The Balloon Boy saga was like the “Baby Jessica down a well” saga of 23 years ago, except sped up for the Internet age. It took 58 hours to get Jessica out of the well. The Balloon Boy thing lasted a few hours. Recent information, however, suggests it’s more like the “Bart down a well hoax” Simpson’s episode of 17 years ago.

The first “tell” probably should have been that the Balloon Boy family had been on a reality television show. After the prospect of a kid trapped in a run away balloon captured the attention of a nation, the balloon crashed into a field with no kid inside. Then he was “found” in the family’s attic. But, bless the imperfect lying skills of 6 year olds, when questioned by Wolf Blitzer, the kid turned to Dad and said, “you guys said we did this for the show.” The most recent thing I saw was that the kid threw up during morning show interviews. I don’t blame the kid at all. Indications are that the dad is consumed with fame-seeking. If this is a hoax – and I’m 99% sure it is – I hope the world comes crashing down on the guy.

Hunter, of Daily Kos fame, made a pointed media critique: “horrible thing, happening live” does not equal news. It’s a snuff film with anchors. This incident caught our attention at the same time most of us ignore the much greater number of children at risk from non-balloon related causes. I suppose it goes back to the Stalin quote about how one death is a tragedy, one million deaths is a statistic.

Francesca Jarosz has an article for the Indy Star about an Indianapolis urban renewal plan that has a warm and fuzzy vision for the area north of downtown around the Monon Trail.

Neighborhood renewal leaders picture a landscape of energy-efficient homes, cozy shops and restaurants bustling with patrons, a light-rail station and plentiful manufacturing jobs — maybe even jobs making solar panels to power nearby homes.

No word on the unicorn petting zoo. But, don’t mind me, I’m kind of a grumpy skeptic when you peel away my sunny exterior. The article cites the downtown Canal District as a previous successful revitalization effort. However, take a look at the lengthy and persuasive article written by the Urbanophile on the Indy Canal District entitled Indy: The Failure of the Canal Walk. With respect to that project, he cites the hermetically sealed areas that surround the Canal. The result:

The Canal Walk can be viewed as a success in some regards – the Canal itself is quite nice, there is new development along it where previously there were rundown buildings or weedy lots, and at times you’ll see a few people strolling along it. However, if viewed against the aspirations that were publicly set for it – that it would be another San Antonio Riverwalk – the Canal has clearly failed. There is very little retail development along the canal, the developments there have generated effectively no organic spin-offs, and the Canal is generally lightly patronized.

But, back to the near north Monon project. The Monon Trail is obviously a good starting point. There has been discussion of a stop in the area along a proposed light rail system from downtown to Noblesville. Proponents have apparently identified federal funds that can be used. There is also a goal to avoid displacing existing residents. Beyond that, visions of who will live there and why seem to be kind of all over the map. IU professor David Reingold noted an “if we build it, they will come” aspect to the project. Being less refined than the good professor, I see a South Park underpants gnome aspect to the project: 1. Build stuff. 2. ???. 3. Neighborhood revitalization!

But, like I said, I can be a grumpy skeptic. I hope it works out for them.

It looks like a bit of good news for the Eli Lilly plant in Lafayette. According to John Russell, writing for the Indianapolis Star, Lilly has sold the plant to German conglomerate Evonik Industries AG. The plant had been potentially on the chopping block.

I hope the change in management won’t significantly reduce the commitment the people at that plant have shown to the Lafayette community.

I had only been scanning the headlines as they crossed my news reader, but when they showed up back-to-back, it occurred to me that it had been a rough time for veterans in eastern Indiana.

In Muncie, a young veteran took his life in a movie theater in Muncie. Jacob Sexton was on leave from Afghanistan, went to see a movie in Muncie, and apparently had an exchange with the manager about whether he was old enough. He said something about having shot 18 people but showed the manager his ID and was allowed into the theater. While in the movie:

Jeremiah said Jacob asked for his gun, a 9 mm Taurus, which he played around with as they were watching the zombie killer movie.

“He did not say anything,” said Jeremiah on Tuesday.

Jacob then told Keagy to duck, grabbed his head, pushed it down and then shot himself.

In Winchester, Iraq War veteran, Andrew S. Ward is accused of opening fire on Randolph County Sheriff’s deputies.

According to authorities, Ward fired four shots from a shotgun at three deputies as the officers responded to a 911 call at Ward’s sister’s house, 7651 Boundary Pike.

Ward had allegedly broke into her home, battered a baby-sitter and threatened to kill his sister.

Alcohol was apparently involved in both situations as well. I don’t know that any particular conclusions can be drawn from two isolated incidents, but a movie quote is leaping to mind:

The Schofield Kid: [after killing a man for the first time] It don’t seem real… how he ain’t gonna never breathe again, ever… how he’s dead. And the other one too. All on account of pulling a trigger.

Will Munny: It’s a hell of a thing, killing a man. Take away all he’s got and all he’s ever gonna have.

The Schofield Kid: Yeah, well, I guess they had it coming.

Will Munny: We all got it coming, kid.

I will, however, go way out on a limb to say that we should make sure our veterans are getting good mental health care and to say that alcohol and firearms are a bad combination.

Mike Lopresti, Gannett sports columnist, has an enjoyable column on John Wooden. Wooden is about to turn 99 tomorrow. He comes from the town of Hall, Indiana. Lopresti’s account has Wooden’s memory fading along with the town.

He had a stand-out playing career, first with Martinsville High School and then with the Boilermakers. After that he coached high school ball in South Bend, then college at Indiana State, and, most famously, a ridiculously successful career at UCLA.

Just goofing around with the Google, I found a Sports Illustrated article about “Gentle Johnny Wooden” from 1969. Wooden seems to have been the kind of guy every Hoosier could be proud of – hard working, good at basketball, humble, and victorious. Happy birthday, coach.

Let’s face it, some people are just fat and lazy, and the rest of us shouldn’t have to pay for their health care. Take the case of Alex Lange. He has never held a job. In his age group, he is as fat as they come. He mooches off his family. Not to put too fine a point on it: he’s a parasite. Private insurers have, naturally, declined to extend coverage; and bleeding heart liberals would have government take over health care so that the rest of us can pick up the tab.

This is America, damn it, and we shouldn’t have to stand for this sort of thing. Oh, I’m sure some do-gooders are going to bitch and moan about how Mr. Lange is only four months old, but we can’t coddle these kids. Personal responsibility is the only way people, including Mr. Lange, will learn that their choices have consequences. So, bravo, Rocky Mountain Health Plans for your bold stand against indolence and free-riders. With luck, the fascist-communist plan to take over health care will be thwarted and fat babies will continue to be denied health care, as Nature intended.

Update The insurance company caved: “Fat baby can get coverage after all, insurer says.”

517 years ago, Christopher Columbus washed up on the shores of the New World. This was bad news for the indigenous people, no doubt. But, I still don’t mind commemorating the day — as a white male of European descent, I’m a direct beneficiary, so I guess I don’t have a lot of credibility here.

The event was important. Not entirely good, of course; but not unmitigated evil, either. Columbus was a product of his time and place, with all of the arrogance and cruelty that entails. But, he also did something pretty bold. He sailed off the map, and the world hasn’t been the same since. Sure, Leif Erikson did it before Columbus. But, the fact is, his society was not ready to do anything about Erikson’s discovery. The Europe from which Columbus set sail was ready to start moving.

I’m biased by more than being of white, European descent. I’m a history buff, and the Age of Exploration is probably my favorite era. The idea of being able to hop on a boat and find places and civilizations you had not expected really captures my imagination. For me, it’s not just Columbus.

It’s Prince Henry the Navigator pouring resources into Portuguese expeditions south along the western African shore until Dias rounded the Cape of Good Hope. It’s Da Gama reaching India. Columbus and the New World. Magellan sailing around the world. James Cook sailing everywhere. They were motivated by greed, religion, dreams of power, and a thirst for knowledge. (One of my favorite themes for this period was the Quest for Prester John, a mythical Christian ruler with great riches — this quest combined a number of the motivating forces.) Regardless of motivations and even brutal consequences, they went into the unknown as few others had been willing or able to do before them and, more importantly, they reported back in such a way as to firmly link the world together.

For me, Columbus Day isn’t the celebration of a virtuous man who brought light to a benighted world. I don’t think Columbus was that or did that. Rather, it’s commemoration of the linking together of the planet, for all the good and bad that has done.

An issue I blogged about (in response to a USA Today article) last June got some more attention from the Lafayette Journal & Courier’s David Smith.

Basically, Buyer has close ties to the Frontier Foundation that is getting a bunch of money from lobbyists and isn’t paying out that much money for its purported purpose. Buyer says, through a spokesman, that it isn’t his foundation, but it shares an office with his campaign and, until recently, it employed his daughter and his campaign finance director.

According to tax reports, the foundation has collected $830,148 in contributions, but the fair market value of its net assets was just $482,761 by the end of 2008.

During six years of operation, the organization has had $258,136 in operating expenses. Those included $83,150 in fundraising expenses, $48,264 for travel, and $4,499 for meals.

Gifts and awards accounted for 3.9 percent of the foundation’s expense total. Mattix was paid more each year to run the foundation — $12,000 in 2004, rising to $17,275 in 2007 and 2008 — than the foundation gave out in six years of operation.
. . .
So far this year, according to lobbying reports, PhRMA, a trade group representing pharmaceutical companies, has given $25,000 to Frontier Foundation in Buyer’s honor, and the National Association of Broadcasters has given $20,000.

The money is coming from sources that would never, ever donate this kind of money to this kind of foundation but for its very, very close relationship to a Congressman. The foundation is spending next to nothing on worthy causes. Instead, it appears to be a stipend for those close to Buyer and to pay for travel and dining.

I’m realistic enough to know that the Democrats are unlikely to win in this district. It would be nice if the Republicans would run a primary challenger who is smart, energetic, and honest – even if his or her political philosophy was different than mine. Then I could perhaps take some pride in my Congressional representation.

Lesley Stedman Weidenbener has a column about the recent news about tax revenue falling short of projections and where cuts might come from. She points out that most of the state’s money is spent on schools, prisons, and Medicaid. The governor has indicated an unwillingness to cut on prisons — which would likely have to involve releasing inmates. Medicaid is structured as an entitlement, meaning it’s driven by the number of people who satisfy the qualification criteria which makes it difficult to impose percentage based spending cuts. This puts education in the cross-hairs.

There was a time when the operating budgets for public schools came largely from property taxes. But in order to cut property taxes and to start leveling funding among districts, the state began taking over more and more of the education budgets.

Then last year, when the General Assembly passed a massive overhaul of the property tax system, the state took on the total responsibility for school operating funds.

That means school general funds are paid for primarily with income and sales taxes, which are two revenue sources that can be wildly volatile in a recession.

Ms. Weidenbener points out that this downside to relying on sales and income taxes as opposed to property taxes was predictable. In fact, it was predicted. Marty Lucas said:

Sales and income revenues vary significantly with economic conditions too, and drop quite a bit during recessions. Government needs to be able to continue providing services during a recession. Real estate taxes are more stable.

He wasn’t the only one making this point, it was a significant theme in the debate about whether to shift from relying on property taxes to other kinds of taxes. But, we’ve picked this poison, now our education is almost certainly going to pay a price.