A Citizen's Guide to Indiana

Osama bin Laden is Dead

May 2, 2011 by Doug Masson 20 Comments

News has come out that Osama bin Laden has been killed by U.S. forces during a raid in Pakistan ordered by President Obama. Somewhat to my surprise, I can find no real joy in this. The victory is a Pyrrhic one. He and his organization hit us pretty good in 2001 and did a fair amount of damage; but nothing compared to the damage we did to ourselves by reacting to the attack with two full scale wars and further eroding our commitment to civil liberties.

I, like pretty much any other American alive that day, remember how I felt on 9/11. I was shaken. If you would have told me then that I would have felt anything other than fiercely happy when we killed the bastard responsible, I would have thought you were crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I think the world is better with bin Laden dead than alive, but in my mind, the price was too high for this to be a time of great celebration.

I might reevaluate my opinion if we can use this moment as an excuse to declare victory, close down the prisons at Guantanamo, and bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

And, credit where it is due from everyone from the ground level troops up to President Obama for killing a guy who needed killing.

Common School Fund

April 29, 2011 by Doug Masson 1 Comment

The Common School Fund has been in the news lately because of its connections to civil forfeitures and some controversy over whether proceeds from civil forfeitures should be going to defray law enforcement costs or to the common school fund or some combination thereof.

I’m not going to get into that right now, but I did want to do some research into what the Common School Fund actually is and does. According to a brief summary from a tax and appropriations handbook, it goes something like this:

The Common School Fund was created by Article 8 of the Indiana Constitution. The common school fund may be used as follows:

#Assist local school corporations and school townships in financing school building construction and educational technology programs through school loans.

#Make advances to school corporations and to school townships to aid disaster loss.

#Make advances to school corporations and to school townships for certain anticipated transfer tuition costs.

IC 20-49-7

IC 20-49-8.2

As of August 1, 2010, the outstanding loan balances were about $474.4M for construction loans, $59.1M for technology loans, and $56.3 M for charter school loans. Revenues, aside from loan repayments, deposited into the Common School Fund are from fines and forfeitures, unclaimed funds, and escheated estates. Loan repayments and investment proceeds from the Treasurer’s Office also go into the funds.

Fines and forfeitures have contributed about $6 – $8 million per year between 2006 – 2010, and escheated estates have resulted in about $600,000 in total over that period. Loan repayments have amounted to about $30 – $50 million per year. For fiscal year 2010, the total equity of the fund was $545 million and the unobligated reserves for the fund was about $83 million.

What I had not gleaned from previous discussions of the common school fund is that this is a fund for making loans to schools which, to be sure, helps them out. But, (without getting into the time value of money), it’s not a subsidy that really reduces the amount of money schools have to come up with on their own. They have to pay back the money from the common school fund.

Not That Outraged Over Kelo After All

April 26, 2011 by Doug Masson 14 Comments

Cast your memory back, dear reader, to the unforgettable summer of 2005. Lynndie England struck a blow for women’s rights, and a young Cardinal Ratzinger taught us how to laugh. It was also the time when the Supreme Court decided the case of Kelo v. City of New England. Howls of outrage could be heard at the prospect of allowing private interests to benefit from the government’s condemnation powers. Indiana legislators held committee meetings and everything agreeing that use of eminent domain for private interests was bad, mmkay?

Flash forward to 2011. Those howls seem to have diminished to the point where the Indiana General Assembly seems to feel it is safe to take private land for the benefit of carbon dioxide transmission pipeline owners. Specifically, SB 251 creates a new Article IC 14-39 entitled “Eminent Domain for Transportation of Carbon Dioxide by Pipeline.”

By “carbon dioxide pipeline” the General Assembly means “the part of a pipeline in Indiana, including appurtenant facilities, property rights, and easements, that is used exclusively for the purpose of transporting carbon dioxide to a carbon management application, including sequestration, enhanced oil recovery, and deep saline injection, within or outside Indiana.”

A carbon dioxide pipeline company can apply to DNR for a certificate of authority. The application has to include, among other things, the parameters of the pipe and the location of the pipeline. If DNR makes certain findings — none of which include, by the way, a finding that the pipeline is a good idea or is not detrimental to the surrounding areas — it is required to issue a certificate of authority. In its submission, the pipeline company can designate information as confidential (but not the location or parameters of the pipeline.)

The certificate of authority that DNR is required to issue under those circumstances must include authority to use any designated public-right-of-way and to take and acquire possession by eminent domain of any property or interest in property for the construction, maintenance, or operation of a carbon dioxide transmission pipeline. The company is required to pay 125% of fair market value for agricultural land and 150% of residential property.

Life-Death-Rebirth

April 24, 2011 by Doug Masson 25 Comments

Reflecting on Easter, as I do this time of year, I see that Wikipedia lists something like 21 life-death-rebirth gods. I expect the popularity of this theme has something to do with the natural cycle of things – with life dying in the winter and being reborn in the spring.

But, really, what I got to wondering is how those of you who believe in the divinity of Jesus went about determining that his story is a true one while the stories of the rest of these gods were false ones. Because, at the end of the day, I think it was knowing of the multitudes of gods in which people had sincerely believed in the past that led me away from Christianity. I was raised Presbyterian. But, at a certain point, I realized that humans had faithfully worshiped Ra and Zeus and Jupiter and Odin and hundreds (thousands probably). With that knowledge, it was tough for me to look at Christianity and conclude, “oh, but this time they got it right.”

I’m not terribly interested in a debate over who is right, at this point. But, I am interested in knowing if others went through the same thought process but took a different turn.

2012 Campaign Developments

April 23, 2011 by Doug Masson 5 Comments

It’s looking like former House Speaker John Gregg and former state representative Dave Crooks are going to re-enter the Indiana political ring. Gregg is forming an exploratory committee for a run for Governor and Crooks is considering a run for the Eighth Congressional District.

Both of those guys are good people and good candidates. Indiana would be well-served by either of them. I’m biased because I got to watch both of them work up close when I was working for the General Assembly. Rep. Crooks was a member of the House Commerce Committee when I was staffing it, always seemed to be diligent in considering legislation, and was super nice to me when I had to talk to him about something. My personal interaction with John Gregg was much more limited, but he was just fun to listen to over the in-house speakers of floor activity we had playing in our offices.

I think both of them will be good campaigners. Dave is a radio personality, and John’s down-home style of humor has to play better than Jill Long Thompson’s “I have a PhD” approach.

But, it’s early days, so we’ll just have to watch and see.

Indiana Senate Ducks Public Hearings

April 23, 2011 by Doug Masson Leave a Comment

Deanna Martin, writing for the associated press, has an article on how the Indiana Senate has been dodging public hearings on controversial provisions they’re jamming in bills at the last minute.

If the legislation is such a good idea, critics ask, why not go through the typical public hearing process?

“There are a lot of highly politicized issues that are getting crammed down the public’s throat,” said Julia Vaughn, with the government watchdog group Common Cause Indiana. “It seems like every hot-button issue that a conservative special interest group holds dear is being raised in the final days.”
. . .
The Senate put a measure to cut funding for Planned Parenthood into a bill tightening abortion restrictions. It inserted into an elections bill a provision to allow GOP Gov. Mitch Daniels to appoint a new secretary of state if Republican Charlie White, who faces charges of voter fraud, is found to have been ineligible — a move Democrats branded a power grab. And it changed the budget to provide a way to fine boycotting lawmakers, a direct response to the House Democrats’ walkout.
. . .
Simpson chalks up the Senate’s recent actions to new, more conservative members who she said may not understand the Senate’s history and tradition of civility.

Bob Garton likely would not have permitted this kind of thing when he controlled the Senate. The Charlie White issue, in particular, looks like something Sen. Garton absolutely would have blocked; given that it’s a clear attempt to affect the outcome of current litigation.

Sen. Long probably would like to follow in the tradition of his predecessor, but he doesn’t have nearly the level of control that Garton — with the support of Morris Mills, Larry Borst, and Joe Harrison — had over the years. Long has to deal with a more ideological contingent that isn’t as concerned about the niceties of the legislative process.

The Midwesterner: Blogging the Global Midwest

April 22, 2011 by Doug Masson 1 Comment

Hat tip to The Urbanophile for pointing me to a blog that appears to be well worth paying attention to: The Midwesterner: Blogging the Global Midwest. It really caught my eye with a post entitled America Throws in the Towel:

While China was joining the global economy and building the foundation of its current growth, the United States was cutting taxes, fighting two unfunded wars and promoting the mother of all housing bubbles. When the global recession began, the United States — the world’s biggest economy — landed in a slump that continues to this day. China — the second biggest economy — kept the stimulus funds flowing and barely slowed up.

The comparisons between the world’s two largest economies are stark — and, for Americans, distressing.

Another post that caught my eye was on the foolishness of trade wars between the states:

It’s precisely these states’ inability to compete globally that causes them to declare war on the folks next door.

In a global economy, Kansas and Missouri aren’t competing with each other, any more than Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are competing with each other. The real competition is 10,000 miles away and all Midwesterners know that we’re losing it. The region — not just the individual cities and states but the entire region — is losing companies, manufacturing, jobs, people, congressional seats and college grads, which means they’re losing the resources needed to compete in a global economy.
. . .
Only one person gains if a business crosses the state line, and that’s the “winning” governor, who gets to claim short-term job growth on his turf during his tenure. This, of course, is why this practice continues. The payoff to the governor is immediate and gives him a boost in his next campaign.

Go check it out.

Interesting Times

April 21, 2011 by Doug Masson 11 Comments

There is lots of interesting stuff going on at the legislature. Indiana is passing an abortion law that makes doctors pretend that abortion causes breast cancer and advise their patients accordingly. Efforts are underway to deprive Planned Parenthood of any state funding. They’re looking to pass “Charlie’s Law” – which would retroactively save the Republican bacon if Charlie White turns out not to have been a legitimate candidate because of his vote fraud. (Under current law, it looks like the second highest vote recipient would take the office – under the proposed law the Governor could appoint someone who didn’t receive any votes.) I believe I read that there was a proposal to give home schoolers tax breaks for items that public schoolers sometimes have to pay for but don’t get tax breaks for. Charter school/voucher legislation ~~has gone to the governor.~~ is going to conference committee. (Jumped the gun on the governor.) New voting districts are being formed.

And, lots of other stuff. But, I’m busier than a one-armed paper hanger at work. So, I’m afraid I’m not much help in keeping anyone up to date. So, talk amongst yourselves.

Social Media & Campaigning

April 17, 2011 by Doug Masson Leave a Comment

Bill Engle, writing for the Palladium-Item, has an article on how candidates use social media, particularly in the local Richmond races. Chris Hardie, Democratic candidate for an at-large seat on the council, has a great deal of credibility on this subject. He has been a part of the Indiana social media landscape for years.

In another race, down in Bloomington, I think mayoral primary challenger John Hamilton is using social media effectively (even though my sympathies probably rest with incumbent Mark Kruzan who I got to know a bit when he was in the state legislature.) Hamilton has enlisted the aid of Thomas Cook who has been part of the state’s political social media scene for years. State senator Jim Banks is someone who, in my opinion, uses Twitter well.

Now, it may well be that my vision of “uses social media effectively” is just a synonym for “folks who hang out at my end of the social media ghetto.” But, with that caution in mind, I think social media like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are most effective when you can see some of the candidate’s personality (or maybe just their staffers) shine through, warts and all. If all I see is, essentially, your campaign press releases coming out over Facebook, I’m going to start ignoring your social media presence.

Ryan Dvorak (sorry Ryan!) is an example of someone I think has transitioned from the former kind of presence to the latter. When he first got to the legislature, he had a blog where he offered some thoughts about what was going on day-to-day. That dried up after awhile — quite possibly because that sort of thing takes a lot of time, and maybe because it could be a political liability as your opponent picks through and lifts the stuff that can be cast in the least flattering light. Now that Rep. Dvorak is running for mayor, I’ve seen some Facebook activity, but nothing has jumped out as much more than safe press release quality stuff.

To be clear, I know nothing about winning elections. So, I’m sure there are qualified people who can advise candidates that interacting in a personal way over social media will ultimately cost you more votes than it will win; but, from my perspective, if you’re not going to communicate in a less packaged way, just stick to the traditional, one-to-many, media outlets like newspaper, radio, and television instead of the many-to-many outlets like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs.

Jesus Camp

April 17, 2011 by Doug Masson 27 Comments

Last night, I caught the documentary “Jesus Camp,” on Netflix. It follows several kids, before and after a charismatic summer camp up in North Dakota. We all indoctrinate our children to one extent or another with our own beliefs. We just do. It’s an inevitable consequence of how kids learn. So, that aspect didn’t bother me as much as maybe was intended.

What disturbed me the most, however, was watching kids being taught that they were born broken, whether through Original Sin or other sinfulness, and Jesus was the only thing that could fix them. Teaching kids that they’re broken and unworthy (throw in a threat of eternal torment for good measure) unless they believe in a particular way is infuriating to me.