Mayor Weinzapfel touts success, vision for merger (Courier & Press)

Thomas B. Langhorne - Evansville Courier & Press

Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel rhapsodized in his State of the City speech Tuesday about Evansville's planned Downtown arena and trumpeted government cost-cutting and economic development victories.

Much of it the mayor had said before. What was not as widely known was the vision he articulated for a finely detailed proposal for consolidated Evansville-Vanderburgh County government.

A new 12-member committee has begun meeting to craft a proposal as a result of the League of Women Voters of Southwestern Indiana's signature campaign that kicked off a drive toward a ballot referendum on consolidation. The committee held its second meeting Tuesday night.

Speaking to the Rotary Club of Evansville, Weinzapfel made it clear he prefers not to follow the 2005 City-County Unification Study Committee's vision of creating a framework for government with details of public safety to be decided by an elected body.

"If you consolidate public safety services, whose pay scale do we use: the Sheriff's Department or the Police Department?" he said. "What will the impact be on taxpayers in the county versus taxpayers in the city?

"... I believe it is vitally important that the reorganization committee develop a detailed proposal that people can clearly understand."

State lawmakers who declined to advance the 2005 study committee's proposal wanted elected officials to have significant input on the structuring of a consolidated government. But the study committee's citizen-volunteers said those decisions should be made by the new government's elected representatives.

"When we looked at issues such as fire protection, police protection, we did not think radical change was necessary, but that, over time, as areas developed and become urbanized and industrialized and commercialized, the need for government services is going to need to change," Phil Fisher, the study committee coordinator, told a public forum in October 2005.

"We wanted to give (the governing body) the powers to make those changes as time goes on."

But Weinzapfel told reporters after his State of the City address that the 2005 committee did not give policymakers and the public enough details of how a consolidated government would be structured.

"The advice that I have given the (new) reorganization committee is they have to get into those details," he said.

" ... Do you have a county sheriff that runs everything? Do you have a county sheriff that does his constitutional duties, running the jail, serving warrants and then, alongside it, you have a police chief that reports to the mayor?"

The mayor also said elected officials should play a significant role.

"As mayor, County Commissioners, County Council members, City Council members, they understand how local government works better — works or doesn't work — better than anybody else in this community," he said.

The 2006 legislation that creates a framework for local governments to merge does call for "a comprehensive plan of reorganization for the reorganizing political subdivisions," but it does not appear to require a specific and detailed proposal for public safety.

Nevertheless, members of the new committee said they are open to the possibility of formulating one.

Weinzapfel, who has acknowledged he is considering running for governor in 2012, also deflected questions about his political future Tuesday.

"There's a lot of great projects ongoing, a lot of difficult challenges ahead of us, and that's where my focus is," he said.

"I haven't made any decisions about a third term."

Outsider vibe driving the “Draft Mellencamp” Facebook group (CNN)

Thom Patterson - CNN

To hear leaders of the "Draft John Mellencamp for Senate!" Facebook group tell it, this is a story about "insider" politicians, "street-level voters" and whether a likeable rock star with strong grass-roots appeal will run for the U.S. Senate.

The "movement," as the group calls it, was born less than three weeks ago with Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh's stunning announcement he would not not run for re-election. The next morning, Gabrial Canada, 21, was at home watching cable news reports about a Facebook page aimed at bringing Mellencamp, 58, into the race.

"After I saw that I went right to the Facebook group," Canada said Wednesday from his home in Indianapolis. "By then it had only been a matter of hours and it had already gotten a thousand members. It was incredibly exciting to see that catching hold." He contacted the group's founder and from then on he was hooked. So far, the group has garnered more than 7,000 members in 16 days.

"There's all this faux populism out there -- people who get paid millions of dollars to generate campaigns that look like they're supporting the people," said Canada, a self-described community ambassador for a local PBS TV station. "When you have the prospect of somebody as genuine as Mellencamp campaigning as someone people can relate to, it's unique, it's something you can't replace."

But there's another turn in this twisted tale. Because Bayh waited until February 15 to announce his decision, he essentially forced the party to choose its candidate instead of leaving it up to voters in the state's May 4 primary. According to party rules, Indiana's 32-member Democratic Central Committee will vote by secret ballot to decide who will run. The committee chairman said members won't consider anyone who hasn't officially declared themselves a candidate.

"I don't think [Mellencamp's] going to declare," said chairman Dan Parker.

For his part, Mellencamp continues to issue nothing but a terse "no comment," through a spokesman.

The idea that Indiana Democrats would not hold a primary to choose their Senate candidate felt like a "punch in the face" said Canada. It's "anti-democratic."

"I don't think that the decisions of insiders are necessarily reflective of the popular political will," he said. Through meetup.com, Canada is organizing the first of a statewide series of planned rallies set for Friday at a 1950s-era hangout on Indianapolis' folksy South Side.

At Edwards Drive-In, home of the "Jumbo Tenderloin" and 99-cent root beer floats, Canada hopes to attract a dozen Mellencamp supporters, whom he'll ask to sign a petition to be submitted to Indiana newspaper editors. In the coming days, Canada plans a much larger rally in the Democratic stronghold of Bloomington -- right in the small-town rocker's own backyard.

The fact that his Facebook campaign comes during an election cycle influenced by a larger, grass-roots Tea Party movement -- with polar opposite political views -- isn't lost on the Facebook page founder John Patterson. "The end result of moving out the status quo in favor of new faces is probably the same goal," he said with a laugh.

The Draft Mellencamp campaign is racing against a deadline. The state's Democratic committee will hold its vote as early as May 15, and any candidate, including Mellencamp, must officially declare 72 hours prior, according to Parker -- that would be noon May 12.

As for Mellencamp himself, he's "never expressed overt interest in running for anything," said the musician's longtime publicist, Bob Merlis, by phone from his California office.

Much has been written in the past few weeks about Mellencamp's 2008 campaign performances for presidential candidates Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, as well as his years of public support for family farmers and his opposition to the Iraq war.

"I don't think it's a crazy idea," Merlis said about the draft campaign. "I mean that from the point of view of someone who knows him and knows his intellect and knows that he is an aware person. But he's not a very politicked person -- meaning he is not prone to pull his punches."

Pundits and party officials say they're stymied by this question: Instead of, "No comment," why doesn't Mellencamp just say, "No thank you?" Why doesn't he declare that he's just not interested to reduce political confusion and streamline the nomination process?

"I've said something along the same lines," said Merlis.

Indianapolis Star political columnist Matthew Tully, who has been covering Hoosier politics since 1992, offered his theory: "Why not just allow the buzz to go out there? He's a businessman, like a politician he knows it doesn't hurt him to have people talking about it. So it is kind of interesting that he hasn't officially said anything either way. My guess is he's just enjoying the moment."

However unlikely, a Mellencamp campaign could be formidable, said pundits, despite Indiana's strong Republican establishment. "A lot of Hoosiers think that he speaks for them," said Brian Howey of the daily online brief Howey Politics Indiana. "He's pretty well tapped into the Indiana soul."

In the short time since Bayh's announcement, two Democrats who were considering running have decided not to. Most of the Democratic establishment, said Tully, has coalesced strongly around moderate Rep. Brad Ellsworth, a former county sheriff.

"I was with a friend of Mellencamp's in Bloomington last week," said Howey. "His comment was, 'There's no way John could last in the U.S. Senate. It would be absolutely stifling for him. He wouldn't be able to say exactly what's on his mind.'"

"It's one thing to be [ex-Saturday Night Live comedian and Minnesota Sen.] Al Franken, Harvard grad, who has some seriousness about him -- not that Mellencamp doesn't -- I'm just not sure the Senate's an appropriate forum for him."

Apparently, the Senate was becoming unpalatable for Bayh, who announced he was leaving because an overly partisan "Congress is not operating as it should." "The people's business is not getting done," he said.

Patterson, the Facebook page founder, blames political "insiders" for congressional gridlock and "all the obstruction to progress we're having right now."

He sees the Internet as a way to break what he called an insiders' stranglehold on the nomination process. "We need someone like Mellencamp, who's much more tuned to street-level voters."

Seven-year Statehouse run ending for Van Haaften (Courier & Press)

 

Seven-year Statehouse run ending for Van Haaften
By Eric Bradner

 

INDIANAPOLIS — As he prepares a run for Indiana's 8th District seat in the U.S. House, state Rep. Trent Van Haaften will close out his seven-year Indiana General Assembly career when the current legislative session wraps up this week.

 

It's a career that started in 2004, when Van Haaften, then the Posey County prosecutor, was appointed to complete the two-year term of Jonathan Weinzapfel, who had just been elected mayor of Evansville.

 

Van Haaften now will launch a campaign casting himself as a moderate consensus-builder. It's the kind of campaign Democrats have to run in the 8th District, where voters chose Republican John McCain for president in 2008 even though Barack Obama carried Indiana as a whole.

 

But as he leaves behind a Statehouse in which his star was on the rise among Democratic leaders, the question is, will such a campaign resonate?

 

The House Public Policy Committee, which Van Haaften chairs, is assigned bills related to the regulation of drugs, gambling and alcohol, as well as crime and sentencing. He won praise from fellow committee members for his handling of those issues.

 

"I think Trent's been a phenomenal committee chairman," said Rep. Matt Bell of Avilla, the top-ranking Republican on the committee.

 

Bell said on that legislative panel, "we are able to work in a bipartisan fashion. These are not issues that fall on party lines. And he's promoted that culture of exchange."

 

 

LINK: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2010/mar/07/seven-year-statehouse-run-ending/

Where are the jobs? (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)

Where are the jobs?
Editorial -- Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

 

It will come as no surprise to northeast Indiana residents that the thousands of new jobs touted by the Daniels administration have not come to fruition. But an Indianapolis TV news report on inflated economic development success figures should prompt more honest reporting from the state.

WTHR-TV examined the Indiana Economic Development Corp.’s claim that the state gained more than 100,000 jobs and found it came up far short.

“There are empty fields and deserted factories where the state claims there are supposed to be thousands of jobs,” the report intones, over video that includes shots from a LaGrange County cornfield. “As many as 40 percent of statewide jobs listed as so-called economic successes have not happened, and most of them never will.”

The practice of staging VIP-packed news conferences and groundbreaking events certainly didn’t begin with Gov. Mitch Daniels. Elected officials from both parties always are eager to announce jobs and not-so-eager to acknowledge when they fall through. Central Indiana residents, with jobless rates as much as 3 percentage points lower than those in northeast Indiana, might be startled to learn that the job promises never materialized, but most Hoosiers were more skeptical of the initial announcements.

Still, the Daniels administration has been unusually bold in proclaiming economic success where none exists.

From the campaign commercial scrolling scores of new job sites to the State of the State jabs at neighboring states, the governor has offered up a rosy view. The IEDC’s annual report, labeled “Indiana’s Economic Successes,” was ripe for review. When questioned about it, the development corporation’s Chairman Mitch Roob tried to dismiss the label.

“I don’t know that we call it ‘success’ … what we call it is a ‘job commitment,’ ” he told reporter Bob Segall. When the reporter showed him a copy of the development corporations’ own report, Roob admitted that perhaps it should have been called, “the first step toward the path of successes” instead of “successes.”

Hoosier economist Morton Marcus calls it more clearly: “A commitment is not a reality,” Marcus said. “We need to be founded in reality. That’s the issue – where are the jobs?” 

LINK: http://journalgazette.com/article/20100305/EDIT07/303059999/1021/EDIT

McDermott Out, Washington Back In for Senate Seat

By Jane Huh - Post Tribune

As one Lake County Democrat bowed out of seeking Evan Bayh's U.S. Senate seat on Saturday, another jumped back in.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. will no longer seek the state Democratic Party's nomination for the congressional seat after Bayh retires, said Keith Clock, chairman of the 5th District Central Committee, who spoke with McDermott on Saturday morning.

McDermott, also the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, could not be reached for comment as of press time.

However, Darren Washington could emerge as a candidate from the region.

"Northwest Indiana cannot afford to not fight for the opportunity to have representation in Washington, D.C., and represent the state of Indiana in the U.S. Senate," Washington said.

The Gary School Board member decided to again seek the party's nomination only after Highland Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin passed up on the idea of seeking the congressional seat.

Washington said he had hoped Griffin, who is "more than well-qualified to be U.S. senator," would seek the party's nomination.

On Friday, Washington had taken himself out of the running and declined a chance to speak as a Senate candidate on Saturday before the Fifth District Central Committee in Noblesville out of respect for Griffin's possible Senate seat interest.

"I really believe Mike Griffin would be an excellent choice," Washington said.

Although the suggestion is "gratifying, humbling and heartening," Griffin said he is occupied with other priorities.

"It is profoundly flattering to have your name mentioned in that special league," Griffin said. "But, presently, the league I need to be focused on is being a new dad (to an 8-month-old daughter) and being a good public servant for the people of Highland."

After hearing that Griffin wasn't interested, Washington decided to "take up the mantle."

"I'll have to have serious conversations with the party leadership," he said. "I just may have to step out in faith."

The Central Committee cannot meet to vote on a candidate until after the May 4 primary and has until June 30 to chose a nominee.

Ellsworth looks for outsider status in Senate race

Ellsworth looks for outsider status in Senate race
Kevin Rader/Eyewitness News

 

Indianapolis - Indiana Congressman Brad Ellsworth has hit the ground running for the US Senate being vacated by Evan Bayh. The Democrat spent part of the day touring an Indianapolis factory.

As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, touring Thomas & Skinner of Indianapolis makes perfect sense for Congressman Brad Ellsworth. The magnets made at the company go into the Hellfire and Sidewinder missiles used by the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Thomas & Skinner employees had plenty of questions for the US Senate candidate.

"American made products are very important," said an employee.

"Magnets are going into our fighting machines are being built in other countries. I don't want that to go there," said Ellsworth. 

LINK: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=12065268&clienttype=printable

Reality Check: Indiana job numbers don’t add up (WTHR)

Reality Check: Indiana job numbers don't add up 
WTHR Special Report 

When Mitch Daniels promised Hoosiers more jobs during a heated 2004 election, some voters were understandably skeptical.

After all, when's the last time you heard a candidate for public office – let alone the state's top office – say jobs were not a priority?

But as a newly-elected governor, Daniels quickly showed he meant business.

In February 2005 -- just one month into his administration – Gov. Daniels created the Indiana Economic Development Corporation to attract new business and more jobs to Indiana.

It got immediate results.

Honda, Nestle, WellPoint, and Toyota announced plans to bring the state new factories and thousands of new jobs, and many other companies followed.

IEDC began tallying all the job announcements, and the agency developed an impressive list.

That list, published each year in IEDC's annual reports, is simply titled "Indiana Economic Successes." It includes the name of each company that committed new Indiana jobs through relocation or expansion, and it shows the specific number of jobs promised.

Since its creation, IEDC boasts more than 100,000 new jobs on its success list, and when the agency and the governor talk about job numbers, the "Indiana Economic Successes" list is what they are talking about.

But 13 Investigates discovered many of the state's "economic successes" aren't really successes at all.

They are empty fields and deserted factories where the state claims there are supposed to be thousands of jobs. 

LINK: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=12066021

U.S Rep. Baron Hill won’t run for Senate, endorses Ellsworth

 

U.S Rep. Baron Hill won’t run for Senate, endorses Ellsworth
By Lesley Stedman Weidenbener

INDIANAPOLIS — U.S. Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th District, said Saturday he will not run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Evan Bayh and endorsed fellow congressman Brad Ellsworth of the 8th District for the Democratic nomination.

“My focus has been, and will remain, on fulfilling my job as the congressman from Southern Indiana and continuing to address the most pressing issues our nation and great state face, like deficit reduction, health care reform, energy independence and entitlement spending,” Hill said in a statement.

[...]

The Democratic nominee will face the winner of a five-way Republican race that includes former U.S. Sen. Dan Coats, state Sen. Marlin Stutzman of Howe and former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler.

Bayh stunned Democrats and Republicans earlier this month with the announcement that he won’t seek a third term. And because he announced his retirement just one day before a crucial filing deadline, no Democratic candidates qualified for the ballot. That leaves the central committee to make the decision.

Ellsworth took just a few days to decide he would seek the nomination and even pulled his name off the congressional ballot to focus on the Senate race. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott has also said he intends to seek the Senate seat.

But Hill was visiting troops in Afghanistan and was unable to respond immediately to the opportunity. He has spent the past week talking with central committee members and constituents about whether to run.

Hill said in his statement he needed that time “to thoughtfully reflect upon what had transpired.”

“While seeking such input, however, I kept my focus on working for the people of the 9th District of Indiana, evidenced by my meetings with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood regarding local infrastructure projects,” Hill said.

 

LINK: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100227/NEWS02/2270339/1025/U.S+Rep.+Baron+Hill+won+t+run+for+Senate++endorses+Ellsworth

McDermott out, Washington back in race for Senate seat (Post-Tribune)

McDermott out, Washington back in race for Senate seat
By Jane Huh

As one Lake County Democrat bowed out of seeking Evan Bayh's U.S. Senate seat on Saturday, another jumped back in.

Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. will no longer seek the state Democratic Party's nomination for the congressional seat after Bayh retires, said Keith Clock, chairman of the 5th District Central Committee, who spoke with McDermott on Saturday morning.

McDermott, also the chairman of the Lake County Democratic Party, could not be reached for comment as of press time.

However, Darren Washington could emerge as a candidate from the region.

"Northwest Indiana cannot afford to not fight for the opportunity to have representation in Washington, D.C., and represent the state of Indiana in the U.S. Senate," Washington said.

The Gary School Board member decided to again seek the party's nomination only after Highland Clerk-Treasurer Michael Griffin passed up on the idea of seeking the congressional seat.

Washington said he had hoped Griffin, who is "more than well-qualified to be U.S. senator," would seek the party's nomination.

LINK: http://www.post-trib.com/news/2074412,senate-dem-0228.article

Senate rejects Rokita bid for ad exemption

Senate rejects Rokita bid for ad exemption
By Ken Kusmer -- Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS— Don't look for Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita to hand out birth announcements on the floor of the state Senate anytime soon.

As Rokita and his wife, Kathy, celebrated the birth of their second son, Ryan, on Wednesday, the Senate went out of its way to skewer the Republican for using more than $1.5 million from an investment fraud enforcement fund to pay for TV and radio ads in which he appears.

The Senate voted 50-0 in a highly unusual roll call vote to reject a bid by Rokita's office to rewrite a banking bill to remove language that bars a state officeholder from using the fund to buy advertising that identifies the official.

Some lawmakers felt Rokita is using the fund he controls to build name recognition as he pursues another elective office. He's seeking the Republican nomination in the 4th District congressional race against 12 other candidates — including state Sens. Brandt Hershman of Lafayette and Mike Young of Indianapolis.

Hershman and Young joined the parade of senators from both parties to speak against the amendment that author Sen. Richard Bray, R-Martinsville, said was sought by a lobbyist for Rokita's office.

“We should not use the public's dime to let people advertise on TV, whether running for public office or not,” Young said.

Hershman said Rokita was seeking a pass at a time when the state, to balance its budget, is making “painful cuts” to necessary programs.

Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, noted the investment fraud fund had a balance of $5.3 million last June that now stands at $3.8 million. It's funded from securities fraud settlements. 

LINK: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20100225/NEWS02/2250323/1025/Senate+rejects+Rokita+bid+for+ad+exemption

Congressional Budget Office says Stimulus Boosted Economy by up to 3.5 Percent

Reuters - Reporting by Andy Sullivan, editing by Eric Beech

The massive stimulus package passed last year to blunt the impact of the worst U.S. recession in 70 years created up to 2.1 million jobs in the last three months of 2009, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said on Tuesday.

The package boosted the economy by up to 3.5 percent and lowered the unemployment rate by up to 2.1 percent during that period, CBO said.

The report comes as President Barack Obama and his fellow Democrats are pushing further measures to bring down the 9.7 percent unemployment rate before the November congressional elections.

The $787 billion price tag of the package, officially called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, has prompted a growing backlash from voters worried about record budget deficits. Republicans have labeled the package a failure, though economists on the left and right say it helped ward off a depression.

CBO's new report closely resembles its initial estimates from March 2009, shortly after Obama signed the bill into law.

Though the economy performed more poorly than predicted, that was not due to the ineffectiveness of the stimulus package, CBO said.

"In CBO's judgment, that outcome reflects greater-than-projected weakness in the underlying economy rather than lower-than-expected effects" of the stimulus, the research office said.

The package is likely to have the greatest impact this year, according to CBO. It is expected to boost GDP by between 1.4 percent and 4 percent and bring down the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percent and 1.8 percent in 2010, higher figures than last year when many of its programs were being set up. The impact is expected to trail off over the next two years.

Direct purchasing of goods and services by the federal government and states have been the most effective provision of the act, CBO said. Among the least effective: a tax credit for first-time homebuyers and a tax cut for the wealthy.

Since the start of the recession in December 2007, 8.4 million jobs have been lost. Though the economy started growing again last year, CBO chief Doug Elmendorf said at a congressional hearing that any recovery was likely to be slow

Hill Is Open To Run For Senate

Hill Is Open To Run For Senate

By Marcus Green and Lesley Stedman Weidenbener / Louisville Courier-Journal

U.S. Rep. Baron Hill said Monday that he isn't ruling out a run for the U.S. Senate now that Evan Bayh has said he won't seek re-election and will retire at the end of his term.

The 9th District Democrat, in his first public event since Bayh's announcement a week ago, said he needed time to speak with the senator and others about the possibility before making a final decision.

I'm open to the idea," said Hill. "It doesn't mean that I'm going to do it."

Because Bayh announced his retirement just one day before a crucial filing deadline, no Democratic candidates qualified for the ballot. That means the Indiana Democratic Party's 32-member central committee will choose a nominee.

Hill was out of the country visiting troops on a military-sponsored trip until this past weekend and had been unavailable to comment about the Senate seat.

While Hill was away, U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, the Democrat who represents the 8th District, announced he would seek the Democratic nomination. Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott and Gary School Board member Darren Washington also told party officials they would run.

Hill said he was scheduled to speak with Bayh on Monday and wanted to talk with others as well.

"Let me have those conversations first, and then we'll see where this goes," Hill said.

Hill spoke to reporters after a roundtable meeting with Ray LaHood, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, about the Ohio River bridges project.

The group was headed to Madison for a meeting about the Madison-Milton bridge project.

Stimulus funds a boon to region nonprofits, businesses

Stimulus funds a boon to region nonprofits, businesses
By Marisa Kwiatkowski

HealthLinc's "miracle" came not a moment too soon, CEO Beth Wrobel said.

The nonprofit organization, which operates community health centers in Valparaiso, Michigan City and Knox, struggled to accommodate a 50 percent increase in patients between 2008 and 2009.

Its savior came in the form of $735,904 in stimulus funds, Wrobel said. HealthLinc used the money to hire another pediatrician and several behavioral health consultants -- and to increase its number of exam rooms in Michigan City.

"Not only is it a lifesaver for HealthLinc, it's a lifesaver for patients," she said. "I don't know what we would've done if we didn't have that money."

HealthLinc was one of at least 25 private agencies in Lake and Porter counties to receive stimulus cash in 2009, according to federal data. The federal government funneled at least $21.5 million in stimulus money to region nonprofits and private businesses last year, a Times analysis of data from the federal government's Recovery.gov Web site shows.

Last Wednesday marked the one-year anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed into law Feb. 17, 2009.

Another $4.26 million came to local businesses via contracts from local housing authorities or municipalities. 

LINK: http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_ddad93c2-ed54-56c2-9a71-e6d17305ba9c.html

Ex-Gov. Kernan, former POW, returns to Vietnam

Ex-Gov. Kernan, former POW, returns to Vietnam
Associated Press

Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan is making an emotional return to Vietnam, where he spent 11 months as a prisoner of war during the Vietnam War.

WSBT-TV reports that Kernan and his wife Maggie on Monday visited the sites of two Hanoi prisons where he was held after his Navy reconnaissance plane was shot down in 1972.

Kernan spent most of his time as a POW in a prison once dubbed "The Zoo."

He became emotional during a visit to the site of that prison as he recalled the moment when he realized his family knew he was still alive after his plane was shot down. 

LINK: http://journalgazette.com/article/20100223/NEWS07/100229857/1067/NEWS07

Hammond mayor to seek Senate seat

Evan Bayh will not seek re-election

Evan Bayh will not seek re-election
By Mary Beth Schneider

Sen. Evan Bayh will not run for re-election, a decision that will shock Democrats and Republicans alike in Indiana.

In prepared remarks, Bayh, 54, cited excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.

“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” he said.

“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”

Bayh had never lost an election, from his first win in 1986 as secretary of state, his wins for governor in 1988 and 1992 and his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and 2004.

“But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough,” Bayh said. “And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor.” 

LINK: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100215/NEWS05/100215009/Evan-Bayh-will-not-seek-reelection 

Evan Bayh: Progress over Partisanship

 

 

INDIANA GOVERNOR (1988 - 1996):

 

As a successful two-term governor, Bayh met his obligations to the people of Indiana by creating jobs, expanding educational opportunities and improving health care for Hoosier families. He balanced the state budget for eight consecutive years without once raising taxes. He helped build one of the strongest, most financially secure economies in the country, characterized by sound management and fiscal growth that created more than 350,000 new jobs-or 1,000 new jobs every week he was governor.

 

Bayh left office with a 79 percent approval rating, prompting The Indianapolis Star to write: "When Republicans praise a Democratic governor's...achievements in stimulating industrial growth, bringing in new jobs, securing existing jobs, moving ahead in public education, coping with crime, drug abuse and teenage pregnancy, and helping to preserve and strengthen solid, healthy middle-class values, it's good news. Indiana is lucky to have a governor in tune with the times, whose new fatherhood...makes him sharply aware of the things that matter most to families."

 

CUTTING TAXES: Under Bayh, Indiana had one of the lowest tax burdens in the nation, eight years of balanced budgets and a leaner state government. His administration left Indiana with the largest budget surplus in state history-three times the national average. His governorship marked the state's first eight-year period in 40 years without a tax increase. He signed into law the largest single state tax cut in Indiana history when he slashed the state's annual auto excise tax in half, saving tax payers $1.6 billion over six years. In addition, he achieved $1.5 billion in savings by comprehensively restructuring the state Medicaid program to eliminate waste and inefficiencies.

 

CREATING JOBS: His economic development program attracted dozens of new companies to Indiana, bringing in $2.3 billion in new investment and creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs. To protect taxpayers, he utilized tough "clawback" provisions that prevented companies from receiving incentives if job creation promises were not kept. More than a half-million Indiana businesses and citizens benefited when Bayh slashed government regulation by eliminating or reducing two thirds of state fees under his control.

 

CNN's Moneyline noted in February 1996: "Indiana's economy is churning out the jobs at twice the national average." The Economist commented in January 1996: "If anyone doubts the new industrial vitality of America, look to Indiana."

 

THE ‘EDUCATION' GOVERNOR: Bayh raised academic standards and created unprecedented opportunities for students to attend college. His signature educational accomplishment, the21^st Century Scholars program, guarantees free in-state college tuition to underprivileged students who graduate from high school with passing grades, so long as they sign a pledge to be alcohol, drug and crime free. The program continues today, and more than 120,000 Hoosier students have enrolled.

 

Under Bayh’s leadership, Indiana moved from 40^th to 9^thin the nation in college enrollment. He also increased funding for schools in every state budget, increasing funding by $3.1 billion for grades K-12, even during an economic downturn. He oversaw a $30 million grant program to put computers in every Indiana school and expanded remediation programs so that every child who has difficultly meeting high academic standards could receive extra instruction.

 

CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERSHIP: Bayh's tenure as governor was also marked by historic civil rights advances. He appointed the first woman and the first African-American to the Indiana Supreme Court. In 1996, he received the Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award for appointing more talented and qualified women to top executive and judicial positions than any governor in state history, with fully half of top administration jobs filled by women. The Bayh administration also revitalized the Indiana Civil Rights Commission and contracted with the greatest number of minority- and women-owned businesses in state history.

 

REFORMING WELFARE: Bayh played a leading role in utilizing government to ease the burdens confronting families. He advocated common-sense measures to strengthen the lives of our children, from encouraging responsible fatherhood to moving Hoosiers from welfare to work. Under his leadership, Indiana led the nation in reducing the numbers of its citizens on welfare, transitioning more than 1,000 families per month from government dependence to self-sufficiency. He did so while ensuring Hoosiers had the necessary support to maintain self-sufficiency, such as adding 31,000 new child-care positions statewide.

 

SUPPORTING HOOSIER FAMILIES: Bayh championed responsible fatherhood initiatives and adopted policies holding non-custodial parents financially responsible for their children, leading to unprecedented collections to help single moms. The Bayh administration also implemented Project RESPECT, a campaign to reduce teen pregnancy that leveraged millions of dollars of paid television and radio advertising, while distributing grants to schools, social service agencies and religiously affiliated groups to fund educational initiatives for young Hoosiers.

 

PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT: Finally, Indiana made substantial environmental strides under Bayh's gubernatorial tenure. Toxic chemical emissions dropped 82 percent as Indiana adopted some of the toughest water quality standards in the nation. He led a nationally recognized effort to restore environmentally hazardous sites in Indiana for future community use, forging a partnership between government, communities and businesses to clean up contaminated sites in urban centers and return them to economic usefulness. He also oversaw the largest expansion of state parks since the 1930s to ensure that Indiana’s natural wonders would be protected for generations.

 

 

UNITED STATES SENATE (1998-2010)

 

During his two terms in the United States Senate, Evan Bayh has focused his domestic legislative agenda on job creation and helping middle class families.

 

PROTECTING JOBS: He wrote and enacted legislation to create a new federal enforcement network to crack down on foreign competitors that are stealing American innovations through product piracy and counterfeiting. He fought successfully to persuade international entities to crack down on unfair trade practices and strengthen U.S. enforcement when foreign competitors illegally dump their products on American consumers and flood our markets with their cheap and unsafe goods.  He helped revitalize the recreational vehicle industry during tough times in the economic recession, passing a generous new sales tax deduction to help families purchase recreational vehicles, and he pushed the Small Business Administration to free up capital to help dealers maintain inventory supplies and stay in business through the economic recession.

 

LEADING AUTO SECTOR INTO 21st CENTURY: Bayh has also helped retool Indiana's automotive industry to be a leader in making the advanced vehicles of tomorrow, securing more than a half-billion dollars for Hoosier companies making the hi-tech batteries and component parts of the clean-energy vehicles of the future.

 

ASSISTING WORKERS: He also helped to pass and renew Trade Adjustment Assistance legislation to assist workers who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own when American companies move operations overseas or close due to unfair foreign competition.

 

CHILDREN'S HEALTH: He has been a leader in promoting children's health, writing and passing a bill to improve pediatric health to ensure that every federal dollar authorized for children’s health is a dollar spent on the best care available.

 

RESPONSIBLE FATHERHOOD: He has been the Senate's foremost leader in promoting responsible fatherhood initiatives, assisting single parents, supporting local organizations that foster family stability, helping fathers reconnect with their children and be the role models their children need them to be.

 

SAYING "NO" TO WASTE: Bayh has waged a sometimes lonely battle to stop wasteful spending before it starts through balancing the federal budget, ending frivolous earmarks, reining in corporate subsidies and closing tax loopholes. He has voted against billions of dollars in pork barrel projects, including the so-called "Bridge to Nowhere," and helped close the "Bermuda tax loophole" that allowed certain companies to set up P.O. boxes overseas and avoid U.S. taxes.

PROPERTY TAXES: When local property tax bills soared in Indiana, Bayh wrote and passed the first ever federal property tax deduction for homeowners who do not itemize, providing a $1,000 deduction to 570,000 eligible Hoosier homeowners. He helped pass legislation to make permanent the income tax deductions to help families afford the rising costs of college.

CREDIT CARD REFORM: Bayh used his position on the Senate Banking Committee to cast the tie-breaking vote to advance credit card reform and crack down on abusive bank practices that keep consumers mired in debt by tucking exploitative clauses in the fine print of credit card agreements.

 

FIGHTING TERRORISM: A member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Armed Services Committee, Bayh is one of Congress' most respected voices on a wide range of security issues. A leader in the fight against international terrorism, Senator Bayh authored a key provision in the Senate's anti-terrorism bill to disrupt terrorist financial networks by requiring international finance groups to register and report suspicious activity. He has cosponsored bipartisan legislation to expand international education programs to encourage civil society in places where government is not responsive to the needs of its people.

 

Bayh is chairman of the Senate Banking Subcommittee on International Trade and Finance, a post he uses to oversee the national security implications of foreign investment. He passed legislation to protect critical U.S. infrastructure and valuable energy assets, requiring the director of national intelligence to review foreign transactions before they are approved.

 

CURBING SPREAD OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Bayh wrote and passed the toughest economic sanctions ever approved against Iran in an effort to stop its illicit nuclear weapons program, targeting the regime’s Achilles heel-its reliance on imported petroleum-to stop the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism from obtaining an atomic weapon. Bayh has worked with fellow Indiana Senator Richard Lugar on nuclear non-proliferation issues, authorizing the establishment of an international nuclear fuel bank to provide a safe supply of civilian nuclear energy to developing countries and deter nations seeking atomic weapons under its guise. Bayh has also championed the Nunn-Lugar program to dismantle and safely store "loose nukes" in the former Soviet Union and cosponsored legislation to help our allies detect and interdict nuclear bomb-making components.

 

PROTECTING OUR HOMELAND: He was a lead proponent of legislation calling upon Congress to fully implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, and he pushed legislation to more closely scrutinize cargo at our ports to monitor for explosives and dangerous shipments. He also helped identify old stockpiles of VX nerve gas and worked with U.S. Army officials to increase security at storage facilities to deter any potential terrorist attack.

 

SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS: Bayh has also fought to provide American military personnel with the equipment they need to stay safe. When he discovered U.S. combat troops were being forced to scavenge for "hillbilly armor," Bayh forced the U.S. military to purchase thousands of up-armored Humvees to help protect our combat forces. He passed legislation to improve care for soldiers returning from battle in Iraq and Afghanistan with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). He worked successfully to protect military families from financial difficulties as a result of their service to the country, eliminatingthe "Patriot Penalty" pay cut that many National Guard members and reservists face when they leave their civilian jobs for active duty. He also passed legislation that will save the average active duty service member thousands of dollars on direct student loans.    

Sen. Bayh leads opponents by 20 points (Politico)

Bayh leads Coats by 20 points
By: Jessica Taylor

Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats starts his campaign against Democrat Evan Bayh at a double-digit disadvantage, according to a Daily Kos/Research 2000 poll released Thursday. 

Bayh is ahead by 20 percentage points in the poll, leading Coats by 55 percent to 35 percent, with 10 percent of respondents undecided. The second-term Democrat holds a 40-point advantage among independent voters, who back him 64 percent to 24 percent. Bayh currently draws a substantial number of Republicans away from Coats, taking 26 percent of GOP votes to Coats's 68 percent.

Only a narrow plurality of voters — 38 percent — say they have a favorable view of Coats, with 34 percent viewing him unfavorably. Bayh, meanwhile, has an approval rating of 61 percent, with just 33 percent holding a negative opinion of him and 6 percent undecided.  

LINK: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0210/32844.html

Democrats rip Coats’ foreign lobbyist ties (Journal Gazette)

Democrats rip Coats’ foreign lobbyist ties
Sylvia A Smith -- Washington editor 

Dan Coats cares more about the interests of foreign governments than of Hoosiers, a Democratic spokeswoman said Monday, citing the work Coats’ former law firm did for India, Yemen and other countries in 2000 and 2001.

Coats, a member of Congress in the 1980s and 1990s, is collecting signatures to get on the Republican primary ballot. The GOP nominee will run against two-term incumbent Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind.

After leaving office in 1998, Coats became a lobbyist and was ambassador to Germany for 3 1/2 years. During 2000 and 2001, the firm he worked for registered as a foreign agent for Ethiopia, Taiwan, India, Montenegro, Cyprus, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. 

LINK: http://journalgazette.com/article/20100209/LOCAL08/302099988/1002/LOCAL

Blue Dogs push to go further than Obama spending freeze (The Hill)

Tom Hayhurst leads money race (FW Daily News)

Souder may have to spend some of his money in a primary fight. He faces opposition from Phil Troyer of Fort Wayne as well as two DeKalb County residents, Rachel Grubb of Auburn and Charles Newman of Garrett.

LINK: http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6660:Hayhurst-leads-money-race

Indiana’s top court to hear vote ID law appeal (AP)

Indiana's top court to hear vote ID law appeal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Supreme Court will decide the fate of the state law requiring government-issued photo identification for voters.

The court announced Monday that it would hear an appeal of a 2009 lower court ruling that overturned the voter ID law because it required those who vote in person to verify their identities but not those who vote by mail.

The League of Women Voters argued the law violated the Indiana Constitution by imposing a new requirement on only some voters. The state appeals court agreed with those arguments in its 3-0 decision.

LINK: http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=indystar&sParam=32622633.story

Lawmakers push for early exit (Journal Gazette)

Eager-to-stump lawmakers push for early exit
Niki Kelly - The Journal Gazette

INDIANAPOLIS – House Speaker Pat Bauer, D-South Bend, has his eye on ending the legislative session early.

The scheduled end date is March 14, but Bauer said members of the House are “pressing hard” to be out by the beginning of March.

“I don’t know if we can,” Bauer said.

Leaving early would give all 100 members of the House – who are up for re-election this year – more time to campaign in this critically important campaign cycle.

The party that wins the majority in November’s election gets the right to draw new legislative boundaries in 2011. Those new districts would last for 10 years. 

LINK: http://journalgazette.com/article/20100119/NEWS07/301199996

Sen. Bayh announces Indiana federal court nominees (AP)

Bayh announces Indiana federal court nominees
By Charles Wilson, Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS — Sen. Evan Bayh announced the nominees for three vacancies on the federal bench in Indiana on Monday, including Marion Superior Court Judge Tanya Walton Pratt who could become the state's first black federal judge.

If confirmed, Pratt and federal Magistrate Judge Jane E. Magnus-Stinson would increase the number of female federal judges in the Indianapolis-based Southern District of Indiana from one to three.

U.S. Attorney Jon E. DeGuilio was the third nominee introduced Monday.

Bayh said President Barack Obama had accepted his recommendations for the nominations, which were reached in consultation with fellow Indiana Sen. Richard Lugar, a Republican. Obama is expected to nominate the three when the U.S. Senate reconvenes this week following winter recess. The nominees would need to win U.S. Senate approval before taking office.

Bayh said all three nominees were highly qualified and he praised their hard work and commitment to "impartial justice."

He said it was fitting that Pratt's nomination was announced on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

"This day is long overdue," Bayh said. 

LINK: http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=indystar&sParam=32560931.story

Bill to reform lobbying sails through House

Bauer’s ethics rules slated for Monday vote in Indiana House

Lugar: Cheney ‘unfair’ to Obama

Bill would ease voting by mail (AP)

Bill would ease voting by mail

Associated Press

Proposed legislation would allow Indiana voters to cast absentee ballots by mail without having an excuse such as being out of town on Election Day.

The bill cleared the Democrat-controlled House elections committee but could face hurdles in the Republican-led Senate. Republicans have opposed previous attempts to expand mail-in absentee ballots, which were in play during widespread Lake County vote fraud in 2003.

Under current Indiana law, anyone voting absentee-by-mail must meet certain provisions, such as being out of the county on Election Day or working through voting hours. Voters do not have to give an excuse if they cast absentee ballots in person.

The bill now moves to the full House for consideration. 

LINK: http://www.indystar.com/article/20100108/NEWS05/1080387/-1/NEWS/Bill-would-ease-voting-by-mail

State Rep. Reardon elected treasurer to national group

Reardon elected treasurer to national group

LOCAL REP WILL SERVE TERM REPRESENTING LATINO LEGISLATORS 

INDIANAPOLIS | State Rep. Mara Candelaria Reardon was elected Nov. 21 as the treasurer of the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators during the organization's annual meeting in Santa Monica, Calif.

"I am deeply honored to be chosen as one of the six national officers for the NHCSL," Reardon said. "This organization has been extremely effective in positively impacting public policy to improve the quality of life for Latino communities throughout the country.

"Our leadership team is committed to addressing the issues of quality education, access to health care, affordable housing, comprehensive immigration reform, economic development and reciprocity, as well as job training and the creation of good-paying jobs," she added.

The national officers will serve a two-year term and act as the voice for more than 300 Latino state legislators across the country. 

LINK: http://nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/article_0a900688-0174-5127-b5ae-d70df6e0b38e.html

Senate plan would lower premiums for some, analysis shows (Courier-Journal)

Bayh has said the impact on premiums is a main factor he’ll consider in deciding whether to vote for the bill. The Senate hopes to complete its version of the bill by Christmas.

LINK: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20091130/NEWS02/911300343/1025/NEWS02/Senate+plan+would+lower+premiums+for+some++analysis+shows

GOP senators shun legislative process (Post-Tribune)

GOP senators shun legislative process
Editorial -- Gary Post-Tribune

 

If you want a perfect example of the difference between progress and petulance, look no further than the U.S. Senate's vote to allow debate on the proposed health care bill.

 

Sixty senators voted to bring the bill to the floor for debate, which is generally a procedural matter -- not something of great controversy. But they made a choice of progressing forward with discussion.

 

The bill itself is controversial, particularly the part that includes a public health insurance option.

 

The reason for the bill isn't so controversial; it is quite factual. The United States spends 17 percent of its gross domestic product on health care, two to three times as much as any other industrialized country. Yet for all that money, we lag in life expectancy and infant mortality among many measurements of overall health.

 

That is to say, as a country we're spending Lexus money for a Yugo product.

 

The reason Medicare could go bankrupt in the coming decades is not that it's a bad program -- Medicare recipients prefer the program to private insurance, according to a Commonwealth Fund survey; it's the actual cost of procedures that endangers it.

 

Even in the face of facts, statistics, polls and surveys, not one Republican voted to bring the bill to the floor of the U.S. Senate.

 

Republicans don't even want debate.

 

They chose not to be involved in the formation of the bill. They chose against debating the bill. And they promise not one senator will vote for the bill. That's not legislating. It's ideology, better served for storefront preachers and philosophical fanatics than U.S. senators.

 

In one of the great matters of our time, we have 39 elected leaders who do not believe in being part of the process.

 

It's that kind of playground petulance that voters ought to remember come next election season. 

 

LINK: http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/1908055,edit-healthcare.article

Ellsworth to speak at ISU commencement

The former Vanderburgh County sheriff also is a graduate of the FBI Academy.

LINK: http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/nov/22/no-headline---23a03ellsworth-brf/

Cash for clunkers rebates spurred local sales (Journal & Courier)

In all, 677,081 vehicles were sold under the program, and rebates to U.S. consumers totaled $2.85 billion.

LINK: http://www.jconline.com/article/20091117/NEWS/911170329/1001/Cash-for-clunkers-rebates-spurred-local-sales

Lawmakers return to Statehouse on Tuesday

The FSSA deals (South Bend Tribune)

What about ACS? As lawmakers who observed developments over the last several weeks have pointed out, ACS came to Indiana with a history of problems delivering on state contracts. Furthermore, the legislature has no clear understanding of ACS' role during the last 30 months — let alone what its role will be in the future. 

LINK: http://www.southbendtribune.com/article/20091116/Opinion/911160314/1062/Opinion

Bayh calls for solution to ballooning debt

Bayh calls for solution to ballooning debt
By Sylvia A Smith

WASHINGTON – Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., has aligned himself with a group of senators who say they won’t vote for an increase in the U.S. debt limit unless they also get to vote on a proposal to create a commission to deal with long-term budget problems.

Bayh wants a commission that would come up with ways to cut spending or increase income and then present the package to Congress. Lawmakers would have to vote “yes” or “no” on the full package without the ability to amend it.

At a Budget Committee hearing Tuesday, Bayh said members of Congress who like himself are former governors are “no strangers to having to make difficult decisions and sometimes say no even if it’s not popular because it’s in the long-term interests of our country.”

Bayh said the typical way Congress works “is the path to national weakness.”

Another former governor, Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, also advocated for the commission because “Congress is not willing to take short-term pain for long-term gain. Period.”

In a letter to the Senate leadership last week, a group led by Bayh encouraged a vote on the creation of the commission be tied to the debt-limit vote. Tuesday, Bayh made it clear he won’t support a higher debt limit unless the commission vote is conducted. 

 

LINK: http://journalgazette.com/article/20091111/NEWS03/311119953/1002/LOCAL

Ball State report: Cash for Clunkers sparked auto sales

Budget Monitor Says G.O.P. Bill Leaves Many Uninsured (NY Times)

Bauer details proposed ethics standards (Tribune)

 

Bauer details proposed new ethics standards
By MARGARET FOSMOE Tribune Staff Writer 

SOUTH BEND -- Under proposed new ethics rules for Indiana government, the legislative branch, executive branch and lobbyists all would be held to high new standards, according to Indiana House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend.

"We want even treatment," Bauer said Monday during a news conference at his South Bend home.

The proposal covers three areas:

 

Legislative branch: Lobbyists would be required to report any gift of more than $50 (the current limit is $100) to a legislator, legislative candidate or legislative employee. Any individual who holds a stated elected office would be prohibited from registering as a lobbyist for a year after leaving office. And lobbyists would be prohibited from representing multiple clients if there is a conflict of interest between those clients.

Executive branch: Any individual appointed to a position in the executive branch by the governor would not be allowed to register as a lobbyist for one year after leaving the post. Committees representing the governor or any candidate for that office would be prohibited from soliciting contributions or conducting fundraisers during the long session of the General Assembly or a time period around the legislature's organizational day.

State contracts and contributions: People who have contracts with state government or bid on contracts would be prohibited from making political contributions to individuals who hold state office or run for state office. People who bid on or receive contracts would be required to register with the Indiana election division, which will make that information available to the public. Violators would face civil and criminal penalties, and the potential loss of their state contracts.

 

 

LINK: http://southbendtribune.com/article/20091103/News01/911039984/1130

Stimulus money funds 18,000-plus jobs in Indiana (AP)

Delphi gets a power boost (Indianapolis Star)

Delphi gets a power boost

$6.7M from feds will help Kokomo employer develop better batteries

By Tom Spalding, Indianapolis Star

 

Delphi will receive a $6.7 million federal grant that the company's Kokomo-based engineers will use to make car batteries more efficient.

The Delphi-led project was one of 37 initiatives selected by the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday for energy sector innovation. It follows on the heels of a separate $89 million matching green car grant that Delphi was awarded during President Barack Obama's trip to Northern Indiana in August.

The latest round of funding is made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Troy, Mich.-based Delphi, a privately held independent company that employs 1,400 in Kokomo, will use the funds to develop new power electronics technology based on a process that can enable up to 50 percent more efficient power delivery by a battery to a vehicle's electric motor.

"This is technology that will improve switch modules that take a battery's DC energy and turn it into AC energy the motor needs to run," said Delphi spokeswoman Linda Ferries. "The module will be smaller, thinner and cheaper, with less energy wasted."

Delphi says the alliance will mean work for an existing handful of engineers.

Delphi will team with California-based International Rectifier, a tech company that works to improve power management in products as varied as cars and laptop computers. And those two will work with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a University of Tennessee-affiliated nonprofit, to bring the power electronics technology from the laboratory to the prototype stage.

About 3,700 qualifying concept papers were submitted to the DOE, including a broad spectrum of application areas and technical disciplines, for the $150 million budgeted for the awards.

The DOE said the product has the potential to be high-impact.

"This funding will enable Delphi to make the kind of high-reward investments in clean energy that are so critical to power our emerging green economy in Indiana," U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., said. "This will not only create middle-class green jobs for Hoosiers, but has the potential to dramatically lower energy use and reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil, as well." 

 

LINK: http://www.indystar.com/article/20091027/BUSINESS/910270315/1003/BUSINESS/Delphi+gets+a+power+boost

ISU to name education school for Bayh family

ISU to name education school for Bayh family

Associated Press 

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State University is poised to name its education school after U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh's family.

The university's trustees are expected to vote today on naming for the Bayh College of Education. ISU Foundation President Gene Crume says the Bayhs have been associated with ISU for almost 100 years.

Sen. Bayh's grandfather, Birch Bayh Sr., was the first athletic director of what was then the Indiana State Normal School and the elder Bayh's mother attended the school in the 1800s.

Birch Bayh Jr., a former U.S. senator from Indiana, and Evan Bayh both hold honorary degrees from the university. Birch Bayh Jr. and his family lived on a farm near Terre Haute until after his 1962 election to the Senate.

 

LINK: http://www.indystar.com/article/20091023/NEWS05/910230389/-1/NEWS/ISU+to+name+ed+school+for+Bayh+family

Legislators now worry about IBM partner (AP)

Legislators now worry about IBM partner

Some question whether welfare's poor service was due to Texas firm

Associated Press

Indiana welfare subcontractor Affiliated Computer Services will come under closer scrutiny now that Gov. Mitch Daniels has fired IBM from the project, influential lawmakers said Tuesday.

Rep. Peggy Welch, a Bloomington Democrat who sits on the State Budget Committee and the General Assembly's Medicaid Oversight Commission, said some lawmakers wonder whether Dallas-based ACS was responsible for some of the poor service, lost documents and other problems that resulted in Daniels firing IBM on Thursday from a 10-year, $1.34 billion contract to automate intake for food stamps, Medicaid and other welfare benefits.

"We're going to be watching (ACS closely), because there is a perception that they are just as bad an actor as IBM," Welch said after the Medicaid Oversight Commission met.

Rep. Suzanne Crouch, R-Evansville, said lawmakers remain skeptical of ACS because it was brought in by Mitch Roob, a former ACS executive who oversaw the IBM/ACS project as Family and Social Services Administration secretary until January, when he became Indiana's secretary of commerce.

"People are uncomfortable that ACS is still in place and that they were brought on board by former Secretary Roob," said Crouch, one of several Evansville lawmakers who've led legislative criticism of the welfare changes.

Roob's office did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The lawmakers' comments provided the first indication since IBM's firing that political pressure also was building against ACS, one of IBM's largest partners in the welfare outsourcing that moved 1,500 caseworkers from the state's payroll to ACS' employment 21/2 years ago. ACS workers compile eligibility data on welfare applicants before state employees decide which benefits to award.  

Link: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009910210344

Daniels, GOP could face welfare deal fallout

Bayh to meet with Obama in Oval Office today

Advocates to propose solutions to welfare ‘crisis’ (AP)

Democrats to host Bayh at rally

Democrats to host Bayh at rally

The Third District Democratic Party will be hosting Indiana Senator Evan Bayh at "Democrats Rally 2009" on Saturday, October 24 at Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Local 166 at 2930 Ludwig Road.  Dr. Tom Hayhurst, candidate for U.S. Congress, and Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry are also scheduled to speak at the event.

Doors open at 5 p.m. for the event. Appetizers and drinks start at 5:30 p.m.  Remarks will begin at 6:30 p.m..

Tickets for this event are $20 each with advance tickets only. Tickets can be purchased by calling the DeKalb County Democratic Party office at (260) 572-0441.

 

Link: http://www.fwdailynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5228:Democrats-to-host-Bayh-at-rally&catid=61:times-online2&Itemid=6 

Conditions placed on welfare rollout (AP)

Too many errors in welfare trial (Indy Star)

Ruling an opportunity to take another look at voter ID law (Star Press)

Program promises jobs, lower utility bills

Program promises jobs, lower utility bills

By Gitte Laasby, Post-Tribune staff writer

 

MERRILLVILLE -- Tired of high utility bills? Some permanent help could be coming your way soon.

 

About 545 homes in Northwest Indiana will be weatherized for free in the next eight months thanks to stimulus funding.

 

The Northwest Indiana Community Action Corp. has received more than $3.4 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009. The money will be spent making houses of low-income residents more energy efficient.

 

Jane Hopkins, director of community services with the Northwest Indiana Community Action Corp., said energy auditors have inspected 30 to 40 homes through the program so far. About 100 to 150 are on a waiting list, but the program will still be able to serve several hundred more people.

 

By the end of May, when the first round of the program ends, about 545 Northwest Indiana homes will have been weatherized at a value of up to $5,000 each. Administrators said they expect the money will create 30 to 40 contractor jobs in the trades.

 

As a contractor of the NWICA, Mike Young, owner of Indiana Spray Foam in Crown Point, is hiring more employees to handle the increased workload.

 

"It really has given six more people jobs I probably wouldn't have hired if we hadn't had the stimulus program," Young said. "I would say we're probably increasing our business by a good 25 (percent) to 30 percent. Currently, we're a total of eight. We're looking to hire two or three more. They're installers or laborers. They're out there in the field actually doing the process."

 

One of the people Young hired was unemployed and got off unemployment assistance.

 

A person has to be certified by the Indiana Housing Community Development Authority to work as an energy auditor.

 

In previous years, NWICA has only had funding to weatherize 200 to 300 homes -- not nearly enough to satisfy demand. The 545 homes funded by stimulus money will be in addition to the usual number.

 

"We're thrilled we can do so many homes this year," Hopkins said. 

 

Link: http://www.post-trib.com/news/1780961,free-weather-0920.article

Hoosier lawyers irked at Daniels

Court knocks out state voter ID law

(http://www.indystar.com/article/20090917/NEWS05/909170487/Court+knocks+out+state+voter+ID+law)

 

Court knocks out state voter ID law

By Jon Murray and Mary Beth Schneider

 

The Indiana Court of Appeals today declared Indiana's voter ID law unconstitutional because it does not apply uniformly to all voters.

 

The three-judge panel unanimously held that the requirement that voters present government-issued photo identification at the polls runs afoul of the Indiana Constitution's "Equal Privileges and Immunities Clause," which provides: "The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens."

 

Two reasons were cited by the Court of Appeals: the law doesn't require absentee voters to provide an affidavit affirming their identity even while requiring photo identification for in-person voters; and the law exempts residents of state-licensed care facilities from the ID requirement if their facility happens to be a polling place.

 

But the court suggests that the legislature could address those concerns while retaining the voter ID requirement. 

 

READ THE DECISION: http://www.in.gov/judiciary/opinions/pdf/09170901par.pdf 

A Better Way Forward on National Security

A Better Way Forward on National Security

By Evan Bayh -- Published in US News & World Report, September 11

 

For the first time inalmost a decade, we have an American president who approaches the securitythreats facing our country from a standpoint of pragmatism, not ideology.Barack Obama’s young presidency has blended realism with fidelity to Americanideals in a way that has not only kept us safe but represents a fundamentallybetter approach than the discredited unilateralism of the recent past.

The United States hasneither the money nor the manpower to police the world, nor should we try. Ourpresident does not seek out countries to invade, but he is unafraid to use ourmilitary when and where it is needed to protect our vital interests.

During last fall’scampaign, critics argued that enhanced dialogue and diplomacy undercut muscularAmerican leadership. They were wrong. President Obama has continued to playoffense in the fight against global extremism while stepping up efforts torebuild relationships key to solving our most pressing security challenges.

Eight years ago, Osamabin Laden launched the 9/11 attacks from a lawless sanctuary provided by theTaliban. Today, the president understands that our combined efforts inAfghanistan and Pakistan are necessary to ensure that al Qaeda never again hasa safe haven from which to plot against us.

Sometimes, wemust use military power to take the fight to the enemy, and President Obama haswisely increased resources and forces to help the Afghans build up their ownsecurity forces. He has intensified targeted strikes on al Qaeda terroristcamps along the Afghan border and demanded more accountability from Pakistan,whose leaders have started to take the al Qaeda and Taliban threats moreseriously.

The UnitedStates must never be afraid to act unilaterally in our defense, nor can we everrely solely on the United Nations—an imperfect institution.  However, we have witnessed the perils of “goingit alone.” Policies that left America more isolated in the world in turnleft the American people less secure.

Upon takingthe oath, President Obama moved to quickly install a seasoned cabinet of national security realistsincluding Bob Gates at the Department of Defense and Hillary Clinton at theState Department. They offer steady leadership in the face of an alarminglitany of inherited problems: two wars, an imploding economy, and hostileregimes in Iran and North Korea that are moving closer to deliverable nuclear weapons.

In Iraq, thepresident has pursued a policy of responsible disengagement, gradually drawingdown troops as Iraqi security forces have begun to demonstrate more competence. This plan has givenour military commanders on the ground the flexibility to respond to spikes inviolence while ultimately recognizing that the Iraqis need to solve their ownproblems.

Our commanderin chief seeks to leave behind a stable and democratic Iraq, but his strategyappropriately asks what is in our country’s best interests. To protect our country,our soldiers must be battle-ready, with intervals of rest between deployments. A responsible withdrawal will giveour troops an opportunity to rest and recharge after seven wrenching years of counterinsurgencywarfare. The president understands the strategic vulnerability posed by concentratingmost of our armed forces in one place for so long. It constrains our ability todeter and respond to emergencies elsewhere.

Every daybrings us closer to a potential nuclear emergency in Iran. Regrettably, PresidentBush’s policies helped to increase Iranian influence in the Middle East andaccelerate its uranium enrichment program. Nuclear proliferation is a threat to the entire world, andinternational cooperation is necessary to ensure that atomic weapons technologydoes not spread to rogue regimes and terrorists.

PresidentObama’s diplomatic outreach to Iran has put the mullahs on the defensive: Theycan no longer credibly ask their citizens to blame all of Iran’s problems onthe West. Even if the administration’s outreach does not persuade the ayatollahsto rethink their nuclear policy, our diplomatic efforts can help make the caseto China and Russia—the pivotal U.N. Security Council votes—that the time has arrivedto act. In the Senate, 71 lawmakers have cosponsored my bill to give the presidentauthority to impose the toughest economic sanctions to date against Iran forits illicit nuclear pursuits.

In the lastseven months, the president has reintroduced America to the world, restoringour standing with European allies and reaching out to Muslim people everywhere.These steps help undercut the anti-U.S. sentiments that sustain the ideology ofterrorists. Pew Research survey data show that people around the globe nowbelieve that “Obama will do the right thing in foreign affairs,” a stark contrastwith the confidence levels about our foreign policy just one year ago. Thefight against terrorism is a war of ideas; more global confidence in ourpresident means fewer young people in the Middle Eastwill sign up with their local terrorist group.

Foreignpolicy is not a popularity contest, and well-honed speeches get us only so far.Clearly we cannot be everybody’s friend, but when the majority of world publicopinion was against us, it was much more difficult to accomplish our goals ofmaintaining a secure and prosperous America. The president has engaged withallies and adversaries alike to advance our national security interests.

Difficultdecisions remain. Do we increase our involvement in Afghanistan? How do we confront Iran? How do we respondif Iraq’s security situation deteriorates? What steps should we take to dealwith a more powerful China and India? Answering these complex questions willrequire a deft understanding of global realities and an ability to leverage thesystems that have protected us since the end of the Second World War. PresidentObama is working to unite our allies to credibly confront common threats and provethat the United States is back as a global leader.

 

Evan Bayh

Is a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence and Armed Services

 

Ellsworth backs Obama’s speech

(http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/sep/12/ellsworth-backs-obamas-speech/?print=1)

 

Ellsworth backs Obama's speech

Still, not ready to commit to anything

By Thomas B. Langhorne

 

EVANSVILLE — He's seen the president speak about health care at the Capitol, received a record 20,000-plus contacts from constituents and watched a key friend in Congress take a stand.

 

Now Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., is getting closer to staking out his own position on the hot button issue of the day.

 

Noting there is no final proposal to vote on, Ellsworth said Friday that he doesn't disagree with anything President Barack Obama said in an address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

 

The 8th District congressman also declined to rule out supporting a government-sponsored public health insurance option and expressed faith in the Obama plan's prohibition against illegal immigrants receiving benefits.

 

"I can't think of anything that the president said that I didn't like, but then it's all in the details," Ellsworth said, noting Obama's assurances that his plan would not add to the deficit or sanction abortion.

 

The public option

 

Because the 10-year, $900 billion proposal Obama envisions is likely to undergo numerous changes before any version is voted on, Ellsworth said it is pointless to commit himself now when factors beyond his control could compel him to change his mind later.

 

"People accuse you of being wishy-washy and noncommittal, but if I (commit) and change my mind, then I get accused of changing or lying or flip-flopping or whatever," he said.

 

"It's better to see how it develops."

 

But Ellsworth has seen enough to know that while he opposes a single-payer universal health care system, he doesn't want to close the door on a public option.

 

"I want to make sure a public plan wouldn't have an unfair advantage over the private plans," he said. "If they can show me between now and when we vote that this opens competition, that it doesn't — like the president said — add one penny to the deficit, that it's not something they're going to just keep filling the money coffers if it runs short, then I'd take a look at it and maybe be able to support it.

 

"Again, the devil is going to be in the details." 

Students should hear Obama speak today (Post-Tribune)

(http://www.post-trib.com/news/opinion/1754066,edit-obamatalk.article)

 

Students should hear Obama speak today

September 8, 2009

 

If schoolteachers didn't have enough problems worrying about delivering solid test scores and appeasing picky principals and parents, now they've got a presidential-sized conundrum.

 

President Obama's plan to address schoolchildren today with a back-to-school message has rallied conservatives who say the president is trying to indoctrinate their children with his own political agenda.

 

Most school administrators are punting on whether to allow kids to watch the president. They're leaving it up to the discretion of the teacher.

 

The whole controversy is a sad commentary on the political divide in the United States. While the tone of Obama's campaign seemed to promise a more academic, gentle approach to the Oval Office, the furor from conservatives over his health care plan seems now to infuse itself into every initiative the president undertakes.

 

Of course, it's ridiculous to fret over letting kids listen to the president deliver a message that encourages kids to study hard and stay in school. He's not going to hypnotize students into a pledge of Democratic Party allegiance.

 

It does present a fascinating, teachable moment over just how character is molded and how political views are formed. Hopefully, the kids who do get to watch and listen to Obama will bring his thoughts home and discuss them around the dinner table. Mom and dad can weigh in and offer their own opinions.

 

Certainly, parents have more sway over the hearts and minds of their children than another dad sitting in the White House.

 

It's a good time for the country to take a good look at the ideals and dreams that unite us, not the partisanship that separates us. 

President Obama singles out Hoosiers

(http://www.indystar.com/article/20090906/NEWS05/909060385/Behind+Closed+Doors++Obama+singles+out+Hoosiers)

 

Obama singles out Hoosiers

 

Carson and Lugar get recognition at dinner marking Muslim holiday

 

Rep. Andre Carson, D-Indianapolis, and Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., were guests at Tuesday's White House dinner celebrating the Muslim holiday of Ramadan and were singled out by President Barack Obama.

As the president began his opening remarks, he looked for Carson, the second Muslim to serve in Congress. After the guests applauded, Obama also sought out Lugar, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The more than five dozen guests included ambassadors from major Muslim countries, Cabinet members and Muslim Americans.

The mother of an American Muslim soldier who died in Iraq was at the dinner, as was an American Muslim girl who holds Massachusetts' record for the most points scored by a high school basketball player.

"Islam, as we know, is part of America," Obama said.

The guests dined on dates, almonds, salad, chicken, peas, potato and leek puree, kataifi wafers and sorbet.

 

Ind. officials renew Chrysler bankruptcy fight (AP)

(http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-us-indiana-chrysler,0,342836.story)

 

Ind. officials renew Chrysler bankruptcy fight

By DEANNA MARTIN -- Associated Press Writer

 

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana officials want the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider their objections to the Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings that resulted in the sale of the bulk of the automaker's assets to Italy's Fiat. 

 

The Supreme Court in June rejected an appeal by a trio of Indiana pension and construction funds that wanted to block the deal. The court at that time did not consider the merits of the opponents' arguments, only whether to hear their full appeal. 

 

Indiana state Treasurer Richard Mourdock claims the sale unfairly favored Chrysler's unsecured stakeholders, such as the United Auto Workers, ahead of secured debtholders like the pension funds. 

 

The petition filed Thursday argues that the Supreme Court should decide whether bankruptcy proceedings similar to Chrysler's should be allowed in the future. 

 

[...]

 

Critics say Mourdock's fight against the Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings is a waste of money that has already cost $2 million in legal fees. The new filing will not cost the state any additional legal fees unless the Supreme Court decides to hear the case. 

 

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker slammed Mourdock, a Republican, for filing the petition. 

 

"Richard Mourdock continues to use the retirement funds he's pledged to protect as private slush funds to fight this very personal battle with President Barack Obama," Parker said in a statement Friday. 

 

Mourdock has said all along that he considered the fight one of principle. 

Stimulus money will provide aid to tune of nearly $6 million

Hoosier welfare winners and losers

Congressman Brad Ellsworth weighs in on welfare

(http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/29/ellsworth-weighs-in-on-welfare/)

 

Ellsworth weighs in on welfare

Says Indiana needs a 'Plan B'

 

By Eric Bradner

 

INDIANAPOLIS — U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth has joined the fray over efforts by Gov. Mitch Daniels' administration to modernize Indiana's welfare system.

 

Ellsworth, D-Ind., has advised the governor's office the state should develop an alternative plan in case efforts to correct mistakes in the current system aren't successful.

 

The 8th District congressman's interest is the latest indication of increasing federal scrutiny of the 10-year, $1.34 billion contract with two computer companies to update the way the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration processes applications for benefits such as food stamps and Medicaid.

 

Earlier this month, two other members of Indiana's congressional delegation — Rep. Baron Hill, D-Ind., and Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind. — asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture to review the contract.

 

"I have advised the governor's office that they should have a 'Plan B' strategy in place in case their attempted corrections are not successful," Ellsworth said.

 

There is a deadline. State officials have said they expect the team of vendors to show improvements in areas such as timeliness and error rates starting Sept. 25, when the State Budget Committee will hold its first hearing on the matter.

‘The dream lives on’

(http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/26/the-dream-lives-on/)

 

'The dream lives on'

Kennedy called champion of ordinary people

 

By Lydia X. McCoy

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

 

EVANSVILLE — In the late 1990s, Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker was an aide to Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy, who died Tuesday night at his home on Cape Cod after a yearlong struggle with brain cancer. Kennedy was 77.

 

Parker recalled Kennedy's speech at the 1980 Democratic National Convention, where the party chose to nominate President Jimmy Carter for a second term rather than Kennedy, who had opposed him in the primary.

 

It was there that Kennedy offered, perhaps, his most famous line, Parker said.

 

Kennedy said: "For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."

 

Parker described Kennedy as "a constant force of progress in the United States Senate" who helped move the country forward.

 

Weinzapfel heard Kennedy speak

 

Evansville Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel recalled seeing Kennedy speak at last year's Democratic National Convention in Denver — an appearance that was uncertain in the days leading up to it because of the senator's health.

 

"I felt like I was witnessing history," Weinzapfel said. "It was thrilling to see and hear him. Sen. Kennedy was passing the torch from one generation of Democrat leaders to the next."

 

Kennedy will be remembered for his work in the areas of education, health care and civil rights.

 

"He was characterized for being pretty liberal, but he was very successful for working across the aisle. That's the sign of a good legislator," Weinzapfel said.

 

Rep. Brad Ellsworth said he never got the opportunity to meet Kennedy, but said Kennedy is known around Washington for his ability to legislate.

 

"He knew when to compromise, and he knew when to stand his ground and could work deals in a good way," Ellsworth said. "I think he'll be remembered for his legislative work."

 

Kennedy won't see outcome

 

Ellsworth said it's a shame that Kennedy won't be able to see the outcome of the current health care reform debate.

 

"Certainly, it's something he's talked about for decades, and we're in the middle of debate on," Ellsworth said. "Who's to say he would've been pleased or not, but he certainly helped push that agenda forward. The fact that it's being debated here and now ... he's partly responsible for."

 

Ellsworth said he also respects Kennedy for his longevity as a senator. He was elected to his first term in 1962.

 

"Most people, when they hear Kennedy, they think of President Kennedy and how revered he was, but with that many years in the legislation, he (Sen. Kennedy) had his hands in a lot of stuff," Ellsworth said. "Certainly there are those that don't agree with his philosophy or his ideology, but most people that were up there working with him would say that he was effective."

 

Anthony Long, chairman of the 8th Congressional District Democratic Party, got the opportunity to see Kennedy multiple times. Though the meetings were brief, Long said, they were memorable.

 

'It's this aura of respect'

 

"There's people who have accomplished so much when you see them, it's this aura of respect and admiration that just seems to circle about them," he said.

 

Kennedy will be remembered for devoting himself to causes that supported the less fortunate members of society, Long said.

 

"He stood up for the people who had a hard time standing up for themselves," he said. "He surely did. The causes he championed — human rights, minimum wage and health care — the primary beneficiaries are those less fortunate economically in our society. That's just an honorable thing."

 

Indiana's senators remembered Kennedy as a master legislator who was committed to his liberal convictions but also had a pragmatic knack for deal-making.

 

Republican Sen. Richard Lugar said he and Kennedy had a "long and productive friendship" in the Senate.

 

'A great life of service'

 

"He lived a great life of service, family strength and enduring friendships. I will miss him very much," Lugar said.

 

Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh said Kennedy eschewed talking points and spoke with a full heart.

 

"We live in an era where everything is tested by focus groups, but Ted was old school," Bayh said. "He spoke authentically, from the heart. At the end of the day, he cared most about the things that matter to ordinary people." 

Statement by State Chair Dan Parker on passing of Sen. Ted Kennedy

For Immediate Release
August 26, 2009

 

 

Statement from Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker on

the passing of U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy

Indianapolis -- Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker issued the following statement this morning in response to the death of Ted Kennedy after his long fight with brain cancer:

 

"It was with great sadness this morning that I learned of the passing of one of our nation's great leaders.

 

"For nearly fifty years, Ted Kennedy was a constant force of progress in the United States Senate, and his tireless pursuit of reasoned debate helped move our country forward again and again.

 

"Our country has lost one of its great orators, but the voice of our friend will continue to be with us in the decades to come. His legislative accomplishments are too numerous to count, and his legacy will no doubt live on through these invaluable achievements that touch the lives of all Americans.

 

"On this somber occasion, it is worth remembering the words of Senator Kennedy himself, who nearly three decades ago gave this national rallying cry:

 

'For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.'

 

"My thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Vicki, his children, and their entire family."

Rep. Hill, AARP discuss health care in conference call

Stimulus helps families get child care after long wait

Ellsworth to host telephonic town hall meeting (Courier & Press)

Ellsworth to host telephonic town hall meeting

By Staff Reports

 

Rep. Brad Ellsworth will be host a telephone town hall to discuss health care reform with 8th District constituents at 9:30 a.m. CDT Saturday. In order to comply with Indiana’s automatic dial laws, constituents who wish to participate must sign-up at the 8th District Online Office: http://www.ellsworth.house.gov.

 

The telephone town hall will operate similarly to a traditional town hall format. Ellsworth will deliver an opening statement and will take questions about reforms to the health care system from participants throughout the 8th District.

 

The telephone town hall is a continuation of Ellsworth’s efforts to seek input from 8th District Hoosiers on health care reform proposals being considered in Congress. The second-term Congressman is holding one-on-one meetings with constituents this month, as well as roundtable discussions will local health care experts.

 

For more information on health care reform, constituents are encouraged to visit the 8th District Online Office at http://www.ellsworth.house.gov and click on Understanding Health Care Reform. The website provides visitors with the full text of the House’s version of the health care reform bill, proposed changes to the legislation, and information debunking common reform myths. Constituents can also take Ellsworth’s online health care survey. 

 

(http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/aug/18/ellsworth-host-telephonic-town-hall-meeting/)

Hayhurst wants re-match with Souder (Journal Gazette)

Bayh seeks inspector general review of toxin complaints

(http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20090812/NEWS02/908120386/1025/NEWS02/Bayh+seeks+inspector+general+review+of+toxin+complaints)

 

Bayh seeks inspector general review of toxin complaints

By Maureen Groppe

Gannett News Service

 

WASHINGTON -- Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh and four other Democratic senators have asked the Pentagon's inspector general to review the Army's response to the potential exposure of Indiana National Guardsmen to a deadly chemical in Iraq.

 

The senators said they believe the conduct of the Army and military contractor KBR may have caused hundreds of U.S. troops to be exposed to dangerous levels of cancer-causing sodium dichromate.

 

Former KBR employees have said that workers and soldiers, including Indiana Guard members, were exposed to sodium dichromate at an Iraqi water pumping plant that was being repaired in 2003. Sodium dichromate was used at the site as an anti-corrosive.

 

Some of the guardsmen are suing KBR, which has said it acted properly.

 

The senators said the review done by an advisory committee to the secretary of defense and by the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine “may have been deeply flawed.”

 

The issues the senators want the inspector general to review include whether the Army failed to clear sodium dichromate from the facility before authorizing KBR to enter the site and whether the Army responded adequately when soldiers began experience health problems. 

Hill says health care system is broken

Hill says health care system is broken

Reform is a must, he tells Rotary Club

Bayh stops at Sellersburg job fair

 

Bayh stops at Sellersburg job fair

By Chris Quay

 

Southern Indiana residents looking for work got some help Monday from an annual job fair and summit for job training and small businesses.

 

Representatives of more than 30 local businesses were at Ivy Tech Community College's Sellersburg campus to discuss about 400 job openings and opportunities.

 

Sen. Evan Bayh, host of the event, attended as part of a statewide tour this week of job fairs across the state.

 

“I love coming to places like Sellersburg and doing what I can to empower people to get good jobs, to grow their businesses and to provide for their families,” Bayh said during a news conference. 

Stimulus saves jobs, launches programs

(http://www.indystar.com/article/20090810/LOCAL/908100347/1001/NEWS/Stimulus+saves+jobs++launches+programs)

 

Stimulus saves jobs, launches programs

By Andy Gammill

 

As children return to class this week, the effect of the federal stimulus money may not be immediately apparent, but state and school leaders say it will have a major impact on their lives.

About $500 million of federal stimulus money has been doled out to schools, replacing money that would have been cut from the state budget. About $100 million more has been paid directly to schools, and more is to come.

That, state officials say, prevented drastic education cuts and will improve technology, buses and cafeterias.

"It's been a real boost for our district," said Elizabeth M. Gore, an Indianapolis Public School Board member. "I really do feel that it's a good thing, and I think it's going to give us an opportunity to do a lot of good for our students." 

State education officials said hundreds of jobs have been saved, computers have been purchased, and high-tech tools have been added to classrooms. Stimulus money, which the federal government has said must help the economy and leave lasting school improvements, also has been used to retool kitchens and provide transportation for homeless kids.

Numerous districts reported launching intensive efforts to train teachers to work with special education students or to initiate new curriculums that require intensive training.

Pike Township Schools will use money to improve its math and reading programs, hire aides to work with students with autism, pay for teacher training and launch two new programs.

Funds meant to help poor children will help create a "Newcomer's Program" for students learning English. That program will fund teaching positions, buy books for students and encourage parental participation.

And about $2.6 million earmarked for special education will bolster the district's alternative school programs and fund training for staff members working with children with autism.

"It's extremely exciting to have the opportunity to create change," said Megan Ahlers, Pike Township's director of exceptional learners. "There is an increase in the number of children with more significant needs." 

Obama says Indiana ‘factories coming back to life’

Privatized welfare’s poor results (Indy Star)

Bayh backs bill for possible sanctions on Iran (AP)

Indiana IBM deal grows 15 percent to $1.34B (AP)

Indiana IBM deal grows 15 percent to $1.34B 

 

(http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?s=10833341)

 

Indianapolis  - Indiana will spend nearly $180 million more than it initially planned to privatize and automate many of its welfare functions just two years into a closely watched 10-year deal that is one of the most lucrative contracts in state history.

 

The cost of the $1.16 billion contract Gov. Mitch Daniels signed in late 2006 has risen 15 percent, to $1.34 billion, under changes made to the agreement with a group led by Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM Corp.

 

The amendments, found in a contract review by The Associated Press, include one that gave the IBM group an additional $47.3 million - some of which will be used to correct problems with the project. Four top administration officials signed off on the additional money in April, shortly after Daniels told IBM officials they needed to fix a system that critics charge has erroneously canceled benefits even as the recession forces more people to seek food stamps, Medicaid and other government help.

 

Indiana's welfare project is one of the most ambitious efforts by a state to automate welfare systems and move away from cost-intensive, hands-on work by government case workers. The government services industry, federal officials and some members of Congress have scrutinized Indiana's effort after a similar one in Texas ended with a canceled contract with Accenture in 2007.

 

Daniels has said repeatedly that he inherited one of the nation's worst welfare systems. The Republican governor has made the IBM deal one of the hallmarks of his 4 1/2-year-old administration.

 

Money for the project comes from appropriations to the state's Family and Social Services Administration. The state Legislature approves the social service agency's funding but did not have a role in approving the IBM contract, which Daniels initiated.

 

Indiana House Speaker Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, a frequent critic of the effort, expressed dismay over the rising costs.

 

"I think the whole thing's out of control," Bauer said. "It didn't work in Texas, and it's not working here."

 

John Cardwell, leader of a group of advocates documenting problems that clients have faced, said the project has been shrouded in secrecy and questioned whether the contract amendments fully reflect the cost. He noted FSSA still has its own employees involved in welfare intake, must invest time and other resources in responding to increased federal oversight, and is defending itself against two lawsuits challenging the contract.

 

"We need a complete audit," he said.

 

IBM spokesman John Buscemi acknowledged Friday that additions had been made to the contract but declined to elaborate. 

Senators call for office devoted to Alzheimer’s research

Senators call for office devoted to Alzheimer's research

 

(http://www.mcknights.com/Senators-call-for-office-devoted-to-Alzheimers-research/article/140863/)

 

Two U.S. senators Wednesday introduced a proposal that would create an Office of the National Alzheimer's Project in the White House to coordinate research into treating and eradicating Alzheimer's disease.

 

Sens. Mel Martinez (R-FL) and Evan Bayh (D-IN) introduced the measure to prepare the healthcare system "to meet the needs of the growing number of Alzheimer's patients." In a statement, they referred to recent statistics showing that up to half of seniors over the age of 85 will be affected by Alzheimer's. A recent census bureau report, An Aging World: 2008, finds that the over-80 population is the fastest growing cohort in the world. Martinez and Bayh aim to coordinate the best practices of both government and non-government agencies to "hopefully one day provide a cure."

 

In other Alzheimer's news, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, have used neural stem cells to reverse the effects of Alzheimer's disease in mice that have been genetically modified to exhibit Alzheimer's symptoms. The report, which appears in the July 20 online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, found that the stem cells acted like "fertilizer for the brain," creating neural connections and improving cognitive function among the mice.  

Bayh Signs Letter Calling for Higher Ethanol Blends

Senator Bayh pens his support

Hold welfare administrator accountable (Journal & Courier)

Driver’s license rule draws critics

The welfare privatization debacle (Journal Gazette)

Medicaid problems swell in new system (Journal Gazette)

Indiana considers canceling IBM-led welfare project if no improvements by fall (AP)

Congressman Donnelly visits troops, Karzai in Mideast (South Bend Tribune)

Senator stands behind property owner tax break

Beef advocate to head USDA office in Indiana (Journal Gazette)

Bayh helps Gary seek $25 million for demolitions (Post-Tribune)

Clunkers come in all shapes and sizes (South Bend Tribune)

Bayh proposal seeks to reverse meth use (Post-Tribune)

Clinton tells Indiana Democrats Obama on right track (AP)

(http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=indystar&sParam=31005489.story)

 

Clinton tells Ind. Democrats Obama on right track

Posted 6/20/2009

By Tom Davies, Associated Press Writer

INDIANAPOLIS — Former President Bill Clinton rallied Indiana Democrats on Saturday with a vigorous defense of President Barack Obama, saying that Obama has done what was needed to spark the economy.

Clinton said he believed Obama had acted correctly in pushing through his $787 billion economic stimulus package and the rescue plan for General Motors and Chrysler even though the federal budget deficit could reach a record $1.85 trillion.

"I know we need to worry about this debt," Clinton said. "First we've got to build a bridge over troubled waters and give the president's economic reforms in the finance system time to take hold."

Clinton spoke at a fundraising dinner for the Indiana Democratic Party in his return to a state where he made dozens of campaign stops last year on behalf of his wife Hillary as she faced Obama in the presidential primary.

Obama went on to became the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Indiana since 1964, which Clinton told the 1,500 people at Saturday's dinner meant they had a great responsibility to help Obama succeed.

"We are now responsible and we need to get out of the blame business -- we're stuck with what we've got -- and deal with these challenges," Clinton said. "We will now be judged by what we do." 

Congressman sees economic recovery plan coming to fruition

Bayh presents tax relief proposal (Post-Tribune)

Tale of two budgets (Journal Gazette)

Tale of two budgets

Editorial -- Fort Wayne Journal Gazette

(http://www.journalgazette.net/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090616/EDIT07/306169954/1021/EDIT&template=printart)

 

To the achievement gap challenge, Indiana school districts can add a second: The budget gap, the gulf between how their schools are treated under Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels’ plan and the House Democratic proposal.

 

Neither is likely to represent the end product. But urban and rural school districts – already struggling under declining or stagnant enrollment and serving students disproportionately affected by the recession – need a plan closer to the Democrats’.

 

The differences are stark. Under the governor’s two-year budget proposal, Indianapolis Public Schools would face a cut of $13.5 million next year and $29.7 million in 2011. House Democrats would also cut funding for IPS in their one-year budget, but only by $834,000.

 

In the fast-growing Hamilton Southeastern school district, the governor’s plan gives a 5.38 percent increase next year and 10.8 percent in 2011, for a total of $15.2 million. The Democrats’ plan offers a more reasonable 4.63 percent increase next year, about $4.3 million.

 

Urban schools have been well represented at hearings before the bipartisan budget subcommittee and the House Ways and Means Committee this month. But the two spending plans also have a dramatic effect on rural schools. Northeast Indiana’s smallest district, Hamilton Community Schools, would face a 7.62 percent reduction over two years under Daniels’ proposal – a loss of $445,000. The Democratic plan would give the district an extra $5,152 next year.

 

Stacey Hughes, superintendent of Central Noble Community School Corp. in Albion, said the $121,000 reduction her district would face under the governor’s plan represents salary and benefits for two first-year teachers. Although the district has been losing 35 to 50 students a year for several years, the enrollment loss is spread across grade levels.

 

“If I lose 10 kids and they are throughout K-12, it’s difficult to reduce a teacher,” Hughes said. “If I lose 10 out of the first grade, I might be able to cut one section.”

 

Chrysler challenge stirs storm

Indiana lawmakers return for special session

Local stimulus dollars go directly to students, programs

Budget would hurt urban, help suburban schools (AP)

Budget would hurt urban, help suburban schools

By Deanna Martin, Associated Press Writer

(http://content.usatoday.net/dist/custom/gci/InsidePage.aspx?cId=jconline&sParam=30916223.story)

 

INDIANAPOLIS — Gov. Mitch Daniels says Indiana's schools are "among America's luckiest" since they have so far avoided cuts during the recession.

But only some Indiana schools would find four-leaf clovers under Daniels' budget proposal.

Suburban schools with booming enrollments would see funding increases, while urban and rural school districts that are losing students would see decreases. Whether that approach is a fair way to distribute money is at the heart of partisan squabbles dominating budget talks as lawmakers prepare to start a special session Thursday.

But Democrats and Republicans are also arguing about the school funding numbers themselves.

The Republican governor says his two-year budget would give schools an average funding increase of 2 percent in each of the next two years, and more than 70 percent of traditional public schools would see an increase from 2009 to 2011. But Daniels' budget relies heavily on federal stimulus money to provide those increases. That money -- around $400 million -- will run out in two years.

Democrats say Daniels' numbers aren't accurate and argue stimulus money shouldn't be considered school funding because it should only be used on one-time expenditures.

When stimulus money isn't factored in, 58 percent of Indiana's traditional public school districts would lose money from 2009 to 2011, according to an Associated Press analysis of school funding numbers provided by the Daniels administration. Those figures do not include charter schools. 

President Obama promises more than 600,000 stimulus jobs (AP)

Curb Chinese tires: Bayh

Curb Chinese tires: Bayh

Says imports hurt Allen plant

Sylvia A Smith

Washington editor 

(http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20090603/NEWS03/306039959)

 

The increase in Chinese-made tires exported to the U.S. hurts American manufacturers, including the BFGoodrich plant in Woodburn, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., said Tuesday.

Bayh is among several members of Congress who are siding with the United Steelworkers, which has asked the Obama administration to cut the number of Chinese tire imports by more than half.

The union filed a petition with the federal government claiming that an increase in imported Chinese tires has caused a steep decline in U.S. production, sales, profitability and employment. It wants the U.S. International Trade Commission to ask the White House to put a quota on the number of tires China can send to the U.S., cutting the imports by more than half.

The Steelworkers union, which represents tire plant employees, said more than 5,100 jobs have been eliminated in the past five years when four U.S. tire plants closed. About 3,000 more jobs are slated to be lost by the end of this year when three other plants close or stop production of passenger and light-truck tires.

The union said imports of passenger tires from China increased 215 percent from 2004 to 2008. During that time, the United Steelworkers said, U.S. tire production fell 25 percent.

“These are troubling trends,” Bayh told the commission at a hearing Tuesday. “If we fail to respond, I fear we will see more tire plants closed, more jobs lost, and more erosion of American manufacturing.

 

Tim Roemer: A well-chosen ambassador (South Bend Tribune)

A well-chosen ambassador
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