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(10/04/12 4:35am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In Indiana’s gubernatorial race, the lines between social and economic issues have blurred.Both candidates proposed policies addressing economic improvement through the lens of family and social issues.Gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, proposed a sixth “Roadmap for Indiana” step including “Improving the Health, Safety and Well-Being of Hoosier Families, Especially Children.”Pence’s platform includes six goals: improving law enforcement, resisting implementation of the federal healthcare law, addressing child protection and adoption, veterans benefits, clean air standards and access to natural resources.Democrat candidate John Gregg’s focus on children and women — the word family isn’t used in the policy titles — is contained in two proposal sections: “Women’s Issues” and “The Next Generation.”Gregg’s policy goals focus on reforming the Department of Child Services, increasing early childhood education opportunities and increasing access to affordable health care and equal pay for women. One difference between the campaign platforms is their approach to families.Lieutenant Gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, explained the campaign’s lack of “family-centered” language. Simpson improving life for Hoosiers depends on increasing jobs opportunities.“I don’t think it’s the place of the state or federal government to meddle in anybody’s private lives,” Simpson said.Simpson referred to Pence’s Roadmap goal to “promote marriage” by requiring a family impact statement before adopting new rules or regulations. According to a policy explanation paper available on his website, questions would include whether the proposed regulations “increase or decrease family income, support or inhibit family formation or inhibit the right of parents to raise their children.”“Family formation means that children are living with their two parents in a family environment,” Mike Pence for Indiana Communications Director Christy Denault said.“We believe the review and implementation of Family Impact Statements will help us to consider the impact of future state regulations on family formation.”The paper goes on to explain that “the success equation — graduate from high school, work full time or go to college, and wait until you’re married before having a child” — is the basis of much of this section of their policy.The paper points out that the approach is not meant to “diminish support” for single parents or as a “judgment” of divorced parents. Instead, that section of the platform focuses on decreasing the number of births to unwed mothers.“By educating young Hoosiers on the best way to avoid poverty, coupled with Mike’s proposals to ensure that our students are college- or career-ready upon graduation from high school, and that college is more affordable and accessible, Mike believes Indiana will be well on its way to being a model state in the Midwest and home to one of the fastest-growing economies in America,” Denault said.Bruce McCallister, a professor in the IU School of Social Work, said the success equation is ideal but not always achievable.“It’s a very hard thing to nail down,” McCallister said. “And who doesn’t want every child to grow up in a two-parent household?”But McCallister said Indiana’s unemployment rates, not family structures, were responsible for poverty.There are also notable differences in the candidates’ approaches to adoption and child services, which are inherently tied to questions of family. The Pence campaign’s platform would remove income restrictions for school scholarships for adoptive parents.It also proposes increasing coordination between state agencies and the Department of Child Services.Gregg’s platform proposes launching a public awareness campaign and investing in financial assistance programs for potential adoptive families. It proposes reforming DCS and creating an “Office of the Child Advocate.”McCallister said these issues are tough as well. He said the Department of Child Services has seen improvements in streamlining services but suggested both campaigns look into speeding up the adoption process and preventing children from entering the system in the first place, something he said doesn’t necessarily translate into a campaign success story.“I don’t think there’s any question that a well-planned program would increase the number of families who would adopt,” McCallister said.
(10/04/12 4:31am)
Mike Pence speaks at the Marion County Republican Party's Reagan Dinner on Sept. 27 at the HIstoric Union Station Grand Ballroom.
(10/04/12 1:01am)
Mike Pence speaks at the Marion County Republican Party's Reagan Dinner on Sept. 27 at the HIstoric Union Station Grand Ballroom.
(09/28/12 4:05am)
Mike Pence speaks at the Marion County Republican Party’s Reagan Dinner on Thursday at the Historic Union Station Grand Ballroom.
(09/28/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>INDIANAPOLIS — At the Historic Union Station Grand Ballroom on Thursday evening, there was grandeur and historicism and more than one nod to “Hoosier Values.” At the Marion County Republican Party’s Reagan Dinner, supporters mingled with candidates and elected officials in the Crowne Plaza’s renovated event space. The event’s main speaker was gubernatorial candidate Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District. Marilyn Halbrook greeted guests as they entered the room for an hour-long reception before the meal. She waved to Pence twice as he walked through the room. But she’s really taken, she said, by his wife Karen and running mate Sue Ellsperman. “Karen is delightful, but I was really impressed with Sue,” Halbrook said.Beyond Halbrook’s post and the entrance to the old train platforms, guests split up. The event was primarily a fundraiser, one of the year’s two biggest for the Republican Party. “In the spring we do a spring dinner, and in the fall we do a Reagan dinner,” Executive Director Bryce Carpenter said. They expected to fill the room, Carpenter said, though he added that they’re “limited” by space. They try to get a well-known speaker. Last spring, it was Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind. This year, it was Pence, a former Marion County precinct committeeman.“Everyone’s excited to see him whenever they get the chance, and we’re lucky to have him,” Carpentar said.Paul Sauley, known by Marion County Republicans as “Ponytail Paul,” stood near the open bar. Sauley is first vice president of the Warren Township GOP Club. He turned around to display a long silver length of hair, split in three places by a red, a white and then a blue elastic. “I work very hard to get Republican candidates elected,” Sauley said. Speakers, including State Superintendent for Public Instruction Tony Bennett, Secretary of State Connie Lawson, and Susan Brookes, candidate for the 5th Congressional District, addressed the group after dinner.When Pence took the stage, he began by recounting his own experience with the Marion County Republican Party. He walked into the county party headquarters in 1983, he said, and told them he was there to sign up to go to work. “It all started right here in the Republican Party in Marion County, and I want to thank you for that,” Pence said. Pence recognized local leaders as well, and said grassroots workers would deliver a Republican victory in Marion County and all around Indiana. “Elections, when they’re best fought, are not just about trying to put the right people in office,” Pence said. “It’s about advancing the right ideas. It’s about standing with clarity for the right vision for the state.” Pence went on to tell some of his own story, gave his reasons for running and expanded upon two aspects of his “Road map for Indiana” plan. He ended with a call to action for supporters. After 40 days and 40 nights of hard work, Pence said, “I believe, with your help and with god’s help, we will lay a foundation and a vision for leadership that will build a more prosperous Indiana that we have ever known in 40 days. Let’s go to work.”
(09/27/12 4:58am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>As the nation’s third fundraising quarter nears its end Sunday, national attention — and money — is flowing into Indiana’s U.S. Senate race. Outside spending by political action committees, or PACs, is one way to gauge the race’s national importance. The Center for Responsive Politics reports that only five other campaign races have accumulated more outside spending than Indiana’s senate contest. The presidential race is among them.Senate retirements have left four open seats, enough to create a majority if they’re taken by Republicans.“It’s entirely a matter of being able to gain control of the Senate,” said Gerald Wright, professor of political science. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has contributed $485,123 against Republican State Treasurer Richard Mourdock and $25,065 for Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-2nd District. The same report shows the National Republican Senatorial Committee has so far contributed $713,459 against Donnelly and $16,757 for Mourdock.Federal regulations prohibit PACs from coordinating with a campaign. Instead, they throw money into promoting a candidate or speaking out against a candidate’s opponent. Mike Wolf, professor of political science at IU-Purdue University Fort Wayne, said outside spending can impact the tone of a campaign. “It allows the campaign to run their own positive message while others can take on some of the negatives of the opponent,” Wolf said.In Indiana, much of that campaigning has come in the form of television advertisements.The DSCC’s ad against Mourdock asks, “Do we really want a senator who would inflict his radical ideas on all of us?” Similarly, the NRSC’s ad against Donnelly addresses the Congressman’s support of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and flashes the message “You can run for Senate, but you can’t run from your record.”Wright said the presence of national PACs in the money race, including the DSCC, indicates the race is still up in the air. “The Democrats aren’t flush with tons and tons of money,” Wright said. “If they didn’t think there was a real possibility, they wouldn’t be doing it.” Mourdock edged out Senior Sen. Richard Lugar for the Republican nomination in May. That, Wright said, created a close race. Bi-partisan poll data hasn’t been released since early August, when Rasmussen reported Mourdock a narrow two points ahead of Donnelly. Outside spending could change the race, Wright said. The Center for Responsive Politics shows the only PAC contributing more to the race than the NRSC is the conservative Club for Growth Action “SuperPAC,” which has weighed in with $2,258,114 in support of Mourdock or against Donnelly. “Outside groups come in because they want to kill the person,” Wright said. “They want to slaughter them. They will say anything. They don’t worry about their reputation. They’re anonymous to voters, they’re not accountable.” Robert Maguire, an outside spending researcher at the Center for Responsive Politics, said promise of anonymity has significantly changed the way candidates are perceived and displayed. While PACs are required by federal regulations to list donors, 501c organizations are not. A 501c can, in turn, donate money to a PAC. In the last week, the Crossroads GPS 501c organization made $965,949 in TV/Media Production or TV/Media Placement expenditures in the race.“The SuperPAC is reporting as its donor an organization that doesn’t have to report its donors,” Maguire said.
(09/24/12 4:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Indiana’s gubernatorial race pits Sen. Mike Pence, R-6th District, and his running mate Sue Ellspermann, a former state representative and strategic marketing professional, against Democrat John Gregg, a former Vincennes University President, and his running mate Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville. With fewer than 50 days left before Indiana’s general election, the Pence and Gregg campaigns have stepped up fundraising efforts, advertising and policy announcements.Marjorie Hershey, professor of political science at IU, said finances are one possible indicator of a campaign’s success but pointed out that big bucks and big wins don’t always go hand in hand. “More money benefits a candidate because it can buy more ads, more get-out-the-vote materials and more paid staff. But if the campaign puts the money into ineffective advertising or staff, that doesn’t help,” Hershey said.FinancesThe Indiana Election Division in the office of the Secretary of State keeps track of campaign finance reports. Indiana’s third fundraising quarter ends Sept. 30. The last quarterly report was submitted July 16 and covered the period from April 1 to June 30. Between July 1 and 15, candidates are required to report any contributions of more than $1,000 on a supplemental form. From July 15 to September 30, they report contributions of more than $10,000. According to the Election Division’s 2012 Campaign Finance Manual, contributions include anything of value received by the campaign committee and can be made by individuals or organizations. GreggAt the end of the last reporting period, the Gregg campaign reported cash on hand and investments totaling $2,855,447.62. Since then, the campaign has reported $45,500 in supplemental or large contributions from 14 individuals or groups. PenceAt the end of the last reporting period, the Pence campaign reported cash on hand and investments totaling $5,545,535.09. Since then, the campaign has reported $784,526 in supplemental or large contributions from 57 individuals or groups. AdvertisingGreggThe Gregg campaign has released four TV advertisements, all set in his hometown of Sandborn, Ind. The most recent, called “Rainy Day,” features Gregg standing under an umbrella in Sandborn while his sons pour water on his head from above. “This is our cheap special effects way of showing how Mike Pence wants to drain the rainy day fund,” Gregg tells viewers. PencePence has released eight television ads, highlighting policy proposals in areas such as job creation and education. In the latest, called “Mike’s Roadmap for Indiana,” Pence discusses his Roadmap plan for job growth.“With the common sense and common values that make this state great, Indiana will be the state that works,” Pence tells viewers. PolicyGreggGregg has released policy proposals addressing jobs and the economy, taxes, infrastructure investment, women’s issues and “the next generation,” which includes proposals about early childhood education and reforming the Department of Child and Family Services. PencePence has released a six-point “Roadmap for Indiana” plan that focuses on increasing private sector employment, attracting new investment to Indiana, improving math and reading skills of elementary students, increasing graduation rates, improving the quality of the Hoosier workforce and improving the health, safety and well-being of Hoosier families, especially children.
(09/21/12 4:28am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Monroe County Council candidate Sophia Travis, 46, died Wednesday night in her Bloomington home.Travis’ death was unexpected, Indiana Public Media reported, and associated with a heart-related condition.“Sophia had suffered since early in the year from an undiagnosed heart-related condition and had just returned from the Cleveland Clinic where she, (her husband) Greg and young Finnigan had traveled for care,” Monroe County Democrats Chairman Rick Dietz said in an email.IU Alumni Association Director of Diversity Programs Clarence Boone said Travis was a volunteer leader with the Alumni Association and served as Asian Alumni Association president in addition to her off-campus work.“She was a delight to work with — a visionary — and always gave diligent thought to small details in programming and was able to engage alumni,” he said.Boone said he and Travis did volunteer broadcasting work, reading the news for community radio station WFHB Fire House Broadcasting.Travis served on the Monroe County Council from 2005 to 2009 and sought election once again as an at-large candidate this fall.“Sophia personified kindness — a dense gravitational kindness — and wielded a gentle strength that could move mountains. And move all those around her. And did many times over,” Dietz said.On Thursday morning, Senate Democrat Leader and Lt. Gubernatorial candidate Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsvile, also released a statement about Travis’ passing.“A public servant, she gave her time and leadership to improve the lives of the people of Monroe County,” Simpson said in the release. “As a friend, she enlightened our lives with her artistic spirit and thoughtful actions. Sophia will be missed.”Melanie Castillo-Cullather, director of the Asian Culture Center, remembers Travis’ artistic spirit. Castillo-Cullather first met Travis in 1999 when Travis came to the ACC for a Korean language class. Travis was already familiar with the language, which she learned from her mother, but sought formal instruction to polish her abilities.“Sophia’s visit to the center turned into a lasting relationship,” Castillo-Cullather said in an email.She also remembers Travis volunteering to organize concerts in the ACC as a way of attracting visitors. Travis played the accordion, Castillo-Cullather said. Despite fears the center’s limited space would cause students to not enjoy themselves, she said, they had a great time.“Sophia and her music showed us that there are no boundaries and, regardless of how small or big, we can make things happen at the center,” Castillo-Cullather said. “That experience was very telling of Sophia. She was always optimistic.”Castillo-Cullather said Travis’ optimism continued even after she shared the news of her health condition with the Asian Alumni Association.“We are heartbroken and very sad upon learning that she passed away last night,” she said. “She will be greatly missed.”
(09/19/12 3:43am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The blinds were drawn at the office of Rep. Todd Young, R-9th District, on West Eighth Street Tuesday. Job postings and voter information were posted in the windows. In the small atrium outside, constituents talked with an office staffer while they waited. Inside, Young met with constituents in small groups of up to six people. He gave them 15 minutes at a time. Constituents chose the topics. The meetings were scheduled in advance by Young’s constituents, and all three hours of the day’s meeting schedule were full. Young said small group meetings differ from his other interactions in the district. “Frankly, you’re able to dig deeper into particular issues in this setting,” Young said. “Many people are more comfortable meeting one-on-one, as well.” Young has also heard from constituents in town hall meetings, ice cream parlors and coffee shops, Communications Director Trevor Foughty said. But the small group meetings gave each constituent a chance to determine the course of conversation. “We’ve found that these work best to really maximize people’s time,” Foughty said. Foughty added they’re particularly useful because constituents can determine the course of the conversation.And they did. Young said he fielded questions on a variety of issues from tax reform to foreign affairs to early childhood education. Bob Barrett traveled to Bloomington from Indianapolis on behalf of the Indiana War Memorial Foundation. He discussed funding the Foundation’s restoration project for original battle flags. “I just gave him a little DVD and a history of the flags,” Barrett said. “Not much time to do much.” Others used their time with Young to discuss specific legislation. Kathie Millican said she was a little nervous before meeting Young. ]“I just want him to know that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does not include spiritual treatments,” Millican said. Millican is a Christian Scientist and said her church practices spiritual healing. She met Young at a Monroe County Religious Leaders Association meeting and said she liked him.Although he’s campaigning for re-election in the 9th District, yesterday’s stop was not a campaign stop but an official stop as congressman. The congressman made a similar stop at a library in New Albany, Ind., Tuesday. Foughty said he estimates Young has spent about 70 percent of last year in Indiana. Constituents who voiced concerns at a meeting will hear back from the campaign on an as-needed basis. Legislative staffers might call a constituent seeking the status of a bill. Constituent service issues — Foughty gave the example of a veteran who was looking for the military service medals he never received — could be addressed by a different staffer or at another meeting. “It just depends on what they’re here for,” Foughty said.
(09/17/12 3:36am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market was bustling Saturday morning, and organic vegetables weren’t the only topic of conversation.Ed Robertson manned the Monroe County Democrats booth behind the Bloomington Coffee Roaster’s busy bar.The smell of espresso was thick. Across the alley, a vendor at Redbarn Meats peddled 100 percent natural fresh beef.The political booth was decorated with pro-Democrat signs and featured information about local and state candidates. As Robertson organized plastic bags full of campaign buttons, he said the booth’s materials drew supporters.“This whole election is about rallying the troops, anyway,” Robertson said.At other stops along Information Alley on the west side of the market, Democrats and Republicans passed out their messages and a few signs and buttons to interested shoppers.David Hakken approached the booth, a basket full of corn dangling from his left hand.“I want a yard sign that says ‘not ready to say uncle yet,’” Hakken said.He and Robertson discussed the popular pro-GOP sign motto “Had enough? Vote Republican.”Just down the alley, Jim and Loretta Nelson tended a table with information about state and local Republican candidates. Their spread featured a brochure listing local candidates as well as stickers and yard signs for specific candidates.One supporter walked away with a “Had enough? Vote Republican” sign.“We’re just passing out information about local candidates and local issues, and we want to get out the vote,” Loretta Nelson said. “Hopefully, they’ll vote Republican after they become informed.”Loretta Nelson represented Monroe County Republican Women while Jim Nelson was active in both MCRW and Monroe County Republicans.Like Robertson, the Nelsons provided voter registration sheets at their table. Those interested took a sheet and returned it to the voter registration office.The Nelsons stressed the importance of voter turnout during the upcoming election.They said they were also concerned with bringing a balance back to local offices, such as the county council and commissioners.“The more people we can meet and talk to, the more excited we get the voters to get them out,” Jim Nelson said. “That’s what’s important.”Spots in Information Alley cost $10 per week in addition to a $10 registration fee.The Bloomington Parks and Recreation Department regulates farmers market activities. Groups aren’t allowed to walk through the market when they distribute materials but can stand in the space immediately in front of their booths.Local candidates were present at Information Alley, as well. A few booths down from the Nelsons, supporters of 9th District Congressional Candidate Shelli Yoder’s campaign had a similar informational spread, including voter registration and information sheets.“I don’t even care who registers and who they’re going to be voting for,” Yoder supporter Samuel Barbush-Riley said. “I just want people to actually vote.”Information Alley wasn’t just for those with a particular political choice.Judge Francie Hill’s re-election campaign station, a lawn table and umbrella decorated with red tinsel, featured brochures, pins, signs and even a photo book with shots of the judge on the campaign trail.Dolly Van Leeuwen handed out materials at Hill’s booth. She explained that while market rules stipulated she couldn’t approach people who walked by, those who approached the table seemed happy.“Everybody’s very nice,” Van Leeuwen said. “Really, really nice.”IU graduate student Chad Carwein passed out information at a booth for the Bloomington Environmental Commission. His spot was between representatives for Democracy for America and Hoosiers for a Common Sense Health Plan.Carwein said campaigning doesn’t necessarily change the atmosphere at the market.“There’s definitely more discussion at some of the politically-related booths,” Carwein said.
(09/17/12 1:38am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Young GOP supporters got a little messy at Right Wing Night. The IU College Republicans mixed politics and chicken wings as they welcomed new members to their group Friday night at BuffaLouie’s.Right Wing Night is an annual favorite for the group, Communications Director and junior Kristin Cobb said. It’s a chance for new and old members to interact with each other and alumni. About 40 people attended the event. Freshman Cameron Ikerd is a new member. He came for the free wings and to be involved, he said, because, “if you ain’t right, you’re left.”After Ikerd and his friends walked in, they signed into a computer spreadsheet and entered their names for a chance to win one of a selection of the red, green and blue campaign T-shirts that hung along the wall of a nearby booth.Social Chair and sophomore Alyssa Andrews has been a College Republicans member since her first year at IU. She said she didn’t join to support a specific candidate.“I’m in the College Republicans for the ideology behind it,” Andrews said. Andrews said some students attend both College Republicans and IU College Democrats meetings to find out which party fits best. Being a member has helped her network, she said, but it’s also helped her bring more to the table in conversations with adults.Local campaign coordinator Pat Hastings said knowledge is a valuable asset to local campaigns. Hastings, who attended Right Wing Night, is the Monroe County coordinator for State Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s U.S. Senate campaign. “The College Republicans bring a vitality and an energy that really adds to a campaign,” Hastings said. Along with fresh ideas, Hastings said the College Republicans tend to have more flexible schedules and an ideological drive that makes the group a valuable asset. And, he said, they’re smart. “They bring a lot of intelligence to the campaign, as well,” Hastings said. He added that when Mourdock has visited College Republican meetings around the state, Hastings has seen the candidate “liven up” and seem more energized. A group representing the Young Americans for Liberty also attended the event. Though members of the group said they don’t necessarily support Republican causes, they came to continue developing relationships with the group. They also planned to enjoy the free wings.Recent graduate Jeff Cummins returned to Bloomington specifically for Right Wing Night. Cummins is a former College Republicans vice chairman and is now campaigning for several Republican candidates in southern Indiana. “This is really a lot of fun,” Cummins said. “It’s a great way for the new folks to meet people.” Cummins said he’d have to return to the campaign trail the next day.
(09/17/12 12:42am)
Senior Kyle Spencer, Senior Lucas Wozniak, Sophomore Riley Parr and Senior Harry Marcus eat during the IU College Republicans' Third Annual Right Wing Night Friday. The event was at BuffaLouie's was purley social, and gave new and old members a chance to meet.
(09/17/12 12:42am)
Junior Lee Stay and Junior Kayla Mitman attend the IU College Republicans' Right Wing Night at BuffaLouie's Friday. The pair were some of around 40 students, alumni and local campaign representatives at the group's social.
(09/14/12 4:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The unemployment rate for Americans aged 18 to 29 topped out at 12.7 percent in August, according to a new study by the conservative nonprofit group Generation Opportunity. That number is a full four points higher than the national average for August. The survey, conducted by polling group inc./Woman Trend, collected responses from 1,003 randomly selected online opt-in panel participants via email. Generation Opportunity specifically addresses the concerns of millennials with the goal of engaging them in the democratic process. Unemployment is just one part of that picture. Generation Opportunity President Paul Conway is a former U.S. Department of Labor and Office of Personnel Management chief of staff who served during President George W. Bush’s administration. National unemployment rates fell from 8.3 percent in July to 8.1 percent in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS does not present statistics for the 18 to 29 year-old category. The national unemployment rate in August for people 18 and 19 years old was 22.7 percent. For residents between the ages of 20 and 24, the unemployment rate was 13.9 percent.Conway said recent dips in unemployment numbers reflect another trend. “The net effect of that number going down is more people dropped out of the labor market,” Conway said.Conway also cited the “Chasing the American Dream: Recent College Graduates and the Great Recession” report released by Rutgers University in May. The study sampled recent college graduates from the classes of 2006 through 2011. Of the 444 graduates surveyed, 51 percent were employed full time, and 20 percent were attending graduate school. Conway said young workers have been impacted by the double factors of older workers who are retiring later and businesses shying away from expansion. Conway pointed to the survey’s other findings as indicative of a downward trend. In the survey, 89 percent of respondents said the current state of the economy is impacting their day-to-day lives. “It’s just a very practical concern that young adults need to know, especially if they’re in college and racking up debt,” Conway said. He said millennials should focus on making themselves marketable. August unemployment statistics are not yet available for Indiana or Monroe County. Tim Tucker, president of Express Employment Professionals in Bloomington, has increased recruiting because what he called the “effective unemployment rate” has, in his opinion, decreased to nothing. He said he sees trends toward a mismatch in potential employees’ qualifications and employers’ needs. “In the Bloomington area specifically, we are seeing a talent gap a little bit,” Tucker said. Tucker said entry-level jobs are left unfilled because the hiring pool doesn’t include enough reliable or qualified workers. Also, Tucker said, many qualified workers are unaware of available jobs.Tucker said he feels job placement agencies like his haven’t done a good job of communicating to millennials regarding the number and level of jobs available. One factor Tucker mentioned was the link to university programs. Conway emphasized the importance of placement rates for young people choosing to pursue a degree. At the Kelley School of Business’s Undergraduate Career Services Office, Director Susie Clarke said graduate placement rates remain high.Clarke said data comes only from students who self-report their placement, but last year’s placement rate was 93 percent. Placement includes those who continued into graduate programs, which Clarke said is happening at the same rate as in previous years. The Generation Opportunity survey reported a different trend. Eighty-four percent had planned but now might delay or not make a major life change or move to forward on a major purchase due to the current state of the economy. Those major changes included “buying their own place,” starting a family or going back to school.
(09/12/12 10:35pm)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In a nondescript white warehouse on Bloomington’s west side, a local craft brewery is primed to make leaps into a bigger market. “We have the ability to triple, or more, what we do here,” Caleb Staton said.Staton is head brewer at Upland Brewing Co., which recently shifted most of its craft beer production from the Bloomington Brew Pub on West 11th Street to the white warehouse. Upland has been a Bloomington staple since 1998.While locals might be familiar with brews like Upland Wheat Ale and Dragonfly IPA, on tap at restaurants and bars from Nick’s English Hut to Kilroy’s Bar & Grill, it’s the specialty barrel-aged beer that garnered the brewery two Brewer’s Cups at the Indiana State Fair.Those beers, Staton said, will continue to be produced at the Brew Pub. And while the new facility will give the brewery room to grow, Staton said Indianapolis and Bloomington remain its biggest markets for now. “Support in Bloomington is very healthy,” Staton said.He said he occasionally gets shipping requests from graduates who have moved farther afield.Although some beers, such as Upland’s Oktoberfest Lager, are available seasonally (grab that one this week), others like Bad Elmer’s Porter can be found on shelves year-round. Upland enthusiasts can look forward to the release of Double Dragonfly Imperial IPA and Teddy Bear Kisses stout, available the last week of September, and the new Fresh Hopped Harvest Ale, which is set for an Oct. 1 release.By Claire Wiseman
(09/12/12 1:39am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>The email went out Thursday, hours before President Barack Obama addressed the Democratic National Convention. The Indiana Republican Party sent a message titled “Lost and Found.” “Somehow,” the message began, “a thumb drive containing the ready-for-teleprompter first draft of President Obama’s DNC acceptance speech for tonight was lost and found in Charlotte, then passed along to us.” The attached link, it turned out, was not a draft. “It was purely parody,” said Pete Seat, communications director of the Indiana Republican Party. “It’s something we did in-house.” Seat paused. “It would be cool if we found one,” he added. What Seat and E-Campaign Manager Marina Nicholson produced in-house was a YouTube video with scrolling dialogue meant to emulate the words displayed on a teleprompter screen. It begins innocuously enough, rolling a description of the date and setting, “Thursday, September 6, 2012, Bank of America Stadium (Rain or shine).” But the first words of dialogue make the parody obvious. “I accept your nomination to run for re-election not on my record, but against my opponent!” Seat said highlighting Obama’s record was the point. “It served its purpose, I think, to point out, ‘Here’s the things Obama will ignore,’ and that’s exactly what happened,” Seat said. The parody already has more than 1,000 views, making it the most popular of the Indiana Republican Party’s videos by far.“How close will the first draft be to the delivered version?” the email asked. “We’ll know tonight.” The answer was not at all. Obama’s speech was, in fact, very different from the fake “first draft.” Seat pointed to issues like unemployment, which he said Obama failed to discuss during his acceptance speech. In Charlotte, N.C., Obama spoke broadly about the economy. “When the house of cards collapsed in the great recession, millions of innocent Americans lost their jobs, their homes, their life savings, a tragedy from which we’re still fighting to recover,” Obama said.The parody video, Nicholson said, is a great example of what can be accomplished creatively and with low-budget technology. When the idea was first pitched, they knew they’d need a way to easily create and package the product. Nicholson said she normally edits campaign update videos on her computer. They used the application dv Prompter before this video. It creates scrolling text that runs on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch screen. In the past, Nicholson said, they’d used it in the field or when the party chairman taped video updates. Seat created the video’s text using the application, and Nicholson made a tripod from a stack of CDs. Her iPhone taped the scrolling text on Seat’s phone. She used Google to search for ways to clean up the audio, remove the sound of people walking on the floor above and stabilize the image. “It’s still a little shaky,” Nicholson said. “But that’s part of the charm.” Seat said the story of the video’s production makes it particularly interesting.“Sometimes, if you want to cut through the noise, you have to do it in a little creative way, and that’s what we wanted to do,” Seat said.The Indiana Republican Party's video can be viewed here.
(09/10/12 4:29am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Pancakes, Pence shirts and political action were up for discussion at the Monroe County Republicans’ breakfast Saturday. More than 50 Republicans packed tables in the American Legion Post 18’s back room. Before the meeting’s official start, IU College Republicans mingled with party officials and nearly all of Monroe County’s local candidates. “How many people in the room are Republicans?” Monroe County GOP Chairperson Steve Hogan said.The question, it seemed, was rhetorical. But Hogan got a few arm raises and more than a few chuckles.Less than 60 days before the November election, the presidential race was the topic of the day. Supporters wore red “Todd Young for Congress” or blue “Pence, Ellspermann” T-shirts. One even sported a green “My Man Mitch” tee, a throwback to the 2004 gubernatorial race. Precinct Committeeman Robert Hall brought special signs and bumper stickers to the meeting.They read, “Had enough? Vote Republican.”Hall said the slogan came from a campaign website in Texas.When the meeting began, Hogan discussed filling positions for Election Day and distributing yard signs and bumper stickers. He then introduced Kyle Spencer, political director of the IU College Republicans.Spencer set the tone by describing what he said was the main difference between Democrats and Republicans.“Republicans believe that America is great not because of the breadth and the size of the government but because of people like you, who show up this morning,” Spencer said. “You support a cause, and you believe in the United States of America.”That sort of news was inspiring for young people, Spencer said. He also said more than 170 students and faculty attended the IU GOP’s callout meeting last week. After business was finished, Chuck Trzcinka shared economic insights. Trzcinka is a professor in the Kelley School of Business and the IUCR’s adviser. “What I’m going to do — now, don’t throw things at me — I want to talk about a Democrat,” Trzcinka said. He went on to explain how Alice Rivlin, the woman who started the congressional budget office, was involved in developing what he described as the responsible economic policies he said today’s Democrats have lost. “If there are responsible Democrats like you say, and I believe it, why do we have the president we have?” one woman asked. Trzcinka said he couldn’t necessarily offer political insight but said he thought the 2008 economic crash led people to vote for Barack Obama. Another guest added that the movie “2016: Obama’s America,” might offer insight into the other party’s motives. “Think about solutions,” Trzcinka said. While demonizing the opposing party might be simple, he said, looking forward will provide a better outcome.
(09/07/12 3:22am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>In her husband’s latest campaign advertisement, Karen Pence delivers to voters a message from the classroom. “Mike will be an education governor,” she says in the commercial. “I should know. I’ve been educating him for years.” Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, released his seventh television advertisement less than a week after unveiling a detailed higher education policy proposal. These steps include using grants to reward college students for on-time and early graduation and increasing state funding to programs like dual-credit courses and accelerated degree programs. According to a policy outline released by the campaign, Pence’s six policy steps aim to “Improve academic success through policies that increase the rate of on-time college completion and decrease the cost of obtaining a degree from Indiana’s public colleges and universities.”One of the proposed policy steps would require students “to make meaningful progress along degree completion milestones to receive continued financial aid funding.” If implemented, that step in particular would signal a move away from the current financial aid structure, which allows students eight semesters of support and requires only a minimum grade-point average.“We believe part of the current state dollars should be committed to students that make the progress necessary to stay on a four-year degree path and given to those students as a bonus when they complete college early or on time,” said Christy Denault, communications director for Mike Pence for Indiana. Public grant funding concerns are valid but need to be hammered out more fully than Pence’s current proposals, said Don Hossler, a faculty member in the IU School of Education and former IU-Bloomington vice chancellor for enrollment services. The biggest concern would be the potential impact of his policies on students, Hossler said.Hossler said Pence’s proposal might not allow for students who change majors for a valid reason. Consider a student who came to IU to study business but isn’t admitted to the Kelley School of Business and is forced to find a new path, Hossler said. Others, Hossler pointed out, might be excellent students who simply change their minds.“It’s actually not as easy as I think his policy suggests to quickly ascertain which students are on a path to a degree and which ones are sort of just meandering around a curriculum,” Hossler said. The proposal also provides rewards for universities that increase on-time degree completion and aims to make taking required courses easier for students. “Degree completion in four years requires the shared commitment of both the student and the public university,” Denault said. Hossler said rewarding universities based on graduation rates might disadvantage smaller institutions. Requiring universities to catalog information such as the number of times a student switches majors would require a non-trivial amount of work in information management, Hossler said.So far, Pence’s opponent for governor, Democrat John Gregg, has not released any higher education policy proposals, but his Communications Director Daniel Altman said their camp will outline plans more fully as the campaign continues. Altman was quick to point to Pence’s voting record in Washington D.C., which Altman said included voting against Pell Grants. “Pence’s 12-year record in Congress shows that he has voted time and time again against Indiana students,” Altman said in a press release.
(08/31/12 5:10am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>TAMPA, Fla. — All week, the Republican National Convention turned the city into a stage. Beyond the security perimeter, Occupiers and anarchists raised signs for news cameras. Hurricane Isaac engulfed the weekend’s coverage.Inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum, Mitt Romney delegates and sobbing Ron Paul supporters jockeyed for attention with governors, senators and with the man who wants to be the next President of the United States.Just five miles away, at the notorious Mons Venus Strip Club, another kind of power play was unfolding. Dancers hung from bars or worked their way around a pole, snapping chunky heels on the hardwood as they vied for attention from men seated in the cool room.In a darkened corner, a dancer, who goes by the stage name Star, approached a potential customer. The black light picked up white patches in the delegate’s credentials that hung from his neck.Star had just finished a private dance and was pulling her T-shirt back on over a leopard print bra. Her platform stilettos, the only other item of clothing on her body, gave her height and brought her level with the delegate.She was selling him a lap dance. It could make her $20 to $30 but the delegate wasn’t interested. “You hear ‘no’ a thousand times, and you’re naked,” said Star, whose real name is Christine. “So it makes you feel awful.” The women who dance here hoped for an economic boon as the convention brought thousands into Tampa. The city is known as the strip club capital of the country.By mid-week, they hadn’t seen the business uptick they were counting on.Wednesday night, the convention speakers talked of the possibilities their candidates would give the American people, and of “opportunity and limitless horizons.”On stage at the Mons and on the stage at the Forum, this week has been about power, Christine said. At work, it’s power over men, power over femininity and the power exerted by fellow dancers.“I read a definition of politics once that said that politics is the study of power,” she said. “If that’s all it is, then all of this shit has been bullshit. All of it. It’s just how one man learned how he can get to the top.”* * *If she wakes up in time, Christine goes for an afternoon run at Cypress Point Park. From the beach, Old Tampa Bay fills the gap between St. Petersburg, Fla., and Tampa. “I fucking hate running,” she said as she crosses under trees hung heavy with Spanish moss.Right now, she’s on the Mons Venus manager’s “fat list.” Every girl at the club has something she struggles with, she said. For her, it’s weight. So she runs in bursts, short distances on the paved path.Christine followed her high school sweetheart here. She was 17 and enrolled as a Liberal Studies major at St. Leo University. She and her sweetheart broke up.She started working to pay her way through school. Years later, she’s given up on that program. She’s also given up on relationships and a life that exists in the daytime.She stays for the money — cold cash that comes in every night. On a good evening, she’ll make $800 to $1,200. “It’s work,” Christine said. “People think we just get to smile and look pretty and wear high heels and it’s work, it’s hard.”She’s nocturnal. Her friends are dancers. Her text messages come in after dark.It’s a completely different world, and she said she doesn’t think the Republicans flooding the streets of Tampa understand.Christine is registered to vote as an independent, but said she won’t be voting this year. When she thinks about Republicans, she said, she thinks they’re conservative and rich.In the club, when she’s looking for a rich guy, the first thing she looks for are nice shoes.The nicest pair she saw last week?“Ferragamo.”* * *According to the Republican National Convention’s official website, 2,286 delegates and 2,125 alternate delegates swept into Tampa in the days leading up to the convention.With the exception of Tuesday, when proceedings began early to make up for time by Tropical Storm Isaac, the convention was a nighttime event. In the evening, delegates and alternates heard about the economy and President Barack Obama’s supposed failed policies and the love between Ann and Mitt Romney. During the day, the delegates shopped and ate and went on boat cruises and attended receptions. While Christine slept off Tuesday night’s late shift, delegates examined Tervis Tumbler glasses emblazoned with the party logo and contemplated gifts to take home to their families.At Westshore Plaza Mall’s Hallmark Gold Crown store, a display meant to entice delegates put the GOP in the spotlight.“Another birthday and you still look like a million bucks,” reads a card featuring a cartoon version of Mitt Romney. Inside, it read, “Trust me, I know what a million bucks looks like.”Just inside the store’s entrance, Margaret and David Kimball, dressed in red Hawaii delegation T-shirts, picked out gifts to bring home to their children.Tampa looked beautiful, they said. There was more there than they expected. They needed some “paraphernalia” to remember the trip.“Taking a wreath home is a little overboard,” David Kimball said, gesturing to a silver circle studded with blue and red foil stars.In the Chick-Fil-A section of the food court, three women from the National Federation of Republican Women took a break from shopping.Fresh from a brunch with Ann Romney and her daughters-in-law, they gushed about her poise. Soon, they’d head into the mall’s Saks Fifth Avenue store, where the Florida Federation of Republican Women was hosting a fashion show. Like Republicans on stage who highlighted small businesses, the women discussed the party’s stance on the economy.“This isn’t an exclusive club,” Ohio delegate Linda Burke said. “We want prosperity for every person in this country.”What she wants, she said, is for Americans to work rather than receive government aid.“If people do something for themselves, they appreciate it more,” Burke said.At the delegate’s feet, her tote bag bore an ornately embroidered elephant.***Wednesday night, Vice Presidential Candidate Paul Ryan spoke about the need for young Americans to live with financial strength.“Everyone who feels stuck in the Obama economy is right to focus on the here and now,” Ryan said.Later, in the dressing room at the Mons Venus, the dancers complained that there weren’t enough dollars on the dance floor to go around. It was 12:33 a.m.“Are there people out there?” Christine asked.“No,” said a dancer who goes by Eve. “I tell you what, I make more money bartending on the weekends than I have the past month in five nights working here.”Three dancers stood in front of the wall of mirrors lining the space where the women applied makeup, put on six-inch heels and took swigs from small bottles of Sutter Home White Zinfandel.Above their heads, cubby holes held their heels, their bags, and in one, a box of supplements meant to improve joint health.Dancing hurts your body, Christine said.“You’ll see a lot of young girls on the pole,” she said. “And then I think, ‘I’m only 26,’ and I can tell I’m just going to need a walker and leg braces and stuff by the time I’m 40.”These days, to spare her joints, she said she avoids the pole and the raised stage around it. Instead, she roams the floor and looks for clients interested in a private lap dance.In the dressing room, the women joked and talked about the men they’d tempted that night. They talked about their kids football games, their legal troubles and the fact that the past week hasn’t been what they were told to expect.“The RNC has been the biggest bust in the history of being a stripper,” Eve said.On stage, the women did their best to make money. A dancer did a Sarah Palin parody in a blazer and rectangular glasses. She laid on her back on the octagonal stage, spreading her legs until one of her heels hit another dancer.The women cupped carefully-folded bills under the arches of their feet or held them in their panties. They leaned over and asked men to put them between their breasts.Money was always in plain view.On the jukebox, a Panic! At the Disco song played.“And isn’t this exactly where you’d like me? / I’m exactly where you’d like me you know, / Praying for love in a lap dance.”Christine said she thought about changing her look for the convention, buying a new outfit or applying special makeup the way many of the other women did. But she knew it wouldn’t be as good as the hype, she said, so she didn’t bother.For Christine, Wednesday was an average night.While Star got ready to dance, the politicians talked of rising up and moving forward. She didn’t watch.Christine thinks she has become a pretty good judge of character. And she knows that what politicians talk about is relevant to her as a citizen.But while she’s happy to make a convention guest believe he’s important for the length of a dance, she doesn’t think politicians are any more likely to be upfront with her.“I don’t think anyone genuinely looks at the nation and is like, ‘I can. Let’s see what we can do.’ I think it’s all, ‘what’s the next move? What’s the next chess move? How am I going to get here?’”Right now, she just wants to move on.She got three lap dances in before her break. She walked out the front door, past the men in suits who sipped beers while they asked the bouncers for directions back to the Doubletree Hotel.
(08/31/12 5:01am)
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>TAMPA, Fla. — When red, white and blue balloons and paper confetti fell on delegates and speakers in the Tampa Bay Times Forum Thursday, delegates and crowd members who packed the stands exploded into cheers they’d barely held back all night. Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney had just finished his acceptance speech, which served as the culmination of a week of speeches and celebration meant to galvanize the party’s candidates and platform. The day’s theme, “We Believe in America,” signaled a change in tone that shifted the day’s focus away from the faults of the current administration and toward the promise of a brighter future they said Romney would provide. “Everything that’s been said at this convention has been geared toward us,” IU for Romney Communications Director and senior Kenzie Carlson said. IU for Romney President and senior Rachel Rapp said each speaker did what was expected of them. “You can see each night the energy level increasing, the enthusiasm increasing, and that is what you want a convention to do,” Rapp said. Speaker after speaker spoke to Romney’s character — as a businessman and an economic planner, as a grandfather and an Olympic Games organizer. They highlighted his frugality, his experience and his pride in his immigrant father. And again and again, cheers rang out throughout the Forum. “USA. USA. USA.”At the urging of “secret” guest Clint Eastwood, there was another chant.“Mitt my day. Mitt my day. Mitt my day.” Eastwood spoke about his support for Romney, spoke to an empty chair he pretended was President Barack Obama and asked questions about national security. “What do you mean, shut up?” Eastwood asked the chair. The evening also featured a video about Romney’s family life, detailing the love story in a visual way Ann Romney’s speech, delivered last night, could not. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., spoke to Mitt Romney's character in comparison to President Barack Obama.“Our problem is not that he’s a bad person.” Rubio said. “Our problem is that he’s a bad president.”Rubio also talked about of Romney’s economic plans. “Life in America can be better than it has ever been,” Rubio said. Like many of the week’s addresses, those made Thursday night focused on jobs and the economy. Speakers included the former Secretary of the Massachusetts Department of Workforce Development, Jane Edmonds, who spoke about Romney’s economic policy during his time as Massachusetts Governor.But everything led back to Romney himself. “He is unquestionably an amazing steward and leader, a servant leader and someone whom I respect very much,” Edmonds said. And when he took the stage, Romney spoke to the idea that he, too, believed in America. After his supporters helped establish his ability, he delivered a message to keep them moving forward. “Now is the moment when we can do something,” Romney said. “Let’s begin the future of America tonight.”
