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(01/07/11 1:54am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Human rights activists have gained a victory in Monroe County.On Dec. 30, county commissioners voted unanimously to adopt a human rights ordinance that will create a commission to handle cases of discrimination in the county.“We have had complaints about sexual harassment,” said Iris Kiesling, vice president of the county commissioners. “Those are issues that do come up.”The goal of enacting the ordinance is to combat issues of sexual discrimination in the county, but the commission will also be able to handle other kinds of discrimination, Kiesling said.Bloomington has had a human rights commission to handle complaints within the city for several years, but it does not have jurisdiction outside city limits.Although Kiesling said she would like to see the two commissions ultimately combine, they will begin as separate entities.“I think there will be a relationship,” she said. “I’m hoping there will be a few people who are willing to serve on both.”Should members of both the Bloomington and Monroe County human rights commissions connect, it may ensure consistency with how complaints are handled.The commissioners relied on support from several community groups to gain public support in passing the ordinance.“We have a diverse community,” Kiesling said. “The faith community has supported us, the Democrats have supported us, some Republicans have supported us.”Indiana Equality — a Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender rights organization — was involved in the whole process, from gaining public support to drafting the ordinance.“Our ultimate goal is to get support from local commissioners in enacting GLBT protections in their local ordinances,” Dino Sierp, Indiana Equality field organizer, said.When there is enough support from cities and counties in Indiana, Sierp said they hope to be able to pass state laws protecting GLBT citizens.Despite the controversial nature of the ordinance — particularly the specific goal of enacting GLBT protections — there were no negative complaints filed.“In this particular case, that was not an issue,” Sierp said. “We had very little opposition to it.”The commissioners intentionally gave the public two weeks to comment between the initial reading of the ordinance and Dec. 30, when it was voted on, Kiesling said. She also received no negative comments from any community members.The next step is to appoint a commission. Kiesling said she hopes the county commissioners will be able to do this by Jan. 14, but it may take until the end of the month.Monroe County is accepting applications for the human rights commission from members of the community, including residents and IU faculty, staff and students. For more information, potential applicants can visit the county website at www.co.monroe.in.us.
(12/13/10 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Santa Claus is real.In a cabin nestled way in the back of the Santa Claus Christmas Store in Santa Claus, Ind., jolly old Saint Nicholas greets passersby and welcomes children young and old to take a photo on Santa’s knee.A family enters the room: mom, dad and twin three-year-old sisters in matching red dresses made the drive from Bloomington to meet the Big Man himself in his own town. The girls hid behind their parents’ legs, but after a few genuine “ho, ho, ho”’s and a candy cane apiece, they were on Santa’s knees talking about what they wanted for Christmas.The charming personality and Santa Claus mannerisms don’t turn off when Don Dauscha is away from the adoring — if a bit reluctant — children. The long white beard, gold-framed spectacles, red and white garb and distinctive laugh define Dauscha.Don is Kris Kringle, St. Nicholas, Father Christmas, Santa Claus. Whatever you want to call him, he is the man. For Don, Christmas season doesn’t come just once a year.“I get to celebrate Christmas every day,” Don said. “I get to be blessed to be Santa, to spread that joy 365 days a year.”But his job at the Christmas Store is more than a way to pay the bills. Don has already paid off his car and his house in Corydon, Ind., so when he puts on the big boots and the gold-buckled belt, it’s all for more than a paycheck.“The love you get back when you make a lot of people happy,” he said. “There’s no greater joy.”Don hasn’t always worn bright red pants to work, but he has been a sort of Santa figure for quite some time.He used to work for a medical supply company, making deliveries throughout Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, but that was back when he was gray and silver, before his beard had changed to the snow white it is now.“I would have my hat on and glasses,” he said. “The company I worked for made sure someone took care of my stuff so I could interact with the people.”But then he was laid off in October 2009. The company he had been working for had to make cutbacks, and Don was one of the people who lost his job.“That’s when Santa Claus took over,” he said. Don had done Santa gigs before, but never anything similar to the long-term position he now has at the Christmas Store, where he works nearly all year long and almost every day.“I’m pretty much Santa 24/7,” he said.Even in his time off, Don parades the streets in his Kris Kringle attire or volunteers to spread Christmas cheer.“Nursing homes are some of the best places,” he said. “Santa walks in there, and they are just like kids again. They tell me they’re already chomping at the bit for me to get there.”That’s because Santa Claus transcends generational boundaries.“An 86-year-old lady came in here on her birthday,” Don said. “It was the first time she sat on Santa’s lap.”When he’s off duty — although Don said he doesn’t like to think he’s ever off duty — he works on remodeling his house or engages in his favorite pastime.“Santa only has to be Santa, but besides that Santa likes to fish,” he said. “Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee is my favorite.”Before Don assumed his current role, he was in the U.S. Marine Corps.He was in a car accident in 1977 in Virginia. and the doctors told him he would not walk again.But Don proved the doctors wrong. “I was out of the service in ’78, and I ran a mini-marathon in ’79,” he said. “A lot of people will just let themselves lay there and be waited on. I’m not like that.”That’s a mindset that has continued on into his retirement.While some people decide to take time off and relax, Don has dedicated his time to putting smiles on children’s faces.“I like to be out in public a lot,” Don said. “The kids are all thrilled to death to see Santa.”When he tells the story of a shy little girl who came to the store with her family, his face lights up.“She stood back there and had an innocent smile on her face,” he said. “Sometimes candy canes are miracle workers. When I asked her what she wanted for Christmas, she said, ‘You know, I sure would like it if all the other boys and girls can get what I can ... you know, the less fortunate ones.’”Don has lots of these stories. It’s all part of the job, although, he makes it clear that to him being Santa is not a job.In fact, throughout time, Santa has simply become a part of Don’s life. He said his persona and that of the Santa character have become one.He said a different Santa once came to his granddaughter’s school.“She went up there and said, ‘No, that is not Santa Claus. My pa-paw is Santa Claus,’” Don said.Because of that public image, this Santa takes his actions very seriously. He said he’s careful about everything he says and does because he does not want to ruin St. Nick’s reputation.That’s why he said it’s important for him to care about being Santa more than it just being a job.“Too many don’t do it from their hearts.”
(12/10/10 4:34am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Federal Election Commission recently released data about campaign funds for the Nov. 2 election, revealing contributors’ spending throughout the season.Republican congressman-elect Todd Young and incumbent Rep. Baron Hill D-9th District each spent about $2 million on the 2010 midterm campaign. Libertarian Greg Knott spent about $6,000.Young raised $1.96 million and spent $1.95 million on his successful campaign, according to the FEC. Hill raised $2.17 million and spent $2.14 million. Knott raised $6,093 and spent $6,007.“That’s probably about typical for a competitive Congressional District,” Gerald Wright, IU political science professor, said. He said usually the incumbent or candidate who spends the most money has an advantage in elections but that the difference in spending during the 9th District race was not very significant.The challenger must work harder to be recognized, Wright said.“Just the ability to raise money is taken by the national party and others as how serious they are,” he said, referring to non-incumbent fundraising.Nearly all of Young’s contributions — $1.73 million — came from individual donations. Political action committees gave $220,829, and $7,711 came from other sources, according to the FEC. No contributions from the Republican Party were reported.Most of Hill’s money — $1.17 million — was donated by political action committees. He received $889,915 in individual contributions and $18,379 from the Democratic Party. The remaining $93,747 came from other sources, according to the FEC.In addition to $890 of individual donations, Knott spent $5,203 of his own money on his campaign, according to the FEC.IU senior Rachelle Fullam said the money spent on this campaign could have been put to better use.“I just think that’s a lot of money to spend on a campaign,” Fullam said. “Two million dollars is ridiculous when you think about how the money could have gone to other causes.”She said the money could have been spent to help the homeless.“I don’t know what a typical amount is, but $2 million doesn’t seem like a lot of money to me for a political campaign,” IU junior Chris Schweighardt said. “I feel like they could have raised that money at a fundraiser in a week.”But not all campaigning comes from the candidates, parties or even individual donors.“A lot of ads attacking Baron Hill and a lot of ads attacking Todd Young came from outside groups,” Wright said. “You can see a lot of negative ads and not even have it be reported.”
(12/09/10 2:45am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana could legalize Sunday alcohol sales if a bill that will be proposed by State Sen. Phil Boots (R-Crawfordsville), passes in the Indiana General Assembly this session.“It’s time for government to get out of the way and allow people to make the purchases they want to make,” Boots said.He said this is an important legislative issue because it could add convenience for consumers and help the state earn more tax revenue.“A lot of people are crossing state lines to make purchases in surrounding counties,” Boots said. “Anything we can do to make it more convenient for people to make their purchases, we ought to.”But Boots faces opposition from within the General Assembly and from the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers.Boots proposed similar legislation in 2009 that did not receive a committee hearing because there was not very much support for it in the Committee for Commerce, Public Policy and Interstate Cooperation, said State Sen. Ron Alting (R-Lafayette), committee chairman.“If there’s no support for it, then I won’t hear it,” Alting said. “We kind of have to wait and see.”Alting said he cannot guarantee the bill will receive a hearing this year because he refuses to consider any bills without at least some committee support.“It was voted down in conference committee two years ago,” he said. “I think they have an uphill battle.”The IABR strongly opposes this legislation and has asked liquor store owners across the state to help their effort by asking members of the General Assembly to vote against the bill.In particular, the IABR is worried because the state currently allows grocery stores, drug stores and convenience stores to sell alcohol with very few restrictions. Even with the addition of Sunday sales, IABR President John Livengood said package liquor stores will not see the increase in profits they would need to operate an additional day.“If they (grocery, drug and convenience stores) were allowed to steal sales from package stores, which is what would happen, a lot of liquor stores would go out of business,” Livengood said. “I can’t imagine a scenario in which we could compete with Kroger, WalMart and Circle K.”For Boots, the change would be primarily for the sake of convenience, and he’s confident in the bill’s ability to pass.“I expect that if it gets a hearing, it would ultimately pass,” he said.Boots also said the bill provides for increased licensing fees, which would be required only of non-package liquor stores such as grocery, drug and convenience stores that choose to sell alcohol.But Livengood remains skeptical of liquor stores’ abilities to compete if Sunday sales are added.“For a significant number of them, it could be enough business to put them out of business,” he said.
(12/03/10 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Although still higher than the U.S. average, Indiana’s unemployment rate for October has dropped below 10 percent for the first time since March.The state reported 9.9 percent seasonally-adjusted unemployment for the month of October, a 0.2 percent drop from September, according to new data released by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development on Nov. 23.“The seasonally adjusted rate takes into account seasonal employment,” Valerie Kroeger, assistant communications director for the Indiana Department of Workforce Development said. “We always go with the seasonally adjusted rate for better trends.”While the new numbers appear to be a shift in the right direction, Bradley Heim, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the numbers may not accurately portray employment trends in the state.“It’s important to understand what employment captures,” he said.Hein said unemployment statistics are calculated by dividing the number of unemployed people actively seeking work by the number of people who are employed or seeking work. He said the data ignores people such as those who are not at that time looking for employment.Unemployment in Monroe County, according to the report, is 6.4 percent, making it the second most employed county in the state.“My sense is that the local economy is very much driven by the University, by the hospital, by Crane. They’re insulated from the other ups and downs,” Heim said. “The ups and downs of the macroeconomy affect those jobs less.”The dip in the state’s reported unemployment has accompanied an increase in the number of private sector jobs available in Indiana.“We had the sixth highest percentage of private sector job growth of all states for October,” Kroeger said.She said the state has specifically seen growth in the professional and business service job sectors.Nevertheless, Heim said the recently released data might not actually mean anything.“A year or so ago in these same numbers, there was a dip below 10 percent, and it rose,” Heim said.The original unemployment numbers are preliminary values, he said.Heim said we’ll only know the economy has recovered when the recovery from the economic downturn is complete.“You can tell in hindsight when things turned around,” he said.
(12/02/10 4:17am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Monroe County Community School Corporation superintendent John Coopman’s announcement that he will retire at the end of December ended a three-year contract a year and a half early.MCCSC board president Jeannine Butler said although Coopman’s contract was for three years, the board assumed he could have been around for as long as seven or eight years.Coopman, who announced his retirement Nov. 9, said issues in his personal and professional life led to his sudden retirement.“My wife has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which has turned my life upside down and causing me to reconsider my priorities in life,” Coopman said in an e-mail.He also said the financial difficulties the district has faced impacted his decision.Coopman has been a superintendent for 22 years, a school administrator for 10 years and a teacher for six.Because Coopman’s announcement was so sudden, the board has had to act quickly to fill his position.“What we have to do is identify an interim superintendent in order to fill that space until we find a permanent superintendent,” Butler said.Butler said the superintendent’s duties include following all policies, managing finances, dealing with contracts and handling personnel issues. One idea the board is considering is to find an individual to fill the spot until the replacement is found.“Usually what you look for is a retired superintendent who has the licensing and can fill the shoes,” Butler said.The other option is to find two or three people from within MCCSC to lead the district through the next few months cooperatively, she said.As far as finding a long-term solution, Butler said Ronald Barnes, IU education professor emeritus, has volunteered to help with the search.But Butler said the board is confident it will find a suitable person to fill the superintendent’s position.“Bloomington, and thus Monroe County, is an attraction for people to come live,” she said. “We have a good school system, the principals are strong, the teachers are strong, it’s a very supportive community.”That’s not to say Coopman’s successor will not face challenges.“We have a Republican-controlled (State) Senate, a Republican-controlled (State) House and a Republican governor who has a very steadfast agenda for education,” he said.Though the district’s financial situation is better than many schools in the state, Coopman said whoever is appointed will have to deal with any changes made in upcoming state legislative sessions.“I think we’ll get some good candidates,” Butler said. “Hopefully we’ll make a good choice.”
(12/02/10 4:00am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Senior Leah Myhre was asleep in her apartment above the Chabad House Jewish Student Center when a loud thud awoke her Tuesday morning.One of four IU students living there, Myhre exited her room to find the other girls doing the same, wondering what had happened.A rock had crashed through the window, nearly striking her roommate, Maggie Williams, as she sat writing a paper. The palm-sized rock hit the wall across the room, leaving a hole in the dry wall.“It was really terrifying,” Myhre said. “It’s not something you expect is going to happen. But when we saw the rock, we all knew what had just happened because of what happened last week to the building as well as Hillel.”Five anti-Semitic attacks in Bloomington since Nov. 23 have caught IU students and city residents off guard.“It’s not an understatement to say our reaction is outrage,” Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said. “It’s both sad and disturbing how one distinct individual can do such disturbing things to an entire community.”The criminal acts of the past week included rocks thrown through windows at Jewish organizations and through a display case at the Robert A. and Sandra B. Borns Jewish Studies Program office, as well as vandalism of Hebrew texts from the Herman B Wells Library.In the 24 hours since the attack, Myhre said she and her roommates, none of whom are Jewish, have been wary of going near windows and moving around outside the building.“It’s scary,” she said. “Someone could really get injured and without any warning.”Myhre said not only is she surprised that the vandalism happened to her apartment, but that it occurred at IU at all.“It’s hard to believe that this happened on this campus, that it happened in Bloomington,” she said. “I really hope they find the culprit so something like this doesn’t happen again.”Bloomington Safe and Civil City Director Beverly Calendar-Anderson said she finds the situation disconcerting.“The initial reaction is that we are appalled that a person or persons would terrorize people based on their religious beliefs,” Calendar-Anderson said.Though the attacks were aimed at Jewish organizations on or near the IU campus, Kruzan said they affect community members.“We’re all victimized when one person is targeted,” he said.In the aftermath of the incidents, the Bloomington and IU police departments have worked closely to find the vandals and prevent further incidents, Capt. Joe Qualters of the Bloomington Police Department said.Both Kruzan and Calendar-Anderson said Bloomington’s image as a tolerant city is not affected by incidents such as these.“When you have people do something opposite of that (Bloomington’s reputation as a tolerant place), I don’t know that it damages the reputation of the city because the majority of people appreciate diversity in all forms,” she said.Senior Alana Gardner said she was surprised and saddened after hearing about the attacks.“I’m at the Chabad House every week,” Gardner said. “It’s a second home to me. To hear that and about what’s happening everywhere else, I’m pretty shocked and disgusted.”Gardner said she is afraid of how some students will interpret the acts, particularly freshmen who don’t know IU as well.“This is not the start of a movement,” she said. “Nothing to this extent has happened while I’ve been here. I just hope people remember that this is not what IU’s about.”Sitting in Wells library, senior Dustin Bernstein said he was upset but not overly concerned after the vandalism — initially.“It was disappointing, but it was just one act,” he said. “But then I’m reading now that it’s happening again, now at Hillel, now in the library where I’m at almost every day, and it started to sink in. There are still ignorant people. There is still hatred. It really hit home. This is hatred.”Bernstein said he thinks it’s important that Bloomington’s Jewish community doesn’t let the attacks affect how they celebrate Hanukkah, which began Wednesday night.“One thing I’ve learned, in Hebrew and Sunday school, is that you should never be afraid to celebrate Hanukkah, especially now,” he said. “If you do that, then whoever is doing this, he won.”
(12/01/10 6:12pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Bloomington officials and residents commemorated World AIDS Day with a proclamation and ceremony Wednesday at Bloomington City Hall.The primary goals of the event were to promote advocacy and remember the people who have suffered from the disease. This year’s theme focused on universal access and human rights.“Everyone here needs to take action,” said Jill Stowers, Bloomington Hospital’s Positive Link program manager.Positive Link is a local HIV/AIDS medical care center.Most importantly, people need to focus on increasing awareness of the epidemic, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan said. He said the other goals of raising funds for research and preventing disease will follow if awareness increases.There are 9,798 people living in Indiana with HIV/AIDS, according to an Indiana State Department of Health report that was released in June.“A lot of times the general community doesn’t think about HIV anymore, doesn’t think it happens here,” Stowers said. “When you can get away from the stigma and have it just be about compassion, you get that personal element.”Both Stowers and Kruzan said a personal connection is important for people to understand the tragedy of the AIDS epidemic.“Maybe we all ought to not be embarrassed to show our sadness or our anger about this,” Kruzan said.People from Bloomington Hospital, the city government as well as the community attended the event.“I made the decision early on to be involved and educate people,” said David Clark, who was recently diagnosed with HIV. “So many young people don’t think it can happen to them.In the first half of 2010, there were 191 diagnoses of HIV and 76 diagnoses of AIDS in the state of Indiana, according to the Indiana State Department of Health’s report.“The more people that know the statistics, the more people can protect themselves and others,” Clark said.
(11/22/10 3:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Indiana General Assembly, Indiana’s legislative branch, will address several highly partisan issues this year. The first thing will be to pass a balanced budget, which is required by the state constitution every two years.“So at the same time as we have reduced revenue coming into the state, we have increased responsibility,” State Senate Minority Leader Vi Simpson, D-Bloomington, said.State Sen. David Long, R-Fort Wayne, president pro tempore of the Senate, said he is also concerned about the state’s revenue. But he said Indiana is better off than most states.“Indiana has been much more fiscally conservative in governing,” Long said.For the Democrats, the next issue in the legislative agenda will be the unemployment insurance system in the state.Simpson said the system is broken and needs to be fixed.However, Long said the Republicans’ next biggest concerns are jobs and education reform.The Republicans said they hope to turn over more flexibility and power in operating public schools to the schools themselves and to begin rewarding good teachers.After the General Assembly goes back into session in January, legislators will tackle the redistricting process. Every 10 years, the U.S. Constitution requires the state legislatures to redraw congressional district lines according to new census information.This can become a long process, as where the lines are specifically drawn can affect which party’s candidates are elected to congressional offices for the next 10 years.“I have supported for a long, long time introducing legislation to change, moving that away from the very partisan environment of the legislature into a nonpartisan commission, and our caucus will be filing legislation to try and do that this year,” Simpson said. “In the past, the Republican caucus has not supported that initiative.”But though the process is often very partisan, Long is confident in Indiana legislators’ ability to compromise.“Indiana will get done probably sooner than any other state,” Long said.Simpson said it is sometimes hard for the parties to reach a compromise on these legislative topics.“How well the two parties can work is really a matter for the majority party to choose,” Simpson said.And for the next two years, the Republicans will have majorities in the State Senate, State House of Representatives and in the state executive branch with Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels.“To have all three in the hands of one party has happened before, of course, and it’s happened both full-Democrat and full-Republican, but more often at least one of those three would be the opposite party,” James H. Madison, an IU professor who researches Indiana history, said.Madison said when one party is in absolute control, the checks and balances built into the system are lost. But he said it’s important to remember the Republican Party was elected into this majority fairly by the people.Long remains confident in his party’s ability to work with the Democrats in the Senate.“The Senate has always acted in a bipartisan manner,” he said. “We reach across the aisle more than people believe.”He said the Republicans plan to include the Democratic leadership in all their discussions on the big issues being addressed this year.Simpson said her concern isn’t the mainstream Republican Party but rather the members of the “radical right.”“They have an entirely different agenda than the more moderate Republican and Democrat parties, so it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out,” she said.Simpson said she hopes the State Senate can address these issues quickly and not get stuck debating highly polarizing issues like gay marriage, immigration or abortion rights.And, at least in focus, the two parties’ leaders are in agreement: They both said the economy, jobs and education need to be addressed.“We do the people’s business,” Long said. “And we do it with our Democratic colleagues.”
(11/16/10 5:27am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Four Loko and Joose, alcoholic energy drinks that have been responsible for hospitalizations of college students throughout the country, have been voluntarily removed from the shelves of some Bloomington-based liquor stores.As a precaution until a decision is made, locally-based Big Red Liquors and Bloomington Liquors have announced they will no longer stock or sell these alcoholic energy drinks.“It’s generally consumed by fairly young drinkers who may not know exactly what they’re buying or its effect,” said Wade Shanower, president of Big Red Liquors. “The effect can be significant.”Most of the concern stems from the potential negative effects that can come from combining large amounts of caffeine — or similar substances like guarana — with large quantities of alcohol.“According to state regulators, a typical alcohol energy drink is 24 ounces and has a 12 percent alcohol content,” stated a press release announcing Big Red Liquors and Bloomington Liquors’ decision to end sales of the product.The caffeine in alcoholic energy drinks has the potential to mask the alcohol’s depressant effect, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This could lead to impairment without a drinker realizing it.Though caffeine disguises the feelings associated with a slower metabolism, which can be caused by alcohol, it does nothing to speed up the liver’s metabolizing processes. Therefore, the impairment effects of alcohol occur just as they would in any other circumstance.“They’re just a quick way to get drunk,” said John Livengood, president of the Indiana Association of Beverage Retailers. “And they’re cheap.”Phusion Projects, the makers of Four Loko, released a statement in response to these concerns.People have been mixing alcohol and caffeine for a long time, according to the release. It compared Four Loko to drinking rum and Coke or Red Bull and Vodka.“The difference there — with Red Bull and Vodka — is that you’re choosing how to mix them,” Shanower said. “These are prepackaged and quite cheap.” But Phusion Projects said in a statement it feels secure that its products are no more dangerous than other alcoholic beverages when consumed responsibly.“We are committed to working with all interested parties to address our shared concerns and to answer questions regarding the safety of the products,” Phusion Projects’ statement said.The other factor that contributed to the decision was the target market for alcoholic energy drinks: young drinkers, Shanower said.There’s a danger with people accustomed to alcohol-free energy drinks expecting a similar effect from the alcoholic variety, Livengood said.Several states have already banned the sale of the drinks with high alcohol and caffeine content, and state attorneys general have written to the FDA to express their concerns.“We believe the use of caffeine (and other stimulants that are metabolized as caffeine) as an additive to alcohol is not Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) under the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulations,” a letter from the attorneys general of Utah, Connecticut and Guam said.Locally, the decision to pull this type of drink — which includes more than 40 products, according to the FDA — coincided with a similar recommendation from the IABR.“We want to be a good member in good standing in our state association,” said Gene Laughman, owner of Bloomington Liquors and Hoosier Liquors.He said the decision for cooperation between his stores and Big Red was because both felt it was a responsible decision and because of the statewide recommendations coming from the IABR.“It was the responsible thing to do,” Livengood said. “Some members were worried the product was dangerous.”As a result, the IABR executive board held a conference call, and the members present voted unanimously to recommend removing alcoholic energy drinks from shelves, Livengood said.He said the product ought to be banned in Indiana like it has been in Michigan.“The reaction from members has been positive,” he said. “It was more important to be responsible than to make a buck.”Though the drinks are a popular purchase among college-aged students, Shanower and Laughman said they are confident in their other sales.“It’ll definitely impact our sales, but I think those customers will move to something else,” Laughman said.Shanower said he has sold “immense quantities of it.”Despite a lack of outcry from the public at large, some students remain skeptical of the drinks’ removal from liquor stores.“I don’t understand why liquor stores have a problem with it or how it’s going to stop it,” IU junior Rachel Hidde said.Sophomore Luke McLeese said liquor stores should still be able to sell alcoholic energy drinks.“You just have to control your liquor,” he said. “They should still be able to sell it. It’s the responsibility of the drinker.”
(11/11/10 4:09am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time Democratic Rep. Baron Hill lost an election was in 2004.That year, he was defeated by Republican Mike Sodrel by only 1,425 votes, a mere 0.5 percent.But with the sweeping national Republican shift in Congress that took place Nov. 2, Hill lost to Republican Congressman-elect Todd Young by a margin of roughly 10 percent.“In terms of helping the economy and helping people, it was my party that did that,” Hill said. “Did we pay a political price for that? Yes, we did. But it had to be done.”Now, with the end of his congressional career in sight, the five-term United States Representative is looking back at what he said he considers a successful time in office.“I am content with my record,” Hill said. “I’m hoping that people of Indiana will see that as a positive thing.”Hill said his greatest accomplishments as a congressman included authoring a bill that set higher fuel efficiency requirements for the automobile industry and co-sponsoring a bill that reinstated PAYGO. PAYGO requires congressional bills to be financed with current available funds instead of borrowing.“I do have a lot of fingerprints on the new health care bill,” he said. “I was on the committee of jurisdiction of how that bill was going to be looked at, and so I feel good about having some influence in getting that passed.”Beyond his own personal contributions, Hill said he is proud of the Democratic Party’s work during his most recent term, when the party had a majority in both the Senate and House of Representatives.Hill said he considers the stimulus package, new homeowner tax credits, the “cash for clunkers” program and the automobile industry loans all to be successes and important for moving the country out of what he called an “economic disaster.”“The problem was during the election the people didn’t see that. I’m hopeful that as we move forward the people will see that,” he said.Hill is doing more than looking backward though. He’s also starting to think about his plans for the future, once his term in Congress is officially concluded in January.“I think it’s unlikely that I’ll run for an office in 2012,” Hill said. “Circumstances can change, but I can’t see a scenario that I would be a candidate for an office in 2012.”Although that might be the case, he said he wants to make sure President Barack Obama gets re-elected two years from now.“I talked to him after the election on Wednesday morning, and he told me that he did not want to lose touch with me and that he wanted to talk to me when he got back from Asia,” Hill said. “He’s over there now, and when he gets back I’m sure we’ll have a conversation, and we’ll see what his thoughts are.”Although his plans for his future are still unsure, Hill said he will remain involved in politics. Because politics have consumed the majority of his adult life, he said he cannot imagine not being involved in some way.He also said that in a perfect world, he would stay in Indiana.“I love Indiana,” the Seymour, Ind., native said. “This is my home, and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to stay here. But I’ve got to make a living now, and I’ve got choices to make, and we’ll see what happens over the next couple months.”Hill said his time representing the 9th District is one he will not regret.“I enjoyed my time in Congress. I’m thankful to the people of southern Indiana for giving me the opportunity.”
(11/08/10 3:49am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>On Election Day, Indiana residents amended the state constitution when they voted to add new property tax caps.“Basically what it did was place in the constitution the property tax caps that were already a part of the Indiana code, so it made them permanent,” said Amanda Stanley, assistant director of communications for the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.It prevents the General Assembly from coming in and making changes this year, Stanley said. Specifically, these caps are 1 percent for owner-occupied homes, 2 percent for non-owner-occupied residences and agricultural land and 3 percent for other property.The caps can be overridden by a voter-approved referendum.Stanley said there has been some confusion about the meaning of the caps.She said some people think these tax caps are minimum values or they are the amount by which taxes can increase year to year.However, that’s not the case.“If you have a $100,000 homestead, the most you would pay on that property is $1,000. You may pay less than that, but that’s the maximum you would pay,” Stanley said.She also said the caps do not limit the extent to which a person’s taxes can increase annually.“Your assessed value must still reflect the market value and the use of the property,” Stanley said. The controversy about the tax caps doesn’t rest in the numbers themselves but in adding them to the constitution.“In general, I think it’s a bad idea to constitutionalize tax rates because you don’t know what the future holds,” said Michael Rushton, associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.In Indiana, the constitution can only be amended after two successive state legislatures pass it and the voters approve it in an election. For an amendment to be repealed, it must follow the same process.It’s not entirely unusual for states to have specific tax provisions in their constitutions, John Mikesell, SPEA chancellor’s professor said.However, Rushton said many economists think the costs of providing social services will rise.“When you cap tax rates you’re really putting yourself in a bind because you have social services that are going to continue to increase in cost, and yet you put limits on your own ability to raise revenues to pay for those services,” he said.Rushton said the tax caps’ permanence will lead to cuts in services if governments are not able to fund existing programs.“You can already see it, and it’s what led up to the proposition in Monroe County — Proposition 2,” he said, referring to the referendum that increased property tax by 0.14 percent to help fund public schools in the county. But as far as the amendment’s immediate impact on taxpayers, residents won’t notice a difference, Stanley said.She said these are the same tax caps that have been in place since 2008, they’re just more permanent now. As long as property value and the state’s methods of relief, such as mortgage deduction, remain in place, taxpayers will not see an increase in taxes this year.“Should the General Assembly meet and decide to eliminate all the property tax deductions — the homestead deduction, the mortgage deduction — for whatever reason, these caps provide protection still for those properties,” Stanley said.
(11/04/10 3:18am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The last time Democratic incumbent Rep. Baron Hill, D-9th, was defeated by a Republican was in 2004 by less than 1 percent, a mere 1,500 votes. Tuesday night, Republican Todd Young surpassed the common prediction that Indiana’s 9th District would be a tight race when he defeated Hill with more than 10 percent, 22,754 votes. Young is now the 9th District U.S. Representative-elect. But politics aside, who is Todd Young? The IDS asked Young a few get-to-know-you questions. IDS What’s your favorite place to get pizza in Bloomington?YOUNG I’m a traditional here. I like Mother Bear’s — about anything they offer.IDS What’s your favorite bar in Bloomington? YOUNG I haven’t had a whole lot of time to visit bars during my time in Bloomington with four young kids. Being a townie is probably different from your Bloomington experience. But I’ll tell you, my wife and I like to go to a place that was actually our second date together at the Siam House. So typically my version of a bar, in quotes, is getting a Singha at the Siam House with a good entrée.IDS What are your favorite movies?YOUNG I’ve got a lot of favorite movies. “Braveheart” is certainly one of my favorites, “The Last of the Mohicans.” I tend to like movies that are dramatic but based in history.IDS What are your favorite things to do in your spare time?YOUNG I like running. I like reading, and I spend a lot of time with my family. Really, that’s what I most enjoy doing. So I spend time with my kids. I like sports too. When I have time, I like going to IU soccer games. I take my daughter Abby to them.IDS What do you look forward to the most when you move to Washington, D.C.? YOUNG I’m looking to play a part and have a seat at the table as we wrestle with some of the most consequential policy issues that this country has faced in decades.
(11/03/10 5:14am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>“We won.”Cheers erupted as Republican 9th District Congressman-elect Todd Young said these simple words to his supporters who had gathered Tuesday to watch the election unfold.Less than a second earlier, Young was on the phone with his opponent, Democrat incumbent Baron Hill.“I look forward to working with you in the coming weeks and months,” Young said to Hill. “I look forward to doing some good with you.”The mood at KRC Banquets and Catering, on South College Avenue, where the Young campaign and its supporters celebrated their victory, had been positive all night.By 7 p.m., EST, once all the polls in the district had closed, results began to pour in. Young led his opponents in votes throughout the entirety of the evening.“We’re taking nothing for granted,” Young said.As more precincts reported their votes, the numbers remained constant. Occasionally, the crowd cheered when another race was called in the Republicans’ favor, but mostly they remained anxious, awaiting the news of whether their candidate had won.While waiting for the race to be called, Young received a phone call and quickly found a quiet place to have his conversation.Upon returning, he said it was former President George W. Bush.“It sounded like George W. Bush,” Young said. “But how would he get my number?”Young said Bush said he’d been watching the race and called to congratulate him.Shortly after, Justin Kingsolver, president of IU College Republicans and IDS columnist, hung up his phone and said Fox News had called the race. Young had won, he said.People screamed. They hugged each other, with tears in their eyes. But Young remained calm.Though he was noticeably happier, Young said they had to wait for Hill to concede.When reports began to arrive from other news organizations that Young had clinched the seat, Young and Ryan Burchfield, his campaign manager, began calling Hill.That’s when the two talked, and Young expressed his desire to work with Hill and his staff to transition.“I had two speeches drafted tonight,” Young said, addressing all those assembled. “One I call my frowny speech. The other is my smiley speech. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m pleased to report to you tonight that we get our Congress back.”Young’s supporters, who had quieted to hear the congressman-elect speak, were now louder than ever.In his victory speech, Young thanked the people who he said had gotten him to that point, including his wife, the rest of his family, Burchfield and a few select campaign supporters he chose to recognize by name.“They put forth the blood, sweat and tears to make sure we crossed this line,” he said. “They got involved, ladies and gentlemen, so we got it done here tonight.”Young also recognized Hill, who he said has agreed the two should work together closely in the coming months.Young said he and Hill share two things: their competitive natures and serving the people of southern Indiana.He also reminded his supporters not to stop supporting him.“I’m going to need your continued help,” Young said. “We proved all the pundits and the experts wrong. Now it’s time to prove all the naysayers wrong and turn this country around.”Young promised to work for those who did not vote for him. He said he wants to earn their support and promised to stand up for the interests of the people of southern Indiana when he arrives at the U.S. House of Representatives.After he closed his speech and hugged his wife, Young was surrounded by his supporters, who yelled, “That’s our congressman.”The IU College Republicans were involved in the Young campaign from early on, and the organization’s leadership were among the most emotional in attendance.“This is the work we put in, and this is what we got out,” College Republicans Internal Vice Chairman Jeff Cummins said. “(I feel) phenomenal. It’s a great night.”Young’s victory represents a significant shift. The seat has been held by Hill since 2006, and Hill held the seat for three terms prior.An ideological change will likely also take place.Hill is the policy co-chairman of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of conservative Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Young, on the other hand, has been endorsed by FreedomWorks and the Independence Caucus. Both are considered to be a part of the Tea Party movement.“First I have to take care of the nuts and bolts of the office,” Young said.He said he needs to hire a staff and make it possible for his new constituents to send him letters and feedback, but before that he is looking forward to some time off.Young said he wants to spend more time with his family during the next few days.“After that, I’ll do the people’s work,” he said. “Ultimately, there are big issues to wrestle with.”Young mentioned balancing the budget and dealing with fiscal problems as among his top goals.For all involved, it was a hard fought battle. Kingsolver said it was the number of volunteers that made a difference.“And it’s showing,” he said. “No one expected six months ago that Todd Young would be beating Baron Hill.”But Tuesday night, Young told his devoted supporters, was about celebrating their victory.“Let’s have some fun,” he said.
(11/03/10 4:41am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>It was just another dreary Thursday to the people walking by Dunn Cemetery, where Daniel O’Donnell, Max Johnson and Katie Mettler met that afternoon.But to them it was a day of excitement because they were voting in their first general election.When the three arrived after a full day of classes, they descended the steps adjacent to the Indiana Memorial Union, where the Voter Van was waiting.There to greet them was senior Kelly Smith, president of the IU College Democrats, along with fellow College Democrats.“Are you here to vote?” Smith asked them, with more enthusiasm than could be expected of someone who divided her day between class and the polls.Voting was entirely new for Johnson and Mettler, but O’Donnell said he had voted in the primary election on May 4.“I voted absentee because my dad was having surgery that day,” he said. “So I went to the clerk’s office and voted that way.”O’Donnell and Mettler were anything but ignorant to politics. Mettler said she was a delegate to the Democratic state convention.“I worked on a campaign back home for a state representative for the primary,” O’Donnell said. “He lost, but I worked on it.”When the Voter Van pulled up, the College Democrats cheered and congratulated the van’s previous rider, who had just returned from the Curry Building.In actuality, the van was an SUV. Its sides were decorated with campaign signs for Linda Robbins, the Democratic candidate for Monroe County clerk.When O’Donnell, Johnson and Mettler were safely inside, the driver introduced herself.“I’m Linda Robbins,” she said. “Do you guys all know who you’re going to vote for?” “Democrat,” Johnson said.The group laughed.“Well, way in the back I have a blue bag, and it has a list of all the Democrats if you want,” Robbins said. “And I apologize. I don’t have any Republican information in here at all.”“Darn,” someone said. It was hard to tell who emitted the sarcastic response over the laughter.The van pulled in front of the Curry Building, and the voters walked up to the door.Despite being first- or second-time voters, they all had done their research beforehand.“Well, I heard a lot of them speak at the IU Democrats meetings, so I got to know a lot of the candidates that way,” O’Donnell said. “And I’ve always lived in Baron Hill’s district, so I know him.”Johnson said he went online to determine the stances of the candidates.“All we had to do was fill out a form and go up to the machine and punch in what we were voting for,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t as stressful as it sometimes is made out to be.”All three said they were caught off guard by a few of the questions on the ballot.“There were questions about judges I didn’t understand, like, ‘Should this person be retained in office?’ I didn’t know who they were,” O’Donnell said.The three said they didn’t answer those questions.“I didn’t like having to skip questions, but I also wasn’t going to vote uninformed,” Mettler said.Johnson, Mettler and O’Donnell thought voting on Oct. 28 was a success.“It was nice,” Johnson said. “Nice to know I made a difference.”
(11/01/10 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Barack Obama, George Bush, Wonder Woman and a banana go for a walk down Cherry Lane on Bloomington’s south side. It’s either the start to an undoubtedly corny joke or the IU College Republicans’ new campaign strategy.On Halloween night, members of the IU College Republicans donned costumes and went door to door distributing campaign literature to homeowners.It was all a part of the student organization’s final campaign push before Tuesday’s election.College Republicans President and IDS columnist junior Justin Kingsolver and Internal Vice Chairman junior Jeff Cummins said they discussed what they could do to gain more support for Republican candidates in the last few days before the election.“What better way than dressing up like presidents and going door to door?” Kingsolver said.The group of four met at the Indiana Memorial Union to put together campaign materials and carpool down to District 60, the district of Indiana State House of Representatives candidate Steve Hogan.“We’ve got phone banks going on at Todd Young’s headquarters, so this is a nice break for us,” Kingsolver said.On the drive down, sophomore Landon Kellogg talked about why he joined the College Republicans.“My grandfather was the vice chair of the Indiana State Republican Party,” he said. “I’ve always enjoyed history and stuff like that. It (politics) just kind of goes with the territory.”Upon arrival, the group of campaigners put the finishing touches on their costumes and grabbed stacks of fliers promoting Young, Hogan and Republican candidate for Indiana’s secretary of state Charlie White. The four split into pairs to canvass the neighborhood. Kellogg, dressed as a banana, and freshman Hilary Leighty, dressed as Wonder Woman, made their way east down Cherry Lane.“I’ve done door to door before,” Kellogg said. “Obviously not in costume, though. It’s more fun this way.”The duo approached the first house confidently and knocked. No answer.Undeterred, they hung information on the door handle and shoved fliers into door jams.The pattern continued for five houses: Knock. Nothing. Fliers. Knock. Nothing. Fliers.But then someone answered.The two began introducing themselves and their cause simultaneously.“We’re passing out campaign materials,” Leighty said, handing the woman who had answered a stack of pamphlets.But after the first house, Leighty and Kellogg developed a plan.“Hi,” Kellogg said at the next house. “We want to reverse trick or treat for you.”Kellogg, who had campaigned door to door before, turned out to be the more confident of the two.“I’ve done more phone banks,” Leighty said.But both have been involved with the Republican Party since high school.While they walked and chatted, Leighty and Kellogg realized that they both had been instrumental in starting Young Republicans clubs at their high schools around the time of the 2008 presidential elections.They made their way steadily down the row of houses, while across the street Kingsolver, dressed as Obama, and Cummins, dressed as Bush, garnered serious attention from the costume-clad trick or treaters passing by.As the two president look-alikes approached resident Beth Reed’s house, the many children present yelled for Obama.One woman said it’s not too often people get to meet two presidents at once. Then she asked for a photo with Kingsolver and Cummins.When Reed saw them, she lit up.“You are too funny,” she said. “That is hilarious. It’s the perfect time for it.”When asked if she would be going out to the polls on Tuesday, she said, “Absolutely.”As the night grew darker, more and more children joined the four out-of-place college students on the streets, and more and more people answered their doors.Some, such as Reed, were very receptive to the College Republicans’ information, and others seemed more skeptical.“We’re generally Democrats,” resident Trina Biehl told Kellogg and Leighty when they approached her porch.“We hope you look into our candidates,” Kellogg replied. “We think we have a good slate this year.”Biehl thanked them politely, and they went on their way.Others were less friendly. After Kellogg’s now standard “reverse Halloween” line, one woman asked, “Who’s that for?”When Kellogg said Young, the woman replied with a very short “No thank you” and promptly closed the door on the campaigners.“Most people think it’s a good idea even if they don’t agree with what we’re handing out,” Cummins said.Kingsolver agreed, saying the group hoped that by doing this they could get more people to the polls and that maybe some of them would remember the Republican candidates’ names when it came time to vote.Kellogg said they came down to Hogan’s district in the south end of town because this election is particularly important for statehouse candidates. The next group of state legislators will be responsible for redistricting, a process that involves changing the boundaries of the state’s congressional districts, which occurs the year after each census.When they had run out of fliers, the campaigners piled back into the cars and returned to campus.The College Republicans will be very busy with phone banks and other “Get Out the Vote” initiatives for the Young campaign as they prepare for one of the tightest congressional elections in the country.But at the end of the day, to the residents of Cherry Lane, Halloween was the night Bush, Obama, Wonder Woman and a banana marched down their street, asking them to vote Republican.
(11/01/10 4:31am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>While candidates make their final campaign stops in an attempt to pick up the last few votes before Tuesday’s election, some Indiana organizations have directed their focus to the two public questions on this year’s ballot.In Bloomington, this year’s ballot includes a referendum and an amendment to the Indiana Constitution, both of which could have serious implications for community members and taxpayers.INDIANA PROPERTY TAX CAP AMENDMENTThis amendment to the Indiana Constitution would limit property taxes to 1 percent for owner-occupied residences, 2 percent for non-owner-occupied residences — including apartments and agricultural land — and 3 percent for any other property.Even if this amendment is passed, voters can override the tax caps by voting for a referendum that includes property tax increases.Why Vote Yes:“It protects taxpayers and helps keep local government spending in check,” Indiana Republican Party spokesman Trevor Foughty said.He said it would help homeowners and business owners across the state by keeping their taxes low.“It also helps provide certainty in the Indiana tax code, which we think will help attract new businesses and residents to the state,” Foughty said.Why Vote No:“It’s already law,” Allison Luthe, a community organizer with Central Indiana Jobs with Justice, said. “There’s no reason to put it in the constitution, and it could take up to five years to change.”Luthe said the amendment would only lower taxes on highly valuable properties. She said most people do not even pay 1 percent of their property’s assessed value in taxes.“They can change the way property is assessed,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s capped because property values can go up.”SCHOOL TAX LEVY REFERENDUMIn 2007, a new law gave most of the power to fund schools to the state, and when state revenues fell with the recession, so did school funding.More than $5 million was cut from the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s budget this year. The effects include lost staffing and diminished support for extracurricular activities.This referendum would increase property taxes by approximately 0.14 percent for six years.Why Vote Yes:“Further budget reductions are going to impede our ability to teach,” John Coopman, MCCSC superintendent, said.Coopman cited the 70 unfilled teaching positions, increased class sizes and school closure — namely Aurora Alternative High School, which did not reopen for classes this year — as reasons to pass the referendum.“Quality schools equal a quality community,” he said. “That attracts business development and people moving into the community.”Why Vote No:Steve Hogan, Republican candidate for District 60 of the Indiana State House of Representatives, opposes the MCCSC referendum because he believes the issue ought to be fixed by the state legislature.“I think the referendum is a very short-sighted, short-term mandate that isn’t going to even touch what the problem is,” Hogan said. “The problem is the way that school funding is set up in the state level. It’s what I referred to as silos of money.”Hogan said he wants the legislature to simplify the way schools are funded so that money currently designated for building can be used to run the schools in this economic downturn.“There’s no reason in the world that the legislature in an emergency act in January can’t free up money for operating costs for schools,” he said.
(10/29/10 8:54pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 8th Congressional District is located in the western half of the state and includes portions of southern and central Indiana.The major cities within its boundaries are Terre Haute and Evansville. It is currently represented by Democratic U.S. Representative Brad Ellsworth, who is now a candidate for U.S. Senate. Republicans are predicted to gain the 8th District congressional seat, according to The New York Times.Neither candidate was available for comment. All of the following information has been gathered from candidates’ websites and voting records.Trent Van Haaften (D)Van Haaften is currently a member of the Indiana House of Representatives and attorney for Bamberger, Forman, Oswald & Hahn, LLP. He has had the seat since 2004. Prior to his election to the state legislature, Van Haaften was the Posey County Prosecutor. He also serves as the chairman of the Posey County Democratic Party. EconomyVan Haaften will support tax credits for small businesses that create jobs in the U.S. and speaks against free trade policies that he says encourage businesses to outsource jobs.A statement from Van Haaften’s campaign website said, “The promise of so-called free trade has only meant that our jobs are free for the taking by foreign countries. Trent believes it’s time for fair trade.”He believes no business is too big to fail and that government needs to severely cut its spending.EducationVan Haaften’s education platform includes increased funding for Indiana schools and reduced college education costs.“Trent will fight to make college affordable by expanding the availability of grants and student loans,” his website stated.He also said local government should make decisions regarding education, not the federal government.National SecurityVan Haaften believes in a hasty end to military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said the United States’ role in Iraq has ended and as soon as the Taliban is defeated, its role in Afghanistan will have ended too.He also discusses economic sanctions on Iran as being important for national security.“That country (Iran) already threatens Israel, the Middle East and parts of Europe with its advanced surface-to-surface missile technology,” Van Haaften said.Gay RightsVan Haaften’s website mentions nothing about gay rights and his voting record includes no votes on the subject.AbortionVan Haaften identifies himself as pro-life, except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s health is threatened. He also opposes any government funding of abortions.Source: www.trentforcongress.comLarry Bucshon (R)Bucshon, a doctor, currently serves as the president of Ohio Valley HeartCare. EconomyBucshon says his economic policy plans are primarily to cut taxes and reduce government intervention in the economy. He plans to stop distribution of TARP funds and proposes making unemployment benefits tax free.“I will pursue well-reasoned, responsible, long-term economic policies that focus on reducing our tax burden and encouraging investment, spurring innovation across all sectors of our economy,” he said.Bucshon also said he opposes any tax increase on new spending.EducationBucshon’s website said nothing about his opinions on education policy, and he has no voting record.National SecurityBucshon’s website did not state his opinions on national security. He has no voting record.Gay RightsBucshon’s website does not state his stance on gay rights issues, and he has no voting record.AbortionBucshon identified himself as pro-life unless it is required to save the life of the mother. He said he will deny federal funds for any abortions or organizations that support abortions.Source: www.buchsonforcongress.com
(10/29/10 8:50pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 7th Congressional District encompasses Indianapolis and the surrounding area. The 7th District seat is currently represented by Democratic U.S. Representative André Carson. Carson has had the seat since 2008.The Democratic Party is predicted to keep the 7th District seat this election, according to The New York Times.Neither candidate was available for comment. All of the following information has been gathered from candidates’ websites and voting records.André Carson (D)Carson was the second Muslim to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in U.S. history. Before that, he was a member of the County City-County Council of Indianapolis and Marion County. He has worked as a marketing specialist, and has been employed by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the Indiana State Excise Police. EconomyCarson serves as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services. In 2009, he voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as the Stimulus Package.He has also worked to support a recent financial reform bill, which, his website said, will protect consumers from the abuses of investment bankers and lobbyists on Wall Street, as well as preventing future bailouts.EducationCarson voted for the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in 2008, which essentially required more reporting of college costs and the reasoning behind them and allows for expansion of the Federal Pell Grant Program.National SecurityCarson said he opposes U.S. military efforts in Iraq, and he believes it is important to remove American military support from Afghanistan quickly.Gay RightsThough Carson’s website does not list his position on gay rights, he did support a bill that would remove the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy after military approval.AbortionCarson’s campaign website doesn’t state his opinions on abortion.Source: www.andrecarson.com Marvin Scott (R)Scott is the assistant dean of Graduate Studies in the Butler University’s College of Education. He has had four unsuccessful Congressional campaigns in the past — one for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and three for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, 1998 and 2000. EconomyThe core of Scott’s economic plans is job creation. He criticized the Obama administration for focusing on unemployment benefits and stated that more jobs can be created in Indiana by investing in industry.Scott also stated he plans to reduce national debt, as well as reduce taxes by limiting government spending and passing a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution.“The use of the public’s money is a sacred obligation, not a divine right of government,” Scott said.EducationScott’s website stated nothing about his opinions on education policy, and he has no voting record. National SecurityScott said the U.S. needs to regain military strength for national security purposes.Gay RightsScott’s website does not state his stance on any gay rights issues, and he has no voting record.AbortionScott identified himself as pro-life, and he opposes any government support of abortion.“I will fight even one penny for Planned Parenthood or any other such organization,” he said.Source: www.drmarvinscottforcongress.com
(10/29/10 8:46pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The 3rd Congressional District is located in the northeastern corner of Indiana and includes Fort Wayne. The 3rd District seat has been empty since Republican Mark Souder resigned on May 21. Historically, this district has voted Republican. Prior to his retirement, Souder had the seat since he was first elected in 2002.Tom Hayhurst (D)Hayhurst earned both an undergraduate degree and a medical degree from IU. He has practiced medicine in the Fort Wayne area for about 30 years and served on the Fort Wayne City Council for 12 years. He ran unsuccessfully for the 3rd Congressional District seat in 2006.EconomyHayhurst said he sees jobs as the most important issue to Hoosiers.“Good jobs and a healthy economy are the bedrock of the American Dream,” he said.Hayhurst said he plans to work to bring renewable energy jobs to Indiana and to create tax cuts and other incentives for companies to keep jobs within the United States.EducationHayhurst mentioned the importance of a college degree and the difficulty of affording it in tough economic times.He discussed the necessities of fixing the public education system by making improvements to the No Child Left Behind Act.“I will work to fix No Child Left Behind by reforming assessments and testing requirements,” Hayhurst said. National SecurityHayhurst doesn’t list any positions on national security topics on his campaign website.Gay RightsHayhurst does not discuss his position on gay rights on his campaign website.AbortionHayhurst does not state his stance on abortion rights on his campaign website.Source: www.hayhurstforcongress.com Marlin Stutzman (R)Stutzman has served as an Indiana State Senator since 2009. He was a member of the Indiana State House of Representatives from 2002 until 2008. He is the owner of Stutzman Farms Trucking.EconomyStutzman said he supports lowering taxes for businesses and investing in infrastructure. He said he opposes government-regulated systems such as cap and trade and federally managed health care. “The free market didn’t create the problems we face now in the economy, but it can create the solution,” Stutzman said.He said he opposes federal bailouts and high government spending. Stutzman said he has never voted for a tax increase.EducationThe primary element of Stutzman’s education platform is that federal control of education is negative and that control should be returned to the local level.“We must give teachers more authority to teach, and reward educators that produce positive results,” he said.Stutzman said he also supports a system that would give tax credits to families whose children attend private schools or choose to homeschool in an effort to support free market competition in the education system.National SecurityStutzman said he believes in stronger support of the military by Congress and the president. He said the government has not been involved enough in the wellbeing of American troops, or in the protection of American interests.“I believe in the simple — but powerful — axiom of President Ronald Reagan: Peace through strength,” Stutzman said.He helped to sponsor the Military Family Relief Fund bill while he was a member of the Indiana House of Representatives.Gay RightsStutzman did not list his opinions on the subject of gay rights on his campaign website.However, he sponsored a proposed amendment to the Indiana Constitution that will define marriage as between only one man and one woman if it is enacted. It would also prohibit a definition of a relationship similar to marriage but between people who cannot legally marry.AbortionStutzman identified himself as pro-life.“Protecting innocent life — of the born and preborn — is very dear to me,” he said.Source: www.gomarlin.com