News
- 04/09/10 - South Bend economist seeks state treasurer nomination (Indy Star)
Pete Buttigieg, a 28-year-old South Bend economist, is running for the Democrat nomination for state treasurer. Democrats will choose their nominee at their state party convention on June 26, and so far Buttigieg is the only candidate. The nominee will take on Republican Richard Mourdock, who is seeking re-election to the office, in the November general election. Buttigieg — pronounced “Boota-judge” -- is a graduate of Harvard University and studied economics at Oxford University in England as a Rhodes Scholar. Until recently he was employed at the Chicago office of McKinsey & Company consulting firm, specializing in economic development, energy, and logistics, until resigning to launch his campaign.
MORE - 04/07/10 - Dem Senate hopeful talks jobs with union workers (Post-Trib)"When they talk about creating jobs, we set up the atmosphere. We want them creating the jobs. I want to know what we are doing in Washington that helps you and hurts you. Are we making it easier for people to buy cars?" Ellsworth said. MORE
- 04/01/10 - Disputed welfare practices don’t hold up in court (Indy Star)When Gov. Mitch Daniels pulled the plug in October on a privatization contract that was the cornerstone of an aggressive welfare services modernization plan, he said it simply didn't work. But the arrangement's inefficiency, lost paperwork and wrongly denied benefits weren't the only problems. A judge has ruled that parts of the modernization push also violated the law.MORE
- 03/29/10 - Ellsworth campaign brochure paints him as lawman (Courier&Press)
It's been a while since Vanderburgh County voters saw Brad Ellsworth standing next to a sheriff's patrol car. But now that the hometown congressman is running for a U.S. Senate seat, he's doing it again. Ellsworth's first piece of Senate campaign literature shows him leaning against a patrol car wearing a tie and rolled up shirt sleeves. The two-sided brochure features a brown bar with gold badge — similar to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff's Office colors — and text about Ellsworth's eight years as Vanderburgh County sheriff before his election to Congress in 2006. The brochure does not mention the Democratic congressman's party affiliation. "In Congress, Brad is independent and always puts Indiana first," according to the campaign flier. Other language in the brochure portrays Ellsworth as a tax-cutter and opponent of wasteful government spending who "will bring Hoosier values and common sense to the U.S. Senate." Brian Vargus, a political science professor at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, said the brochure is the first indication that self-described "conservative Democrat" Ellsworth would present himself the same way to voters in a statewide campaign.
MORE - 03/24/10 - Bayh gives $1 million to state Democrats
Indiana's Democrats scored a million-dollar boost Tuesday from Sen. Evan Bayh. Bayh, who in February surprised his party by saying he would not seek a third term, salved some of the sting with a $1 million infusion of cash. The money will help the party back U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, the all but-official Democratic candidate for Bayh's seat.
MORE - 03/22/10 - Thousands of teachers losing jobs, union says (AP)
School districts across Indiana are laying off thousands of teachers in the wake of state education funding cuts. Indiana State Teachers Association spokesman Mark Shoup said Friday the union forecasts up to 5,000 teachers may lose their jobs. That's about 8 percent of public school teachers statewide.
MORE - 03/17/10 - Van Haaften backs reform, backs away from pending reform bill (Courier & Press)
He's not sure he would vote for health care reform legislation now in Congress, but state Rep. Trent Van Haaften, D-Mount Vernon, told a friendly audience Tuesday night that insurance companies should be reined in. "How can we allow a simple middle-class family that can't buy health insurance, or get health insurance because insurance companies raise premiums beyond the cost?" said Van Haaften, the presumptive 8th District Democratic congressional nominee this year. "... How can we stifle small business by not making sure health insurance is affordable? So we have to do things basically to make sure it's affordable, make sure insurance companies don't control (medical decisions between) the doctor and the patient, make sure those that are getting care — the seniors in particular, that Medicare is not cut." Van Haaften, who hopes to succeed Senate candidate Rep. Brad Ellsworth, D-Ind., was speaking at a public meet-and-greet event offered by University of Southern Indiana's College Democrats club.
MORE - 03/10/10 - Mayor Weinzapfel touts success, vision for merger (Courier & Press)Evansville 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. 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. MORE
- 03/08/10 - Outsider vibe driving the “Draft Mellencamp” Facebook group (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. MORE
- 03/08/10 - Seven-year Statehouse run ending for Van Haaften (Courier & Press)
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.
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