When Research Leads One Another Direction

It's kinda funny. With all the noise about The evil Koch Brothers and Koch Industries, the great puppet masters of our age, while large financial contributors to conservative and libertarian causes, are relative lightweights compared to the real heavy hitters. At least, that's how Open Secrets reports it:

Top All-Time Donors, 1989-2010

LEGEND: Republican Democrat On the fence
	= Between 40% and 59% to both parties = Leans Dem/Repub (60%-69%) = Strongly Dem/Repub (70%-89%) = Solidly Dem/Repub (over 90%)

Rank	Organization	Total '89-'10	Dem %	Repub %	Tilt
1	ActBlue	$51,124,846	99%	0%
2	AT&T Inc	$46,292,670	44%	55%
3	American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees	$43,477,361	98%	1%
4	National Assn of Realtors	$38,721,441	49%	50%
5	Goldman Sachs	$33,387,252	61%	37%
6	American Assn for Justice	$33,143,279	90%	8%
7	Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers	$33,056,216	97%	2%
8	National Education Assn	$32,024,610	93%	6%
9	Laborers Union	$30,292,050	92%	7%
10	Teamsters Union	$29,319,982	93%	6%
11	Carpenters & Joiners Union	$29,265,808	89%	10%
12	Service Employees International Union	$29,140,232	95%	3%
13	American Federation of Teachers	$28,733,991	98%	0%
14	Communications Workers of America	$28,376,306	98%	0%
15	Citigroup Inc	$28,065,874	50%	49%
16	American Medical Assn	$27,597,820	40%	59%
17	United Auto Workers	$27,134,252	98%	0%
18	National Auto Dealers Assn	$26,311,758	32%	67%
19	Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union	$26,229,477	98%	0%
20	United Parcel Service	$25,290,039	36%	62%

83

Koch Industries

$11,002,235

10%

89%

We do have a lot of misconceptions in this country.

I was busy trying to make a point elsewhere about how corporations tend to fund both Ds & Rs so that they can play the game of corporate largesse. That point seems to be supported by what I found on Open Secrets. But it just jumped out at me how much noise we hear about the Koch Brothers, so I looked for them. I looked right at the top. Then I scrolled down. And scrolled down, and down, and down. #83.

Look at the top 20. 11 unions represented. Look at who they support. Is it any wonder there is a political war going on, with unions at the center of it? It takes a willful ignorance to look at this and to feign surprise.

Redistricting Committee Tour Continues

I was in Fort Wayne last night to discuss redistricting with interested citizens. The turnout at IPFW was good and the discussion lively. There was some print & TV media coverage, and I was quoted in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette:

Commission member Mike Kole, a Libertarian, said that incumbency trumped partisan politics in redistricting. He said Republicans would rather keep safe seats than increase their numbers if it meant incumbents running against one another in reconfigured districts.

“It’s not about party. It’s about self,” Kole said.

The quote came in response to discussion on the conventional wisdom of gerrymandering. After attending several such meetings, I got the impression that people tend to think that gerrymandering happens to protect or unfairly create political power for the party in power. Yes, that's part of it, but I believe it to be secondary.

Probably the most eye-opening revelation I have had thus far was in listening to former Indiana House member Bill Ruppel. Bill is a Republican, but he doesn't mind to tell the story of how the party in majority holds a special meeting of their caucus, whereby the members are given pushpins and directed to a large wall map. They place the pin where they live, and the districts are drawn to protect them as incumbents.

In my opinion, if a fair district map was drawn for the Indiana House, that did not take into account where incumbents live, the Republican Party would likely gain 6-10 seats in 2012. So, why wouldn't the Republicans be all over this? Because, again, in my humble opinion, you would see at least 30 incumbents from both parties gone in 2012, because the fair redistricting would result in some districts with two (or even three!) incumbents in them, and other districts with no incumbents in them at all.

That's why I said that self comes before party. If party was the primary concern, the Indiana GOP would be leading the crusade for fair redrawing of the maps. This explains why, when then-Secretary of State Todd Rokita, a Republican, called for fair redistricting in his 'Rethinking Redistricting' initiative, he was blasted by members of his own party. Sure, they didn't blast him directly on point. They just blasted him. Preservation of personal power is the underlying reason for whatever they actually said.

The Indiana Citizens Redistricting Committee will host two more public meetings:

Tuesday, March 29, in Terre Haute
Thursday, March 31, in Evansville

More info on these meetings via this link.

At last, the Indiana House & Senate is going around the state with meetings at incredible inconvenient dates & times: today and tomorrow. Do they really want public input? Putting meetings on a Friday during business hours? On a Saturday morning or afternoon?

If you go to one of the meetings the House & Senate is hosting, be sure to ask them why incumbent protection ranks higher than incumbent blind drawing of the district maps.

Heh- "Fleebaggers"

I'll repeat my position that the Democrats walkout from the Indiana legislature is a surprise gift to me. I never expected any kind of gridlock, but here it is, and I love it. No laws being passed = no reduction in liberty.

That said, I find this website hilarious. INDemsGPS.com "We keep track of 'em so you don't have to." Oh, I love the ease and speed of self publishing online.

In other news, the Indy Star's Mary Beth Schneider at last touched on a future consideration for this walkout, in this article:

The fear that House Speaker Brian Bosma, R-Indianapolis, and Senate President Pro Tempore David Long share: If Democrats, outnumbered 60-40 in the House and 37-13 in the Senate, think they are winning this battle of wills, boycotts could become a regular legislative tactic across the nation. Much the same way, Democrats point out, that minority Republicans have used the filibuster in the U.S. Senate to prevent votes on things they don't like.

That would mark a departure from past practice. Walkouts have been used by both parties. But they typically focus on a single issue and end after a couple of days when the majority makes a few tweaks that let the minority declare victory and return. Not this year. (bold is mine)

What a wonderful gift that would be! I'm not dismayed at all. This is perfect! No new laws passing? Excellent!

2-party partisan politics has been such that when one team employs a tactic, the other team decries it... until they are on the other side, and then they happily employ the same tactic they had until recently decried, justifying it with a Charlie Sheen-like righteousness. So, you gotta know that the next time the Democrats have a majority in the Indiana House, the Republicans will walk out for the entire session. This becomes the safest bet in politics.

The other side of that coin comes to pass in November 2012. Will voters reward or punish Democrats for this action? I'm betting that every Democrat who walked out will now have a Republican running against them, and the top campaign issue will be the walkout. Some districts are so solidly Democrat that it won't matter, but others could be swayed.

So, let's assume for consideration's sake that the voters do punish enough of the walkout Democrats such that the Republicans gain a quorum-ready majority. What do you think the Rs will do with their legislative agenda? Think any compromise will be part of the plan? I conjure images of ramrods.

Even if the voters don't punish the Dems, the redistricting that will take place this year is controlled by the Republicans. In my estimation, if the maps are drawn blindly, without partisan consideration, the Republicans gain at least 8 seats in the Indiana House. If they gerrymander it? Maybe 12-15 seats? In any case, my opinion is that, barring some amazing shift that suddenly makes the Democrats exceptionally popular, or an incredible shift to the Libertarian Party occurs, the Republicans are going to have that quorum-ready majority in both the Indiana House and Senate. The Republicans are seething right now. I expect a full cram-down in 2012.

Isn't It Rich?

Rah-rah, Amtrak! Yeah, passenger rail! Obama pushes this pet project, and Joe Biden gets a little action- the station in Wilmington, DE is to be named for him.

So, all the brass go out to the station, including Amtrak's CEO. Of course, he traveled by train. Would the CEO of Amtrak travel to one of his own stations any other way? From the Daily Caller:

One problem: the CEO of Amtrak got stuck on the train.

ABC News Deputy Political Director & Political Reporter Michael Falcone tweeted at approximately 10 a.m. that the Acela train he was riding had been “delayed” in Baltimore and that he was sitting next to Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman.

Falcone tweeted, “Acela to NY delayed for ‘unknown period’ Should I feel better that the Amtrak CEO is sitting next to me?”

It quickly became apparent that the CEO’s presence wouldn’t fix the train. A subsequent tweet from Falcone noted, “BAD sign: Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman just got OFF the train to take a car to Wilmington.”

“Amtrak CEO abandoned his own train to make ribbon cutting ceremony for Joe Biden station in Wilmington,” Falcone reported. “When I told Amtrak CEO Joe Boardman it was a bad sign he was ditching the stranded Acela, he chuckled.”

An Amtrak spokesman offered “no comment” to ABC News on the incident.

Interestingly, ABC's own online coverage of the event did not bother to note the manner of Boardman's travel. How is it that an ABC reporter could be an actual eyewitness to an interesting story line, and then the coverage not include it?

The conclusion is left as an exercise to the student.

Jury Duty!

I am amazed. I have always wanted to participate in jury duty, but every time I get the letter inquiring about my eligibility, and I am either a candidate or an officer of a political party, I shortly thereafter get the rejection letter.

Not this time! I am no longer a candidate, nor an officer of a political party, so I am hereby summoned! Apparently, when when statuses like these change, a person goes from interested insider to objective citizen in a flash.

No matter, I am excited! I will be juror in the later part of this month. Can't wait to see what the case is about!

More Trail Success

It bums me out endlessly when I consider the Nickel Plate corridor- the railroad that ran from Noblesville to Indy by way of Fishers- and the light rail nonsense that is pushed for it. I would much rather see a greenway, like the Monon through Carmel, or the Indianapolis Cultural Trail downtown.

Wherever the trails & greenways are installed, we see property values rise, we see an increase in greenery and a reduction in pollution, and people start getting more active.

The Indy Star had an article full of praise for the newest trail, the Indianapolis Cultural Trail:

More than a year of construction kept some customers away from stores and restaurants along Massachusetts Avenue, but businesses are beginning to see the Indianapolis Cultural Trail's payoff.

Even during this winter's frequent snow and ice, people using the walking and biking path have found their way into unfamiliar shops.

This particular trail cost less than $70 million to construct, will be very inexpensive to maintain, and is loaded with positives. Light rail will cost over a BILLION dollars, will lower property values, will have endless high maintenance costs, and will never live up to the puffy projections for usage. Bah.

Love The Gridlock

I never thought there was even the slightest chance for gridlock this year in the Indiana legislature. Republicans are complaining, as are some Libertarians, but not me! I'll take my gridlock any way I can get it. From the Indy Star:

Republicans who control the Indiana House will try again today to convene the chamber, but boycotting Democrats said last week it's unlikely that they'll show up.

Democrats' absence would again deny the House the quorum it needs to do business. Democrats fled to Urbana, Ill., 14 days ago to derail Republican-back bills they oppose.

Stay all year! I support you, Dems!

Now, if only Governor Daniels doesn't go and command an extended session. Sigh.

This Article Could Be My Life

Thank you to The Onion. I'm from Cleveland, but I'm 42.

CLEVELAND—During an unexpected moment of clarity Tuesday, open-minded man Blake Richman was suddenly struck by the grim realization that he's squandered a significant portion of his life listening to everyone's bullshit, the 38-year-old told reporters.

A visibly stunned and solemn Richman, who until this point regarded his willingness to hear out the opinions of others as a worthwhile quality, estimated that he's wasted nearly three and a half years of his existence being open to people's half-formed thoughts, asinine suggestions, and pointless, dumbfuck stories.

Oh, how I love The Onion. Great satire, and they're really on a roll lately. Check out this one on the Obama Administration's statement that it will no longer back the Defense of Marriage Act.

Pretty Good Government

Whenever the legislature is in session... yeah, insert the Mark Twain quote here. But, at the beginning of each session, I try to be a bit positive and try to list things I can be hopeful might happen.

I was especially hopeful when, back during the election season, Republican governor Mitch Daniels called for a truce on social issues, urging his party to stick to economic issues. Republicans then retook the majority in the Indiana House, thereby giving them again ownership of both the Executive and Legislative branches of Indiana government.

Last time this happened, just a few years ago, I was hopeful that The Blade would work in tandem with the Republican legislature to cut the size and scope government. It didn't happen. So, my hopes were only marginal. But hey! Daniels is a presidential hopeful (possibly), so maybe his party would heed his advice? Not a chance.

I never expected to be delighted with gridlock. I hoped for it on the national scene, but thanks to the Democratic walkout, we are getting real gridlock here in Indiana.

I love it! As of now, the Democrats are the closest thing to the small government party, thanks to their flight to Illinois. And the good news rolls on. They have no intention of coming back on Monday! From the Indy Star:

Democrats have been in Urbana since leaving the Statehouse on Tuesday to shut down GOP efforts to advance several bills impacting labor unions and public schools.

“We will not be returning to the House floor session on Monday,” Bauer said. “There has been no progress in negotiations.”

Perfect! I think of all the lousy laws that might have advanced out of committees, or might have reached the floor for a vote. Going nowhere! If they continue to stay away? It might be the best legislative session in my 8.5 years here.

Of course, Daniels is promising an extended session. I wish he would recognize this as success.

My Facebook Chill

I generally love Facebook. I caught up with more old friends in 2010 because of it than I had in the previous 10 years without it, and really enjoyed it. But lately, the politics has gotten way too stupid, even for me.

Part of the problem is that my friends range the political spectrum. My libertarian friends are there. My punk rock friends are almost entirely left of center, and generally far left. I have friends on the far right. Political agreement is not something I require of friends.

But lately, in this union fight, the unreason has come to dominate. The partisanship is the whole story anymore, and that's hard to take, because left and right look fairly identical to me in mechanics.

• Grousing about the Koch Brothers funding the right? Forgetting about George Soros? Or Peter White?
• Outraged that Republicans would go after unions? Forgetting that unions fund the Democrats?
• Shocked (I tell you) that Democrats walked out of the Indiana Statehouse? Forgetting that Republicans have done this too? Several times?

Few are those who can acknowledge these things, on either side. So, I've tuned out for a while. I had tried to engage, to it failed. I loved the one where the claim was made that if teachers made minimum wage for every hour they put in, they would be paid $250,000/year.

$250,000 / $7.25 (min. wage) = 34,483 hours
168 hours in a week
8,736 hours in a year

The claims are outrageous. When you can't even bother to pull out a calculator to verify the most basic claims, you're killing your cause. Another claimed that public school teachers are paid less than private school ones. That's so incredibly backwards, and again, kills the cause.

In 2007–08, the average annual base salary of regular full-time public school teachers ($49,600) was higher than the average annual base salary of regular full-time private school teachers ($36,300). Source link, from the US Department of Education.

I never thought I would, as a Catholic School survivor, feel the desire to rally behind my old teachers as The Oppressed. The numbers are what they are.

So, because there is so much bullshit flying around, I'm on a sort of Facebook sabbatical. I still look here and there, because there might be an old friend out there, and because there are a million other things to share besides politics. When I get to that point, you know the stew is thick.

Big Changes Lie Ahead

(Fishers, IN)- Is this my midlife crisis? Aren't I supposed to get a sports car or something?

I've been fairly dissatisfied with my work situation over the past 2+ years. It isn't that I don't enjoy the work. I do! I just can't get enough of it in this economy to make the kind of money I want to.

But then, it isn't all about money. I like doing the work, because when I'm done, not only do I get paid (I'm not hourly), but I leave with two other parties that are pleased with my role: my client is happy I have acquired the right to use someone's land; the land owner has some money for a remote corner of the property they weren't using anyway. That's satisfaction! But, if it isn't there, it isn't there.

I have a business idea in mind that I've had in mind for 10 years or more. I know it can work, because I am watching others in other states make it happen. Being that I subscribe to the 'better to regret something you have done, than something you haven't done," I really want to get after it with the necessary research and investigation into feasibility here in Central Indiana.

One door closes, another swings open. Perhaps. We'll see. I'm being vague, but in time the story will be told.

Greetings From Costa Rica!

(Turrialba, Costa Rica)- I hear the weather is crap in Indiana even still. While I really like cold weather personally, I'm no fan of cabin fever, so I'm pleased to have missed out on all of last week's icicle works. And this week's.

This picture selected to only rub it in mildly.

As we did three years ago in Ecuador, we are staying with a local school and studying Spanish. The photo was taken during a day trip to the tiny town of Tuis, where we visited farms with coffee, sugar cane, bananas, yuca, and other delights.

Parting Message

Follow this link for the full text, but here it is in sum:

Great opportunity for Libertarians in Hamilton County! To continue momentum, run candidates for Mayor in Carmel, Noblesville, and Westfield.

Time to push the envelope. I ran a moderate show, but the sands have shifted, and people are ready to hear a more radical message of smaller & less intrusive government. See: budgets & debt; TSA; War on Drugs; Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan.

I wish the next Chair great luck and tremendous success!

Cutler's Worse Than...???

Ok, so I pretty much thought Jay Cutler was a wuss with the knee injury in the NFC Championship Game, but this is waaaay out of line.

ESPN has a poll running: Which of these is the least likeable person?

• Jay Cutler
• Ben Roethlisberger
• Michael Vick

My ranking? Vick, Roethlisberger, Cutler, although that would change if Roethlisberger was ever convicted of his alleged sexual assaults. Vick was convicted, so top of the list of least likeables. Makes sense?

Nah. Current polling on ESPN goes:

• Jay Cutler 44%
• Ben Roethlisberger 35%
• Michael Vick 21%

I just don't understand that. I guess the immediate aftermath of game results really clouds rational thinking.

Kole Stepping Down As Chair

The time has come for me to step down as County Chair. Family, work, and continued education concerns make it so.

I take stock in the gains that our organization has made in the past two years:

• Libertarian candidates for offices in our county were on the ballot again in 2010 for the first time since 2006.
• Our base more than doubled! I have previously crunched the numbers via this link.
  
• We have a full roster of officers in the organization.
• Our monthly Meet-Ups are well attended.

It is crucially important that somebody steps up to replace me as Chair. In the seven years I have been involved with the Libertarian Party here in Hamilton County, our organization has been characterized by members who will vote for our candidates, attend our events, financially support the organization, but shy away from being involved in leadership, and for the actions that are the reason for this organization to exist: running for office, and campaigning door-to-door.

We have very capable people in our membership. Libertarians are almost universally self-sufficient and achievers. Please consider bringing your talent to the Libertarian Party of Hamilton County, as a leader and/or as a candidate.

We have a clear momentum we can build upon! People are talking about libertarian policy and philosophy like never before. Hamilton County voters are at last beginning to shift from the old parties towards us. It would be a tremendous shame if the chapter were to fold for lack of participation at the leadership level.

At minimum, the Chair spends about 5 hours/week. This is what is needed to recruit candidates; answer questions from media and the public; watch issues affecting us here. Ambitious Chairs of course spend more time than that.

So, we will host a County Convention for the purpose of electing a new County Chair. Here are the details:

When: Thursday, January 27, 2011; 7-8pm

Where: Claude & Annie’s, 9251 E. 141^st St, Fishers IN 46038

Who Can Vote: Those with current membership in either the national or Indiana Libertarian Party. Membership can be made current at the meeting prior to votes taking place.

I'll look forward to seeing you at Claude & Annie's on Thursday!

Sincerely Yours-
-Mike Kole
Chair, Libertarian Party of Hamilton County

Good Time To Leave Town

I have this weird feeling of deja vu. Yet again, the country will endure two weeks of Super Bowl hype, and yet again I don't care. The Steelers & Packers? Yawn. I can't stand the Steelers and their horrible fans, but I don't care to root against teams. It isn't nearly as satisfying as rooting for a team and watching them win.

No matter, I'll be in the Costa Rican rainforest, and chances are good that I wouldn't be able to see the Super Bowl even if I wanted to. But the teams in the Super Bowl remind me why the NHL playoffs are so superior: There is no doubt after a 7-game series that the better team advanced. Counter and say that football is too physical for multi-game series. Ok, I counter by saying, ever watch hockey?





Jay Cutler? Meet Eric Belanger or Duncan Keith- a guy who plays in Chicago after all.

Three of the best teams in the NFL are sitting at home- New England, New Orleans, and Atlanta. If the Patriots played the Jets 10 times, in my estimation, they would win 8 of those. And, New Orleans-Seattle? Fluke of the last half-century. So, I was bored with the conference championship games, as the Steelers seemed to be the only ones really worthy of being there, and I hate the Steelers.

So, the trip to Costa Rica is well timed, so as to avoid the monotony of the hype and the game. We'll improve our Espanol, take in the wildlife, and generally have a great time.

The Market Reacts More Swiftly Than Legislation

I was fascinated by this Indy Star report on the sales at Don's Guns in the aftermath of the awful shootings in Arizona.

Since Saturday's deadly shooting in Arizona, Don's Guns in Indianapolis has run out of a magazine that enables Glock pistols to fire extra rounds.

"We sold out, just since that happened," owner Don Davis said. He has ordered more and expects the resupply to sell quickly. The rush to buy the accessories, he said, probably is motivated by fears that lawmakers will try to limit magazine capacity in the wake of the shootings.

The thing the article didn't do was talk to customers. I would be interested to know why they rushed to buy. I suspect that many are buying because they see an investment opportunity of sorts, as if the clips are banned, they become more scarce, and therefore sometimes more valuable. But the other buyers?