Geist resident Rachel Quade has been a driving force in opposing Fishers' largely unwanted advances, and in forming the PAC. From the Indy Star report:

Working with like-minded residents across Indiana, Quade plans to form a political action committee to push for annexation reform. Though Quade has no way of knowing how many will join the PAC, she figures it will represent the interests of more than 5,000 property owners."

I started calling these people saying, 'Would you guys want to work together in getting the law changed?' " Quade said.

Vanessa Smith, who heads an anti-annexation group from Southern Indiana, agreed. Her group is trying to avoid annexation into Jeffersonville.

"We are working on our own legal strategies and we hope that we can delay the Jeffersonville annexation long enough to get the laws changed," Smith said.

Geist resident and PAC member Pete Peterson was quoted in the Noblesville Ledger story, hitting just the right philosophical notes, so foreign to our local Republicans:

Peterson said it is unfair for a municipality to annex an unincorporated area populated by residents who do not have the power to vote for that city's or town's government. He likened the scenario to early American colonists' cries of "No taxation without representation."

"Put this to the citizens. Let them have a say in this," Peterson said. "It really doesn't go along with the way this country was founded to not give people a say."

Libertarians have been strong in their opposition to forced annexations from the beginning. We believe a forced action, one that denies the right to self-determination, is not merely wrong, it is anti-American.

A voluntary annexation is perfectly acceptable. I believe that the laws regarding annexation should be changed thusly:

• Municipalities should no longer be permitted to initiate an annexation.
• Only citizen petitions voluntarily brought forth should be permitted to initiate an annexation.
• The citizens of the receiving municipality, not merely their city or town council, should then have a vote on whether or not to accept the petition.

I am inspired by Rachel Quade and Pete Peterson, and their genuinely grassroots effort. I am further delighted that legislators are starting to hear the pleas of those being forcibly annexed.

Democratic Rep. David Orentlicher is offering legislation that would change the laws, as is Republican Senator Beverly Gard. Both are to be commended for their willingness to be responsive.

This stands in contrast to the tax & spend Hamilton County Republicans, who have been initiating these forced annexations as mayors or town councils, and ducking from taking a conservative position against them. The Hamilton County GOP had a laughable non-position posted on its website earlier this year.

I look forward to this PAC taking part in the process of endorsing and financially supporting anti-annexation candidates in the 2007 municipal election cycle.

The Decline of the American Comedy Club

Accordingly, this is written in the most politically correct fashion I can muster.

I think everybody reading will be familiar with the Michael "Kramer" Richards story, where Richards responded to a heckler by repeatedly using a racial slur. The follow-up is that the comedy club where this occurred forbade all future acts from using the word in their club.

Daman Wayans promptly violated the ban. He was fined and banned from the Club. Story. I imagine Dave Chappelle won't be welcome there anymore. In fact, so many black stand-up comedians use the word and stand to be banned, that it might begin to look like a conspiracy to keep the black comic down. But I digress.

Hey- the club belongs to the owners. They are free to set their own policy... except with regard to smoking, and perhaps soon, trans-fats.

This turn of events is sad, though. Comedy clubs used to be the bastians of uncomfortable free speech and the home of the uncomfortable word. Lenny Bruce was arrested for using words in some cities. George Carlin expanded upon the boundaries Bruce opened with his "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television" routine. Now clubs ban the use of an uncomfortable word, even if uttered by a man who is of the group the slur targets.

Well, good for Wayans! He ought to use the word and give a little history lesson for good measure. The owners of that LA club sure could use it. I'll grant that the pop culture use of this particular epithet is disturbingly overused, and in my opinion, disturbingly embraced by some in the group the slur targets. However, if someone tells me that a word that might describe me has been banned, I'll take a moment from my busy schedule to endulge in a gratituitous overuse for a few minutes, just to show my opposition to any attempts to evade the real issues that bely the word by wishing it to be gone from existence.

Here's a link to an interesting discourse between aspiring comics and comedy fans, taking on the issue of free speech vs. censorship. Beware salty language!

US Foreign Policy, Iraq, and Intervention

First things first: I was against the war in Iraq from the beginning. Agreed that Saddam Hussein was a horrible dictator and a violent threat to the numerous minorities he oppressed, but not agreed that he was any real threat to the USA. I take counsel from the Founding Fathers who warned against foreign entanglements and adventurism.

So, the Democrats have been working for a few years slowly, and now rapidly, towards a withdrawal from Iraq. It appears that President Bush is likely to go along with it. And yet, it really gives me little comfort.

I do not for a minute believe that the withdrawal is coming pursuant to a non-interventionist perspective. I would be delighted if I thought that was their course. But the Democrats I know have often ridiculed me as an isolationist over the years, and I’ve not really heard a one enunciate homage to the Founders. It’s hard to see it as anything but purely political, as a means to attacking a weak President.

Indeed, when Democrats were last in control of US foreign policy, we found ourselves in Bosnia and Somalia, where there was no real threat to the USA- just like Iraq.

It’s hard to know what to make of US foreign policy right now, and its direction. With a Republican dominated government, I knew what to expect, and to expect not to like it. Now I have no idea what to expect, but I still expect not to like it.

I used to have a handle on Democratic foreign policy. Democrats presided over the prosecution of World War 2, and the subsequent rebuilding/occupation of Japan and Germany. So stay-the-course was that effort that we still have troops in those countries. Again, I didn't agree with the invasion of Iraq, but once it happened, we eliminated the Iraqi leader and government. We destabilized the country and the region. So, we should leave? Once we made our mess, I came to believe it became our responsibility to fix our mess.

Those committed to an international, interventionist role had always cited "nation building" as their goal. What happened to that here with Iraq? Is the opportunity to attack a weak President so irresistable that nation building in conditions that warrant it due to our invasion efforts just go out the window?

These are interesting times, in the Confucion sense. If this whole episode doesn't reveal the value of a Libertarian foreign policy, I don't know what does.

Post-Election Notes, Part 3

If you want to lose 30 pounds, run for statewide office like you mean it. This is not for everyone, and I certainly don't recommend it strictly as a weight-loss program. But hey- it works! If you have an interest in smaller government, wider freedoms, and a smaller waistline, the CFA-1 form awaits you!

On January 1, 2006, I tipped the scales at 198 pounds. I was concerned that all the chicken and bean dinners, the nights of beers with supporters, and too much eating on the fly would push me over the 200-pound mark.

Ha!

If you really work every room you're in like you should, you won't get to eat. I don't know how many times I worked the room and then found the spread packed away, with maybe a bun or a dinner roll left out. I rarely ate at functions that were dinners for me. I made it a point to start eating at these functions when none of my suits fit anymore, in October when I got down to 166.
I marvel at how some candidates gain weight on the trail. These are people who are not working the room.

For me though, throw in a year of ill health on top of not eating too much, and you've got a 30-pound weight loss guarantee. I hid the fact of my generally poor health as best I could during 2006.

I have Lyme Disease. It comes and goes, but generally, when it strikes me, it's because I have been dehydrated, sleep deprived, or a little of both. Running a statewide campaign like you mean it assures being sleep deprived. Drinking as much Diet Coke as I did assures dehydration. So, I had a fever of about 101 for the entire month of February, and for half of April and half of May. There were several events where it was a function of willpower just to get up and do my speaches. I lost 10 pounds during each month-long bout. I had a couple of minor flare-ups, but with naps and a lot of water, I kept it at bay.

Then there was the kidney stone. I was lucky in the sense that I decided to tough it out after a trip to Lake County and drive home late at night rather than crash at a supporter's home or at a motel. Lucky because after getting into bed at about 1am, I started feeling a mounting pressure in my abdomen that became a curious pain. My greatest fear in the world is being opened up surgically, so I began worrying about a burst appendix. Knowing that can kill you, I figured I'd better get it out in the open. I described my pain to Ame (an RN, in addition to CNM) and she gave me the "good news" that I wouldn't have to worry about being opened up, just having to pass the stone.

The emergency room story is hilarious like a Monty Python skit. After a night of writhing on the floor, we went to the ER. The staff had a million questions about my pain tolerance, because apparently junkies try to use the ER as means to score narcotics. The doctor asked about any broken bones in my past. I have a lot of those. I listed fingers, toes, and thumbs. He shook his head. I remembered broken ribs. A little more impressed. Ah! I broke my sternum. Twice. Now he was impressed. "Was it hard to breath?" Almost impossible. "Great!" Really? That's great? "How did you rate that pain on a scale of 1-10 at the time?" An easy 10. "Compare that with this." The broken breast bone was a 4, and this was a 10. "OK! You get morphine!" But I had to fill out all sorts of forms. I felt like the patient who was stabbed by the nurse in the Python skit, who upon filling out the form halfway was lectured by the Doc, "Surely you knew when the Magna Carta was signed. Even I knew that"!

I was concerned about having to take morphine. I mean, it was a great pain eraser. It really took the pain away, and I felt no high or even nausea. But, as Libertarian candidates always take scrutiny over anti-criminalization issues, I lost my ability to produce a clean sample. I always had it in my pocket that if anyone challenged me on the issue of drugs, this drug-free candidate would challenge them to a pee test. This episode was good for another 10 pounds.

Now that we are about a month out of the campaign, I've gone back from an Election Night low of 166 back to 183. I've been eating absolutely everything and loving it, but it's time to put on the brakes. 180 is perfect for me until I hit the weights once I get clearance on my hand.

Kole's soon-to-be-patented weight loss plan is all yours. Step right up and sign the CFA-1 and you too can fit into clothes you haven't worn for five years or more!