Indy Star article entitled GOP isn’t giving gay marriage same sense of urgency now saying that, despite their wailing and gnashing of teeth last year and the hyperbole with which Indiana Republicans described the importance of an anti-gay marriage Constitutional Amendment, there has been no action to move that legislation so far this year.
Indy Star on Daniels & Indiana’s grim fiscal situation
The Indy Star has an article on Indy’s grim fiscal situation entitled ‘No more gimmicks’ left to try
Budget experts say Daniels and the legislature have little room to maneuver during the four-month budget session that must end by April 29. They say swift action is needed if — before the next economic slump — state officials hope to close Indiana’s nearly $600 million deficit, make up more than $700 million in delayed payments to public schools, local governments and state universities and stabilize cash reserves. “We don’t have any cushion at all,” said Larry DeBoer, a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University and an expert on state finances who works with the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.
. . .
The state only recently began to project significant revenue increases after nearly four years of growth in the national economy. Meanwhile, Indiana and other states are under economic and political pressure to boost funding for K-12 education, Medicaid and other programs.
“Business-as-usual budgeting won’t do the trick,” Purdue’s DeBoer said. “We cannot rely on revenue growth alone to get us ready for another recession.”
If Larry says it, I believe it.
Seems to me, though, that smaller tax increases and smaller cuts in services years ago could have made this whole adjustment a lot less painful. The Dems have to bear a lot of that blame since they held the Governor’s Office and the House. But, the Republicans anti-taxation jihad hasn’t helped matters. I like that it’s put some pressure against the expansion of government, but it has also made even necessary and reasonable tax increases impossible. In my mind, it’s federal taxation that’s really hurting the average citizen. State and local taxes seem relatively minor compared to what you get back.
Brief tutorial on hospital charges
Brief tutorial on hospital charges: Probably pretty obvious stuff, but since I often collect on medical bills, this article in the Palladium-Item was of some interest. Basically, in response to a reader question, the author explains that:
1. Hospital charges $1,000 for a procedure;
2. Medicare has a contract with the Hospital so its members only pay a total of $600, including Medicare pays and patient pays.
3. Private insurance has a contract where it only pays $900 for the procedure.
4. Uninsured are charged full price and have little negotiating power to reduce it. Who knows how much Hospital will actually collect.
More on Daylight Saving Time
An Indy Star article about Daylight Saving Time (DST) entitled Is it really costing Indiana businesses?: The jist is that pro-DST business types who were asked couldn’t offer any numbers or say that Indiana would have any more jobs if it went onto DST, but they’re “just sure” it’s costing Indiana jobs.
I think it’s just an annoyance to corporation doing business nationally. But, they figure it out for Central Time, Mountain Time, Eastern Time, and Western Time, there’s no reason they can’t figure it out for Hoosier Standard Time. It’s simply not that difficult. But, the message is that Indiana is not important enough to them to waste an extra half-second of thought on. If we were a booming economy, businesses would be tripping all over themselves to bow and scrape to our little time oddity. That they are trying to change our time-keeping system is a sign of disrespect. If we accommodate them, we’re not going to have any more jobs. We will just have scrapped a time system that makes sense for our geographic area, put our kids out in the dark to wait for school buses, so that a middle-manager somewhere doesn’t have to expend an extra half-second’s worth of thought on arranging his conference call. No thanks.
House & Senate Calendar for 1/18/05
1/18/05 – HOUSE BILLS ON SECOND READING
On Third Reading:
SENATE BILLS ON SECOND READING
Union County Treasurer Steps Down for lack of bond
As covered much more fully over at Kemplog the Union County Treasurer has been unable to get a bond which she is required to do to take office. Because of a bankruptcy she and her husband filed two years ago, she is apparently unable to find a bonding company to post the $225,000 bond she has to have to take office. Today, hte Palladium-Item is reporting that she has decided to resign her position. Union County Republicans will select her replacement. Hopefully the party of personal responsibility will choose someone who hasn’t stiffed their creditors.
According to the docket of Case No. 03-11663-AJM-13 filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana, the Thibauts filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy on June 24, 2003. That was converted to a Chapter 13 in October, 2003. An interesting development which may or may not have affected insurers or financial institutions’ willingness to post bond was the Debtors’ Motion to Avoid Union County Banks’ lien on something. Unfortunately, the Southern District is inferior to the Northern District with respect to the availability of documents online, so I don’t really know what that is about.
When I’ve been involved with such things, what usually happens is that my client has a judgment against a debtor who files bankruptcy. That judgment acts as a lien against property in the county. When a debtor files bankruptcy, their house usually has a mortgage which has priority over my judgment lien. They also get an exemption ($7,500 I believe). So, if Mortgage + Exemption > Value of Real Estate, then my judgment lien is impairing their exemption and they are entitled to avoid the judgment lien. Like I said, I don’t know the specifics of the Thibaut case, but Union County Bank objected to the Thibauts’ Motion but then apparently failed to show for the hearing and so they got out from under the lien.
According to the claims register of the bankruptcy court, creditors claimed $422,000 in debt which was apparently $317,000 secured and $104,000 unsecured. Looks to be a fair amount of credit card debt and Union County Nat’l Bank looks to be mostly secured but with at least $84,000 in unsecured debt. Chapter 13 plans usually manage to pay off secured debt and then leave unsecured creditors with next to nothing.
Lessig against Copyright Extension for Existing Works
Wired: Lessig on Copyright Extensions: Lawrence Lessig makes the sensible argument that the public gains nothing from the extension of copyright for existing works. (When granting Congress the power to confer intellectual property rights, the Framers envisioned the incentive of a limited period of exclusive rights as a means to induce authors and scientists to create works that would ultimately enter the public domain.) After the works are created, an extension offers no extra inducement for the creation of past works.
Daniels appoints Clay County Judge to head Gaming Commission
Riverboats and lottery get new overseers Maybe I’m just biased in favor of judges, but at first glance, this seems like a good appointment. Daniels is appointing Clay County judge Ernest Yelton to head the Indiana Gaming Commission.
HB 1004 – Tax Amnesty Bill passed on 1/11/05
House Bill 1004 the Tax Amnesty Bill (or Cheater’s Rights Bill) allowing payment of overdue taxes without penalties or interest passed the House 61-36. on January 11, 2005.
Indianapolis businessman becomes Daniels Adviser
Local businessman becomes Daniels’ adviser:
An Indianapolis businessman who has pushed for school efficiency and accountability has been appointed Gov. Mitch Daniels’ senior adviser on education and employment issues. David Shane, president and chief operating officer of LDI Ltd., will take a leave of absence to join Daniels’ team.
All I can say is that it’s about time Mitch got some input from Indianapolis businessmen.
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