Last year, Sen. Dick Lugar was the tea party’s top target — a 35-year veteran who lives in Washington, strays from conservative orthodoxy and even criticized the right-wing movement in the wake of the 2010 elections.

But last week, Lugar was the tea party’s dining companion.

For more than two hours at a restaurant in Carmel, Ind., Lugar sat face to face with the head of one of Indiana’s largest tea party chapters, speaking at length about campaign politics, the senator’s voting record and some of his comments that have irked the movement. Lugar listened patiently and said he’d do more outreach, as he ate his eggs Benedict and peppermint ice cream.

“I was surprised,” said 62-year-old Chuck Ford, president of the Tea Party of Hamilton County. “I don’t usually dine with senators and congressmen.”

At least not in public he doesn’t. The fact is, the Hamilton County TEA Party leader supports  Senator Lugar. Ford recently ousted his vice president, who had expressed a dislike for reelecting Lugar. In an interview with AWB, the ousted VP stated, “Lugar gives Ford tingles up his leg.”

Late last year, when Hoosiers for a Conservative Senate, (HFCS) held their convention to declare support for Richard Mourdock, the Hamilton County TEA Party, (HTP) decided to hold a competing event.  Lugar did not attend the event but his spokesman and campaign coordinator David Wilke attended as Lugar’s representative. While Ford has denied to me his group is supported by the Republican party, the Hamilton County Young  Republicans donated $500 to the event. The Young Republicans generally march in lockstep with the state party. (read:support Lugar)

Ford’s group could not attend the HFCS convention due to their 501c3 status, however, they were invited to attend the rally afterwards, which was represented by the majority of Indiana TEA Parties. The time of the rally would not have impeded on their event, but they chose to not stand in solidarity and were no-shows.

By all impressions, this is not a TEA Party group. It’s merely a bunch of hacks parading to be a TEA Party group to make it appear as if Lugar has some TEA Party support. It should be noted that Mr. Ford at one time was a member of the Indiana State Teacher’s Association, (union), and negotiated union contracts on its behalf.

Back to Wilke for a moment. The 1940 Republican presidential nominee was Wendell Willkie, David’s grandfather.

From the blog, Welcome to my TEA Party.

Willkie was cozy with Democrats.  He joined with Eleanor Roosevelt to form Freedom House and was a delegate to two Democratic national conventions.

A Wilsonian Internationalist who promoted world government, Willkie wrote the book “One World.”  He supported Roosevelt’s controversial New Deal.

Late in his career, Willkie joined the New Liberal Party and attempted to push its agenda nationally.  Senator Lugar was a member of a liberal think tank, the Roosevelt Institute’s Campus Network.  And proving that he’s no statesman, he recently resigned under pressure from the Tea Party.<

So, while Ford states, “I don’t usually dine with senators and congressmen,”  according to another HTP member I spoke with, Mr. Ford has regular breakfast meetings with Lugar’s closest adviser, David Wilke.

Imagine that.

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The party-line concerning the elevators went something like this: we had them inspected, were told they were good for three or so more years, moved on to other things, were surprised when people got stuck between floors after move-in, found money that would not require council approval and here we are. Sorry, should have given you a heads up.

It was the inaugural Fifth Tuesday hearing and it was well worth the price of admission. I doubt, however, that anyone left the chambers last night satisfied with either questions or answers.

To set the scene, most months have four Tuesdays when the Common Council of the City of Fort Wayne does its work. Once quarterly a month has a fifth Tuesday and over time this “extra” Tuesday has been taken off by council. They have done that for no real reason such as a prevalence of sun spots on all fifth Tuesdays or a need to fly home to the meet with constituents, it is just boys’ night off. Council, in fact, operates on a three night rotation where a bill is introduced on the first Tuesday, debated or discussed the second Tuesday and then disposed of the third Tuesday. Given there are 52 weeks there is only one Tuesday that would cause confusion, not four, but things being things the fifth Tuesday has become time away from the rigors of talking.

Tom Smith, the new council president, decided last month to pick up the pace a bit and put the fifth Tuesday back in play and rename it 5TH TUESDAY. Council was redecorated to give the appearance of a Roman Forum and everyone wore gold-trimmed togas. It is now a special mark on the calendar, so soon there will be 5TH TUESDAY lore, memorabilia and letterhead to promote the night, perhaps reserved seating, perhaps a CD. Mr. Smith wants to give the night stature over the mundane business of buying salt and asphalt, so he sees it as a forum to discuss special topics. So it was last night. Last night’s proceedings were more along the lines of the Watergate Hearings than high discussion among solons.

Most folk know about the new city hall. Most know it was a heck of a fight to convince council to open the purse to buy the $7 million building. The price tag, with repairs and such, increased to around $19 million which led to more and more fights.

Then, after purchase and renovation, citizens started complaining the elevators were holding them captive. Seems a cellphone can get a signal in a fifty-year old elevator shaft. During one EMS run, woman on gurney, monitors beeping, the van waiting outside with lights ablaze, a lift became embarrassingly and dangerously stuck between floors for six to seven minutes. “Life and death,” bemoaned Councilman Marty Bender. It became painfully evident to the administration they had to fix the six building elevators, all of them, at a cost of $900,000. How to pay for the mess, became job one.

So, instead of “splaining” to council and asking them for an appropriation the administration went to the Redevelopment Commission and that’s when the real trouble started. To put it simply, asking the much more compliant, much friendlier commission, which has three mayoral appointees and only two councilmatic appointees, and which is staffed by the administration, looked like an end run, or sweeping the problem under the rug. Council has high profile and loves to grab headlines, the commission holds meetings in a closet and tries to keep the tone hushed. It seemed like “let’s see if we can get away with this one…” So, the commission voted the cash from their own pocket money, but somebody told the press and questions, innuendo, charges, counter-charges, more innuendo and base motives were raised or attributed to the action. The matter didn’t go away, it festered.

Last night council and the administration tried to get it all on the table.

Mr. Smith opened the questioning with a “did you know about this before the election” point blank question; that meaning, did you hide this from the community so as to protect the mayor? Controller Pat Roller chose not to answer the question, but instead went through a lengthy recitation of the purchase of the building, its funding and gardening in Indiana. Eyes glazed and rolled. Assault blunted. One has to guess that was the idea. Tactic One-A in political debate is not to answer the question posed, but to answer what you would have wished that question to have been. Something like, “Controller Roller, would you tell us why the administration should be fast-tracked toward canonization?” Of course!

Greg Leatherman, the director of the Redevelopment Commission, which found the petty cash, eventually came to the table to recite a bit of history about TIF money. TIF is Tax Incremental Financing, and within a TIF district property tax dollars are diverted from the general fund to use on intra-district economic development. It is money that would otherwise go to the general fund and pay for schools and libraries and buses, not to mention airports and sewers, but has been used to pay for ballparks and parking garages that are believed to increase the tax base. TIF. Mr. Leatherman cited a dozen examples of where TIF dollars had been used for purposes very similar to elevator repair. That line of discussion rather faded away. Yesterday was the formerly embattled Mr. Leatherman’s best day since his wedding. (See celebratory stories of the Harrison. His baby, in many ways.)

Finally, Mrs. Roller and architect Cory Miller, who handled much of the “due diligence,” noted that the State of Indiana inspected and passed the elevators and that experts had told the administration to budget for ongoing maintenance while setting aside cash for eventual major repairs within three to four years. Mr. Miller and Mrs. Roller said they accepted those findings and moved on to other problems. In hindsight, they said, yup, they should have sought additional inspections, yup, they should have realized that the building being fallow for years might have had an adverse effect, but that with so many other things on the plate during this “once in a century” move that a nut-by-greasy-bolt inspection was not done.

In the end, council agreed the elevators had to be repaired, that the source of funds was acceptable and accepted the oft repeated mea culpas and apologies offered by the controller. Heads will not roll.

The administration did, however, know that the elevators were in dire straights before the election. Hmmm. The administration also cast doubt on their recent pledge to be more open and cooperative with council. (Hard to regain lost trust.)

While securing funds from the Redevelopment Commission enjoyed precedent it blew up in the Henry Administration’s face. Mrs. Roller said the approach taken was a mistake. Perhaps it was a teachable moment. Perhaps.

So, Mr. Smith should be commended. He kept most of his herd on topic last night, the meeting was polite, but probing. It was a smart start to a new “tradition” and should serve as a warning to this executive: should the nascent “tradition” set down roots, this administration or any future administration that tries an end-run will attract double the attention and yield many more headlines than simply upfront “splainin’.”

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He’s also a fan of Star Molecules, on Facebook.

 

He lived in Wabash at one time, and operated a business called the Pine Farm Greenhouse. It appears he may have co-owned it with his father.

Court records. Not much, really.

7 seat belt violations, 3 speeding.
Lost house to foreclosure in 2006.

Divorced in 2006

Not sure what this was all about. Had another in 1990, same basic thing.

WABASH COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
85D01-0507-CM-518
ST VS ERBFile date: 07/14/2005   Disposition Date: 08/10/2005
Minute Date:7/15/2005
Order Location:Book: 86 Page: 61Court examines probable cause affidavits and determines there is probable
cause. Court orders defendant to appear for initial hearing on
8-10-05 at 9:00 a.m. Service by mail. llMinute Date:8/10/2005
Order Location:Book: 86 Page: 307

State orally moves to dismiss. Granted.

Interesting case study for someone.

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Burton represents Indiana’s 5th congressional district. There are several vying for the slot, including former congressman and Kendallville native David McIntosh, attorney Jack Lugar, (Senator Dick Lugar’s son),  Susan Brooks, a former U.S. attorney and Fort Wayne native, and former Marion County Coroner John McGoff, who came close to defeating Burton two years ago.

The 5th District presently includes Huntington County, which joins the 3rd District for the next 10 years beginning with the 2012 elections.

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Fort Wayne / South Bend’s Bishop Kevin Rhoades  — and all of the Bishops of the United States – find themselves in a culture war with the Obama administration in 2012.  Sometimes you run to the front, sometimes the front advances upon you. 

Find here a column in the local newspaper reflecting on the recent march for life in the Fort (see picture below) and the test that has now come to the Catholic Church in the United States. 

The column contains quotes from three US Bishops that would have been considered quite radical just a few months ago.  Read ‘em and muster for battle.

Kulturkampf has come to us, with Kathleen Sebelius and Barack Obama driving the tanks in the general’s ranks.  Definition here:  http://www.archangelinstitute.org/americas-political-class-intensifies-the-kulturkampf/

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My friend, Andi Udris, has resigned from the Alliance. I will miss him.

Andi Udris

To be clear, the abrupt resignation, which he did not signal to me when we breakfasted last week, looks more like walking the plank at the point of cutlass.

Perhaps the people who gave him the choice between jumping or being pushed had a good reason, perhaps, as was reported, it was a clash of personalities. I doubt anyone will bother to tell me. People in these positions use silencers.

Andi, to his credit, worked hard for this area and had big dreams for economic development. He clearly had begun to set down roots and bubbled of how much he liked Fort Wayne.

Somebody, apparently, didn’t care much for Andi, his ideas or his personality. You can see the members listed here on their website. They include the high and the mighty in Fort Wayne, as well as a couple who are moving on in life. They include people who are hired guns who will vanish in their own time from the local scene leaving very little, indeed, behind.

Udris grew up, as mentioned, in Cleveland, he was the son of a Democratic father and a Republican mother. His father immigrated after WWII from West Germany after fleeing his native Latvia. The Soviets had killed thousands in Riga just before the war and would kill thousand more, deport tens of thousands of Latvians to Siberia and would stifle Latvia for a generation. The elder Udris, who had fought the Soviets, fled with the retreating Germans and eventually found his way to Cleveland and a solid, well paying union job that promised a future and security. His union job delivered on that promise in a way the Soviets never did, nor ever would.

So, Andi would talk of hearing his father and mother argue politics at home. They both wanted him to get a nice, safe, middle class job as an engineer, but his first years among the geeks told him that he would rather be in the more fluid and political arena of economic development. To the chagrin of his “play-it-safe” parents, Andi transferred credits and graduated into the more political, more controversial world of quasi-government community development. After stints in other towns, after successes and failures, he brought to Fort Wayne and to his job plenty of experience, plenty of ideas and a sensitivity to the Republican side and the Democratic side of arguments, thanks to hearing his mother and father debate. Andi was not only willing to listen, but he also heard and understood what you might say. When we breakfasted he told me his concerns with the Right-to-Work bill, but explained why he supported it. I offered my concerns which he accepted. There was no rancor, no hyperbole, just an analysis and discussion. I might suggest that willingness to hear sat him apart from so many “leaders” who hear nothing and are just waiting for your lips to stop moving so they can pronounce their loftier thoughts.

What was equally interesting during our many conversations was the way Udris explained the problems confronting Fort Wayne’s economic development future. He had big ideas that would require significant change in local thinking and for some people and institutions to think of the community as well as their parochial turf. The big ideas complimented the standard, Economic Development 101 projects such as “shovel-ready” factory sites.

Perhaps it was his willingness to push, to confront the sedentary and to propose big ideas to little minds that got him in trouble and led to “spend more time with my family,” as they say.

It would, indeed, be a sad thing if Mr. Udris were to leave Fort Wayne for other digs. He contributes much to our area and is not afraid to rattle a few cages. In economic developmental sleeping dogs should not be let lie.

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A former Fort Wayne police officer, who must hold the record for disciplinary actions against him, has filed to run against Stutzman.

John Roberson filed this week as a democrat candidate in the primary election for the 3rd congressional seat. Robertson was canned form the FWPD in 1999 after receiving 28 various disciplinary actions. After that, he drove truck for a while, then retired.

Then we have hotel dweller Tommy Schrader, who never saw a gay porn flick he didn’t like. He’s also running as a democrat. You’ll recall he ran as a democrat last year in the at-large city council race, and won, only to be booted by the election board at the demand of Knuth and the democrats due to residency issues.

Hot damn, we have a race, eh?

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Indiana becomes the 23rd state to ban unions from collecting union dues from non-union workers.  Governor Daniels will likely have the bill in his hands, and signed, prior to the Super Bowl.

So much for the OWS and union protests that were planned for the Super Bowl, eh?

Watch this video, it’s priceless.

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It was a workmanlike meeting at council last night punctuated by joviality and smiles, many smiles. Hardly an eyebrow lifted through the 100-minute session, not even when representatives of the mayor said they would keep politics out of redistricting.

From pre-game to post-meeting analysis members of council found charming things to say about each other, to compliment the clerk and to toss roses to the audience. It is a reflection of the new members on council – Jehl, Paddock and Crawford – all of whom try to find the sunny side of a question. Last year’s cat-fight-of-a-bar-room brawl has unofficially been put to rest and now will become the stuff of humorous comparisons.

So, the meeting veritably sped by with polite discussion, observation and action. Votes came and went bam, bam, bam.

The meeting opened with John Urbahns, the city’s director of Economic Development, and sidekick Paul Spoelhof, a bow-tied, round-rimmed bespectacled planner, discussing with council how the process of redistricting will go. Urbahns offered some ideas, one of which was accepted by council – The Hines Crawford process of ten years ago will be dusted off and put back into play. Hines, a Democrat and a representative of a district, will work with Crawford, a Republican and an at-large councilman, to adjust boundaries so that each of our six districts comprises roughly 40,000 voters. Maps will be draw and offered to council for their consideration and amendment. All seemed to agree the 3rd district would shrink a bit and the underpopulated fifth would grow correspondingly. Council members were reminded that current districts would remain status quo until the next election thus allaying many of their spoken and unspoken fears. Urbahns early warned that he would work with everyone equally and that he didn’t want his staff to be the target of political attacks; council members all pledged to keep this most politically fraught of processes above politics. File this under the dual headings of: Talk is Cheap, and, The Devil is in the Details.

On to a stoplight fight on the north side, albeit a civilized and cooperative fight that seemed more friendly jostling than a fight. City-County planning was told two weeks ago to take a project they had endorsed for a “cramped” development off Coldwater Road back to the drawing board. They did. In the interim a plenary session was held with all involved, and last night, with nary a dissenting syllable the development was tabled again for a month or so more to allow traffic planning to study the corridor south of Union Chapel Road to determine who overflowing traffic flow might be better managed with widening or lights or turn-lanes. John Shoaff gave high marks to Russ Jehl, the second district representative, in the way Jehl managed the informal meeting. Jehl blew a kiss back at Mr. Shoaff for providing the savvy old-timer stability that resolved many of the questions posed at the meeting. Even the developer, normally Tums-Poppers to a man, seemed comfortable with the delays. The project was tabled for another month or two. So ended the committee session. Polite. Workmanlike. Bordering on gracious.

The Love-Sherpas guided everyone from the committee room into the grand hall for the regular session. Of the thirty ordinances up for introduction or passage only one was rejected and only one other bill received less than a unanimous vote. Most were proforma introductory readings: Glynn Hines made it a appoint to read as fast as possible nearly 20 bills on his committee’s agenda. Polite laughter accompanied him nearly all the way through the tedious reading as if encouraging applause for a proud marathoner. Congratulatory laughter greeted him at the finish line.

The dead ordinance was “S-12-01-03, An Ordinance approving program and project management assistance for City Utilities – 2012 & 2013 between The Secant Group, Inc., and the City of Fort Wayne, Indiana in connection with the Board of Public Works. Total cost of $310,336.” (Hines had to read 20 similarly tediousness bills…) You may remember that last week the DOA ordinance was voted “Do Not Pass” because the contract would run for two years. The professional services committee is about to offer new guidelines on said professional service contracts and wants all new contracts to comply with the yet-to-be-finished ordinance. Dr. Crawford and Mr. Didier sit on that committee and put the kibosh on the contract. One expects the administration to rebid the contact for a one year, 2012, term. You may also remember that last year, during the cat-fight-council, such a discussion might have led to red pumps being thrown and a walkout of three or four members. Not so last night, again, hardly a contrarian scent in the air. The method of voting was calmly explained, a vote taken, and the verdict read – simple as that.

Finally, Mitch Harper’s Citizen Full Participation Act of 2012 was brought to a vote. It had been discussed, with a mild gnashing of teeth at the last council meeting and was simply voted into law last night with no pontificating, no snarling, no invective.

Even during the open mic session the discussions were polite and straight forward. Dr. Crawford did remind that the professional contracts committee is still at work, as was evidenced in that death-dealing vote, but that was about the most charged statement anyone made. Members all seemed graduates of the Charmaine Finishing School. After the meeting, John Shoaff, noticeably buoyed by the congeniality of the meeting, was heard to say – I think we can get some things done this year. Sandy Kennedy was also heard to say “it is early in the year.”

Clerk Kennedy is probably right, but compared to last year it looks like council will work as a team on the vast majority of projects and discuss problematic projects with balance and fairness. To anyone who watched the previous council it is a boring relief. In that, Mr. Shoaff may also prove right.

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Percentage Real Growth in Private-Sector Employee Compensation (2000-2010)

Right to Work States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.3%
Forced-Unionism States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7%

Percentage Growth in Real Personal Income (1999-2009)

Right to Work States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.3%
Forced-Unionism States. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.7%

Source: National Institute for Labor Relations Research

In Indiana, those employed in a Union Shop that are members of a union only represents 10.9% of the total workforce. Of those represented by a union, but are not members, (but are forced to pay dues), 2.3% of the total workforce.

That’s 34,000 non-union workers being forced to pay union dues against their will. All the unions care about is the estimated $1.4 million dollar loss in dues.

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This is in reference to Mr. Bartley’s latest rant on his closed door “town hall” for the Right to Work bill. Since Mr. Bartley loves labels, let me give you a few of mine.

My name is Monica Boyer. I am a Christian, social and fiscal conservative, Tea Party leader, Republican, a mom and a wife of a union member.

I attended Sunday’s meeting because my family will be affected by Right to Work. I have been in politics for the last seven years, and I know how lobbying works. I know how fear tactics can be used (can’t say I’ve never used them myself), I know how talking points are used on both sides.

My family went to this meeting Sunday with no agenda but to find the truth. I’m a pretty opinionated person, but this day, I was truly on the fence, even leaning toward being frustrated with the Republican Party. I have been vocal about this, which hasn’t made any brownie points with my party.

What happened Sunday was nothing more than a hateful Republican bash session. There were no facts offered, just the pre-scripted talking points. No education, no counter points. We were told Republicans are evil. I learned right away that this was not a family friendly meeting, as “F” bombs were flying left and right.

When I removed my children, and came back in, some pastor was quoting Proverbs about how evil men must be destroyed, and those were the Republicans that must be destroyed. They speared our representatives, and talked about them being absent from this meeting. Not one time did Mr. Bartley mention he knew Dave Wolkins was in the hospital having medical tests. Tell me, how is that fair?

The kicker for me was as I introduced myself to the Democratic chairman, Mr. Bartley, and pleasantly told him that I enjoy hearing about the things their party is doing via email. He informed me he did not know how I got on their email database and that he wanted me removed immediately.

Is this how you attract new members to your party, sir, because if so, I now understand why our county has only seven Democrats!

I am not taking a public stand on RTW, and I support my husband in whatever decision he makes on this. I have no problem with a referendum. The union has treated us well, and we thank the Lord every day for our job. But shame on you, Mr. Bartley, for turning this into a party issue, and presuming to know how we feel about this topic.

Thanks to you, my husband, the conservative Republican dad and union worker, is now tagged and marked.

You know what I want? I want a conversation. Guns down, name calling put away, political party put away and all preconceived ideas put away; a conversation between both sides so I, as a Christian, a conservative, a Tea Party leader, a Republican, a mom and a wife of a union member can make up my mind with what is best for my family. It’s time to grow up and have this conversation.

If a TEA party leader can handle it … what is your problem?

Monica Boyer
Warsaw

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Indiana’s most powerful unelected governmental strongman recently put a plan into action that will reverberate in the halls of Hoosier governance for decades to come. It is a plan that could greatly affect every reader of The News-Sentinel, yet none – or at least next to none – will have any say over how it all “goes down.”

I speak of Chief Justice Randall Shepard’s surprising December announcement that he will resign his dual posts (justice and chief justice) on the Indiana Supreme Court on March 4. This decision puts into play the following palace intrigues: 1. Who will become the next justice of the Indiana Supreme Court? 2. Of the five justices, one brand new and another a mere half year on that bench, who will become the next Indiana Supreme Court chief justice? 3. What is to become of the former Supreme Court Justice Randall Shepard, who appears to have a few more good years left in him?

*****

[A] woman is the odds-on favorite to become the next justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, with Moberly being the most likely belle of that ball.

*****

Thus the Judicial Nomination Committee will immediately place a new chief justice over the court, and the odds-on favorite is — (the envelope please) — Justice Steven David! (Pictured) Yes, that Steven David – the one who caused an uproar across the state with the Barnes decision and the Supreme Court’s dogged refusal to rehear that split decision, even though 71 legislators, Attorney General Greg Zoeller, and tens of thousands of Hoosiers strenuously requested a rewording of that broadside against the ages-old castle doctrine.

(As an aside, locals wanting to communicate their concerns about Justice David’s “nowadays” jurisprudence will have that opportunity Friday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. when Justice David addresses attorneys and judges gathered at the Grand Wayne Center.)

******

Could it be that Randall Terry Shepard, as a newly reacquired war horse in the mainline GOP’s stable, is being saddled up to give tea party darling Mike Pence a heart-thumping run for his money in the 2012 gubernatorial race?

Or perhaps (if Sen. Richard Lugar has been hoisted on his own petard via filings from his previous presidential run) it is Richard Mourdock who will find himself running against Shepard in the GOP primary?

The whole story links here

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Rep. Bauer and The Mother of All Hypocrisies

It is not my intent to weigh in on the “right to work” issue, but the high drama is hard to leave out of any discussion of what is happening at your state capitol.

Last night, House Democrats walked out for the third time this session. This action holds up the process and reminds everyone of their five-week trip to a Comfort Inn in Illinois last year. That departure killed numerous bills including a 2011 right to work proposal.

Late last week, House Democrats threw out a new notion that could stall right to work for a while.Rep. Pat Bauer wants right to work to be a referendum issue rather than a legislative one. However,the irony of this proposal is remarkable. Former Speaker of the House, Pat Bauer, single-handedly blocked Marriage Protection referendums for more than six years. If he were Speaker today, he’d still be blocking a people’s vote on marriage protection. 

Now, Rep. Bauer says that the people should be allowed to vote on right to work. The differences between the two issues are not insignificant. Marriage is under assault from unelected judges who have virtually no voter accountability and only a voter approved Constitutional amendment can protect our marriage laws. This is very different than a statutory proposal moving through the elected bodies of the legislature in which people can express their opinions and hold their Senators and Representatives accountable. An employment policy law can be changed at any time following an election, an activist judge’s ruling cannot.

Our web site poll found that 75% of you support right to work. I recognize that there are many readers who may live in union households or simply oppose right to work but agree with AFA on family and moral matters. This is not an issue on which AFA is taking an official position.

(I do have my own views on RTW and its supposed pros and cons. I will admit that I do have a hard time ignoring what Thomas Jefferson said about compelling a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors being tyrannical in regard to some of the liberal anti-family agendas and politicians many unions support. Yet, I realize that many union families agree with me on their money going for such political agendas, but honestly worry about future wage earnings under right to work.)

Last night the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency issued an opinion on the Democrat’s referendum amendment calling it “unconstitutional.” It will be interesting to see how this referendum idea unfolds, if it is legally viable. We will wait and see if it is adopted, and if Hoosiers will be swayed one way or another after hearing hundreds upon hundreds of radio and TV ads for and against forced unionization.

Out of the Mouth of Anti-Family Activists, True Intent is Revealed

A leading activist in Canada has put in writing what many parents and pro-family leaders have believed for a long time. Writing for Xtra Vancouver, Managing Editor Robin Perelle blasted parents with traditional beliefs saying, “your outdated morals are no longer acceptable, and we will teach your kids the new norms.” Perelle said that children should be taught to endorse the homosexual agenda.

In response to Ms. Perelle’s public admission, homosexual blogger Daniel Villarreal wrote, “I and a lot of other people want to indoctrinate, recruit, teach, and expose children to queer sexuality AND THERE’S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT! We want educators to teach future generations of children to accept queer sexuality. In fact, our very future depends on it.” (This is an interesting imperative if gay activists really believe that homosexuality is an in-born genetic behavior.)

Villarreal didn’t stop there. He added: “Why would we push anti-bullying programs or social studies classes that teach kids about the historical contributions of famous queers unless we wanted to deliberately educate children to accept queer sexuality as normal?”

Indiana BMV Celebrates Homosexual Recruitment Center

Homosexual activists are celebrating the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles decision to allow a specialty license plate that celebrates and helps to fund a homosexual teen recruitment center called the Indy Youth Group.

The BMV had rejected the homosexual plate, and even withstood a failed legal attempt by the ACLU of Indiana to force such a plate into existence. This year, for some reason, they have approved the plate. Other plate efforts, which have not been initially approved by the BMV, such as the In God We Trust plate now appearing on 2 million Hoosier cars, went to the legislature for approval.   It is highly unlikely that a license plate for a group encouraging homosexual behaviors among minors would even get a committee hearing.

As news of this first of a kind in the nation license plate circulates, questions may arise about the Daniels Administration’s trickle down values or oversight of this agency and why the BMV reversed course in less than a year.

One has to wonder, since health risks are obviously not a consideration, if a cigar-smoking club could get a specialty license plate now.

What if there was an effort for a specialty license plate to fund an Exodus affiliate ministry in Indiana that helps people overcome same-sex attraction? Can you imagine the outcry or an ACLU lawsuit over an ex-gay organization plate?

Yet, it is not merely the approval of a controversial plate. The BMV web site, which has a large “PRIDE” title, states that part of the plate fees will “build capacity for gay straight alliances in high schools across the state.” Do you think the BMV would have ever approved funds from theChoose Life plate to set up “Teens For Life” clubs or “Exodus Youth” programs in Indiana high schools?   (The choose life plate doesn’t fund anything political or associated with the right to life movement. The funds go for adoption aid and agencies.)

Indiana agencies should remain neutral in the political culture wars raging over societal values. They shouldn’t take actions that undermine the family or support risky lifestyle choices for minor children.

Family And Freedom Days Educate on Legislative Process

Last week I mentioned Advance America’s Family and Freedom Days. I mistakenly implied that these educational events occurred every Tuesday. They, in fact, are scheduled for January 24th andFebruary 14th. You can print out a church bulletin insert and learn more about these events at this link: http://www.advanceamerica.com/pdf/AAIFamilyFreedomDays2012.pdf

Grassroots Training Event this Saturday!

Our Grassroots training event in Westfield will occur this Saturday starting at 8:30 am and going until noon. We need a certain number of attendees for our workshops to be effective. If you plan on attending, but have not yet let us know, please email me at micah@afain.net The cost to attend the seminar at The Journey Church, 17716 Eagletown Road in Westfield is $20.

Court Turns Away Challenge to Indiana Voucher Program

Late last week, the Indiana State Teachers Association lost their first legal effort to block the state’s new school voucher program for lower income families. On Friday, Marion Superior CourtJudge Michael Keele ruled that the School Choice Scholarship Program did not violate the Indiana Constitution because the state isn’t directly funding religious schools. The Judge found that like other aid programs, it gives vouchers to parents, who can choose where they want to use them.

The ruling also rejected arguments that the program unconstitutionally took funds away from public schools and sent money to private schools. Judge Keele wrote that the Indiana Constitution allows “educational options outside of the public school system.”

Around 4,000 of roughly a million Hoosier school students are in the new voucher program. Those numbers are expected to grow this fall. Many news stories have called this a major defeat for the opponents of the program. Nevertheless, the ISTA is expected to appeal the ruling on to higher courts.

Including Creation with Evolution in Public School

Senate Bill 89 is a one-sentence bill authored by Senator Dennis Kruse. It allows a local school board to choose to allow alternatives to the theory of evolution to be taught in life origins discussions as alternative theories. The bill is simple and it leaves the decision up to local school authorities. Still, we expect fierce opposition to even this modest proposal when the bill receives a public hearing on the afternoon of January 25th.

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