V26, N33 Thursday, April 22, 2021 A flush biennial budget like no other “Christmas presents . for everyone!” An infusion of Biden relief That was back in the day when “illions” were sized with “Bs” instead of “Ts” and there funds, $2 billion of new were two viable political parties jousting for power in the Indiana General Assembly. revenue brings a springtime Then there was Gov. Mitch Daniels who pre- Statehouse Christmas sided over the state during the 2008-09 Great Recession that nearly devoured the state’s domestic auto industry. By BRIAN A. HOWEY Congress passed an $800 billion American Recovery and INDIANAPOLIS – The late great budget analyst Bill Reinvestment Act stimulus package, and the state ended Styring reacted to a modestly positive General Assembly revenue forecast sometime in the 1990s by proclaiming, Continued on page 3 Vaccine time bomb By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – The headline under LaPorte Mayor Tom Dermody’s sunny, smiling face in the Herald- Dispatch was this: “LaPorte officials urge everyone to get COVID-19 vaccine: ‘We’re not trying to be political.’” “It is my hope now that a proper It’s headlines like this that really make me wonder whether sentence is given that fits the the human race, which has been crime committed and our entire around in our evolutionary state for only about 10,000 years, is country can use this case to trans- going to last more than the next form the relationship and trust century or two. Here we stand amidst between people of color and the a modern scientific medical miracle: The development, test- police.” ing and implementation of a - State Sen. Eddie Melton, on COVID-19 vaccine within a year. And what we face as a so- the conviction of Derek Chauvin. Page 2 ciety is what is being called the “hard a--. I literally could hardly crawl out part,” which is getting the vaccine into of bed the last few days. But I did. I the arms of about 50% of the popula- crawled.” tion who have yet to receive a dose. Nugent defended his vaccine CDC stats reveal that only hestitancy, saying, “I guess I would 23.4% of Hoosiers are fully vacci- ask you, because I’m addicted to Howey Politics Indiana nated as of today, which is below the truth, logic and common sense and WWWHowey Media, LLC national average of 26.4%, as well my common sense meter would de- c/o Business Office as neighbors Michigan (26.3%), Ohio mand the answer to: Why weren’t we PO Box 6553 (26.7%), Kentucky (27.8%), and Il- shut down for COVID one through linois (25.6%). More troubling is that 18? COVID 1-18 didn’t shut anything Kokomo, IN, 46904 vaccine doses administered declined down, but whoa, COVID-19, even www.howeypolitics.com by 17% in Indiana compared to last though it’s 99.8% survivable. Why week. The ISDH dashboard reports didn’t we shut down for the AIDS Brian A. Howey, Publisher that 1.644 mil- epidemic or the Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington lion Hoosiers have flu or influenza been fully vacci- every year?” Mary Lou Howey, Editor nated. This comes Susan E. Howey, Editor WRTV as Politico report- reported Wednes- ed that aides to Subscriptions day that Morgan former president County has can- Donald Trump HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 celled a Saturday look back at the HPI Weekly, $350 vaccination clinic end of his term as Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager due to lack of a major missed (765) 452-3936 telephone interest. Some opoortunity to (765) 452-3973 fax 16,410 people out encourage his [email protected] of 70,000 popula- supporters to get tion have been vaccinated there, or vaccinated. “If he spent the last 90 Contact HPI 22%. The Washington Post reported days being the voice — and taking [email protected] today that there has been an 11% credit because he deserved to for Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 decline in vaccinations in the U.S. over the vaccine — and helping get as the past week. many Americans get vaccinated as he Washington: 202.256.5822 A Monmouth Poll last week could, he would be remembered for Business Office: 765.452.3936 revealed “partisanship” remains the that,” a former senior administration main distinguishing factor among official said. Trump administration © 2021, Howey Politics those who want to avoid the vaccine officials planned for Trump to receive Indiana. All rights reserved. altogether, with 43% of Republicans the vaccine on camera. versus just 5% of Democrats say- It didn’t happen. Photocopying, Internet forward- ing this (along with 22% of inde- Mayor Dermody and others ing, faxing or reproducing in any pendents). This “vaccine hesitancy” along the Michigan line like Elkhart form, whole or part, is a violation demographic is poised to prevent the Mayor Rod Roberson and Warsaw of federal law without permission U.S. from attaining “herd immunity.” Mayor Joe Thallemer are now pulling from the publisher. As COVID-19 mutates and morphs, out all the stops, working with state the nasty scenario is what is happen- health officials to open up walk-in ing in Michigan, which has a higher in- vaccine sites. Jack E. Howey oculation rate than Indiana, but finds Dermody showed up at editor emeritus its emergency rooms swamped with his board of works and city council 1926-2019 COVID patients, becomes the norm. meetings to press the urgency. “We One of them is rocker Ted see what’s happening in the state Nugent, who last week released a of Michigan. We’re right along the video rant at the “COVID-19 myth.” border and our numbers are going up “I have had flu symptoms for the last quickly,” Dermody said. “I think we’ve 10 days and I thought I was dying,” only had 25% of the county vaccinat- Nugent said. “I was tested positive to- ed. I want to give thanks to LaPorte day. I’ve got a stuffed up head, body County, they have done a marvelous aches. My God, what a pain in the job with their vaccination program. Page 3 We have vaccines available With Black Americans, throughout the city of LaPorte. If history such as the Tuskegee people aren’t sure about how to testing a century ago has left register, we have access because a legacy of distrust. The J&J we’re always asked, ‘Do you suspension raised concerns, have some arms?’” even though only one in a Reporter Steve Garbacz million reported adverse side of KPC News, which serves effects. Kaiser Family Founda- northeastern Indiana counties tion surveys revealed 22% along the Michigan line, provid- of people they polled recently ed the stats: Approximately 74% are in a “wait and see” cat- of Hoosiers age 80 and older egory, fearing side effects. have been vaccinated against COVID-19, and new cases Stat.com reports that issues about vaccines often in March and April 2021 are down 88.1% in that demo- center more on anxieties than facts, said Heidi Larson, graphic compared to June-December 2020. For those in who directs the Vaccine Confidence Project. “This can be their 70s, vaccine uptake has hit 77% and new cases have a messy, emotional, difficult space. There are some people dropped by 81.6%. In the 60s age range, vaccine uptake who aren’t going to change their minds no matter what, is 65% and new cases have dropped 70.2%; at 50s it’s so focus more on the so-called movable middle. You might 47% vaccination rate and 61.5% drop in cases; in the 40s think of it as your swing vote — any political strategist will vaccines have hit 33% of the population and cases have tell you that getting as much of the swing vote as you can dropped 58.4%; those in their 30s have 25% vaccinated is what’s important. It can also make people more resilient and had a 54.6% drop in cases; for the 20s it’s 19% vac- to the predatory behavior of anti-vax groups.” cinations and 54.1% drop in cases and for those younger Say what? Predatory behavior? Sounds like a Krem- than 20, of which only 3% are currently vaccinated, new lin plot. cases have dropped the lowest at 42.9%. We’ve all witnessed Gov. Eric Holcomb and key So it’s working. The stats prove it. members of his administration conistently stress the safety On Wednesday, President Biden explained, “It’s an of the vaccine as well as receive the jab on camera. incredible achievement, but we still have some work to do What about other Republicans in the dominating with our target groups. If you’ve been waiting your turn, General Assembly and congressional delegations? Are they wait no longer. Now is the time.” going to educate and urge their constituencies to protect Why are so many hesitant to accept the vaccine? themselves, their families, and their communities? v Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tempore Rod Bray Biennial budget, from page 1 gathered for a Zoom presser. While their body language up with an extra $4.5 billion. Daniels and his congres- was understated, Holcomb was downright giddy with his sional Republican colleagues opposed the act, but when words for two reasons: reporters pressed the governor on whether he’d accept the n Last week’s revenue forecast was $2 billion more funds, he responded, “We’ll take it.” than expected. “You’ve got this n President Biden’s $1.9 trillion gusher of so-called stimulus American Relief Act was the source money which is why I keep of a $1.6 billion infusion into this insisting that it be spent on biennial budget.