Kokomo Perspective

When disaster strikes...

2006-03-30T09:07:00.000-05:00

If disaster strikes Kokomo tomorrow, how will our local officials react?

We don't know. And it seems that, for the most part, neither do they. Recent discussions before the Howard County commissioners reveal deep communication and confusion about what to do in the event of an emergency.

Kelli Austin, director of the Johanning Civic Center, said she has heard that during disaster, her facility could be required for uses as disparate as emergency shelter, temporary offices for county and city employees, and even inmate housing. Austin wants to be pro-active, and make "action lists" for each scenario, but so far, that hasn't happened.

It needs to happen. Before a disaster, not during.

It's all relative, right?

2006-03-30T09:05:00.000-05:00

In this week's Kokomo Perspective, we criticize the county's new nepotism policy, which grants broad power to the county commissioners, to decide whether or not someone can hire a relative.

Even assuming this batch of commissioners is above reproach (and that's a big assumption), should the commissioners hand such authority to the people who will follow them into office? We think not. This new ordinance is a recipe for corruption in 5, 10, maybe 15 years down the road.

Strip Club Equality?

2006-03-22T08:43:00.000-05:00

Now that the Ultimate Place 2 B is in danger of losing its liquor license, should the same group of remonstrators try to shut down all area strip clubs? Would it be hypocritical of them not to? Or are all strip clubs not created equal?

Mascot Mayhem

2006-03-22T08:39:00.000-05:00

The Merriam Webster dictionary definition of "Redskin" is "Native American." However, the dictionary also notes, "usually offensive." On dictionary.com, the definition reads, "offensive slang used as a disparaging term for a Native American." Cambridge's online dictionary reads, "offensive old fashioned for a Native American."

Yet in Indiana, there are still four high schools that use Redskins as their school mascot. The IHSAA has no regulations on Indian-themed mascots, but should they? Should a school be allowed to have a mascot whose history is rooted in bigotry and hatred? Or are such concerns political correctness run amok?

LIVE CHAT DEBATE TONIGHT!

2006-03-16T12:34:00.000-05:00

Don't forget, the Kokomo Perspective is holding a Live Chat Debate tonight with Sheriff Marty Talbert, and candidates Rob Walker and Jon Zeck.

Through the Live Chat format, candidates will meet to discuss the issues of the day and to answer questions about policy and politics.

Sheriff Marty Talbert and Democratic primary candidates Jon Zeck and Rob Walker will square off Thursday, March 16, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Talbert, a former Indiana State Police trooper, is seeking a second term as sheriff on the Republican ticket. When elected, he was Howard County’s first GOP sheriff in 32 years. Zeck is a former sheriff’s deputy, and Walker is a corporal in the sheriff’s department.

To join the live chat, log on to www.kokomoperspective.com and scroll down the left side of the page to the link that says “Live Chat.” Log in a few minutes early and sign in to ask a question.

Sticking to the Rules?

2006-03-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

When Brad Bagwell challenged the filings of 32 precinct committeeman candidates, he said it was all about the law. There was much talk about slipperly slopes, and how election law must be carefully followed.
Oh, the irony. It now appears that Bagwell may have violated that law himself, when he filed the complaint. The county attorney has yet to give his opinion on the matter, but attorneys for the Indiana Election Commission say that in order to file a complaint, you have to live in the district of the candidate you're complaining about. Unless Bagwell lives in 32 precincts at once, that would make his complaint null and void. Unfortunately for the candidates, the damage is already done. The 16 candidates who were kicked off the ballot can not get back on, unless they take the matter to court. If Bagwell is such a stickler for election law, shouldn't he have made absolutely sure he was following it? And -- ignominy of ignominies -- does he owe the mayor an apology?

Everybody Spin!

2006-03-15T08:49:00.000-05:00

Once again, the city of Kokomo has granted a contract to Schneider Corp -- a contract that did not fall under the "lowest responsive and responsible bid" rule. While Schneider may be a good company, the city has entered an ethical morass by aligning itself so closely politically with a city vendor. Schneider's CEO is the mayor's biggest individual donor, and the company even sponosored a fundraiser for the mayor in Carmel. What kind of message does this send from an admnistration that values professionalism? Has McKillip's desire to be the King Kong of Kokomo fundraising put his administration in a bad position? Or, as the mayor says, is everyone who opposes him just "spinning?"

DC Not Sharing Profits?

2006-03-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

When Daimler profits but Chrysler doesn't, Chrysler employees get no profit-sharing bonus. But when the opposite is true, Daimler employees still get a bonus. A bigger bonus, in fact, than their American counterparts. Officials say the price was negotiated by the Central Works Council, the Daimler workers' union. If that's true, should American workers begrudge the Germans for their strong union? Or, union or no union, is it still a basic issue of fairness?

Precinct Punchout Part II

2006-03-08T11:03:00.000-05:00

Did the election committee make the right choice by eliminating several of Mayor Matt McKillip's candidates for precinct committeeman? Did they simply side on the law, or did they let red tape and small print impede the Democratic process?

Planning on...

2006-03-08T11:02:00.000-05:00

The Planning Commission Department could lose two of its senior employees this month. Can the department function under the cloud of litigation? Or should we expect more shake ups as time goes on?

Election Board Declares...

2006-03-01T14:39:00.001-05:00

This week, the election board will decide whether to throw out 32 precinct committeemen ballots that may have been improperly notarized.

Should the ballots be thrown out, or should the candidates be allowed to run? Which is more important: following the rules, or opening the process to as many people as possible?

Labor Studies on the chopping block

2006-03-01T14:39:00.000-05:00

Indiana University is considering axing the Labor Studies program. The program only has 16 full-time enrollees, but many more people take classes in the major, to supplement their education.

Should the Labor Studies program fall to the wayside? Should IUK's role be simply to grant degrees, or also to provide courses to the community, even those who can only take a class or two?

Bypass to the bypass

2006-03-01T14:30:00.000-05:00

It looks like Kokomo may finally gets a bypass to the U.S. 31 bypass. But once the road is built, where will people get off? Public officials last week debated whether to push for an interchange at Touby Pike, and whether to trade-off another one, at Boulevard.

Where's the best place for a new exit? And if we get too many interchanges, will Kokomo stop being Stoplight City, and become Interchange City?

The State of Our City

2006-02-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Mayor Matt McKillip will deliver his State of the City address to the general public. Do you plan to attend? What topics do you hope the mayor touches on? And as a citizen, what do you think the State of our City is?

Precinct Punchout?

2006-02-22T09:07:00.000-05:00

The public sniping between Mayor Matt McKillip and Howard County Republican Chairman Brad Bagwell intensified this week, after McKillip submitted 40 recruited candidates for precinct committeeman. Is this an attempted political coup? Are the Howard County Republicans at war? And if so, is that good for anybody?

May-Jessup Saga Continues

2006-02-22T09:04:00.000-05:00

Howard County's own Father Time - Judge Stephen Jessup - took issue this week with attorney Dan May. May and Jessup have a long-standing feud, which causes Jessup to recuse himself from any case May is handling. Now Jessup believes that May is taking on clients who want to get out of Jessup's court. If it's happening, is it wrong? Or is it the logical result for a judge who doles out jail sentences like they were candy?

Politics Over Respect

2006-02-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Nothing is sacred, everything is political. That is the best way to describe the attitude of so many in Washington. And I say this of members of both political parties, though over the past four years, it has been increasingly a problem for those on the left. The most recent, glaring example of this sad truth is the uproar over the Cheney hunting accident.

Perhaps it is because I have been close to students who have lost loved ones in hunting accidents, and known other adults through my church who themselves have been victims or participants in hunting accidents that I am absolutely disgusted by the aftermath of the Cheney incident. I’ve chosen not to comment on it intentionally, but I have watched in amazement as the liberal politicians have come out of the woodwork to try to score political points off of someone’s unfathomable guilt and grief.

I cannot even imagine being Vice President Cheney, having pulled the trigger, seriously wounding a good friend. I cannot even imagine watching my friend fall to the ground knowing that I am the reason. I cannot even imagine having to wait for the medics to arrive, standing over the top of my bleeding friend. I cannot even imagine the agony of wondering if my friend was going to die as a result of my mistake. And I cannot imagine, in the midst of all this, being forced to have to listen and answer to political hacks who are so self-serving and self-absorbed, all they can do is suggest unbelievable and thoughtless conspiracy theories, using my personal grief as an opportunity to advance their personal disdain for me.

Cheney’s interview, forced by the hands of conscience-less Senators like Hillary Clinton and Harry Reid, revealed a broken and hurting man…a man who is dealing with extraordinary guilt and pain. I probably don’t do it enough, but as I watched this interview I said a prayer for Dick Cheney…for strength to deal with a situation that makes policy decisions pale in comparison. I also said a prayer that people like Hillary Clinton and Harry Reid would never have to deal with something so difficult…and that if they did, others would treat them with far more dignity and respect than they have extended to the Vice President.

An interesting twist

2006-02-16T00:35:00.000-05:00

Saddam Reportedly Warned U.S. of Terrorism

By GERALD NADLER Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- Saddam Hussein told aides in the mid-1990s that he warned the United States it could be hit by a terrorist attack, ABC News reported Wednesday, citing 12 hours of tapes the network obtained of the former Iraqi dictator's talks with his Cabinet.
One of Saddam's son-in-laws also explained how Iraq hid its biological weapons programs from U.N. inspectors, according to the tapes from August 1995.
The coming terrorist attack Saddam predicted could involve weapons of mass destruction.
"Terrorism is coming. I told the Americans," Saddam is heard saying, adding he "told the British as well."
"In the future, what would prevent a booby trapped car causing a nuclear explosion in Washington or a germ or a chemical one?" Saddam said.
But he insisted Iraq would never launch such an attack. "This story is coming, but not from Iraq," he said.
The State Department had no comment on the report, which aired on "World News Tonight." ABC News said U.S. officials confirmed the tapes were authentic.
ABC News said the CIA found the tapes in Iraq and that the 12 hours were provided to it by Bill Tierney, a former member of a U.N. inspection team who was translating them for the FBI. ABC News quoted Tierney as saying the U.S. government was wrong to keep the tapes secret.
Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz told Saddam on the tape that "the biological (attack) is very easy to make. It's so simple that any biologist can make a bottle of germs and drop it into a water tower and kill 100,000."
"This is not done by a state. No need to accuse a state. An individual can do it," he said.
Hussein Kamel, a son-in-law of Saddam's, who was then in charge of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction efforts, explained how Iraq held back information from the U.N. inspectors.
"We did not reveal all that we have," he said. "We did not reveal the volume of chemical weapons we had produced."
Kamel said Iraq had not revealed "the type of weapons, not the volume of the materials we imported."
Hussein Kamel defected to Jordan shortly after the tapes were recorded, and Iraq was forced to admit it had concealed its biological weapons program. Kamel returned to Iraq in February 1996 and was killed by security forces.
Charles Duelfer, who led the official U.S. search for weapons of mass destruction, told ABC News the tapes show extensive deception but don't prove that weapons were still hidden in Iraq at the time of the U.S.-led war in 2003.
"What they do is support the conclusion in the report which we made in the last couple of years, that the regime had the intention of building and rebuilding weapons of mass destruction, when circumstances permitted," he said.

A quick poll

2006-02-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

Pick your favorite:

A. "Did you know that Dick Cheney tortured the guy for a half hour before he shot him?" -- Jay Leno

B. "All kidding aside, in fairness to Cheney, every five years he has to shed innocent blood or he violates his deal with the devil." -- Jimmy Kimmel, forgetting about Iraq

C. "The reason they didn't release the facts about the Cheney shooting right away is they said "We had to get the facts right." That's never stopped them in the past." -- Craig Ferguson

D. "Moms, dads, do not let your kids go on hunting trips with the vice president. I don't care what kind of lucrative contracts they're trying to land, or energy regulations they're trying to get lifted -- it's just not worth it." -- Jon Stewart

The man who knew too much

2006-02-12T20:21:00.000-05:00

Cheney Accidentally Shoots Fellow Hunter
By NEDRA PICKLER, AP

WASHINGTON (Feb. 12) - Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail hunting trip in Texas, spraying the fellow hunter in the face and chest with shotgun pellets.
Harry Whittington, a millionaire attorney from Austin, was "alert and doing fine" in a Corpus Christi hospital Sunday after he was shot by Cheney on a ranch in south Texas, said Katharine Armstrong, the property's owner.

Right to Work?

2006-02-10T11:45:00.000-05:00

A proposed "Right to Work" bill died in committee this month. Does Indiana need a right to work law? Is it "right to work without paying a union you don't support," or is it "right to work for a really low wage, because the union has been crippled?" Are unions still relevant?

Time to Strike?

2006-02-08T15:53:00.000-05:00

In this week's Perspective, Delphi workers reminisced about the union strikes of yesteryear. Should UAW Local 292 strike again? Why, or why not? And if you've been through a strike, tell us your story.

Crowded Council Race

2006-02-08T15:52:00.000-05:00

It looks like the race to watch in this year's Republican primary may be the Howard County Council District 2 seat. Assessor Ann Harrigan, KPD Captain Gary McKay and Realtor Paul Wyman are vying for the spot. Does this represent a fissure in the Republican party, or is it just a little old-fashioned competition? And who has your vote?

Kokomo Mall Renovation

2006-02-08T15:51:00.000-05:00

The Kokomo Mall has big plans to update and renovate. What can the mall do to attract more customers? Can Kokomo sustain two shopping malls?

Watch this Video!

2006-02-05T11:31:00.000-05:00

Everyone should watch this discussion between Rep. Win Moses and Rep. Randy Borror about the lease of the Indiana Toll Road.

Go To http://www.in.gov/legislative/
click on "watch General Assembly"
Click on House Video Archive
Click on "Feb 1 Part 2"
Forward to 1hr 9 min
Watch the discussion between these two Ft. Wayne Reps as Moses asks questions of Borror, who carried this legislation through the house. I believe whatever your party affiliation, you will be concerned about the wisdom of this agreement, as written.

Please take a look for yourself.

Walker’s Worries

2006-02-02T07:48:00.000-05:00

Rob Walker filed for Howard County Sheriff last month, but swiftly met with opposition, in the form of an anonymous letter sent to the Perspective. Walker had two tax warrants in 1998, followed by collections a few years later.

Walker did not deny it, but said that like many people, “we juggle our finances, and things happen.”

Should such an indiscretion affect Walker’s chances at being elected Sheriff? And more broadly, what should the Democrats look for in their candidates? How can the party make its presence known once again in county politics?

Rainy Day, and it’s Pouring

2006-02-02T07:47:00.000-05:00

Last year, Howard County drained its Rainy Day fund, to offset shortages in the budget. Now. State Rep. Jim Buck has sponsored legislation that would allow the county to borrow money from the state’s Rainy Day fund, if tax money from bankrupt Delphi Corp. does not come through.

Is this just putting another Band-Aid on the county’s budget problems? What are the long-term solutions for the county’s fiscal woes?

Ron In The Running

2006-02-01T07:52:00.000-05:00

Former State Rep. Ron Herrell last week announced last week that he is again running for the General Assembly seat he lost two years ago. Who better represents the people of Howard County? Herrell, or State Rep. John Smith? Who will have your vote this year? And if you’re undecided, what will you be listening for as the two men debate the issues?

Bird is the Word

2006-02-01T07:51:00.000-05:00

A courthouse grudge match is shaping up in Howard County between Judge Stephen Jessup and attorney Dan May.

Last summer, Jessup shot May the bird at the Kokomo Country Club. Jessup said he apologized afterward, and that May accepted his apology. But last month May asked Jessup to recuse himself from a case May was handling. Jessup declined, and May filed a complaint against him. All because of the one-finger salute.

Should we expect a minimum standard of civility from our courthouse officers? Or should we just put Jessup and May in a wrestling ring, and get it over with?

Toll Road

2006-01-31T14:59:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to figure out how I felt about the lease of the Indiana Toll Road to develop Daniel's Major Moves program of road construction. I initially found two things that bother me about it.

One, is the fact that with the new money available, all we planned on doing with it was to build more roads. I wonder if we would not be better off investing in our citizens such as improving our children's schools, reducing college tuitions, or retraining workers who have lost their jobs and need new skills to find employment.

The second problem I have with it is the fact that it doesn't address our long term problem of how we finance highway construction. Basically, we get the money, we spend the money to buy more, then we remember that we could not maintain what we had before our spending spree, then realize there is even more to maintain. Sounds like some of my personal financial experience.

Last week I spent two days in northern Indiana and was shocked to hear the negative reaction of people in that area. I heard the mayor's of Hobart and Hammond tell of there concerns. Later people from South Bend and Plymouth echoed those same feelings. I did a little more research and found these opinions are widespread across northern Indiana but hardly noted here in central Indiana.

Here are links to a few examples:

South Bend Tribune Editorial

Republican couple's letter to the editor

Editorial from the Elkhart Truth

As I posted on the Howard County Democrat Party blog, the governor has alienated one seventh of the state's population that live in the northern tier counties. This, on top of his botched daylight savings time mess, will make them Democrats for a generation.

Partisan politics aside, these citizens deserve a chance to voice their concerns. There lives will be disrupted, many are losing their jobs, and everyone would be better served if our legislators would not rush to judgment on this issue.

It is a major step, and as such, should be carefully considered. I think it would be appropriate to delay passing the necessary legislation needed until the next legislative session in 2007. That would give us all time to digest the advantages and consequences of this deal, after all it is a 75 year commitment.

GM Retirees

2006-01-31T14:37:00.000-05:00

A battle may be brewing between GM retirees and the United Auto Workers. Kokomo man Dick Green is encouraging his fellow retirees to protest recent changes to retiree health-care.

But UAW Local 292 Shop Chairman said that it was “obvious to the UAW as well as management that (the company) could not afford to go on with certain costs.” He suggested that retirees not object to their new health care plan, and said the UAW is doing a good job representing retirees.

Is the UAW adequately representing retirees, or are they sacrificing their elders for a better wages and benefits package? Should retirees trust the UAW, or watch their own backs?

Mayor McMarketing?

2006-01-31T14:36:00.000-05:00

A marketing newletter from City Hall has raised the ire of Kokomo citizens and councilmen. Mayor Matt McKillip says the newsletter is marketing the city, but others say the mayor is really just marketing himself.

Did you receive the newsletter? If so, when you read it, did you feel it was an appropriate use of taxpayer money? Or did you not read it at all? What’s being marketed here? This great city, or the man who sits at the top of City Hall?

This explains things

2006-01-30T15:06:00.000-05:00

Check out this link:

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060129/NEWS06/601290427/1012/NEWS06

Flip-flop

2006-01-29T09:21:00.000-05:00

Patronage System?

2006-01-25T09:03:00.000-05:00

A chunk of the mayor's campaign fundraising last year came from city employees, including $250 each from a host of deparment heads and high-ranking civic servants. In addition, several employees said they were openly solicited, and told department heads should give $250, and foremen should give $150. By contrast, during the election year of 1999 Mayor Jim Trobaugh listed no city employees on his forms. The mayor said no one's job is dependent upon donations, but added that if someone wants to continue to be associated with him, it makes sense that they would give. Do McKillip's forms give the appearance of impropriety? Is there a patronage system in City Hall?

Mayoral Fund Raising

2006-01-25T09:01:00.000-05:00

Should a candidate for mayor of Kokomo raise funds from outside the county? Or should most of their support be local? Should a candidate put any limitations on the money they raise? If so, what guidelines should they follow?

Pick'em for SB XL

2006-01-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

This isn't the Super Bowl matchup most of us in Indiana would have wanted but I would like to hear who you think is going to win and (a good reason) why and throw in a final score for good measure. We'll come back in a few weeks and see who was on the money.
----------
My choice: Seattle.

I have feeling that Pittsburgh will probably win, though, since Bettis is retiring and he's from Detroit. Things seem to happen that way -- the good story gets to be written.

However, I think Seattle's o-line will do a better job of protecting their QB than Indy or Denver did and if the Seahawks get out to an early lead, healthy doses of Alexander will make the difference.

E-mail addresses public or private?

2006-01-19T10:45:00.000-05:00

This week, the case of Ryan Nees v. Matt McKillip will have its day in court. Nees is trying to obtain a copy of the city's e-mail list. McKillip said he is protecting the privacy of citizens by denying that request. The Indiana Public Access Counselor ruled in Nees' favor, but McKillip is disregarding that ruling. Who's right, McKillip or Nees? And if McKillip is defeated in court by a teenager, what does that do for the city's image?

Election season in full swing

2006-01-19T10:44:00.000-05:00

After a year off, it is once again election season in Howard County. The filing period is now open for a plethora of county and state positions, almost all of which are currently held by Republicans. What must the Democrats do to come back? Can they make a resurgence, or will this be another Republican sweep? Will disharmony in the Republican party harm the GOP? It's never to early to play armchair pundit.

The death penalty debate

2006-01-19T10:28:00.000-05:00

Convicted murdered Marvin Bieghler is in the last phase of his clemency hearing. In all likelihood, he will be put to death next week. Should the death penalty remain legal, or should it be banned? What are some of the moral and practical problems with the death penalty? On the other hand, are there crimes so heinous that the perpetrator gives up his right to life?

Dungeon doors open?

2006-01-19T10:27:00.000-05:00

Plan Commission Director Glen Boise is investigating the House De Sade dungeon, for possible zoning violations. Obviously bondage isn't for everyone, but do people have a right to do what they want behind closed doors, as long as it's consensual? Or does the government have a right to step in and set the moral standard for the community?

Superior Court II Judge Under Fire

2006-01-19T10:24:00.000-05:00

For a long time, many in Howard County's legal community have blamed Judge Stephen Jessup for an overcrowded jail. Jessup has a reputation for setting bonds so high that defendants have no choice but to sit in jail until trial. Jessup freely admits that his bond schedule is unorthodox, but says he does not want to let a potentially violent suspect loose. This issue came to a head recently, when Jessup's fellow judges minimized his number of criminal cases, and threatened to take them away altogether. Should the judges have that right? Or is Jessup's approach the kind of tough justice this county needs?

City Director of Operations

2006-01-11T08:43:00.000-05:00

The Kokomo Common Council resolved not to fund the position of mayor's administrative assistant -- now known as the Director of City Operations. Yet, on Jan. 1, DCO Mike Ward came to work as normal. Mayor Matt McKillip chose to fund Ward's position through the utility fund.

Is this an appropriate use of the utility fund? Was the council wrong to eliminate funding for the position, or was the mayor wrong to defy the desire of the council and find a way to retain Ward? And how should this be resolved?

Lay-offs at DaimlerChrysler

2006-01-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

It's never good when people lose jobs, and Kokomo just got hit with a rather large dose of job loss, as DaimlerChrysler sent 490 workers home from the Kokomo Transmission Plant indefinitely, and additional workers from the Kokomo Casting Plant.

What can be done to help those laid off? Does local government have a role to play in working with the company to avoid lay-offs of this magnitude? How will the local economy react to the lay-offs? Let's hear your opinions!

Spank club

2006-01-11T08:31:00.000-05:00

The first rule of "Fight Club" was never talk about Fight Club. But the proposed spanking club is getting plenty of attention since the Perspective first covered the proposed spanking business two weeks ago.

Since that time, we have read and heard opinions for and against the club, and on Tuesday of this week, the woman wanting to open the club held a press conference to explain her intentions and to disclose some rather surprising information.

If you aren't up to speed on this issue, please refer to our web exclusive story, which appears as our top story on www.kokomoperspective.com . Or, review some of our stories on the site that already address the issue.

So, should Kokomo allow a spanking club? What are your feelings about this type of behavior? We look forward to your responses!

Anti-smoking ordinance

2006-01-11T08:29:00.000-05:00

Fort Wayne has done it. Bloomington has a version of it as well. And now Kokomo is considering a smoking ban in public places. Should Kokomo go smoke-free? Do smokers have a right to smoke where they want, or do non-smokers have a right to be protected from the smokers' habit? How should a smoking ban be applied, if at all?

This will be a significant issue for the next couple months as the city council considers the legislation. Let's hear what you have to say about it.

Plan commission crisis

2006-01-11T08:25:00.000-05:00

Attention bloggers (and contributors):

It's time to talk local issues, and there are plenty from which to choose. Each will get it's own posting, and we invite you to respond.

First up: the situation with the plan commission interlocal agreement between the city and the county. If you haven't been following the situation, I urge you to read the stories we have in this week's edition concerning it. But the gist of it is, Mayor Matt McKillip ended the interlocal agreement on Jan.1. County and city leaders have banded together to oppose the move.

Your thoughts?

When free speech and disrepect collide

2006-01-09T12:45:00.000-05:00

I'm all for a person's right to protest (peacefully and legally) but I think in this case, the choice of protest site is unreasonable. Most religous groups would probably choose not to go this route but then again this appears to be a group of conservative crazies.

Anti-gay protesters plan to picket during funeral

Evansville -- Police and county officials urged veterans to avoid confrontations with anti-gay protesters who plan to picket at the funeral Tuesday of an Indiana soldier killed in Iraq.
Hundreds of area veterans have said they will try to shield Pvt. Jonathan R. Pfender's family from members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., the Evansville Courier & Press reported in a story for today's edition.
Church founder the Rev. Fred Phelps contends American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. Church members have protested at scores of military funerals, and the church informed Evansville police Saturday it would protest at Pfender's services at The Centre.
Evansville police special operations Sgt. Chris Pugh said about 12 to 20 protesters, some with signs, were expected. He said the group will be restricted to public sidewalks, and protesters will not be allowed to enter The Centre, the funeral home or Sunset Memorial Park, where Pfender is to be buried.
Police also likely will block access to the route from The Centre to the cemetery, Pugh said. He said police would not tolerate any violations of law.Pugh urged veterans to use restraint. "I can understand why you're going to be as mad as you're going to be," Pugh said. "But whatever they say, you've just got to let it go."

Luring People Into Destructive Choices Isn't Compassion

2006-01-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

I made this daily post on my website on January 4th and it brought out several interesting comments and perspectives via email. I'm interested to see what local bloggers think of it here...

There is growing concern over a new drug being used freely in the homosexual community called Tenofovir. Many physicians are prescribing it, and it (along with other sexual drugs) are being handed out at gay dance clubs. The supposed purpose of the drug is to reduce the likelihood of developing the HIV/AIDS virus when committing sexual acts. The major problem with this is that there is no evidence to suggest that the drug works.

This is yet another example of the world claiming to care and have the best interest of homosexuals in mind, when reality is the exact opposite. In their efforts to be "tolerant, caring, and sensitive" to the desires of a small minority of individuals struggling with homosexuality, many are trumpeting a drug that will encourage these individuals to embrace their feelings and sinful desires with the false hope that they are protected from disease. That's caring?

The reality is that just like physical laws, our universe is governed by moral laws. When those laws are broken, serious consequences prevail. If the cultural elites would spend more time loving and caring for homosexuals, attempting to steer them away from a deadly lifestyle choice...they might be more believable when they claim to have the best interest of homosexuals in mind. But instead, their way of "supporting and caring" for gays and lesbians is to lure them into a false sense of security that only encourages destructive decisions that often prove fatal. What compassion.

Ha, ha ... uh, er ... yeah

2006-01-04T12:50:00.000-05:00

As you can probably see I was injured myself, not here at the hospital but in combat with a cedar. I eventually won.
-- Statement offered by George Bush in the presence of servicemen and women wounded in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan (rather than by brush on Dubya's ranch), Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas, Jan. 1, 2006

My only question: Does he ever think before he says stuff like this?

Letter to the Editor: Chief Duncan

2005-12-29T16:07:00.000-05:00

(This letter to the editor was received recently by Jason Enyart, but is too lengthy to run in print edition of the Kokomo Perspective. We felt it was worth sharing, and thought that some of you might have an opinion one way or another on the topic. The author asked that it not be edited, and so the full-length version appears below.)

As a former resident of Kokomo, born and raised there, I have monitored some of the recent public controversies with some interest. In particular, I find the story around Mr. Scott Kern's tantrum over his ironic compulsion to set off fireworks in his neighborhood to be a shameful situation.

As you know, Mr. Kern was demoted from the rank of Captain for conduct unbecoming of an officer, for his bombastic public complaints of having been mistreated by the cadre of the Kokomo Fire Department. This supposed mistreatment came in the form of having his permit for fireworks denied for his political leanings or because he was not liked. What an atrocity. The record is clear; Mr. Kern, by his own later admission, was missing components necessary by regulation to have his fireworks permit granted, including insurance information, names of persons involved, etc. It's really that simple; it was the enforcement of the regulation without passion or favor.

Had it gone the other way and favoritism had been shown to Mr. Kern because of his position, we might well be talking about that controversy today. Worse yet, what if his permit had been illegitimately approved and there had been a resultant house fire or, God forbid, an injured child. Can you imagine the ramifications? It happens; every year there are thousands of incidents around the 4th of July as a result of fireworks. Would it have been considered an appropriate action by the Fire Chief to have granted the permit in that case? Would you have granted it? These are the types of lose/lose decisions that are made by commanders on a daily basis.

By court order, Mr. Kern is to have his rank restored to Captain and back pay is to be paid to him. Judge Murray ruled that Mr. Kern's complaints fell within the realm of free speech. I find this odd because I have been under the impression that certain forms of speech are not protected by the 1st amendment, namely slander, defamation and libel. It will be interesting to see how the case develops.

Regardless, as an officer, and a veteran, Mr. Kern should have known better. He should have known that he is held to a higher standard not only due to his uniform, but due to his rank. The Police and Fire Departments are paramilitary organizations. This is for a reason: the human lives that are in the balance require strengths of character such as Discipline, Fortitude, Honor, Service, Commitment, Trustworthiness and Compliance to the Chain of Command.

I do not know Mr. Kern personally, but I hope he is worthy of the trust he has been given. From the outside, and the limited information we read about his actions, it nevertheless appears that he is not. On the contrary, he seems more like an immature troublemaker blindly waging a superficial 'Us Versus Them' war of entitlement. This is the type whining we hear from malcontents who have been coddled into this sense of entitlement for too long. This sort of nonsense gets you dismissed in the private sector, for those of us not protected by irrational unions, at least. Have a look at the workforce situation at Delphi to see how this irrational contentiousness pans out in the end.

The wakes of Mr. Kern's childish tantrum have reached far and wide, reaching the City Board of Works, local politicians, the Office of the Chief of Police, the Mayor's Office and, of course, the Kokomo Fire Chief, Dave Duncan.

I happen to know quite a bit about Chief Duncan, so allow me to tell you a little about him: He married my mother 30 years ago and became my step-father, a title that he has lived up to over those years.

He came up from fairly humble beginnings on the north end of Kokomo, eventually working as a laborer and brick mason. 32 years ago, he knocked on the mayor's front door and asked for a job as a fire fighter, which was granted. It is a job he has loved. Ask him about it sometime; you'll see it in his eyes that he cares very deeply about the profession. It must be very satisfying to have such a calling that you are able to pour yourself into every day, although I wonder how satisfying it is to have to deal with such pettiness. I won't allow my bias tell you that he is a man without faults; he is a little rough around the edges, but I will tell you that he is a self-made, hard-working and honorable man and he deserves everything he has achieved.

As a child, I observed the emotional toll that seeing people die placed on him, especially children. To this day, the fear of God is instilled in me over the dangers of fire. I was there the mornings he came home smelling like smoke after having fought fires through the night or bleary-eyed from a night of continuous ambulance runs or from rescuing people from flooded homes- while most of us slept and went to our relatively safe jobs. Usually, he headed right back out to some other labor to support his family.

I have heard him tell of a few scary situations where he wasn't quite sure if he was going to make it, or wasn't quite sure if he could take it- stories that he tells with a sense of humor now…such as the time, as a rookie, he was stuck at the window of a burning building and it wasn't clear which was going to reach him first, the ladder or the fire, but the street pole 30 feet away was looking more and more like a make-able jump…or, more-recently, at the explosions and fire at Tenbrook when he chose to go into the field of gas tanks himself to secure one, as the fires burned around him, not because he is showy, but because he didn't feel right sending one of his men into that job. There are lots of these stories that you have not read in the papers.

These types of experiences are what forge a veteran. Chief Duncan knows a bit about fighting fires and he knows what it takes to run a Fire Department. Ask people of character who have served in the brotherhood of firefighters with him and they will tell you, as I am telling you, that he deserves the respect of a veteran who has spent 32 years putting his life on the line. I hope you will show him the deference he is due for an honorable career. You should be glad he is your Fire Chief.

Signed,Jason, with Kristin, Lori and Staci Enyart

... and to all, a good night

2005-12-24T09:13:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas!

And as my 4-year-old told his mother, "Happy Monica"

Who is "unelectable" in the U.S.?

2005-12-17T00:25:00.000-05:00

Consider the following:

Is America ready to elect a Mormon as its President?

By Tim Reid, (London) Timesonline

HE MADE millions as a businessman, saved the scandal-plagued 2002 Winter Olympics, appeals to social conservatives, is liked by moderates, boasts chiselled good looks and has been a successful Republican governor in one of America’s most liberal states.
In Mitt Romney, the Massachusetts Governor who all but threw his hat into the 2008 presidential race yesterday, Republicans have the almost perfect candidate. Except for one potential problem: Mr Romney is a Mormon.

After announcing that he would not be seeking a second term as Massachusetts governor, a widely anticipated move that clears the way for a 2008 White House bid, Mr Romney implicitly posed a fascinating political question: can a Mormon win enough votes to become President of the United States?

Mr Romney, whom analysts on both sides of the political divide say will be a serious contender in 2008, was elected governor of Massachusetts — one of the bluest of Democrat blue states — as a social moderate. In the past year, however, he has changed his stance on social issues important to religious conservatives, the base of the Republican Party that wields enormous influence in the Republican primary race. Mr Romney once said that abortion should be “safe and legal”, but now opposes it. He denounced the decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court to legalise gay marriage. Calling himself a “red speck in a blue state”, he has emphasised socially conservative positions on the death penalty, stem-cell research and birth control.

But Manuel Miranda, head of the Third Branch Conference, an alliance of conservative groups, said that many evangelicals view Mormonism — the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints — as a cult. Mr Miranda said that in 2000 he worked for Orrin Hatch, the Utah senator and a Mormon, during his unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination. “Hatch had a poll done. He found that over 60 percent of Americans would not vote for a Mormon.”

So how long before we see each of the following in the White House: African-American, woman, Jew, Hispanic, openly gay. Is John Q. Public ready to accept any of those as President? Who has the best chance? The least?

Note: Notice there is no Bush-bashing this time.

How Nice

2005-12-15T11:21:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted here...been pretty busy. But I thought I would enlighten everyone with a little graphic of my own, knowing how much we enjoy the procession of Bush cartoons. The fact is, however, this is not a cartoon.

This was a magnetic car sticker advertised on the website of the Washington State Democratic Party. Though certainly not speaking for all Democrats, does it not indicate an undeniable hostility among certain portions of the Democratic Party for those with whom they disagree (namely, Christians)? Doesn't seem that tolerant...for the Party of tolerance, anyway.

Welcomed with open (small) arms

2005-12-15T10:55:00.000-05:00

I have come to the conclusion that I don't have to try and make the President look foolish. He's got good handle on it.

From an interview with Brian Williams, NBC News, Dec. 12, 2005:

WILLIAMS: A lot of people have seen in this series of speeches you're giving on Iraq, a movement in your position. They call it an acknowledgement that perhaps the mission has not gone as it was originally planned -- three points. That the U.S. would be welcomed as liberators, that General Shinseki, when he said this would take hundreds of thousands of troops in his farewell speech, might have been right. And third, that it wasn't a self-sustaining war in terms of the oil revenue. Do you concede those three points might not have gone as planned?

BUSH: Review them with me again.

WILLIAMS: Number one -- that we'd be welcomed as liberators?

BUSH: I think we are welcomed. But it was not a peaceful welcome.

Technically, he's right, I guess.

Maye FedEx next time

2005-12-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

Family Upset Over Soldier's Body Arriving As Freight
Bodies Sent To Families On Commercial Airliners

SAN DIEGO -- There's controversy over how the military is transporting the bodies of service members killed overseas, 10News reported.
A local family said fallen soldiers and Marines deserve better and that one would think our war heroes are being transported with dignity, care and respect. It said one would think upon arrival in their hometowns they are greeted with honor. But unfortunately, the family said that is just not the case.
Dead heroes are supposed to come home with their coffins draped with the American flag -- greeted by a color guard.
But in reality, many are arriving as freight on commercial airliners -- stuffed in the belly of a plane with suitcases and other cargo.
John Holley and his wife, Stacey, were stunned when they found out the body of their only child, Matthew John Holley, who died in Iraq last month, would be arriving at Lindbergh Field as freight.
Matthew was a medic with the 101st Airborne unit and died on Nov. 15.
"When someone dies in combat, they need to give them due respect they deserve for (the) sacrifice they made," said John Holley.
John and Stacey Holley, who were both in the Army, made some calls, and with the help of U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, Matthew was greeted with honor and respect.
"Our familiarity with military protocol and things of that sort allowed us to kind of put our foot down -- we're not sure other parents have that same knowledge," said Stacey Holley.
The Holleys now want to make sure every fallen hero gets the proper welcome.
The bodies of dead service members arrive at Dover Air Force Base.
From that point, they are sent to their families on commercial airliners.
Reporters from 10News called the Defense Department for an explanation. A representative said she did not know why this is happening.

Irony

2005-12-07T23:44:00.000-05:00

Fundamentalists mad at Bush for wording of holiday card 'Christmas' appears nowhere on White House greeting

Alan Cooperman, Washington Post
Wednesday, December 7, 2005

Washington -- What's missing from the White House Christmas card? Christmas.
This month, as in every December since he took office, President Bush sent out cards with a generic end-of-the-year message, wishing 1.4 million of his close friends and supporters a happy holiday season.
Many people are thrilled to get a White House Christmas card, no matter what the greeting inside. But some conservative Christians are reacting as if Bush stuck coal in their stockings.
"This clearly demonstrates that the Bush administration has suffered a loss of will and that they have capitulated to the worst elements in our culture," said William Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.
Bush "claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn't act like one," said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site WorldNetDaily .com. "I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it."
Religious conservatives are miffed because they have been pressuring stores to advertise Christmas sales rather than holiday specials and urging schools to let students out for Christmas vacation rather than for winter break.
They celebrated when House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., insisted that the sparkling spectacle on the Capitol lawn should be called the Capitol Christmas Tree, not a holiday spruce.
Then along comes a generic season's greeting from the White House, paid for by the Republican National Committee. The cover art is also secular, if not humanist: It shows the presidential pets -- two dogs and a cat -- frolicking on a snowy White House lawn.
"Certainly President and Mrs. Bush, because of their faith, celebrate Christmas," said Susan Whitson, Laura Bush's press secretary. "Their cards in recent years have included best wishes for a holiday season, rather than Christmas wishes, because they are sent to people of all faiths."
That is the same rationale offered by major retailers for generic holiday catalogues, and it is accepted by groups such as the National Council of Churches. "I think it's more important to put Christ back into our war planning than into our Christmas cards," said the council's general secretary, the Rev. Bob Edgar, a former Democratic congressman.
But the White Houses explanation does not satisfy groups that have grown in number in recent years that believe there is, in the words of the Heritage Foundation, a war on Christmas involving an "ever-stronger push toward a neutered holiday season so that non-Christians wont be even the slightest bit offended."

Your job or your morals

2005-12-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

ST. LOUIS - Walgreen Co. said it has put four Illinois pharmacists in the St. Louis area on unpaid leave for refusing to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception in violation of a state rule.

The four cited religious or moral objections to filling prescriptions for the morning-after pill and "have said they would like to maintain their right to refuse to dispense, and in Illinois that is not an option," Walgreen spokeswoman Tiffani Bruce said.

A rule imposed by Gov. Rod Blagojevich in April requires Illinois pharmacies that sell contraceptives approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to fill prescriptions for emergency birth control. Pharmacies that do not fill prescriptions for any type of contraception are not required to follow the rule.

Ed Martin, an attorney for the pharmacists, on Tuesday called the discipline "pretty disturbing" and said they would consider legal action if Walgreen doesn't reconsider.

Walgreen policy says pharmacists can refuse to fill prescriptions to which they are morally opposed — except where state law prohibits — but they must take steps to have the prescription filled by another pharmacist or store, Bruce said.

This seems to me another example of someone imposing their values on someone else, akin to a vegetarian waiter refusing to take your order for a steak. I applaud them for their convictions, however, the law is the law. If you can't bring yourself to follow the law, step aside and let someone else fill the prescription or find another place of employment.

I am sure someone will attempt to turn this into a debate on abortion but real point here is whether someone can ignore the law for their own moral reasons. The attorney's comment about the discipline being "pretty disturbing" is off base. If I refuse to do my job (for whatever reason), I get in trouble.

The plan for victory

2005-12-01T09:19:00.000-05:00

Alright, President Bush has laid out his plan for victory in the Iraq war, and already the national critics are debating. Was the President's plan a clear roadmap, or was it more of the same rhetoric? I KNOW you all have opinions on this one.

2005-11-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

Don't like the media? Bomb 'em!

2005-11-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

I sincerely hope that President Bush did NOT consider this action.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/11/22/us.al.jazeera/index.html

Bush doing something positive

2005-11-16T09:08:00.000-05:00

Now, here is something that President Bush is saying that we all should agree with. Let's hope the Chinese take his words to heart.

(You'll have to copy and paste. I wanted to make sure the link didn't get cut off.)

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/
asiapcf/11/15/apec.bush.china/index.html

2005-11-15T11:58:00.000-05:00

Enlighten me

2005-11-07T10:41:00.000-05:00

I ask this question in all seriousness and not in an effort to "take a shot" at our President or whomever:

What is the justification for opposing the McCain amendment?

"Our enemy doesn't deserve our sympathy," Mr. McCain said, "but this isn't abut who they are. This is about who we are."

Brilliant Strategy?

2005-11-03T12:28:00.000-05:00

I have to admit I am perplexed by the new Democratic strategy of calling the Senate into a special closed door session to investigate Bush’s supposed lies in the lead-up to the Iraq war. Along with an overwhelming number of statements noting Saddam’s WMD programs made by prominent Democratic Party leaders prior to our invasion of Iraq, the following letter sent to then-President Bill Clinton is intriguing:

"We urge you, after consulting with Congress and consistent with the US Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions, including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs."

What is fascinating is that Senators Levin, Dodd, Bob Kerrey, Feinstein, and John Kerry (all who now propose that President Bush misled them, us, and the world into believing Iraq had WMD) signed onto this letter written in October of 1999. Now how was it that then-Governor Bush (who had not yet gained national prominence) managed to mislead them into writing that letter?

The heralded leftwing website “Daily Kos” (http://www.dailykos.com/) has called Senator Reid and the Democrats’ move to employ this closed-door expedition “pure political brilliance.” Not to doubt the wisdom of the Daily Kos, but I just have a gut feeling that “political brilliance” might be the wrong description of this venture. Why does the word “backfire” come to mind?

What about Delphi?

2005-10-27T19:02:00.000-05:00

Now is the perfect time for Righties and Lefties to chime in on the current situation with Delphi. What can or should be done?

Can public officials actually affect the process and "save" Delphi?

Good question.

2005-10-24T19:13:00.000-05:00

They're putting Saddam on trial for crimes he committed before he became Rummy's good friend.
If what he did in 1982 was so terrible, why did Rummy sell Saddam poison gas afterwards?

Hmmm... interesting

2005-10-19T16:14:00.000-05:00

Texas Court Issues Warrant for DeLay

By SUZANNE GAMBOA, Associated Press Writer

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

(10-19) 13:40 PDT Austin, Texas (AP) --

A Texas court issued a warrant Wednesday for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay to appear for booking, where he is likely to face the fingerprinting and photo mug shot he had hoped to avoid.

Bail was initially set at $10,000 as a routine step before his first court appearance on conspiracy and money laundering charges. Travis County court officials said DeLay was ordered to appear at the Fort Bend County jail for booking.

The warrant was "a matter of routine and bond will be posted," DeLay attorney Dick DeGuerin said.

The lawyer declined to say when DeLay would surrender to authorities but said the lawmaker would make his first court appearance Friday morning.

The charges against the Texas Republican stem from allegations that a DeLay-founded Texas political committee funneled corporate money into state GOP legislative races through the National Republican Party. Texas law prohibits use of corporate money to elect state candidates.

DeLay is charged with conspiracy to violate state election laws and money laundering, felony counts that triggered House Republican rules that forced him to step aside as majority leader.

Two separate indictments charge that DeLay and two political associates had the money distributed to state legislative candidates in a roundabout way — sending it from the political action committee in Texas to the Republican National Committee in Washington and finally back to candidates' campaigns.

DeLay has denied wrongdoing.

The effort had major political consequences, first by helping Republicans take control of the Texas Legislature in the 2002 elections. The Legislature then redrew congressional boundaries according to a DeLay-inspired plan, took command of the state's U.S. House delegation and helped the GOP retain its U.S. House majority.

2005-10-19T09:11:00.000-05:00

Iraq's Election

2005-10-18T12:13:00.000-05:00

At the request of Mr. Layne...a minion of whom I have the utmost respect...I submit as a new thread the daily update from my website on Oct. 18th:

According to the Associated Press, Iraq has put in place an independent election commission to conduct an investigation into the “inexplicably high voter turnout” in the country’s first constitutional referendum vote.

Initial reports show up to 99% of certain Shiite populations approved of the new Iraqi Constitution…a number that concerns many election observers and raises the possibility of ballot box stuffing.

Adil al-Lami, head of the commission, said, “We are not concerned whether the outcome is ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ we are only interested in making the process technically a success.” Luckily Adil al-Lami is receiving some assistance in the process…set to arrive today is recount specialist, al-Gori.

Gori is demanding a recount only in particular areas…meanwhile, John Kerry has pledged his assistance and will be looking for votes in Ohio.

Besides my obvious (and perhaps sad) attempt at humor, I would be interested in soliciting comments from bloggers on what the new constitutional referendum says about the perceived "chaos" and "quagmire" in Iraq.

The truth behind the lies

2005-10-08T09:16:00.000-05:00

An interesting and non-partisan look about what has become one the KP Blog's biggest debates.

http://www.factcheck.org/article349.html

The impression I get is that while Bush didn't intentionally lie, he was either duped or completely out of the loop.

Anyway you look at it, he doesn't come off looking too good.

My Little Crony?

2005-10-07T12:42:00.000-05:00

Good choice? Bad choice? Cronyism?

2005-10-06T10:43:00.000-05:00

I'd like to hear some of the conservative bloggers comment on Bush's latest nominee. It's apparent that he irked some of his so-called conservative base.
Honestly, I don't know what to think yet.

Is this a bad choice? Or a good choice? Or is it a case of appointing someone because they are one of his cronies?

Of course, with my left-leanings, I was ready to not like who ever he selected. But I must admit at the moment I don't know what to think. Though it is funny seeing the reaction of the Right-wing crazies like Limbaugh. They turned on the President awfully quick.

What is the Blog?

2005-10-01T00:18:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post the other day about the Kokomo schools and only received two responses, one of which came from Mike Geiselman :

"Interesting. Dean, you start a thread that is actually about a local topic which is what this blog was probably originally intended to be and no one comments. Apparently all we care about is if Bush lied and titty bars."

My question is simple: what is this blog's intention? As I have stated in previous posts, Mike and I very seldom see eye-to-eye, but I agree 100% with him on this (Steve, help your brother off the floor after I complimented him).

How can we get more local people involved discussing issues that directly affect our community? I would love to see "Mrs. Kids-in-School and Works All Day" give her two-cents worth, instead of those of us who are well-versed in our political system (not that I don't value your opinions). Don't get me wrong, I love reading and chiming in on most of this. I am just looking for a way to get more people involved in issues close to us.

This is just a thought that I wanted to toss out there. If I am missing the point, please let me know (as I am sure you will).

Gas Outrageous Part II!

2005-10-01T00:08:00.000-05:00

I found this paragraph in a story on Forbes.com. Being out of the country has left me a little out of touch, and closing schools because of the gas situation really disturbed me. Is Indiana heading for the same problem? After all, there is a money crunch. And what about Kokomo? Are our schools safe from having to take a "Gas Day," (as opposed to a Snow Day). I know this is the place for the answer.

In Atlanta and Nashville, which also made our list of the ten hardest hit cities, a household might have to spend an extra $2,300 on gasoline this year. This Monday and Tuesday, at Gov. Sonny Perdue's urging, nearly every school district in Georgia kept schools closed in order to conserve gasoline.

More fuel to the fire

2005-09-30T08:01:00.000-05:00

Council Live Chat

2005-09-29T12:32:00.000-05:00

Councilmen Bob Hayes and Mike Karickhoff will be on Live Chat tonight from 6 to 7 p.m.

To join in, go to www.kokomoperspective.com, and hit on the link that says "Live Chat," about halfway down the left side of the screen.

There's plenty going on in the city right now. This should be a great chat, and we're hoping for lots of participation.

Cheers --

Paul

An experiment

2005-09-28T13:49:00.000-05:00

Just to see how little needs to be posted to start the political rock-throwing around here, I respectfully submit the following:

Tom DeLay indicted.

Us but not him. Or her. Or them.

2005-09-28T07:22:00.000-05:00

Something that bothers me -- or at least makes me think -- everytime I see it on television or hear it on the radio or read it in the paper is how God gets mixed into disasters.

Here's what I mean:

Inevitibly some reporter will interview a guy and the guy will break loose with "God saved us."

Now, I have no doubt that God saves people from time to time. But my problem is this: Why would He save those people and not the guy down the road? What makes this particular person or community more worthy than another?

Even our own mayor made a similar comment last year during tornado season. Something like "God spared Kokomo"
So what does God have against Tipton? He didn't spare them.

I believe that God doesn't actively intervene on a regular basis. But who knows? Our ways are not his ways as it is written.

I heard an interesting quote from Lance Armstrong that is sort of related to the topic. A reporter asked Armstrong if he was going to thank God for curing him of cancer. He said "No, because if I did that, then I would have to blame him for giving it to me."

I would like to hear others opinions on this subject.

Voice of experience

2005-09-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

Our former President, talking about America's military action overseas, said:

"If you're going to put somebody else's son or daughter into harm's way, into battle, you've got to know what the mission is, how they are going to do it, and how they're going to get out of there."

Sounds like a good idea to me.

By What Standard?

2005-09-19T20:05:00.000-05:00

In a response to a previous post made about a strip club, anonymous (always a source of insightful wisdom) proclaimed, “You need not have a God to know right from wrong.” One of the contributing bloggers, Charles Layne, asked a question that I thought deserved more of a response than the tail end of that particular thread, so I have decided to start a new one to express what I think is a fundamental point in the cultural war…illustrated, amazingly, by anonymous!

I, like Mr. Layne (and probably many of my previously declared, “minions”), would be interested in hearing by what standard one would then measure right from wrong if there is not a transcendent moral authority that exists outside and separate from man? The only logical answer to that question is that if there is not that transcendent moral authority to which all men are to be held accountable (God), right and wrong become matters of man's opinion, interpretation, and convenience. This is the moral relativistic philosophy that is at the heart of the social policies advanced by the liberal left.

The reason why I am such a rabid opponent of the secular left, is thus apparent. It does not take a great deal of historical study to become well aware of the ramifications of these principles that the left advocates. They’ve been around from the beginning of recorded time. From the Garden of Eden when the serpent tempted Eve with the notion of being “god of her own little universe,” to Chairman Mao in China declaring that justice is determined by the person on the right side of the gun, man has always sought to be morally independent of God. The consequences of his attempts have been all too apparent.

Just as there are physical laws to the universe that are violated only with severe consequences, so too are there moral laws that are breached only at the cost of great suffering.

This is why I will spend my life fighting the notions, philosophies, and arguments of the secular, humanist left...because I understand the consequences of that for which they contend. From Mao to Hitler, Robespierre to Pol Pot, history bears me out time and again…when a belief in God dies, man dies.

The Canady Rule

2005-09-18T09:51:00.000-05:00

Well, the Kokomo-Center Township Consolidated School Corporation finally did what it should have done years ago -- instituted the "Canady Rule." Read the following from a local newspaper publication:

The board approved on first reading two policy changes in regards to conflict of interest statements. Previously, anyone who had a relationship with employees in the district were required to file a conflict of interest statement.

"Nephews, sisters, anyone who had any interest had to file one," Dr. Thomas Little said.

He said the amount of paperwork generated by the requirement took an "enormous" amount of time and resources to collect and sort.

The corporation's attorney reviewed the statute and found that statements were needed "only if there was a pecuniary interest," or deriving a profit from an individual's employment. With that decision, the number of statements filed would drop by approximately 60 percent, Little said.

I interpret this as allowing the "Good Old Boy" family network to continue in the KCS system without any checks-and-balances.

Sure, teachers breed teachers -- and bringing back local graduates to work in our schools is a huge benefit. Studies have shown they are more likely to stay in the system instead of moving on to other cities. Plus, graduates have a vested interest in the school. But does that mean that all family members should find a job within the corporation at all levels? I don't think so.

So, Kokomo Schools has carried on this charade of a Conflict of Interest policy without much notice for years -- except by the Kokomo Perspective. Now, even the Perspective won't know how many employees of one family are gainfully employed at KCS.

It was only a matter of time

2005-09-17T01:28:00.000-05:00

Well, it looks like the Dumoulin family finally got their wish. The Ultimate Place 2B has gone topless. And does it, or should it, surprise anyone? Probably not. When this establishment was being constructed, the rumor was it would be a strip club. And, while it didn't happen at the time (maybe for public relations reasons), it sure is happening now.

From what I understand, this is Kokomo's sixth topless establishment. I know the good citizens of Kokomo have debated this issue for year's -- and even succeeded in ridding the community of adult book stores -- but is six strip club's really necessary in our beloved town. I personally don't have any use for them, but this sounds like a good time to have a discussion on the topic.

Ha!

2005-09-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional?

2005-09-14T14:25:00.000-05:00

This just in from CNN:

"A federal judge declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional Wednesday in a case brought by the same atheist whose previous battle against the words 'under God' was rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court on procedural grounds."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/09/14/pledge.ruling.ap/index.html

The level of insanity that seems apparent in our judiciary continues to baffle me. But this issue does provide a prime opportunity for John Roberts to gain (or lose) supporters in the confirmation process. It will be interesting to see his response, if asked about the issue.

Personally, I support the Pledge being recited in schools, and sincerely hope this misguided attempt at further warping the interpretation of "the separation of Church and State" is bounced out of the courts quickly.

Hey Cheney! Go .....

2005-09-08T15:23:00.000-05:00

I thought this was an interesting story. Apparently the Veep has some fans in the south:

GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) - Vice President Cheney is calling the hurricane relief effort in Mississippi's Gulf Coast "very impressive."

He's touring the devastated region today and says "significant" progress is already being made. However, he adds there's "an awful lot of work to be done."

Mississippi officials in general have been much more complimentary of the federal response than those from New Orleans. And Cheney says he's impressed with the "very positive, can-do" attitude residents in Gulfport have toward the help they're getting.

However, not all were thrilled with Cheney's visit.

One passerby hurled an expletive at him, and another resident questioned the usefulness of the trip. She said "this media opportunity today is a terrible waste of time and taxpayer money," and added Cheney "picked a nice neighborhood where people have insurance and most are Republicans."

He heads to New Orleans later in the day.

It's President Bush's Fault

2005-09-06T13:04:00.000-05:00

Though paling in comparison to the tragic loss of life in and around the Gulf Coast, there seems also to have been a tragic loss of decency and civility among the political left in this country in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which will undoubtedly backfire. While rescuers are working tirelessly to pull people off roofs, while millions of Americans have opened their pocketbooks and hearts to hurting people, while churches are overflowing in generosity to feed, clothe, and house innocent victims, the political opportunists of the left are taking advantage of every chance to criticize and blame President Bush.

Quite accustomed to exploitation herself, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan says the president is “heading to Louisiana to see the devastation that his environmental policies and his killing policies have caused.”

Robert Kennedy, Jr. blamed Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour (and indirectly the President), saying, “Now we are all learning what it’s like to reap the whirlwind of fossil fuel dependence which Barbour and his cronies (Bush) have encouraged.”

Hillary Clinton’s efforts to depict President Bush as incompetent in the crisis have resulted in her call for a 9/11 Commission style “Katrina Commission.”

Al Sharpton wishes it to be known that the President “showed up a day late and a dollar short,” and his inaction is indicative of his incompetence.

Jesse Jackson refers to the administration’s “lack of sensitivity and compassion (towards blacks) that represents a kind of incompetence.”

Leftist columnist James Carroll of The Globe said, “The bystander-in-chief, of course, is George W. Bush, whose whining self-obsession perfectly embodies what America has done to itself.”

His colleague, the NY Times’ Paul Krugman, stated that Bush was personally inadequate and that his is an ideology “that is hostile to using the government to help people.”

One must ask: are these comments made in the sincere interest of helping the devastated? Or are they nothing more than the political exploitation of a national tragedy in the hopes of gaining some electoral advantage? As despicable as it is, the evidence, sadly, seems to point to the latter.

Gas Outrageous!

2005-08-31T17:21:00.000-05:00

Hopefully, I can write a blog we can all agree on.

What do you think about these gas prices? How long will they last and what effect will they have on our economy? On my way to Indianapolis I saw prices from $2.649 to $3.499. The $2.64 became $3.19 by the time I came back. Are we being gouged or is this simply supply and demand?

I am glad I don’t own a truck or SUV right now.

Round and Round

2005-08-31T10:05:00.000-05:00

In today's Perspective there's a story about the city's new planned roundabouts.

What do people think about bringing roundabouts to Kokomo? We have a few "traffic circles," but no modern roundabouts like these, with splitter islands and pedestrian walkways. Will it decrease accidents? Increase them? Is this something the city should be spending its EDIT money on? And most importantly, on a slow-traffic day, is it appropriate to just drive around the circle over and over shouting "WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

War stories

2005-08-30T13:01:00.000-05:00

All: Regardless of what you think about the Kokomo Perspective, I would encourage you to pick up a copy of this week's paper.
Our 2005 History edition is entitled "War Stories: Memories of World War II from those that lived it."

It is a 48-page oral history of World War II. I can say, without a doubt, that this is the most rewarding thing I've ever worked on as a journalist.

These peope truely are the Greatest Generation. Pick up a copy and read for yourself in their own words.

Free Speech...As Long As It's Liberal

2005-08-29T10:51:00.000-05:00

Once again, I am amazed at the hypocrisy of liberal interest groups such as the ACLU that claim to be “defenders” and “protectors” of free speech. Consider this recent news event that amazingly is not covered in the national media:

The Pacific Justice Institute (PJI) has agreed to represent an Orange County, Calif. computer technician who was demoted for expressing his support of defining marriage as between one man and one woman.

His offense? According to Brad Dacus, president of PJI, the employee had posted a bumper sticker in his cubicle that said, "Marriage = man + woman." When his supervisor demanded that he take it down, he did so without incident.

Dacus said even though other employees were permitted to have personal, religious and even political messages in their cubicles, the supervisor made it very clear that she would not accept that employee's point of view.

"She saw this as offensive and she demoted him and felt justified in doing so," Dacus said.

The ACLU refused to take the case, which is why PJI has agreed to do so. Now, suppose the tables were turned and the worker was demoted for posting statements supporting homosexual marriage or domestic partnerships. The ACLU would be stumbling over itself to see how quickly they could file suit.

This again demonstrates the farcical notion of “tolerance” that is bantered about so freely on the left. Tolerance, if it is to be true "tolerance" must be a two-way street. One-way tolerance, is no tolerance at all…in fact, it’s the exact opposite. For a supervisor to demote a worker simply because she doesn’t agree with him is the height of intolerance, is it not?

Live Chat TONIGHT!

2005-08-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

Starting at 6 p.m. tonight (Thursday), the Kokomo Perspective will host a live chat about the construction, relocation, costs of a new library and more. Library Director Charles Joray and library board member George Hopkins will provide answers and insight into the direction the new library is going.

Want to find out what impact this will have on your tax dollars? Want to know what locations are at the top of the list? Want to know what services are going to be different than what the library currently offers?

Go to www.kokomoperspective.com, and click on the "Live Chat" link on the left hand side a little before 6 p.m. Sign in, and join in the conversation. Talk to the people who make the decisions, and let them know exactly how you feel.

WWJK

2005-08-23T07:17:00.000-05:00

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,166478,00.html

I've always thought he was a little nuts but this is over the top. Calling for the assassination of a dictator, no matter how evil, shouldn't be the job of a Christian leader. Let someone else do it.

When animals attack

2005-08-19T13:09:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you have read about the teenager who was killed in Kansas while posing with a tiger for her senior pictures. I also heard today that a woman was killed by a buffalo in Minnesota while trying to herd it into a pen. In both instances, the animal was later put down.

My question is, was that fair? Animals are, after all, just animals. In both cases, the humans were put into their enviroment and they were just doing what aniamls do. Tigers weren't meant to be props for teenage girls.

What is wrong with people?

2005-08-18T07:31:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe this kind of crap. What is going through the mind of the person at a university that makes this decision?

Dude shouldn't have to even pay the $500.
--------------

Texas Marine Told He's No Resident, Must Pay Higher Tuition

AUSTIN, Texas — A decorated Marine enrolling in college was shocked to learn his Texas driver's license, car registration and bank records weren't enough to get the lower resident tuition rates.

Carl Basham said officials at Austin Community College recently told him that he lost his Texas resident's status because of the years he spent out of state on two tours of duty in Iraq.

Not having the in-state designation would mean paying around $2600 a semester in tuition, instead of about $500.

The school's response surprised the 27-year-old Beeville native, who is registered to vote in Travis County, has a Texas driver's license and does his banking in Austin .

Officials at the college said that Basham didn't meet state requirements as determined by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. A school spokeswoman says privacy laws prevent prevented her from commenting on his case.

Kokomo's Parks

2005-08-16T07:58:00.000-05:00

Well, from what I am reading, it looks like one of Kokomo's parks have been cleared of the deviate personalities that seem to lurk around our children. I am thankful that the Kokomo Police Department and the Kokomo Parks and Recreation Department went on the offensive to make at least one of our parks safer.

I do have a question though: how did it get to the point of being able to arrest 10 suspects (including one of Kokomo's most prominent citizens)? From what I read, these were obvisouly gay men who chose to expose themselves to potential "mates." If that many people were arrested, this activity must have been going on for quite a while. So, was the KPD ignoring this illegal activity?

And, how can a civic leader like Artie Scruggs get caught "with his pants down" in such a public place?

I think I know. This simply was a conspiracy and setup by the McKillip Administration to bring down one of his harshest critics, and in the process get at the Kokomo Perspective since they ran a weekly column by Mr. Scruggs.

Let the truth ring out loud and clear!

Pre-season Colts

2005-08-15T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have to admit that most times I could really care less about the Colts, who is playing, who has played, who is chasing records and who is sitting the bench. But, when free tickets fall in my lap for games, I can't help but go. I suppose I go not to be impressed by people who get paid way too much to throw a ball and hit each other over and over again, but for the excitement of the atmosphere and the crowd.

I won't be able to recite scores, records or stats, but what I can say from an average fan... if Peyton gets hurt, the Colts are screwed. Having watched the Colts play the Bills this past Saturday, I have to admit that I was extremely disappointed (not with the seats, though, row 21). Not only did I have to watch the second-string quarterback play, fumble and get sacked, but then I had to watch him get hurt, limp off the field and only return to the bend. And we pay him, why?

So, who do they bring in? No, not Peyton (even though they were losing and eventually lost). Yet, they bring in their third-string quarterback. But, wait... they even have a fourth-string quarterback. Who would have thought? Will he ever see a second of playing time, heck no, and with good reason.

However, the quarterbacks weren't the only sour spot to the roster. They had numerous incomplete passes by guys who must have soaked their hands in butter and oil the night before because the ball hit them right in the hands or chest and they couldn't hold on to it.

I know it is pre-season, and I shouldn't expect to see a Super Bowl performance (or so my husband reminded me). But, I was looking to see what the Colts could do this season. Hopefully Peyton and his receivers will be able to kick it into gear come regular season, though (because the first-string team played the first series and didn't score, either).

Note to self: Don't ever attend a pre-season football game, no matter how good the tickets are.

Jeb Bush is right

2005-08-10T10:19:00.000-05:00

When Jeb Bush asks, "how politically correct can we get?," he hits the nail on the head. The use of Native American imagery in sports is not an insult. It is a celebration of those peoples.

Our country did so much to destroy their nations, their cultures and their lives. Why can we not at least recognize their spirit by invoking their tenacity and pride in our pursuit of sport?

Iraq-Vietnam Parallel on the Left

2005-08-08T11:46:00.000-05:00

In my most recent column, published in various papers including the Kokomo Tribune (am I allowed to say that on this page?), I commented on the dangerous trend manifesting itself on the left side of American politics today. The Iraq-Vietnam parallel has been a major talking point of the left for months, yet it is ironic that the only true parallel one can draw between them is the behavior of the anti-war liberals. From Kennedy to Kucinich, Dean to Durbin, the Democratic leftists are engaging in the same type of vitriolic speech that cost us success in Vietnam.

From my column: “In 1995, the Wall Street Journal published an interview with General Bui Tin of the North Vietnamese Army who admitted that America’s anti-war movement “was essential to [the Vietnamese] strategy.” He commented that the war was fought on two fronts: the battlefield in Vietnam and on city streets and college campuses in America. Tin concluded that “America lost because of its democracy; through dissent and protest it lost the ability to mobilize a will to win.” Tin is slightly mistaken in this view. America did not fail in Vietnam because of democracy and dissent. We failed because we did not accurately distinguish between dissent and treason, disagreement and subversion.”

Through their radical opposition to our war effort, it is quite apparent that the American left has not learned this lesson of history. That is something that should concern us all.

Pizza & politics

2005-08-07T18:40:00.000-05:00

You'll either laugh or not.

http://home.nzcity.co.nz/news/default.asp?id=53788&c=w

My question is, would it fly in America? GW is already in record as saying, "There should be some limits to freedom." My guess is that it would depend on who owns the billboard company.