V20, N17 Thursday Dec. 4, 2014

Hoosier Democrats losing courthouses County strongholds are narrowing after 3 dismal election cycles By BRIAN A. HOWEY NASHVILLE, Ind. – Jim Oliver had been the prosecutor of Brown County for 16 years, and Sheriff Rick Followell was seeking reelection. Both were washed out of office in the No- vember election. “They had a D beside their name,” said Nashville Town Board President Bob Kirlin. “It was a bad year to be a Democrat.” Brown County is somewhat of a swing county with its mixture of locals, those working at Indiana Barack Obama speaks to a spellbound crowd at Roberts Stadium in Evansville on April 22, University, Columbus or Indianapolis. 2008. He would lose the Indiana primary two weeks later, win the state in November, and set in But beyond the hills of Brown, the motion a devastating sequence for Indiana Democrats. (HPI Photo by Brian A. Howey) Indiana Democratic Party is facing a as LaPorte County, the local Democratic ticket saw straight precipitous decline at the local level. Democrats did fine in ticket voting fall from the 5,000 range to 2,700 and they Indianapolis and Monroe County where they swept the lo- lost two county council seats, a county commissioner and cal county slate. But in other Democratic strongholds, such Continued on page 4 Dem’s permanent erosion By RUSS STILWELL BOONVILLE – What a difference an election makes. Make that the last three Hoosier elections that saw the Republican political straw crush the camel’s back in Southwest Indiana. Democrats got blistered in 2010, dis- figured in 2012 and by the time “There are many in the black 2014 came about, it really didn’t matter anymore. The show was community who feel like they ove r. have no voice, particularly in the I have lived in Southwest Indiana all of my life and have Democratic Party, and they have been active in every congres- sional, state and local race in been shut out because Joe Hog- my area for a very long time. sett represents the status quo.” Congressional races in our re- gion were won and lost by both - Rev. Charles Harrison, who parties on a rotating basis for is filing a mayoral committee nearly a decade. The “Bloody Page 2

8th” Congressional District was a like Obama and they didn’t like his rollercoaster of winners and losers for policies. Attitudes changed during the years. We had five different congress- second year of the Obama presidency men from 1972-82. and they were felt at the ballot box in The districts were drawn by 2010 and beyond. And it was felt from Republicans in the 1970-80’s and by the White House to the courthouse. Democrats in the remaining years The Republicans were united through 2010. Why the swings and so in their message while Democrats many changes? Why so solidly Repub- ran away from the president and his lican today? And why have nearly all policies. They didn’t defend his record. is a non-partisan newslet- the legislative districts changed from The outcome was obvious. The Re- ter based in Indianapolis and solid Democrat to safe Republican? publicans took over Southern Indiana Nashville, Ind. It was founded If you were a Democratic in such a way that it is not likely to in 1994 in Fort Wayne. candidate in 1974 you won. Simple as change for decades, or until another that. It was the Watergate landslide; national event occurs similar to Water- It is published by 1976 was different, but when Ford gate. WWWHowey Media, LLC pardoned Nixon, it helped Democrats. This top-down disgust with 405 Massachusetts Ave., It returned to normal in 1978 and the the national Democrats and the Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN Reagan sweep in 1980, where Repub- President continued through the 2012 46204 lican U.S. Rep. Joel Deckard prevailed. and 2014 elections. It was felt at the 1982? Who really won that national, state and local level. election? Democrat Frank McClos- From my perspective, it’s Brian A. Howey, Publisher key, after a six-month recount, was kind of hard to imagine why the vot- Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington declared the winner by a four-vote ers continued this pattern in 2014. Jack E. Howey, Editor margin by the Democrat-controlled I think that Ed Rendell, the former Mary Lou Howey, Editor U.S. Congress. McCloskey, the former governor of Pennsylvania, summed it mayor of Bloomington, continued to up best: “Democrats did a piss-poor Maureen Hayden, Statehouse win until the Republican wave hit in job in messaging from top to bottom.” Matthew Butler, Daily Wire 1994. That’s when Newt Gingrich took Instead of defending the President’s his party to the majority. John Hostet- record of economic policies that just Subscriptions tler won competitive elections in the might have saved our financial and HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 Democrat-drawn map until the popu- labor markets, Democrats let the lar Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Republicans browbeat them on hot HPI Weekly, $350 Ellsworth won in 2006 by 20-some button issues. Ray Volpe, Account Manager points. Again in 2008, Democrats were Any casual observer of 317.602.3620 on the rise with the Obama machine politics and policy would know that email: [email protected] and Democrats prevailed at the con- our economic climate under Obama gressional, Statehouse and local level. was immensely better than when he And then the worst year for took office. Unemployment down from Contact HPI Democrats in nearly a century hit In- double digits to 6 percent. Millions of www.howeypolitics.com diana and virtually every other region jobs created. The automobile industry [email protected] of the nation in 2010. Heart surgeon went from the brink of disaster to one Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 Larry Bucshon won the 8th District of unparalleled growth. Washington: 202.256.5822 seat. Republican state legislative and Our interest rates and the local candidates won. They won with price of gasoline were at historic Business Office: 317.602.3620 Democrat-drawn maps. And they won lows. The stock market, our 401K’s big! Change was coming and it was and our financial markets were at © 2014, Howey Politics Indiana. not the change that Obama promised all-time highs. And we had ended two All rights reserved. Photocopy- and that so many had hoped for. unpopular wars that began under a ing, Internet forwarding, fax- In 2008 and through much Republican administration. There was of 2009, the “hope and change” of a lot to talk about. But as Rendell so ing or reproducing in any form, the Obama presidency prevailed. But succinctly noted, “we did a piss-poor whole or part, is a violation of with the partisan Democrat passage job” of defending or messaging. We federal law without permission of the Affordable Care Act that hope turned our backs to issues worth from the publisher. and change became desperateness talking about and let the hot button and all-out disgust. Folks did not issues and Obama bashing prevail. Page 3

This is one’s person prospective on what has numbers rendered these counties and the legislative seats changed reliable Democrat voters to reliable Republican to non-competitive status. voters in Southern Indiana. And this change will likely When I was defeated in my reelection bid in 2010, continue for a very long time. my internal polling three weeks before the election showed For a long time Democrats were elected regularly that I could be in trouble. My election numbers were great at the state and local level in most of the Southern Indiana but my reelect was troubling. Nearly 67% of the voters counties. In some counties, it was a rarity to even have thought I was doing a good job, they trusted me to do one elected Republican. Today, most of these counties the right thing and liked me by similar margins. And my have Republican control at the county level and the voters negatives were single digit. In political terms, these were cast their votes for Republican legislative candidates as numbers “to die” for. But it didn’t make any difference. well. As we say in the south, “How come?” But voters were prepared to not vote for me and Because these mostly white, typically conservative that is exactly what they did. It is nearly impossible to voters identify with the Republicans on hot-button is- change attitudes. Polls don’t take a swim through the river sues. And they changed their voting habits to match their of pent up “feelings.” They deliver raw numbers. The pent- conservative beliefs. If you go to a bar, up feelings of the voters prevailed all a union hall, other places where politics across the south, and it continues today. come up in our Southern Indiana counties, A couple of months after the you will find similar general attitudes. disastrous 2010 elections, Howey Politics They hate Obama, are likely Indiana asked me for my thoughts. I pro-life, distrust foreigners, don’t believe said that it would be nearly impossible in welfare, complain about high taxes, de- for the House R’s to keep 60 seats and spise immigration reform and let you know that there was not enough political tal- that the color of Obama’s skin has nothing ent in the state to keep them all. I went to do with their observations. Really? on to say the river counties (that would How do you compete against be the Ohio River) and Southern Indiana those odds? And these are not just Repub- would have several competitive seats licans. They are Democrats (so they say) and things could get back to normal and they either just don’t vote or vote for somewhat quickly. The river counties the Republicans and those that espouse and southern Indiana had historically their values. been conservative, but somewhat reli- When you compound these hot- ably Democrat, at the local and state- button points of view with Republican-drawn congressional house level. and legislative maps, you have a recipe of disaster for I went on to inform the Howey Report that, Democrats. It will be a lengthy wait before they ever rise “Southern Indiana is a gun-toting, Bible belt conservative in the south again. The GOP controls the maps, they have blue collar area that doesn’t think kindly of folks who don’t unlimited campaign funds and their message resonates think like they do; and they will punish you at the ballot with the southern voters! box every time from top to bottom.” These voters sure Even though Indiana ranks near dead last in proved this point in 2010-2014 when they linked the entire income growth, personal income per capita and every Democrat ballot with the unpopular president, Obamacare imaginable economic statistic that effects middle and lower and hot-button issue. income households, these households vote against their A whole lot has changed since I made those economic interests for the Republican message. They have ill-fated comments. What a difference the fragmentation of embraced hot button and easy-to-understand issues while the Democrat caucus and a decided money advantage can ignoring the long term negative effects of Republican poli- make! cies that do not favor working and middle class families. Talk about lack of political insight. Democrats are It’s hard to imagine, but it is the fabric of where we live. not going to rise in the south anytime soon. Southern These are the households that used to elect Indiana has changed and looks to stay that way for a very Democrats. These are the voters who Democrats won long time. elections with. And now these voters either don’t vote or I have always believed that Democrats cannot pull the Republican ticket more often than not. control the Indiana House or have quorum breaking num- There were other trends that caused this mas- bers in the Senate without the South. It will not happen sive shift from Democrats to Republicans in the south. unless a strategy is designed and put in place, much like There have been population shifts to the suburbs from the former Speaker Michael Phillips did when he took the Evansville and Louisville areas into neighboring counties. House from 27 seats to a majority in a little over a decade. These suburban transits have heavily favored the Repub- As recently as 2008, House Democrats had a 19-5 lican brand. Democrats were competitive during this voter Southern Indiana advantage. Today, that relates to a 20-4 migration, but it was just a matter of time before the sheer Republican advantage. When you add the overwhelming Page 4 advantages of the Republican maps and ownership of the Times are changing and hope is dubious. If you political money chest it could be decades before parity can are a Southern Indiana Democrat that is not the “hope and ever be achieved. change” you envisioned in the Obama election of 2008. Today, in many of our Southern Indiana coun- Hope and change may be coming, and better days may ties a Republican only needs to put a name on the ballot, be coming too. But those days are light years away in the avoid a primary and win. They only need sign their decla- Southern Indiana I call home. v ration of candidacy and they are the immediate favorite. It wasn’t that long ago, when this could be said of the Stilwell is a former Democratic House majority Democrats. leader and a frequent HPI contributor.

marked in the polling places, is that St. Joseph County is Democrats, from page 1 Democratic. But not very. Not at all in state office races. Only a smidgen in providing a margin in the congressional the sheriff. race. Yet, decisive enough to win the county offices and In Vanderburgh County, Republicans won two of retain Democratic control of the county council. St. Joseph the three county council seats on the ballot, with two seats County voters gave Democratic congressional nominee uncontested. While Democrats saw Sheriff David Wed- Joe Bock the smallest county plurality for a Democrat in a ding reelected with 59% if the vote, they did not contest congressional race in 68 years, just 563 votes. Two years Prosecutor Nicholas Hermann ago, with voting higher in a presiden- or county Assessor Bill Fluty tial election, Democratic congressio- Jr. and lost the auditor’s race nal nominee Brendan Mullen carried in a landslide. St. Joseph County by 21,438 votes. In another tradition- Democrats did carry all county races. ally Democratic stronghold, More indicative of a multi-cycle Vigo County, Democrats had transformation came in Clark County, a narrow 50.32% to 48.47% where Republican straight tickets edge in straight ballot voting out-performed Democrats for the first last month. That compares time in history, 5,007 to 4,300, ac- to a 17,631 (or 43% of all cording to a News & Tribune story by ballots) to 2,619 Democratic Matt Koesters. “I broke it down, and it straight ticket advantage in was immediately apparent that there 2006. was a huge difference in straight-par- Statewide candidates ty Democrat versus Republican tickets Beth White for secretary of in Clark County,” Sheriff-elect and state and Mike Boland for GOP Chairman Jamey Noel said of his treasurer carried 49% and unsuccessful 2006 run for sheriff. Ac- 48% of the Vigo vote, while cording to records provided by Clark Republican State Auditor Su- County Voter Registration, just more zanne Crouch won the county than 8,000 straight-ticket Democrat with 52%. Defeated State votes were cast that year, versus Sen. Tim Skinner topped Re- just 5,645 Republican votes. “I knew publican Jon Ford 10,874 to that Clark County was pretty much a 10,306, and Rep. Alan Mor- conservative county, and when we did rison won 53% of his vote in Vigo. Republicans did not run polling, it showed that,” Noel said. “Clark County is hugely nominees for sheriff, surveyor and assessor, while Demo- a conservative county if you take out the Democrat and crats did not contest Republican Prosecutor Terry Modesitt. Republican labels.” Democrats carried three of the four county council seats Koestrel reported: There have been times in Clark and one commissioner. County when the Republicans didn’t even bother to hold While Lake County Democrats regained the one a primary election for lack of candidates. Noel made sure county office Republicans took four years ago, for the those days came to an end as he and his adjutants got to first time in modern history, Republicans now control four work trying to put together a slate, getting the word out legislative seats. In St. Joseph County, South Bend Tribune and chipping away at the straight-ticket advantage held columnist Jack Colwell raised a preelection question as to by the other side. “We’d sell the party, sell what we stand whether this once-Democratic bastion was still so. for, what our ideas are, what our principles are,” Noel said. After the election, Colwell observed: The answer, Page 5

The efforts soon proved fruitful. In 2010, Monty Snelling at the courthouse to Republican. Perry, Jefferson, Swit- took the office of county auditor, while David Reinhardt zerland, Floyd and Crawford counties are still strongly captured the treasurer’s office for the GOP. The momen- Democratic, but Republicans are making inroads at the tum continued in 2012 with historic wins by Jack Coffman courthouse. and Rick Stephenson to take control of the board of com- Berry said that initial GOP gains began in many missioners. “It’s a lot of little pieces fitting together in that of these counties in 2010. “That was a big achievement,” puzzle that, I don’t want to say it makes it easy, because Berry said. “In 2014, they are voting Republicans and re- of the hard work that goes into it,” Noel said. “Basically, taining the ones elected in 2010 in office. This is an even if you get a Republican candidate that works hard on the bigger achievement. What we’ve seen over last few elec- ballot, they’ve got a good shot at winning races, whereas tion cycles is Republicans have taken over all of the rural before that wasn’t the case.” seats that used to be Democrat. The southern Indiana rural legislative seats are now Republican seats. We saw Butternut voter shift that continue with Erin Houchin and Mark Messmer” who This is the kind of change occurring in Indiana, were elected to Senate seats. “And we’re seeing it as well particularly Southern Indiana, that mimics the political with county elected officials getting reelected.” transformation of the Deep South that began in the Nixon This began to change in 2008 when State Rep. Ed era and solidified under Reagan-Bush. Butternut Hoosiers Clere upset longtime Democrat State Rep. Bill Cochran, would vote Republican for president, but shift to Demo- then was extended by the Democratic Party’s 2010 Evan cratic candidates at the congressional, state legislative and Bayh disaster when he made an 11th hour decision to local levels. forgo reelection, then watched the 8th CD and a handful HPI has documented the sprawling and grow- of longtime Democratic legislative seats go Republican. ing Republican power, from its control of the traditionally Republicans controlled the 2011 redistricting, and the Democratic or competitive 8th and 9th CDs, to the five of super majorities of 2012 turned into the historic 71-29 six constitutional executive Statehouse offices including a Republican House super majority and 40-10 Senate super 12-year gubernatorial hold, that only one Democratic state majority in 2014. senator (Sen. Bob Stoops of Bloomington) and three state But the foundation for any party occurs at the lo- representatives represent Southern Indiana south of I-70, cal level, and the erosion of traditional county Democratic to the fact that Republican mayors occupy traditionally strongholds poses a huge challenge for Indiana Demo- Democratic cities such as Jasper, crats. Madison, Evansville, Jeffersonville, Shaw Fried- Scottsburg, Washington and Terre man, former LaPorte Haute. County Democratic David Bottorff, Association chairman, told HPI, of Indiana Counties president, told “We’re just going HPI that about 80% of county offi- through a rough cials - commissioners, councilmen, patch and I expect sheriffs, prosecutors, recorders, those numbers to re- clerks, auditors, assessors - are bound. With any tide Republican. On the city level, ac- or surge it’s going to cording to the 2011 municipal elec- have a huge effect tion results, 57 Indiana mayors are on local government Republican and 47 are Democrat. officials as well and Matt Greller of the Indiana Associa- this cycle was no tion of Cities and Towns told HPI that a decade ago, those different. Do keep in numbers were reversed. mind, it wasn’t that long ago (2008) that some were pre- Indiana Republican Chairman Tim Berry confirmed dicting the demise of the GOP because of micro-targeting not only Bottorff’s county numbers, but added context. In and changing demographics, etc. These things are very 76 counties, Republicans now control the county board of cyclical and I have been around long enough to know that commissioners with at least a 2 to 1 majority. long term predictions about Democrats becoming endan- “In 2002, when I ran for treasurer, I won 80 gered don’t have a long shelf-life to them.” counties and lost 12,” Berry said. “Many of those were in Indiana Democratic Chairman John Zody told southern counties which had been traditionally Democrat. HPI that his party is in a constant rebuilding mode. They would vote for a Republican down ballot statewide, “When I became chair, half our county chairs were new,” but they would vote Democratic at the county level. We Zody said. “That means there were 40 to 50 new chairs. didn’t have the party built strong enough down there.” Everybody is a volunteer. Party building never stops. The Berry said that in addition to Clark, Posey, War- organizations are always in transition. It never stops.” rick, DuBois have transitioned from Democratic dominance Zody said he surveyed party leaders and asked Page 6 what they needed. “We’ll do that again at the end of this consequences,” Cook writes. “Implicitly, to focus on certain year or the first of the year. We’re looking at what kind of things is to de-emphasize other things. The modern Demo- program is necessary,” Zody said. “We make sure we’re cratic Party was effectively born during President Franklin responsive. There is never a call that doesn’t go returned. Roosevelt’s New Deal, reacting and dealing with the Great The state party has to provide the resources.” Depression. While books have been filled with the multi- Democratic Clark County Assessor Vicky Haire, tude of things that Roosevelt and his New Dealers did, if who won her race last month, told the News & Tribune you boiled it down to its essence, it was helping people that Republicans are successfully attracting younger vot- get back on their feet after the great stock-market crash of ers. “We can’t seem to find that. There is something about 1929 and the deep depression that resulted.” the Republican Party right now that is very, very attractive The party needs to connect the dots to find its to the young people. I don’t know what it is. If I knew, I way back to relevance. When Mitch Daniels won the would be able to understand it a bit better.” governorship, he said one of his top priorities in 2004 was Berry said that a number of Republican county to raise per-capita income, and that hasn’t happened yet. chairs in Democratic dominated counties stepped up in Can you blame the two Republican governors and the Indi- 2010 and began rebuilding their organizations and em- ana General Assembly? I’m not sure you can fully, because phasized candidate recruitment. “They’ve spent more time we’ve seen industries become productive, we’ve seen a focusing on candidate recruitment,” Berry said. “That was lot of middle-level managers cut out, a lot of mergers and what happened in 2010. We proved to local candidates that kind of thing. Democrats need to be looking at vari- they could run and win in those counties. Voters are re- ous health metrics, education attainment and per-capita sponding to message at both state and local level.” income and building future campaigns around that. v

Democratic maps shrinking nationally Charlie Cook, writing in his National Journal col- umn this week, observed: “Although the national red-blue maps of the partisan makeup of the House, the gover- norships, and, somewhat less so, the Senate maps, are Democrats missed misleading in that they equate population with land area, the maps do illustrate where Democrats are strong and where they are not (interesting factoid: Only 14% of the economic messaging land area in the U.S. is represented by a Democrat in the By SHAW FRIEDMAN House). Increasingly, Democratic strength is concentrated LaPORTE – Democrats in recent cycles have won primarily in urban areas and college towns, among minori- plaudits for our ability to use a good ground game to ties, and in narrow bands along the West Coast (but only mobilize key supporters and get them to the polls. We’ve the first 50-100 miles from the beaches) and the East perfected the art of early voting Coast (but only from New York City northward). The South and even in Indiana, which makes and the Border South, as well as small-town and rural registration so difficult (30 days America, are rapidly becoming no-fly zones for Democrats. prior, no same-day registration), Few Democrats represent small-town and rural areas, we still tend to do pretty well in and the party is finding it increasingly difficult to attract our ability to urge our supporters noncollege-educated white voters.” to cast an early vote. As HPI has pointed out several times in the past Micro-targeting has year, Cook could be writing about Indiana. helped as we have brought more According to Gallup Editor Frank Newport, “Presi- and more young people, minorities dent Barack Obama’s job-approval rating among white and single women into the fold non-college graduates is at 27% so far in 2014, 14 per- who could best be described as centage points lower than among white college gradu- our base.Then why the complete, ates. This is the largest yearly gap between these two unmitigated disaster that harkened back 20 years to a groups since Obama took office. These data underscore similar tsunami in 1994 that swamped our candidates and the magnitude of the Democratic Party’s problem with left us searching scorched earth for any hopeful signs in working-class whites, among whom Obama lost in the the face of massive losses? 2012 presidential election, and among whom Democratic Missing this year was a broad economic message House candidates lost in the 2014 U.S. House voting by 30 to enthuse supporters and convert reasonable-minded points.” independents. In my own county, we’ve used a straight And Cook makes a similar point that HPI colum- party message or Punch 10 to help motivate voters and nist Shaw Friedman makes, that Democrats emphasized give them a reason to come out and support Democrats health care when they should have prioritized pocketbook but were unable to link it this year to any overriding popu- issues. “Governing is about making choices and facing Page 7 list message at either the state or national level. I say to my brethren, nay, I beseech them: We I have said for years that an economic populist had better remember our history as champions of the message is the one theme that bridges the gulf between working stiff, the little guy struggling to make ends meet. working white males and women and minorities. It is the As journalist Bill Moyers put so well recently, “The great one constant that avoids the demoralizing and divisive so- problems facing everyday people in America, inequality, cial issues that Republicans have traditionally and skillfully stagnant wages, children in poverty, our degraded infra- exploited to their benefit. structure and stressed environment, are not being serious- An analysis released shortly after the election by ly addressed because the political class is afraid to offend Democracy Corps and the Voter Participation Center, which the people who write the checks, the corporations and the works to increase turnout among unmarried women who rich. Everyone else can be safely ignored.” are a quarter of the voting age As Hoosier Democrats, population, concluded that single we need to develop populist women’s support and turnout were economic proposals that make woefully short this year because it clear that we’re the ones on they “did not hear issues important the side of average, working to them: An economic agenda for Hoosiers. working men and women.” Here are several easy-to- Give the Republicans their communicate issues we need to due. They focused singlemindedly focus on: 1. How about chal- in laser-like fashion in ginning up lenging mal-distribution of state anger against the president. I’ve resources to already affluent told the story numerous times of suburbs around Indianapolis Republican mailers that were sent in and say we want a fair share against beloved State Sen. Richard of state dollars and assistance Young of southern Indiana putting going to working class com- the senator’s face on the mailer with munities. A case in point: The the president’s and urging voters to gold-plated Keystone Parkway “send a message to the president’s in Hamilton County vs. crum- man in Indiana, Richard Young.” bling bridges and pothole-laden There’s no evidence that Dick Young roads and streets across huge knew the president much less car- swaths of northern and south- ried water for him on any issue in ern Indiana. Indiana. But that didn’t matter. 2. Go after certain corpo- In the face of a GOTV rate tax shelters and loopholes campaign among Republicans that costing Indiana tax coffers saw turnout in some Republican hundreds of millions annually precincts in my county reach 45% and dedicate that revenue to while turnout in traditionally heavy pay for free textbooks as 48 Democratic precincts slumped as low as 17%, there’s no other states do. Let’s make good on the late Gov. Frank path to win an election. The surge that was nationwide O’Bannon’s pledge nearly 20 years to ago to help out the was particularly acute in Indiana, costing us seats in both middle class in Indiana by paying for textbooks. the state senate and state house of representatives and 3. Tell the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, “No also washing away some very talented county officials more!” to its insistence that local option taxes or gas taxes whose only sin this cycle was to have a “D” after their be increased when it wants to enact more business tax name. cuts like eliminating the business personal property tax. As Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson We want working families getting a shot at a reason- put so well, getting base Democrats to the polls, and that able job with a living wage, an affordable education and a includes working white men along with minorities and decent retirement. That’s the Hoosier dream and we better single women, will take more than “a high tech system be willing to confront those who would stand in the way. to identify, target and nag them. It requires compelling That’s the only way we Democrats are going to be able ideas.” to excite our base and turn out voters. Let us vow never Turnout across the country was historically low, again to repeat what some are calling “the Seinfeld elec- the worst in 72 years, and Indiana has the embarassing tion,” which was truly about “nothing.” v distinction of having the worst turnout at just 28%. We Democrats will lose every time if we can’t motivate our Shaw R. Friedman is a LaPorte attorney who served base and give them a reason, particularly in bad weather, as general counsel to the Indiana Democratic Party to go cast a vote. and is a longtime HPI contributor. Page 8

Ballard’s 2011 reelection bid, where he defeated Democrat Rev. Harrison prepares Melina Kennedy by just under 8,000 votes, despite the fact that Indianapolis is trending heavily Democratic. When Hogsett kicked off his campaign last month, 3rd party mayoral run he did so under the outreaching statue arms of Martin By BRIAN A. HOWEY Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy at the memorial that INDIANAPOLIS – Rev. Charles Harrison will be bears their names. It was a bow to the African-American filing an official exploratory committee this morning as a community, but Harrison disagrees that Hogsett has their precursor to entering the Indianapolis mayoral race. To be automatic support. decided is whether the United Methodist pastor will run as “I disagree that he has the pulse of the black com- a Libertarian or an independent. munity,” Harrison explained. “The breadth of the commu- “When Mayor Ballard decided not to run, I felt nity is a diverse community. There are many in the black there was a voice that would be missing,” Harrison told community who feel like they have no voice, particularly Howey Politics Indiana in an in the Democratic Party, and they have been shut out exclusive interview. “I just because Joe Hogsett represents the status quo. This has felt the voice of people in our been a kind of a coronation of him. Basically the party has community who have not really selected him to represent the Democratic Party and it has benefitted from the economic not been the voice of the people. I represent that segment and growth in this city were within the African-American community that wants to see not going to be heard. That’s issues that are important to African-Americans become a really the population I deal with priority in any administration in this city.” on a daily basis. The work that “I bring a unique perspective on high unemploy- I do as a pastor and certainly what I do with part of the ment in many low income communities,” Harrison contin- Indianapolis Ten Point Coalition, that voice needed to be a ued. “I understand that many are dealing with that in my part of the discussion and debate in Indianapolis. I feel I role as a pastor, and my work with Ten Point. I feel their bring a lot of unique gifts that if I decide to run for mayor, pain. I would be their advocate to bring jobs to people will be beneficial to moving this city forward.” who feel disenchanted and hopeless.” Harrison joins a field that includes Democrats Joe Harrison laid out four points he said a future cam- Hogsett and State Rep. Ed DeLaney. Whether a Harrison paign would emphasize: candidacy creates a three-way race depends on a Repub- “One, we have to address the issue of the broken lican emerging. To date, none has, with the party awaiting families,” Harrison said. “We have to address it because word on whether State Sen. Jim Merritt, former council- a lot of the young men who are getting involved in crime man Jeff Cardwell or Councilman Jefferson Shreve will are coming from broken families and have no positive make a bid. If they as did former senator Murray Clark, the male role models. I would talk about those issues and the GOP picture will remain cloudy broken families. just weeks before the February “No. 2 is education. I 2015 filing deadline. supported the mayor’s pre-K plan Merritt told HPI on because we have to open up the Wednesday that he will make a doors of opportunity so that all of decision prior to Christmas. “I our children are starting out on an talked to Kyle Walker yesterday. even playing field. If kids are edu- I’m considering it,” Merritt said. cated and get a quality education, “The party will solidify behind a we’ll get less teenagers and young candidate.” Asked if a Republican adults involved in crime. They could win a 2015 race, Merritt would see themselves with a future said he has reviewed election and have hope. returns since 1999 and stated “The third piece, I would flatly, “A Republican candidate get neighborhoods and faith-based can win.” Merritt called a po- groups more involved in helping tential Harrison entry race “an to address the crime problems. interesting point.” They have a unique perspective, Shreve was unavailable they know the individuals, they for comment Wednesday and know who is most vulnerable to get Cardwell is traveling abroad. involved in crime. I would probably Harrison played a key move to increase the crime preven- role in the Ten Point Coalition tion dollars back to the 2009 level lining up support for Mayor Greg of about $5 million. I don’t think Page 9 we can police our way out of it and jail our way out of it. Police and community need to be working together along with the mayor’s office. “The fourth piece is I would work with the private sector in helping create jobs, particularly for those ex-of- fenders who have served their time in prison but who still feel they are serving time because the doors of opportu- nity are closed for them.” Merritt, who was an Indiana University fraternity brother of Hogsett, said that he talked with the former district attorney earlier this week. The senator said that he and Hogsett agreed to wage a positive campaign should he enter the race. Merritt said that his potential candidacy would emphasize crime, education and economic develop- ment. On Ballard’s pre-K plan that passed the City-Coun- ty Council on Monday, Hogsett said, “Tonight is an exam- Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan greets then U.S. Rep. Baron Hill ple of what happens when local leaders put aside the need at Monroe County Democratic headquarters in October 2010. (HPI to score a political win and focus on achieving a victory Photo by Brian A. Howey) for children across our city. I applaud Mayor Ballard and including raising $20,000 a day to reach his $12 million to the full council leadership for their collaboration on this $15 million cash goal, and he’s unafraid. program. At the same time, I call on our state leadership Hill, a member of Indiana’s Basketball Hall of to follow Indianapolis’ lead in exploring ways to provide Fame, said politics is like sports. “You’ve got to de-hyp- broader and fuller access to early childhood education.” notize yourself from your mental limitations and think big Harrison grew up in Jeffersonville and was a pas- things,” he said. “And that’s the kind of candidate I’d be if tor in New Castle before moving to Indianapolis in 1993. I get the chance to do this.” He is senior pastor at Barnes United Methodist Church on Hill, 61, seems physically ready for a grueling cam- 30th Street. v paign likely to include a primary race with a fellow Demo- crat or two. He runs three to four miles a day. “From a political perspective I look at this as a very uphill battle,” he said. “But I’ve been encouraged by people I respect who feel like this is very winnable.” Hill declined to say who those key encouragers Hill’s ‘16 governor are. And he’s not ready yet to reveal the name of the per- son who would be his chief fundraiser, other than to say it’s somebody with “Indiana roots.” But he is ready to talk aspirations go beyond about why he thinks Republican Gov. Mike Pence is vulner- able just two years after winning the office with less than just a flirtation 50 percent of the vote. “Most people I’ve talked to feel like the governor’s By MAUREEN HAYDEN head is not here in Indiana, it’s out in Washington, D.C.,” CNHI Indiana Statehouse Hill said, referring to Pence’s possible presidential aspira- INDIANANAPOLIS – After his 2010 defeat in his tions and his visits to key primary states such as Iowa and bid to return to Congress, Baron Hill briefly flirted with the New Hampshire. “So he’s created an opening.” idea of running for Indiana governor but quickly backed He’s convinced Pence is also vulnerable on issues down. of public education and poverty. Pence supports the state’s There’s no flirtation this school-voucher program, the largest in the nation, which time. funnels state education dollars into private schools. And Hill has left his lucrative while the current governor touts the state’s declining un- job with a Washington, D.C.- employment rate, Indiana,according to a state Chamber of based lobbying firm, moved back Commerce report, has gone from having the 12th lowest to Indiana to live here fulltime, poverty rate in the nation in 2000 to the 15th highest rate consulted with fellow Democrats of poverty rate now. across the state, and calculated the financial commitment “This is the story that needs to be told,” Hill said. to knock off an incumbent governor. “And that’s why I’m very seriously contemplating a run.” Hill hasn’t declared his candidacy – yet. But he Contemplation may not turn to declaration until says he knows what it takes to run a successful campaign, early next year. After Hill left his D.C. job as vice president Page 10 for the global lobbying firm, APCO, in October, he became Ed Feigenbaum, editor of Indiana Legislative self-employed as a lobbyist working for the Bloomington- Insight, said Democrats don’t have a deep bench from based Cook Group, a medical device manufacturer, and still which to pull: “Baron Hill is one of less than a handful of has some work to do for them. Democrats who could run in 2016 who has actually waged On Tuesday, as he was chatting at a hotel coffee a statewide campaign and know what it requires,” Feigen- shop about his possible gubernatorial run, Hill was waiting baum said. “That said, his last statewide campaign was in for a call from the White House to talk about ending the 2000.” medical device tax brought about by the Affordable Care Still, Hill has appeal in rural Indiana. He’s from the Act. small southern Indiana town of Seymour, where he played Before the conversation started, Hill was on the same high football team as singer John Mellen- watching a video on his iPhone of a young grandson who camp. “He hails from a part of the state where Democrats lives in Michigan. Hill’s three daughters and his wife, a have been viewed as conservative and salt of the Hoosier public school math teacher, have given him their blessings earth,” Feigenbaum said. to run. That makes it easier to make the decision. So, too, Republican strategist Pete Seat questions whether he said, does his prior campaign experience. As a member Hill’s appeal will translate to younger Hoosiers and those of the moderate “Blue Dog Democrats,” Hill represented who’ve moved into the state since Hill’s last statewide run. the 9th Congressional District from 1999 to 2005, when he “The Democrat Party (in Indiana) is shrinking by the day,” lost to a Republican; and from 2007 to Seat said. 2011, when he lost again. If Hill makes the decision to run, He served as a member of the as expected, he’d likely face at Indiana House of Representatives from least one competitor from his own 1982 to 1990, during which time he party, John Gregg, the Democrat helped elect a Democratic majority in who came within three points of the House. In 1990, he lost a bid for beating the better-funded and a U.S. Senate seat, but made a name better-known Pence in 2012. for himself by walking the length of the On Tuesday, Gregg told Howey state to meet voters. Politics that Hill’s decision won’t “It was grueling to do that,” he impact his decision to run again: said. “But I’m used to grueling work.” “I’m doing all the things a candi- That helps, said Ray Scheele, date should do. Not worried about Ball State University political scientist. Hill.” Hill has accumulated “many positive Gregg added, “If I go, I don’t see attributes for conducting a competitive anybody out there who can touch campaign,” Scheele said. me in a primary other than (Evan But the task would be daunt- Bayh) and he’s said no. I’ll contin- ing, given Indiana is a Republican ue talking with rank and file, labor, stronghold, Scheele said. In November, 2012 Democratic gubernatorial nominee John local government, Democrats and voters returned super-majority control Gregg expressed confidence he will win a con- making appearances. I was the to the GOP in the General Assembly. tested 2016 primary. only Democrat other than Don- All but one statewide office is held by nelly who was out on the stump Republicans. for candidates.” Scheele also said Pence’s favorability ratings ap- Hill says he’d like to avoid a primary fight, but pear to have “improved substantially” from his narrow vic- won’t let the prospect of one sway him. Nor he does sound tory over Democrat John Gregg in 2012. Ball State’s recent worried about being an underdog in a general election Hoosier Survey, an annual poll of the electorate, had Pence race. He recalls facing doubters back in the 1980s, when with a 62 percent approval rating. he first told Democrats they could take on Republicans “However, politics can change very quickly,” said who controlled the Statehouse. His efforts helped flip the Scheele. House their way. Other political observers concur with Scheele’s “I remember people thought I was eating Dream- assessment. Howey Politics Indiana publisher Brian Howey sicles at the time,” Hill said. “I said you got to change the noted that Democrats in Indiana have lost power in their mindset: You’ve got to believe that you can do this.” v traditional stronghold in Southern Indiana, where Hill won five of the seven Congressional races he ran in. Maureen Hayden covers the Statehouse for the “Hill will have a Congressional record to defend, CNHI newspapers in Indiana. Reach her atmau- along with his 2008 endorsement of Barack Obama, as [email protected]. Follow her well as his vote for Obamacare,” said Howey. “And he will on Twitter @MaureenHayden have to reactivate his labor base.” Page 11

if Barack Obama had come to the same conclusion as Inevitability and the everyone else that Hillary Clinton was “inevitable” in 2008? What would have been if George W. Bush said, “You know what, Lamar Alexander has the education space wrapped 2016 president race up,” and passed on a bid in 2000? How would the world of By PETE SEAT politics be different if Bill Clinton had let his “never heard INDIANAPOLIS – With the 2014 midterm elections of him” standing in early polls keep him home in 1992? now behind us, it’s time to take a look at the 2016 presi- The people who ultimately win do it against all dential contest. So let’s catch up on the latest. odds. Obama had no business winning the presidency. Florida Senator Marco Rubio won’t run for presi- He has said as much himself. “A skinny kid with a funny dent if former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush does. But Bush, the name,” wasn’t exactly what we have come to know as brother of a former president and son of another, might presidential material. Bush was in a different boat alto- not run if 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney does. gether considering his family’s pedigree, but he rightfully Then there’s a decent chance 2012 vice presidential ignored concerns that “another Bush” was destined for nominee Paul Ryan, recently failure just eight years after his father, George H. W. Bush, selected to chair the power- lost re-election. Clinton, a national laughing stock on The ful House Ways and Means Tonight Show with Johnny Carson after a, well, lengthy Committee, won’t run if either keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Conven- Bush or Romney runs. Another tion, stood up, dusted himself off, and prevailed in winning Wisconsinite, Scott Walker, the two campaigns and potentially charted the way for his wife governor who has found him- to follow in his footsteps. self on the ballot three times in The approximately 13,000 (give or take) can- four years (and prevailed each didates considering whether to mount a bid in the coming time), seems poised to run him- months should take these examples into account when self. But his decision might hold making their decision. Demurring to others or whispering off other Midwestern governors to the press that the field is weak as a rationale for run- from doing the same. ning doesn’t speak so highly of one’s qualifications. Oh, the speculative chess I want someone who runs strong out of the gate match of presidential politics. In addition to the required with a rock-solid case for why their candidacy is worth discussions with family and supporters about what a paying attention to and why they should be president. campaign may look like lies the political calculation about That inaugural introduction to the American people, that whether there exists a “path to the nomination” and a first day on the campaign trail, can mean everything real chance at victory in November 2016. It’s a conversa- if handled properly. Do we really want to see the an- tion anyone considering a campaign for the highest office nouncement riddled with sentences about how someone in the land must face. And while I can hardly claim to is running only because another someone decided not to possess inside knowledge of the intimate deliberations take the plunge rather than what they plan to do while in that are surely taking place at this very moment at many office? gubernatorial and senatorial kitchen That’s why I give a lot of credit tables, those non-family political to Jim Webb. His Democratic Party calculations evade the larger point: If is already coalescing around another someone wants to be president, they “inevitable” Hillary Clinton candidacy should just run for president. but that didn’t stop the former sena- How each candidate enters tor from Virginia from announcing an the race and the circumstances sur- exploratory committee last week. He rounding that decision are a real test wants to be president, so he’s running of leadership. They won’t have the for president. luxury of a “wait-and-see” approach Some Republicans should look at regarding Russia, China or Iran, so his example and follow the leader. v why make their decision based on who else may or may not also be on Pete Seat is senior project man- the debate stage come next summer? ager at the Indianapolis-based If a candidate believes deep down Hathaway Strategies. He was that they are the best person for the previously a spokesman for Presi- most important job in the world, and Former U.S. senator Jim Webb of Virginia is dent George W. Bush, U.S. Sen. their family signs off, it shouldn’t mat- preparing to enter the 2016 presidential race Dan Coats and the Indiana Re- ter who the other candidates are. despite Hillary Clinton’s “inevitability.” publican Party. What would have happened Page 12

I also don’t believe deep down that the average Sorting through the citizen in Ferguson believes that Officer Wilson set out to gun down a young black man in cold blood just because he could. I think that if you changed the town to Beverly lessons of Ferguson Hills and a white police officer shot and killed a white By CRAIG DUNN young man after he had robbed a store on Rodeo Drive KOKOMO – When it comes to the violence and and then struck the police officer when he was ordered to riots in Ferguson, Missouri, I kinda, sorta, sometimes get quit walking down the middle of Mulholland Drive, not one it. I would be the first to admit that when I saw the riot- citizen of Ferguson would even raise an eyebrow. ers and looters running wild in the streets the following Why then did Ferguson, Missouri erupt in flames thoughts went through my mind: and rioting? It is my opinion that Ferguson exploded be- 1. Michael Brown was one big thug. 2. Michael cause of two words, “hope” and “change.” Brown would not have been shot if he had stopped walk- Most large American cities have areas of a ing down the middle of the street in traffic. 3. Michael huge number of citizens who have never participated in Brown would not have been shot if he had obeyed the the American dream. For those living in the abject pov- police officer. 4. Stealing liquor, looting stores, burning cars erty of urban America, the American dream more closely and destroying property in your own neighborhood is not a resembles a nightmare. Hunger, drugs, terrible schools, very good way to honor Michael pregnant teens, absent fathers and a complete breakdown Brown’s memory. of societal norms are the bitter legacy of 50 years of failed Yes, those were my first government policies that leave the poor with mere sub- thoughts, but I wanted to sistence but with no meaningful path to extricating them- search for a deeper meaning selves from their poverty. to the situation in Ferguson so It must be thoroughly depressing to be poor in the that at least something might United States. Virtually every second of every day you are be learned from this all-too- bombarded with advertisements and television program- common American tragedy. ming that rubs your face in the mire of your existence. First, I think it is impor- You get an overdose of visions of all of the things that you tant to remove the extraneous don’t have and most likely will never have. In short, you noise from the issue of Fergu- begin to lose hope. When hope dies, there are inevitable son. Remove the usual suspects social costs that rise from the grave. of the anarchists, Communists, occupy Wall Streeters and In 2008, an inexperienced United States senator other professional purveyors of public mayhem. with a background of working in the inner city stepped into Second, remove the pimps of protest, agitators the political limelight and dangled the two words that the like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who enrich themselves forlorn of our country could not resist, hope and change. and their careers by rushing to the scene of any situation Here was a black man running for president who promised that involves a white person in a position of authority and that he would bring hope and change to the depressing a black person. existence of so many. The disaffected of Ferguson, Mis- Finally, remove a 24/7 media that thrives by souri, as well as millions of other poor citizens put faith in engineering mountains out of molehills. Or as Don Henley the flowery prose of Barack Obama and helped sweep him of The Eagles might say, “Bubble-headed bleach blond into the Oval Office with their votes. coming on at 5, she can tell you ‘bout a plane crash with a The reality of President Barack Obama was far dif- wink in her eye.” For the national media, Ferguson had it ferent from the promises of candidate Barack Obama. The all, a dead young black man, a white police officer and an first hope and change offered by President Obama was to enraged community. Cue camera three! bail out Wall Street and the big banks. Next, Obama put With these elements removed from the situa- forth a stimulus plan that enriched solar and wind com- tion, it might make it easier for us to determine the root panies along with a litany of other Democratic interests. cause of Ferguson and other volatile communities. Bailing out the auto companies came next. I don’t believe that the average person in Fergu- Finally, Obama spent his last dime of political son, Missouri, be they yellow, black or white, condones the capital by forcing through the Affordable Care Act, thereby bullish and thuggish behavior of Michael Brown prior to his sinking the Democrat majority in the 2010 elections. altercation with Officer Darren Wilson. I just can’t imag- What do the poor of Ferguson have to show for ine any mother pointing out the behavior of Brown to her six years of Obama rule and trillions of additional dollars young children and telling them that when they get older in deficit spending? Nothing. Well, I guess they could pull she wants them to be just like Michael. I believe that the out their Obamaphones and call someone to complain, average parent in Ferguson has a good sense of right and but no one in Washington would answer. The poor are still wrong and would not condone robbing a store or roughing poor, the hopeless still hopeless and the American Dream up a shopkeeper. still unattainable for most in Ferguson. Page 13

The unfortunate byproduct of flashing hope and quency. It should be in the best interest of each political change in front of people and then cruelly snatching it party and the American people as a whole to work for a away is a simmering disappointment and anger just look- longterm way to lift people from poverty and restore their ing for a way to be expressed. The shooting of Michael hope. Unfortunately, the theft of hope has become our Brown was merely the unfortunate spark that ignited a worst crime statistic. v powder keg. Until we, as a nation, come together to offer a Dunn is chairman of the Howard County Republi- viable plan to move the poor from little more than animals cans. in a government run zoo to hopeful productive lives, the problems of Ferguson will be seen with increasing fre-

buildings discretely set apart from business, Jacobs argued Pence, legislature vibrant downtowns required four key elements. First, she posited a cityscape should always be “permeable” to pe- destrians as well as cars. We call it being walkable today. poised to help cities Second, she stressed “mixed primary” use, which By MATTHEW BUTLER is residential and commercial not just occupying the same INDIANAPOLIS – Two weeks ago I wrote that edu- blocks but often the same buildings. In regard to urban cation policy (and politics) will be the predominant issue buildings, Jacobs said a vibrant city needed “mingled build- facing the 2015 General Assembly. Nothing gets more local ing age.” Historic buildings should be well-maintained to than questions regarding school corporation funding and give a sense of place and heritage, but always make room consolidation, but another category that will compete at for new construction and amenities. And, finally, Jacobs times for the front burner come said there must be a sufficient density of people around New Year will be local govern- most hours of the day and night to both augment public ment issues. safety and attract varied businesses. With these elements, The challenges and op- people would want to live, work, and raise a family there; portunities facing our major and it would have, to use the current buzz term, a “quality of medium cities, the main driv- place.” ers of Indiana’s economy, are Over the past 20-some years Indianapolis and Car- myriad and pressing. mel have invested heavily into their downtowns and the They include funding ma- payoff has been self-evident. The same can be said for a jor urban revitalization projects, lot of the state’s cities, but blight and stagnation remain all tweaks to the business personal too common within Hoosier city cores. property tax and local option One of the latest bright spots has been Kokomo income taxes, reforming TIFs, under Mayor Greg Goodnight; he’s borrowing heavily from rules concerning annexation, tackling the persistent meth the Jane Jacobs’ playbook. “Baby boomers and millenni- and resurgent heroine problems, and fully funding commu- als want to live in urban areas with mixed-use neighbor- nity corrections. None of these is simple nor do they fall hoods,” he told the Kokomo Tribune earlier this week. along any convenient partisan or even geographic lines. Goodnight has stressed during his administration making How they shake out in 2015 will shed further light on the Kokomo walkable along with mass transit and cycling op- governing dynamics of the two Republican super majori- tions. Achieving a desirable “quality of place” is the guiding ties and what role the yet-further-diminished Democratic principle and Goodnight is convinced investments in urban caucuses can play when the former disagree internally. revitalization will draw and retain talented young adults and thus reap dividends in the form of new businesses Transformational projects they create and attract. If urban revitalization was easy, then everybody The catalyst of public investment is leading to would do it. My senior year at Purdue I took a course on more young people living and doing businesses in the cen- the history of American cities. We read the canonical work ter of Kokomo. The marquee projects include renovated “The Death and Life of Great American Cities” (1961) by historic building facades, a new baseball stadium, a new Jane Jacobs. Not without its flaws, Jacobs’ recommenda- trolley bus line (with riders), a Heritage Trail, and other tions for lasting and substantive urban renewal remain people-attracting amenities. Besides deftly using federal the lodestar for much of today’s efforts. A refutation to grants as seed money for projects, an important policy top-down urban planning that often stressed new high-rise tool has been a partnership between the city and Howard County in providing rent abatement grants and low-inter- Page 14 est loans for businesses that The 2015 General Assembly provides an locate and stay in downtown opportunity for the state to make a substantive Kokomo. The Indiana Associa- commitment to invest in urban revitalization. tion of Cities and Towns’ exec- With last year’s HEA1035 authored by then- utive director Matt Greller sees Rep. Steve Braun, who has joined the Pence an example worthy of emula- administration to lead its workforce develop- tion and praise: “Kokomo has ment efforts, legislators required the Indiana made the choice to invest in a Economic Development Corporation to begin vibrant downtown. There has what’s called the Regional Cities Initiative. It’s been public investment which a strong indication the program will have back- has made the downtown dras- ing from the governor. tically different than it was 10 It studied the economic potential of the or 15 years ago,” he told the state’s regional metropolitan areas, looked to Kokomo Tribune. peer cities for guidance, and proposed solu- As Goodnight extols tions to improve quality of place in order to Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight (center) dur- the importance of “quality attract and retain people. It found what many ing a groundbreaking for the new downtown of place” to cities, he feels already knew: Hemorrhaging population and YMCA. Hoosier mayors are getting talent is reaching crisis proportions for much inadequate assistance from the Statehouse. “One of the of the state. “Outside of the Indianapolis MSA, none of major themes…that I believe is at the heart of our state’s Indiana’s cities is consistently ranked in the top 200 of problem, is the lack of an urban policy from the gover- places to live in America, a key reason for the state’s lack nor’s office or the legislature,” Goodnight told a November of in-migration,” the report released in October states. meeting of the Indiana Economic Forum. “In fact, most of “If Indiana communities want to grow, they need the time they have an anti-urban policy. Most Hoosiers live to create communities that are attractive to a young, di- in cities. Most of the economic activity is in cities. Yet, the verse and educated population (though certainly not to the state government continues to attack or hamstring munici- detriment of their existing residents). Site selectors cite pal government.” the increasing importance of community image and repu- Officials on the local level could point to variety tation, especially relative to their ability to attract talent, of recent policies at the capitol: The latest effort to elimi- and of course talent is always at or near the top of what nate the business personal property tax which raises $1 companies are looking for.“ billion statewide for local governments, apparent apathy Like the Stellar Communities Program, the IEDC over how property tax caps are squeezing local budgets, will call upon cities to plan and make ambitious passage of only a severely restricted Central Indiana mass proposals for urban revitalization. It’s forecasting a $1 bil- transit bill last year, and not allowing local control over lion impact over the next eight years for the effort. Hun- food and beverage taxes. Goodnight will undoubtedly dreds of millions dollars are going to be needed from state expound on these issues at today’s BGD Legislative Con- coffers to assist local public and private funding. IACT sees fence; he will sit on a panel titled “The Ongoing Tension this as a critical moment in which to start truly “transfor- Between State and Local Government.” mational projects” to staunch the loss in population and The Pence administration would disagree and high-paying jobs across much of the state. Indeed, it will could point to a number of efforts to help cities and towns, be one of their top legislative priorities come January. like the nationally recognized Stellar Communities pro- As Greller told HPI recently, “This is a big deal for gram. Targeted toward smaller cities and towns, it has us.” designated eight pilot communities’ revitalization efforts as The approach looks to cities as regional economic “stellar” since 2011. drivers. Suburban and rural areas feed off their nearby This year a $40 million proposal from Huntingburg cities. During this budget year there is probably no pro- and $28 million proposal from Wabash were selected; both gram that will have more sticker shock in terms of cost. plans focus on walkability, mixed-use, and a higher density Again, hundreds of millions of state dollars are going to be of population downtown. The cities are raising much of the needed. Indiana has wisely stressed making the state a money themselves, publicly and privately. As for outside great place to do business in terms of tax and regulatory assistance, being “stellar” doesn’t assure anything; the structure. The other side of the equation must also be state basically provides assistance in applying for federal addressed. Now we see if lawmakers are willing to make grants. substantive investments in “transformational projects” that “The transformational projects proposed by both attract and retain the younger people businesses want. communities are examples of the positive economic impact Moreover, will there be political will to transform Indiana that can be achieved through thoughtful planning and into a much better place to live, raise children, and grow broad-based public and private sector commitment,” Lt. old? This will be a story that plays out over the next sev- Gov. Sue Ellspermann described the program in August. eral years and it isn’t getting near enough attention. Page 15

Meth and heroin The House Republicans have highlighted public Toll road lease is safety as one of their top goals this coming session. The persistence of Indiana’s meth problem and the alarming a huge success surge in heroin will be on many lawmakers’ minds. Local governments are struggling to keep up. By ERIC HOLCOMB In April HPI published an in-depth report on the INDIANAPOLIS – Having worked for Gov. Dan- extent of the meth problem. In 2013 we led the nation in iels back in 2005, I vividly remember the toll road lease meth lab busts (1,808) and Hoosier lawmakers are deeply conversation, as I was responsible for organizing all the divided on possible legislative solutions. Reps. Ben Smaltz coalitions of supporters eager to benefit from important and Wendy McNamara indicated they would try yet again upgrades to our aging infrastructure neglected for years by to pass some form of a prescription requirement for pseu- prior administrations. doephedrine (PSE) cold medicines, one of the key ingre- Now, everyone is entitled dients for meth cooks. In April, McNamara said she was to their personal opinion and considering a compromise bill for this session that would mine is as follows. After eight require a prescription only after a person purchases three years of record-breaking road boxes within a 12-month period. Currently, the state limits construction all across Indiana, purchases over the counter. some folks still just don’t get it Last session’s Courts and Criminal Code Chairman and some probably never will. Jud McMillan held a hearing but refused to allow a vote on For example, the recently Rep. Smaltz’s prescription requirement bill citing an almost announced bankruptcy of certain refusal to consider the issue across the hall in the the Indiana Toll Road opera- Senate. tor prompted a high-ranking With McMillan joining the House Republicans’ lead- Democratic office holder to dub ership team, new Committee Chairman Tom Washburne the 2006 public-private part- might be willing to give the bill the chance to advance to nership a “mess of epic propor- the House floor. This could be one of several contentious tions” (NWI Times, Oct. 14, issues that do not fall neatly along party lines and might 2014). That made me wonder need significant Democratic support to pass out of com- if he was just playing politics or if he didn’t understand the mittee as well as both chambers. contract, similar to any other highly regulated utility. What we do know, however, is that there is sig- The facts illustrate a very different picture than nificant bipartisan support from Indiana’s mayors, pros- he paints, as does a string of misrepresentations parroted ecutors, and sheriffs for some form of PSE prescription by a LaPorte County Democratic operative and a liberal requirement. Lost in the shuffle of HJR-3 crowds was their think tank, the Center for American Progress. The former flooding the Statehouse to testify on the meth emergency has shared little by way of actual facts, relying instead they are still facing in their communities. Traction this year on a single report conducted by a professor at William & will depend on building a bipartisan coalition of legislators Mary University in Virginia, a tiresome tactic of lease op- knowing they have strong local support on the issue. ponents on the left. The latter has suggested “Indiana has Earlier this autumn, Speaker Bosma told HPI he many ways to raise money to fund its infrastructure needs understands concerns of overly burdening those with without resorting to complex and uncertain lease agree- chronic allergies, but he does not oppose a PSE prescrip- ments” (IndyStar, Oct. 25, 2014). In Washington-speak, tion requirement in principle. Asked about the same in this means raising your taxes. April, Gov. Mike Pence told HPI, “We’ve talked about that; The toll road lease itself and the subsequent all options are on the table. We’ll be looking in the budget road and bridge construction program, known as Major session for resources and policies that will continue to give Moves, were both brilliantly negotiated by Gov. Daniels, Indiana the tools we need to protect our kids from the and his timing was impeccable. There hasn’t been a slam scourge of meth.” dunk deal since and there probably never will be again on We can be certain that committee rooms this this transformational scale. To be blunt, we were over- coming year will be hearing of yet another scourge in paid. Indiana was paid $3.85 billion dollars cash, up front, our communities, heroin. Its criminal and public health and as a result we were immediately able to move forward implications for our communities cannot be ignored. In a on road projects held for up for decades due to lack of two-month period this autumn Connersville had 36 heroin funds. overdoses, six of which were fatal. A very likely proposal One of my favorite and little discussed areas of the will be to help provide all first responders across the state deal was the fact so many strange bedfellows from across with Narcan, the heroin overdose antidote. v the vast political spectrum came to understand just how life-changing leasing the toll road would be for Indiana. Union building trade hard hats stood on the same stage Page 16 with realtors, chamber post, 25 new troopers with members, small business vehicles, and the user friendly manufacturers, and coura- E-ZPass technology, again, geous legislators, all cham- all on the dime of the opera- pioning Major Moves as tor. The contract even places the “jobs vote of a genera- limits on the amount that toll tion.” It’s something that rates can be increased without seems almost unthinkable state approval, giving elected given the current political representatives of the people climate, but a no-brainer’s final say on what users could a no-brainer and there was be charged. no more waiting on con- A small gallery of critics vincing the small group of share a deep disdain for in- prosaic minds stuck in the novative public-private partner- past. ship solutions and continue Most Hoosiers will to try to turn back Indiana’s soon appreciate driving on infrastructure progress. These I-69 from Indy down to pro-patronage politicians Evansville and up to South pine for the old “government- Bend on a traffic-light-free always-does-it-best” model and U.S. 31. They’ve already have no problem racking up zipped across the now safe hundreds of millions of dollars and completed Hoosier in debt and empty promises. Heartland Highway from That’s simply not good enough Lafayette to Fort Wayne in Indiana anymore because and all the way to the Ohio Hoosiers know a good deal state line. We’ve reaped when they drive on one. the local rewards from the Yes, the current toll road $150 million distributed operator has gone belly up, but to every Indiana county since the lease was buttoned for local road upgrades. down so tightly, there is no Employees at Honda and Gov. Mitch Daniels launches a Major Moves project near Kendall- future risk to taxpayers. Amazon, agribusinesses ville. The beauty of the deal is throughout Indiana, and that state government can now Crane Naval Warfare Center have all benefitted from our weigh its options, even while private investors conduct state’s ability to build and pay for the infrastructure we their feasibility studies and counties tinker with the idea of needed, not just hoped to someday have. Hoosiers have pooling funds to manage the road themselves. The state enjoyed a level of unprecedented statewide connectivity could assume toll road management again, but that seems that has helped drive our statewide economic growth and a shortsighted approach given the success of the public- magnetic ability to attract and retain important businesses private partnership in managing and maintaining the road right here at the Crossroads of America. While the rest of in the most effective and efficient way. The county man- the country struggled with an infrastructure crisis, Indiana agement scenario, too, seems unlikely, as a majority of instantly became the envy and exception, winning awards the toll road seven counties have already withdrawn their for solving a problem while shifting the burden away from support for some kind of regional multi-county consortium. the taxpayer. Cynical politicians can continue to lament good Most importantly for me, the agreement was governance and all the 600-plus road projects Hoosiers forged with Hoosier priorities in mind. We first paid off the drive on every day. But at a time when folks feel that toll road itself that was losing money when the state was government gets so little right, those on the ideological left operating it and then invested every cent in our longterm seem downright detached when they play to their base by infrastructure plan. We even created a $500 million dollar taking potshots at a government-brokered deal while offer- Next Generation Trust Fund that earns interest for future ing no alternative plans to move Indiana forward. projects and requires the operator running the toll road to Maybe that’s something these naysayers can pay sales and income taxes, if they make any money. think about the next time they are flying down U.S. 31 and Conditions for the toll road upkeep were spelled only have to stop for a cup of coffee. v out clearly in the contract all the way down to how many minutes road kill can lie dead on the road, how much Eric Holcomb was a senior aide to Gov. Mitch Dan- snow can accumulate, adding another lane, a new police iels. Page 17

crossed over to the Democratic primary to vote for him. Sizing up South Bend, One vote analyst calculated that Buttigieg got as many as 3,000 Republican votes, way more than the 655 votes in the Republican primary for the GOP mayoral nominee. Mishawaka mayors Fall election? No doubt. Buttigieg won with 74 per- By JACK COLWELL cent. He carried all 91 precincts in which votes were cast SOUTH BEND – Political focus shifts now to the in South Bend. Every precinct. Even strongly Republican 2015 city elections. And what a difference there is from precincts in South Bend’s 5th District. the mayoral political situation in South Bend and Misha- In Mishawaka there was a surprise, too, not so waka exactly four years ago, back when focus was on the much that Wood won. Republicans usually win for mayor approaching 2011 city elections. in Mishawaka, just as Democrats usually win the mayoral On this date in 2010, Steve Luecke, longest serv- race in South Bend. The volume of Wood’s landslide, how- ing mayor in South Bend history, still had not announced ever, was astounding. He won with 76 percent. He also whether he would seek for another term. carried every precinct in which votes were cast in his city. Some Democrats, convinced that Luecke would All 45 precincts. Even in the strongly Democratic parts of step aside, as indeed he did, the city. were talking up the prospects Why? Mishawaka voters liked the new low-key of a 28-year-old Rhodes mayor and disliked the harsh negative attack on him by Scholar with a name they Fry. had trouble pronouncing. While there have been changes in the mayoral This Pete Buttigieg had just political situation in South Bend and Mishawaka since this lost to Richard Mourdock – date four years ago, some things politically in both cities in that Richard Mourdock – for 2015 are likely to go on as they have for decades. state treasurer. There were No Republican has been elected mayor of South more experienced Democratic Bend since Lloyd Allen won in 1963 and 1967. Since 1963, elected officials ready to run Mishawaka has elected only one Democrat as mayor, Bob if Luecke didn’t. Buttigieg was Kovach for one term in 1979. There’s no sign that the impressive to those who knew trend will be broken in either city. him. But he wasn’t widely Buttigieg, with patriotic welcomes home after known. active duty as a Navy Reserve officer in Afghanistan and On this date in 2010 in Mishawaka, Mayor Dave hailed for the economic development emphasis he prom- Wood had been in office for only about three months. ised, is expected to win again the Democratic mayoral Wood had been picked by Republican precinct officials to nomination. Republicans, searching for a nominee, appar- replace Jeff Rea, who resigned to accept leadership of the ently haven’t found one for a serious challenge to Butti- St. Joseph County Chamber of gieg. Commerce. Nice guy, everybody Wood, with ability to get said of Wood, but could he stand along with a Democratic-con- up to an expected tough chal- trolled council and with a nice- lenge from Craig Fry, a veteran guy image surviving the rigors Democratic state representative? of governmental challenge, is Surprises were ahead. expected to win again the Repub- Buttigieg faced three lican mayoral nomination. Demo- other serious contenders for crats, searching for a nominee, the Democratic nomination. He apparently haven’t found one for impressed more and more voters, a serious challenge to Wood. particularly with determination to Surprises? You never spur economic development and know in politics. But Buttigieg and tackle decades-old problems in Wood are known for surprising South Bend. landslides, not for being surprised Buttigieg seemed to be by tough challenges or tough op- pulling ahead; looked as though ponents. v he would win if he got a little over a third of the vote in the Colwell has covered Indiana four-candidate race. He got 55 politics over five decades for percent. the South Bend Tribune. He won so big by also impressing Republican voters who Page 18

counties, only 28 saw wages and salaries rise faster than Mixed economic news the increase in jobs thus generating an increase in wages per job in excess of inflation. These were the real winners; they included Gib- for Indiana counties son, Elkhart, Jackson and Shelby counties. Just seven By MORTON MARCUS counties were losers across the board. They lost in wages INDIANAPOLIS – In mid-November, Lt. Gov. Sue and salaries paid, in jobs, as well as in average wages Ellspermann (the LG) and Eric Doden, President of the per job; thereby they also lost to inflation. These included Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), spoke Bartholomew, Jay, Lake and Harrison. at the annual Conference of the Indiana Economic Forum While the news had its positive elements, there (IEF) in Carmel. The next day, the U.S. Bureau of Econom- were also important negatives deserving attention. v ic Analysis (BEA) released county level data on wages and salaries and employment. Mr. Marcus is an economist, writer, and speaker What a shame the data could not be released be- who may be reached at mortonjmarcus@yahoo. fore they addressed their audience. Then they could have com. pointed with pride to the fact that Indiana’s 2013 average wage per job increased by 1.1 percent, fast- er than the nation’s 0.8 percent rise. Our rate of growth ranked 26th in the nation and right in line Pence, Zoeller sue over with South Carolina, Wyoming, Florida and Texas. We exceeded Obama exec order the growth rates of all four of our bordering states. INDIANAPOLIS – in a letter to Attorney General The average job in Indi- Greg Zoeller, Gov. Mike Pence directed that the State ana paid $460 more per year in of Indiana join 17 other states in a lawsuit seeking to 2013 than in the preceding year. have President Obama’s executive order that unilaterally This ranked 30th in the country changed American immigration laws without input from and was 16 percent above the nation’s $397 advance. Congress ruled unconstitutional. Governor Pence issued The audience would have had warm feelings from the following statement regarding Indiana’s participation in that news. Only now, reading this column, would anyone the lawsuit: have to bother with some pin-pricking of the Hoosier bal- “While reasonable people can differ on ways to loon. improve our nation’s broken immigration system, the We know the nation’s numbers are often distorted President’s unilateral action was an unacceptable end run by what happens in our largest state, California, which has around the democratic process and joining other states 11 percent or one in every nine jobs in the country. Last in pursuing legal recourse to challenge this action is the year, average wages in the Golden State fell by $661, a 1.1 right thing to do. This lawsuit is not about immigration. It percent decline, which was the worst performance in the is about denying states such as ours the opportunity to be nation. represented in policy making through our elected members When we drop California from our calculations, of Congress. $100 is added to the increase of the average wage for the “This lawsuit seeks to have the federal courts U.S. Now, Indiana’s advance of $460 per job slips from 16 restore the rule of law and proper balance to our constitu- percent above to 7 percent below the national average. tional system of government. I encourage the President to Additional perspective comes by factoring inflation into the rescind his executive order and immediately begin to work picture. with Congress to pass legislation that will secure our na- With a 1.5 percent increase in the Consumer Price tion’s border and update our immigration laws. That is the Index (CPI) for the year 2013, Indiana was not one of the proper way to deal with this or any other issue our nation 17 states advancing fast enough for wages per job to out- faces.” v pace inflation. Hoosier workers lost buying power in 2013. Undoubtedly, the LG and the President of IEDC would have noted half (46) of Indiana’s 92 counties had increases in average wages per job last year that beat U.S. inflation (1.5 percent). This left 46 counties that did not see real average wages rise. Of those 46 lagging counties, 16 saw nominal or actual average wages per job fall in 2013. Of our 92 Page 19

David Coker, Evansville Courier & Press: and their productivity, leaving the communities to languish. Several days before the violence last Monday night in What’s the cause of population decline in rural America? Ferguson, Missouri, a friend of mine who frequently visits One of the causes, of course, is advanced methods of pro- the St. Louis area called with a lot on her mind. Having duction agriculture. One farmer can now perform the same closely watched the violence in the streets of Ferguson last amount of work that it took many to perform in the past. August in response to the shooting of Michael Brown, she But jobs on the farm have been disappearing since the was bracing for a similar, almost predictable response. “I tractor replaced the horse. So why have so many people think St. Louis could easily become another Detroit,” she left rural communities in recent years? One significant rea- told me, “right now, I would not go within 50 miles of the son is the loss of rural manufacturing jobs. And the steep- place.” For the past seven years, I have person- est declines in manufacturing earnings occurred ally spent my Monday afternoons working with in low-skilled sectors, such as textile and apparel. impoverish children of all races at the Dream So why then would I say that agriculture is now Center, a faith-based, after school program for more critical to the health of rural America than it at-risk kids who live primarily in the Jacobsville used to be? Well, the obvious answer is that it’s Center City neighborhood. So, it was with some the only game in town for many communities. In consternation and concern that the two of fact, according to the USDA, rural communities us witnessed the intense violence, burning, looting and that were more farming-dependent fared better during rioting that occurred on Canfield Street and elsewhere the recession and recovery than communities that were in Ferguson, after St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney less farming-dependent. Driven by strong global demand Bob McCullough announced that a 12-member grand jury for food, commodity prices remained high, and agriculture found insufficient evidence to bring charges against Officer remained strong where other industries, like manufactur- Darren Wilson, a white Ferguson police officer, for shoot- ing, faltered. Will rural America ever look like it did when ing the black teenager. The ongoing controversy highlights I was a little girl growing up on my family’s farm? No. Will some rather disturbing facts which hover like dark clouds some rural communities die out? Sadly, yes. But will many over where we are as a nation and the manner in which is- rural communities survive and thrive? Absolutely. And sues of race are being covered by the news media. It also why? Because the global economy provides unprecedented dramatizes how compartmentalized we are when it comes opportunities for agriculture and for the communities in to covering public issues and the extent to which we seem which agricultural enterprises are carried out. v to have lost the vocabulary to rationally deal with the is- sues of poverty and race in this nation. v Jerry Davich, Post-Tribune: Now that a grand jury has made its long-awaited decision on the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, I’m curious about Jill Long Thompson, NWI Times: I’m going to the grand jury of public opinion on comedian Bill Cosby. start today by stating the obvious — agriculture is critical More than two dozen women have now come forward to our rural economy. This has been true for more than with allegations that they were sexually assaulted by the two centuries, and will likely be true for centuries to come. 77-year-old actor, comedian and entertainment legend, But now I’m going to share an observation that may seem most taking place decades ago, with some cases involv- less obvious. Today agriculture is even more critical to the ing date-rape drugs. Did he? Could he? Or are all of these economy of rural America than it was 20, 30, or even 50 charges baseless, filed so long after the fact that they’re years ago. Why do I believe this? First let’s consider one surely fictional? After all, this is Dr. Cliff Huxtable we’re of the biggest threats to rural communities: Population de- talking about here, who hurdled race barriers in this coun- cline. According to a study cited in a recent article by the try and who’s been held in high esteem by most Americans FDIC, more than half of all U.S. rural counties lost popula- for a half century. He’s our generation’s Mark Twain, a tion between 1980 and 2010. In Indiana, school consoli- master storyteller who as lovable as he is funny. I mean, dation has re-emerged as a serious policy topic. Many who doesn’t enjoy, respect and appreciate Cosby? Or smaller school districts are facing the challenges of popula- should I say who didn’t enjoy, respect and appreciate him tion loss, which causes the education cost per student to before these mounting allegations? I watched him perform increase. And if a school closes, the problem of declining live at a local casino boat and he floored me with his wit, population becomes even more pronounced. And the issue humor and comedic pacing. He’s like our collective grand- isn’t just how many people are leaving rural America; the father. But no more. I think there must be some truth to issue is also who is leaving rural America. An FDIC article these allegations, even if they came out decades after the referred to counties with “pinched waists,” where the alleged rapes and sexual assaults. And I don’t buy the populations aged 20 to 45 are smaller than the populations line I’m hearing from many people, mostly men, claiming younger or older than this group. When communities lose the charges must be false because of their timing. A rape people between the ages of 20 and 45, they lose vitality. is a rape, period, whether it’s revealed two hours or two This is generally the most productive period of people’s decades later. v lives. When they leave, they take with them their ingenuity Page 20

July, which found minimal violations away authority from the department Curry says he and resulted in a $5,000 fine. By the and give it to the state board,” Ritz time the final report was issued, “we said. “I’m saying I’m already doing the didn’t see report had concluded that we would decline work.” Board member Cari Whicker, of prosecution on those issues,” Curry Uniondale, had a particularly heated INDIANAPOLIS - Marion said. “At that time, we were unaware exchange with Ritz in which she com- County Prosecutor Terry Curry said of the February 2014 report and re- plained that Ritz was speaking to her Wednesday his office was never given mained so until this week’s news sto- “as if I’m a child being reprimanded.” an investigative report that concluded ry.” Meanwhile, the U.S. attorney’s of- there was substantial evidence to fice, which prosecutes federal crimes, Indiana abortion support criminal charges has remained mum on the against former Indiana topic.An agency spokesman law stuck down schools Superintendent declined to comment on the INDIANAPOLIS – A federal Tony Bennett (IndyStar). matter Wednesday. And a judge has ruled against an Indiana But Inspector General spokesman for Indianapo- law that changed the state’s classi- David Thomas insists he lis mayoral candidate Joe fication of abortion clinics to include told Curry that the Hogsett, who was the U.S. sites that only perform drug-induced prosecutor could seek “ghost employ- attorney at the time of the report, said abortions (Associated Press). District ment” charges against Bennett. He he likely would not be able to com- Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson released also forwarded his office’s complete ment, either. “Joe can’t comment on a a ruling Wednesday saying the 2013 investigative records to both Curry matter that may or may not still be an law violated equal protection rights by and federal prosecutors, he said. The ongoing federal investigation,” spokes- treating a Planned Parenthood clinic Associated Press on Tuesday revealed man Thomas Cook said. in Lafayette differently than physician that an investigation by the Indiana offices that provide the same medica- inspector general’s office into Ben- Ritz, SBOE spar tions. Opponents have maintained the nett’s use of state resources during his law was aimed at shutting down the 2012 re-election campaign found more over failed schools Lafayette clinic . than 100 possible violations of federal wire fraud law by his office. Bennett INDIANAPOLIS – More has not been charged, and he has struggling schools would be eligible Kenley qestions consistently denied any wrongdoing. for earlier state intervention, and the RDA funding On Wednesday, Curry, whose office is State Board of Education would as- tasked with investigating public cor- sume more control over the process, INDIANAPOLIS — The North- ruption at the Statehouse, said he first under recommendations approved west Indiana Regional Development learned of the February 2014 report 9-2 by the board Wednesday (Kelly, Authority is in for a tough fight to through the AP news story. “While our Fort Wayne Journal Gazette). But keep the $10 million a year in state office was provided with an inves- the Indiana General Assembly would funding it has used over the past tigative report in November 2013, still have to approve major parts of decade to build major infrastructure the IG never provided this additional the proposal – including who controls projects in Lake and Porter coun- February 2014 report to our office millions in federal school improvement ties (NWI Times). RDA President Bill for review,” Curry said in a prepared funds. Wednesday’s board discussion Hanna confronted skepticism Wednes- statement. “I have requested a copy over changes to the state turnaround day from state Sen. Luke Kenley, of the February 2014 report and sup- process for chronically failing schools R-Noblesville, as Hanna explained to porting documentation from the Office was full of anger and tension. It boiled the Kenley-led State Budget Commit- of the U.S. Attorney, and our office down, once again, to who controls tee how the money invested by the will review this information once those education policy in the state – the state has helped leverage an addi- materials are provided by that office.” Indiana Department of Education, run tional $650 million for region projects. Thomas, however, told AP that he sent by elected Democrat Superintendent “You’re asking the state to give a Curry a letter on Feb. 27 notifying him of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz, or straight-up economic subsidy to this that 12 binders of material would be the Republican-dominated and ap- one region. Generally, we do not do forwarded to his office. A copy of the pointed State Board of Education. Ritz this,” Kenley said. “Why can’t you just letter was provided to The Associated presented data showing that her ap- work through the IEDC? Why should Press Wednesday. A 95-page report proach to improving schools is work- we just shovel out $10 million a year completed by the inspector general’s ing and that a major overhaul isn’t extra to you guys?” office in February contrasted sharply needed. “There is some defensiveness with the 8-page document released in because some of your proposals take