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(03/30/01 5:15am)
Cornerstone Information Systems, Information in Place, UNext and Wisdom Tools are all high-tech firms established in Bloomington during Mayor John Fernandez's administration.\nBut Fernandez -- who has made a priority of attracting high-tech businesses -- doesn't intend to rest on his laurels.\nFernandez announced a public-private partnership to redevelop the abandoned Thomson Electronics plant Wednesday. In 1998, Thomson closed the factory, which had produced televisions for 58 years.\nThe plan calls for the demolition of the building, located on Rogers Street, and construction of a campus-type development of 300,000 square feet of high-tech office space. Previously discussed plans to renovate the building proved to be economically impractical.\n"The new development that will occur represents Bloomington's commitment to making a smooth transition into our changing economy," Fernandez said. "This area will become a center for growing high-tech businesses, providing employment opportunities for area residents and redevelop an abandoned industrial facility."\nThe city will partner with Patterson Management Group to finance the project. The city will fund the demolition of the building, while Patterson will finance the construction of the new facilities. \nThe facilities will house office space for high-tech users and a "high-technology incubator" that will provide shared resources for small, emerging technology-based businesses.\n"It's not exclusively for high-tech businesses," said Nathan Hadley, the city's executive assistant for economic development. "But that's the target market. They'll want to take advantage of the infrastructure provided."\nThe city plans to finance the demolition with tax revenues generated by new capital investment in designated revitalization areas, including the area of the site. Taxes collected from the site will be used to fund future reinvestment projects. \n"We are excited to move forward on this project and develop a premiere urban office park for Bloomington," said Tim Mitchell, chief executive officer of Patterson Management Group. "With the city's help, we're going to transform this site into an employment center for highly skilled and highly paid workers." \nThe site has access to fiber optic cables installed under Rogers Street in the first phase of the city's "Digital Underground" initiative.\n"Direct fiber optic network has provided the critical infrastructure necessary to the success of this project," Mitchell said. "We believe this development will attract high-tech companies that need flexible space to grow their businesses." \nThe proposal will need approval from the city council, and the mayor will seek up to $1.1 million from the city's redevelopment commission. Pending approval, demolition of the building will take place this spring, and construction of the first new office building will start in the summer.
(03/29/01 5:47am)
Legislation that would have legalized dockside gambling in Indiana was spiked by a Senate committee Wednesday. The Republican-controlled Senate Rules Committee voted down the bill 5-3 across party lines.\nThe Democrat-controlled House passed the measure early in the session. It would have allowed riverboat casinos off Lake Michigan to remain moored at all times instead of taking regularly scheduled trips. Patrons could then board and leave as they pleased. \nThe casino lobby insists it is necessary to remain competitive with riverboats in Illinois, which legalized dockside gambling two years ago.\n"We're incredibly disappointed," said Cheryl DeVol-Glowinski, executive director of the Casino Association of Indiana. "We're the fifth largest employer in Indiana, and we're just asking to be treated like any other business."\nIt looked hopeful for the casino operators, after lawmakers announced they would draw on gambling taxes to balance the budget. The unprecedented move -- described as necessary with a slowing national economy and shrinking state revenues -- drew fire from gambling opponents, who were jubilant Wednesday.\n"It creates a dependency for the state government," said John Wolf, coordinator of the grassroots Indiana Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. "It's like any other addiction."\nWolf, a retired Baptist minister who lives in Valparaiso, likened the legislative struggle to the Biblical tale of David and Goliath.\n"Obviously, they had the deep pockets," he said. "But we had people power -- we're a purely grassroots organization of volunteers. And we're not going to be done with this until the gorilla is put back in its cage."\nWolf shudders at the thought of dockside gambling.\n"They're looking to expand, spread in whatever way they can," he said. "They're just interested in taking as much money as they can from innocent people."\nThe rules committee discussed the bill for about 15 minutes before taking a vote. \n"We would have at least liked to discuss the economic development this would have fostered," DeVol-Glowinski said. "It's undeniable that this would have created jobs. And it was just legalized in Louisiana -- this is an industry trend."\nWhile the bill could be revived in conference committee, it won't see the Senate floor. However bleak things look for the casino operators, DeVol-Glowinski said they intend to continue lobbying. \n"We will continue to pursue this," she said. "It can still be worked into another bill. We'll take it up next session if we have to."\nBut the bill's Senate sponsor -- Earline Rogers, D-Gary -- has given up hope for this session.\n"Sen. Rogers is very disappointed," said Rick Gudal, a spokesman for the Senate Democrat Caucus. "Obviously, we're all worried about losing the revenue"
(03/09/01 5:44am)
State revenue fell $102.6 million short of projections for February, according to the Indiana State Budget Agency. The shortfall puts the nail in the coffin of the two-year, $21.1 billion budget passed by the Democrat-controlled House. \nThe state Senate's top fiscal leader said his committee will craft a much leaner budget, which would mean less funding for K-12 and higher education. \n"We have to work together during the budget crunch," said Sen. Lawrence Borst, R-Greenwood. "But we're not going to spend more than we have coming in."\nThe chairman of the budget-writing Senate Finance Committee didn't specify whether he would freeze higher education funding, as Gov. Frank O'Bannon proposed in his budget plan earlier this year. But he made it clear that public universities won't receive the 3.8 percent increase included in the House version.\n"If the economy keeps going the way it's going, it wouldn't be sustainable," he said. "We'll have to trim wherever we can."\nUniversity officials have their fingers crossed.\n"We understand state budget-making concerns," said IU spokeswoman Susan Dillman. "But we still have to spend on higher education, which is important to the state's economy. We're hopeful that enough revenue will come in, but shortfalls don't lessen the need." \nThe Senate version, which Borst hopes to send back to the House for negotiation by late March, will be closer to O'Bannon's original budget proposal. Borst said he would also provide funding to staff and operate two new correctional centers -- a men's prison in Miami County and another for special needs inmates in New Castle.\nBorst also said he would put more of a priority on Medicaid, an entitlement program.\n"When the bills come, they have to be paid," he said. "We can't lowball Medicaid. The governor's proposal is closer to what it should be."\nRep. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, drafted the budget that made it through the House with lopsided bipartisan support. He defends it as fiscally responsible.\n"The budget passed by the House is the product of a bipartisan awareness that the economy is slowing down," he said. "With those circumstances staring us in the face, it is imperative to craft a budget that works within existing revenues and manages to find sufficient funding to support important public programs like education, health care and human services."\nBauer's budget doesn't rely much on revenue projections -- it draws heavily from gambling money and the state's share of the tobacco settlement, among other alternative sources.\nStrongly opposed to a tax raise, Borst said he has "no problem" with using gambling taxes. But, unlike Bauer, he refuses to draw funding from the state's "Rainy Day Fund" or Medicaid reserves.\n"We can't expect a steady stream of revenue," Borst said. "But we don't want to open the door on using the Rainy Day Fund as a way out."\nA December forecast set state revenue for this fiscal year at $9.39 million, or 2.7 percent more than last year. The state is already $153 million behind projected revenue to date, according to the State Budget Agency.\nLawmakers must adjourn the 2001 regular session by April 29. If they haven't finished the budget by then, O'Bannon will convene a special session, which he has been forced to do in recent years.
(03/08/01 5:39am)
Every February, car dealerships in Indiana tout sales to "beat the tax man."\nMost try to unload their stock to lessen the toll of the state inventory tax, which can cost up to $1,000 per car for newer models. \nBut the annual spring sales might soon be a thing of the past.\nThe state senate unanimously passed a bill Wednesday that would phase out the inventory tax, which is levied on unsold merchandise. While it would save Indiana businesses hundreds of millions of dollars a year, it might lead to tax hikes in other areas.\nThe bill, written by Thomas Weatherwax, R-Logansport, would reduce the inventory tax by 10 percent annually during the next decade. It would not require the state to make up for the lost revenue, but it would allow counties to increase local income or property taxes to cover the shortfall. \nThe legislation would also allow counties to opt out of the tax, but they would then forfeit business tax breaks through the state. \nIndiana is one of 10 states that have the tax, which Weatherwax said is a deterrent to businesses that might come here.\n"Since Indiana stands alone in the Midwest in taxing inventories, removing the tax could send a clear signal to businesses that the state is in the chase for investments and jobs or all types," he said.\nThe state is not taking advantage of its geographic location, Weatherwax said.\n"Because the state enforces the inventory tax, we lose this competitive advantage," he said.\nWhile car dealers get good publicity from inventory tax sales, most are excited about the bill's progress.\n"It's long overdue," said Herb Wetzel, general manager at Family Chevrolet-Buick in Martinsville.\nWith car dealers, the tax can either be collected on inventory on stock on March 1 or on the average inventory for the preceding 12 months. Most choose to have their taxes collected on March 1.\n"I think it's a well-used advertising maneuver," Wetzel said. "But the tax wouldn't be missed."\nThe tax also burdens lumber yards.\n"We have to delay bringing in materials constantly," said Jim Watson, controller of Bender Lumber Company Inc., 611 W. 11th St. "We lose a large amount of cash in one fell swoop"
(03/08/01 3:54am)
When it comes to sweatshop abuses, the University of Notre Dame would rather err on the side of caution.\nTuesday, officials announced that the university will join the Workers Rights Consortium, a watchdog group that monitors factories that produce collegiate apparel. Notre Dame already belongs to the Fair Labor Association, another such group, and conducts its own independent reviews of seven of its subcontracted factories.\nWith 74 schools signed on, the consortium excludes corporate involvement, which the group feels would create a conflict of interest. But the Fair Labor Association involves manufacturers and human rights groups in the process. \n"It is our hope," said Notre Dame Associate Vice President William Hoye, "that a partnership between between the WRC and Notre Dame will improve conditions for workers while helping to focus attention on this important issue."\nSweatshop activist Aaron Kreider, who led a student rally on the South Bend campus in February, heralded the news as a "great victory for students and workers."\nKreider has worked overtime toward getting Notre Dame to sign on to the consortium. He gathered a petition of more than 400 signatures, convinced student government to pass a resolution supporting membership and staged the rally, which drew more than 100 activists despite 28-degree weather. \nThe administration had not kept Krieder and others informed of its plans, and he said he was worried about being "excluded from the decision-making process."\nStudent activists across the country have endorsed the consortium instead of the Fair Labor Association, which the Clinton administration fostered. IU, along with Michigan and Wisconsin, joined it last February. \nBasing the decision on a university-appointed task force's report, Hoye said Notre Dame will continue to pursue its own anti-sweatshop initiatives. The private Catholic school with an enrollment of about 10,000 has long been at the forefront of the issue. \nIn 1997, it became the first college to establish a code of conduct for subcontracted factories making its licensed apparel. Two years later, it became the first to monitor factories for human rights abuses. Notre Dame was a founding member of the 152-member Fair Labor Association, which was formed in response to student demonstrations across the country.\nNo other college or university belongs to both groups.\nNotre Dame was also the first university to ban the production of licensed apparel in countries that do not recognize the legal rights of workers to organize. As of Jan. 30, none of its apparel -- which is one of the best-selling lines in the country -- will be turned out of factories in China and nine other countries.\nHoye said he hopes the University will take a leadership role in the consortium.\n"I think it would be good for the WRC," said junior Nancy Steffan, a sweatshop activist at IU. "They have a good track record on the issue"
(03/07/01 5:15am)
While her former teammates are practicing in hopes of a tournament bid, senior Rachael Honegger is languishing in a jail cell where she might remain for more than two months. \nBloomington police arrested the former women's basketball player, convicted of forgery in October, Sunday for violating the terms of her home arrest. Chief Probation Officer Linda Brady said Honegger made an unauthorized trip to Robinson, Ill., where her fiance, Chad Killinger, coaches at Lincoln Trail College.\nTen days after she had been reinstated from a suspension, coach Kathi Bennett dismissed Honegger from the team Monday.\n"I gave Rachael a second chance, and she did not take advantage of that opportunity," she said in a faxed statement.\nUpon the recommendation of the probation department, Monroe County Prosecutor Carl Salzman is asking the court to revoke her house arrest, of which she had served 27 days. \n"Probation is the grace of the court," he said. "If (Honegger) comes in and says she didn't understand that she did anything wrong and the court is satisfied with it, she might not spend another day in jail. It's between Rachael and the judge."\nHonegger is now being held without bond at the Monroe County Correctional Center until a scheduled April 5 court appearance, which could be moved up.\nSo far, Brady said Honegger's attorney, Edward McCrea, has not appealed the court date.\nMcCrea declined to comment on the case Tuesday.\nHonegger pleaded guilty to forgery last fall, and Monroe County Circuit Judge David Welch sentenced her to three years, suspending all but six months of house arrest. With permission, she was allowed to attend classes, practice and home and away games. \nWelch also ordered her to pay restitution to the Ellettsville grocery store at which she worked. During two summers of employment, Honegger made several money orders out to herself, totaling more than $13,000. \nUpon learning of her January sentencing, IU President Myles Brand suspended Honegger while a committee investigated the matter. After she sat out for five games, Brand reinstated her for the senior night game Thursday against Illinois. \nHonegger had since played in three games, most recently Friday's 81-76 loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament in Grand Rapids, Mich. The Hoosiers now have a week off before receiving either an NCAA or WNIT tournament berth.\nBrady said Honegger had been given permission to leave for the weekend, if IU was still in the tournament. Upon returning, Brady said the 22-year-old, fifth-year senior had disappeared for more than 24 hours.\nWelch issued a warrant for her arrest, and Brady said authorities took her into custody an hour after she returned Sunday. Before the arrest, Honegger had 71 days left to serve on her sentence.\n"We allow people to leave for emergencies," Brady said. "If your mother died, you could attend her funeral. But you couldn't just take off to visit your mother."\nBrady said Honegger told her home detention officer she thought she had permission for the trip. But Brady said Honegger hadn't notified the probation department.\nHonegger averaged 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds a game this season and finished her career with 179 steals, fourth on the Hoosiers' all-time list. Honegger and her fiance have a 1-year-old child, who is now being cared for by Honegger's parents.
(03/06/01 4:41am)
Women's specialty retailer Paul Harris, based in Indianapolis, declared bankruptcy in 1991. After cutting back on production costs, it pulled out of its financial difficulties.\nIt filed for bankruptcy again in October, and this time it had no such luck.\nPaul Harris, which has a Bloomington location at the College Mall, announced Monday that it is closing its remaining 166 stores in a liquidation of all its assets.\nIt let go of 107 employees; about 1,600 will remain on the job until May 22.\nStruggling to cut expenses, the retailer eliminated 100 of its 266 stores Feb. 22, including a Bloomington outlet at Eastland Plaza and its flagship store in Indianapolis, which had been around since 1952.\n"The debtor couldn't find equity financing," said Dan Motsinger, legal counsel for LaSalle Bank, Paul Harris's largest creditor. "No one is happy with the circumstances in which Paul Harris finds itself."\nPending approval from the court and creditors, the company had hoped to emerge from bankruptcy in 75 days. But sales continued to sag -- the company reported an 8.7 percent December decline in sales. \nBefore declaring bankruptcy, Paul Harris reported a net loss of $12.5 million during the second financial quarter of 1999, bringing its total debt to about $60 million. The company is valued at $116.4 million in assets.\nIts stock hovered around 16 cents for most of the year, dropping to four cents a share after Monday's announcement. \nAt a Monday press conference, CEO Glenn Lyon said the company had no other choice but to fold. Given the lack of revenue, he said it had a hard time finding anyone to lend financial support.\n"We're announcing today that Paul Harris has been unable to obtain the financing or the vendor support that we needed to implement our plan for reorganization," he said.\nLyon, who has been on the job for less than a year, expressed sympathy for those losing their jobs.\n"These people -- whether on the job for an year or 26 months -- have given their lives to this place," he said. "These are 24/7 people, and it breaks my heart with the emotions going around today."\nA manager at the Bloomington outlet said the company promises a severance package, which will be announced later in the week.\nLaSalle, the bankruptcy court and Paul Harris negotiated the liquidation budget in a Monday teleconference. Motsinger, citing legal reasons, declined to give details.\nThe company plans to start its going-out-of-business sale Wednesday. \nFounded by Gerald Paul and Earl Harris, it first went public in 1960. Last year, it operated more than 300 stores in 29 states.
(03/02/01 5:31am)
Once again, the ICLU is taking issue with the display of the Ten Commandments on a courthouse square.\nIn the wake of successful court battles with Indianapolis and Elkhart, the Indiana Civil Liberties Union is now targeting Vincennes. \nICLU Legal Director Ken Faulk said he gave Knox County officials 10 days to remove the monument before he takes legal action. Donated by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the commandments have been displayed on the courthouse lawn since 1958. \n"It has nothing to do with the Ten Commandments or religion," Faulk said. "We've represented anti-abortions protesters in the past, who clearly have the right to freedom of speech. But this violates the establishment clause separating church and state."\nThe ICLU, Faulk said, has received several complaints and will soon name a plaintiff.\nThe threatened lawsuit has raised the ire of local clergy.\n"It's unthinkable," said Dan Burkhardt, an associate youth pastor at Free Methodist Church in Vincennes. "Somebody decided to make a gesture back in 1958, and they're trying to judge what was in his heart. You can't separate values from the gestures." \nBurkhardt worries about the example it will set for the children he counsels.\n"We're encouraging kids to make gestures," he said. "And they're sending the message that they'll be knocking at the door. You can make a good gesture, but you'll offend somebody."\nBut Burkhardt might not have any reason to fret.\nCounty officials said they intend to fight the litigation tooth-and-nail, and Knox County Councilman George Lane said he thinks he has a solution.\n"As soon as I heard the news, I started working on this problem," he said. "And I think this could be a nationwide catalyst. They're complaining that the commandments are on courthouse property. So we eliminate the property."\nLane spent much of Thursday afternoon on the phone, convincing fellow county government officials to deed the land the commandments sit on to a private nonprofit organization. He's already spoken with several groups, including the Knox County Historical and Antiquarian Society.\n"I think this could be a solution from Kokomo down to Mississippi, from the California coast to the Eastern seaboard," Lane said. "As a county councilman, I don't have to tell you how it affects people's hearts and minds. We've dodged all the bullets, but it's time we fire back."\nFor the ICLU, it's simply a matter of principle.\n"Similar monuments have been ruled unconstitutional," Faulk said. "And we've received complaints."\nBut the civil liberties watchdog group has come under fire from local elected officials.\n"The founders clearly never intended for religion to be banned from the public square," U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, R-8, said in a press release. "In a practice that continues to this day, the first Congress opened every session with prayer. The examples of religion in the public square are too numerous to recount, and they do not constitute an establishment of religion."\nHostettler said he plans to introduce legislation preventing public officials such as those in Knox County from being held personally liable for attorney fees and damages in establishment clause cases.\n"All too often, public officials are hesitant to pursue their Constitutional rights out of fear that they might be personally bankrupted if a judge rules against them," he said. "Constitutional law should be made by deliberation and original intent, not extortion"
(03/01/01 6:15am)
Indiana legislators listened intently to what President George W. Bush had to say during his first national address before Congress Tuesday. Bush largely focused on the budget he submitted Wednesday, the centerpiece of which is his 10-year, $1.7 trillion across-the-board tax cut plan.\nIt's music to the ears of Rep. John Hostettler, R-8th.\n"It's refreshing to hear from a president who trusts Americans to make the best decisions for themselves and their community," he said. "After eight years of a Washington-knows-best mentality in the White House, we now have a chief executive who recognizes that working Americans are most qualified to make decisions regarding their money."\nThe Congressional Budget Office, Hostettler noted, projects that the federal government will take in $27.9 trillion in taxes during the next decade. Once trust funds are set aside and some of the national debt is redeemed, the office predicts $5.6 trillion in surplus. \nHostettler said he agrees with Bush that with record federal surpluses taxes should be cut. \n"President Bush recognizes that every trillion dollars collected by the federal government represents another trillion dollars subtracted from the paychecks of working Americans and the cash registers of American business," he said. "One trillion dollars is represented by a one followed by 12 zeros -- a truly incomprehensible number -- and yet over the next 10 years the federal government is expected to collect 28 times that amount." \nMany Democrats have denounced Bush's tax cut plan as too large. But Hostettler, who's advocating a $2.2 trillion tax cut along with other conservative members of Congress, dismisses such reservations.\n"It's absurd for anyone to claim that Washington can't afford to return some of the money to the people who generated it in the first place," he said. "It's overly generous, in that it allows an already bloated federal budget to continue growing at an annual rate of 4 percent over the next 10 years."\nSen. Richard Lugar, R-Indiana, also liked what he heard. While he didn't have many words for the tax cut, Lugar praised Bush's $1.9 trillion budget as fiscally responsible.\n"The Bush budget plans the most aggressive federal debt management in our history, while protecting every dollar of the $2.6 trillion Social Security surplus," he said in a press release. "He advocates a fair individual tax cut across the board that will stimulate savings, investment and job-creating economic growth."\nBush proposed an increase of $14.2 billion for military spending, which Lugar supports.\n"The President's proposal to increase military pay and devote additional resources to our nation's security is a vital step," Lugar said. \nIndiana Democrats also largely stood behind the president.\nSen. Evan Bayh, D-Indiana, said he looked forward to working in good faith with Bush on such matters as education and health care.\n"I think we have a very real opportunity to make bipartisan progress on some very important issues for Indiana families," he said in a statement.\nBut Bayh wasn't entirely sold on Bush's tax cut.\n"I wholeheartedly endorse the President's call for major tax relief to get the economy moving again," he said. "But it should be a fiscally responsible tax cut that doesn't go back to the days of debts and deficits." \nBayh said he also wonders whether an across-the-board tax cut should be the first priority.\n"We must preserve some resources for education and helping seniors with the high cost of prescription drugs," he said.
(02/28/01 6:35am)
State Sen. Lawrence Borst, R-Indianapolis, is perplexed.\nBorst, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, is perplexed with House Democrats, whose $2.1 billion two-year budget passed the chamber 81-18 Monday. The House version of the budget would increase higher education spending by 3.8 percent over two years and K-12 education by 4 percent. It would spend $700 million more than the state is expected to bring in, according to state revenue projections.\nThe budget submitted to Borst's committee differs substantially from Gov. Frank O'Bannon's proposal, although both plans call for $2.1 billion in spending. \n"They're both in the same party," Borst said. "I guess they don't talk to each other."\nO'Bannon's budget placed more emphasis on Medicare and the state prison system, priorities Borst said he shares. With a slowing national economy and dwindling state revenue, O'Bannon had to make cuts elsewhere.\nAmong other things, O'Bannon's budget would have frozen higher education spending, meaning a tuition increase because of inevitable inflation. University officials expressed relief after the House version passed. \n"I would say the most recent budget passed by the House is a very positive development and welcome news," University spokeswoman Susan Dillman said. "A cautious budget estimate is certainly understandable. But it doesn't lessen the need. Investment in higher education is critical for the state's economy."\nThe House version allocates about $370 million to the Bloomington campus for the next two years, compared to $360 million during the 1999-2000 fiscal period. It also gives $4.5 million to the School of Informatics and $30 million in bonding authority for the Multidisciplinary Science Building. \nAccordingly, the House version scales back on many of the governor's priorities, including increased funding for the state correctional system.\nBorst, with a Republican-controlled Senate behind him, won't have it.\n"The governor set aside money for two new correctional facilities, and this only provides for one," he said. "There are many holes that need to be sewn up, and we'll take care of these things."\nIt's not Borst's most pressing concern with a budget that only allocates a 6-percent increase to Medicare, when the state has predicted a 7-percent increase. Medicare is an entitlement, and the state's payments are mandatory.\n"They're low-balling Medicare again," he said. "If the economy keeps going the way it's going, expenses will only increase. And when the bills come in, they have to be paid -- whether we have the money or not."\nAnd Borst said he doesn't want to see the property tax credit passed in 1999 scaled back, as it would be in the House version.\n"That's something we'd like to keep," he said. "We'll salvage it if we can. But the budget currently isn't sustainable. We'll try to be a little more responsible, a little more reasonable."\nBorst said he plans to trim spending, and he said higher education funding would likely be fair game. \n"We don't yet know where we'll make all the cuts," he said. "We're still doing some preliminary work. But higher education probably won't be flatlined."\nRep. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, authored the House version and defends the bill as "responsible" and "prudent." It has come under attack by some for drawing on gambling and tobacco settlement money, which they consider to be "risky" revenue streams.\n"We are still early in the process of negotiations on the budget bill," he said. "The Indiana Senate has yet to out its priorities. But I believe that the principles outlined in the bill -- as well as the fiscal restraint it demonstrates -- can serve as a guideline for legislators in reaching a final agreement."\nWhile the budget proposal enjoyed wide bipartisan support in the House, some Republicans withheld their support. Brent Steele, who represents the eastern part of Monroe County, didn't give it his assent.\n"We need to work together, especially in budget crunch," said Marty Wood, a Steele spokesman. "But if this passed overwhelmingly in the House and the Senate had to make revisions, they would have to answer questions"
(02/28/01 12:34am)
Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez isn't the only one with his eye on the Indiana secretary of state office. \nTwo others have made clear that they intend to run for the seat, which oversees business, securities and elections. It will be vacated in 2002 by Republican Sue Anne Gilroy at the end of her second term.\nMike Delph, an aide to U.S. Representative Dan Burton (R-Ind.), filed papers with the state to create an exploratory committee. Under Indiana law, it's a necessary first step to begin fund-raising.\nDeputy Secretary of State Todd Rokita plans on squaring off against Delph for the Republican nomination. Rokita, who also serves as chief of staff for the office, has worked with Gilroy for the past four years.\n"Secretary of state is too often used as a springboard for higher office," he said. "I think I already have the best job in America. Officials from Nevada and California come down and are amazed that I can cut the budget by 15 percent and still keep services and start up e-government."\nRokita has not yet formally filed his candidacy, which he said he plans to do in the next month. There's no hurry -- he has until the Republican state convention in May 2002. \nRokita has a similar agenda to Gilroy, who has held the office since 1994.\n"I'd like to make Indiana a nationwide model for e-government, see other states follow our lead," he said. "And of course the first priority is election reform. I'd like to create a statewide voter file to prevent fraud."\nGilroy's office is pursuing that goal in the General Assembly, among other election reform measures. Fernandez has touted the issue as the cornerstone of his campaign.\nDespite his inside position in the secretary of state's office, Rokita doesn't expect to coast to the nomination -- or the office, which is usually won by Republicans.\n"I plan to earn it by working very hard to tell the people of Indiana my story, to show them how qualified I am," he said. "The voters need a public servant who's actually interested in public service."\nDelph, now a district director for Burton, also prides himself on his experience. An alumnus, Delph has worked for four years for Burton, who represents much of suburban Indianapolis. \nBesides his employment in the Congressman's Indianapolis and Washington offices, Delph has served as a GOP state delegate and a precinct committeeman. He helped draft the Indiana Republican platform and observed elections in Nicaragua and Mongolia.\n"It is an honor and a privilege to live in a country where we enjoy the freedom to seek public office," Delph said in a press release. "Having begun the process of traveling around the state, I look forward to meeting more of my fellow Hoosiers, getting to know them better and listening to their views on how we can make our state an even better place to live."\nAlly Hedrick, a former Burton aide who's heading up Delph's campaign, said he'll likely focus on boosting voter turnout.\n"He'll be coming out with a detailed platform soon," she said. "Right now, he's focusing on meeting with delegates."\nLongtime Indiana businessman Don Marsh, who owns the Marsh supermarket chain, chairs Delph's exploratory committee. \n"Mike is a very bright and energetic young man," he said. "He has the right leadership style for Indiana and will make an outstanding secretary of state."\nFernandez, the only Democrat to express interest in the office, filed papers of candidacy Jan. 26.
(02/21/01 4:55am)
Last September, Mayor John Fernandez appointed a study commission to help the Bloomington Area Arts Council out of its mounting debt. \nRenovation of the long-vacant Buskirk-Chumley Theater had put the council $1.1 million in the hole.\nNow, five months later, the study commission has finished its work, and the arts council is in better financial shape.\nChaired by Indianapolis Circuit Court Judge Ted Najam, the commission shaved more than $400,000 of the arts council's debt. Buoying the arts council with a $100,000 low-interest loan from the city, the commission urged it to cut expenses. The council sold a major liability -- the Holland Dairy property -- for $260,000, using the proceeds to pay off a mortgage loan.\nWith the help of state Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, the commission also secured a $125,000 grant from the state.\nAccording to the final report of the mayor's commission, the arts council's financial situation has improved by nearly $600,000. The figure includes revenue brought in from concerts and other events.\n"I would like to extend my thanks to the members of the commission for their dedicated and hard work in addressing this most difficult issue," Fernandez said. "The commission has acted with the creativity and urgency which the circumstances required."\nThe arts council, under new leadership, is grateful for the helping hand.\n"We have to enthusiastically thank the commission," said Sally Gaskill, whom the commission installed as executive director.\nWhile Gaskill said the council is not out of the woods yet, the commission has taken steps to ensure its continued financial viability. It drafted a management agreement between the arts council and the Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, which stages an annual world music festival in Bloomington.\nPending approval, Lotus wll operate the theater as a performing arts facility while the council will retain ownership and financial obligations. Under the commission's direction, the council already cut back on full-time staff and other expenses.\nThe commission also recommends a public-private parnership with the city based on the Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board. The board subsidizes various performing arts venues in the Indianapolis area, including the Murat Theater.\n"We plan to adopt that recommendation," Gaskill said. "We're very receptive."\nOverall, the commission convened for 20 weekly meetings and a number of small committee meetings. From the onset, it was clear a quick report wouldn't resolve anything, Najam said.\n"The members have been faithful to the task and tireless in their determination to address the issues before us," he said. "Over the last five months, their work has established the foundation for the future success of arts and cultural programming in Bloomington"
(02/20/01 5:39am)
Graffiti covers the brick walls at the ST Semicon site, 415 N. College Ave. \nWhile the cracked windows have been boarded for more than a decade, not everyone has forgotten about the vacant building. Intergroup Realty Trust, a Florida-based developer, filed papers last week to build a nine-story student housing complex there.\nThe complex has been in the works for some time, and Intergroup President Pat Nolan said everything is on schedule. The Bloomington Board of Zoning Appeals will hear the proposal March 15, and is expected to vote on it in mid-April. \nIntergroup specializes in student housing, and Nolan said it has built sprawling three-story structures in North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Illinois. The Bloomington project would mark a turn toward urban infill projects.\nNolan said the group was drawn to the Bloomington market because enrollment at IU is about 35,000 while on-campus housing accommodates 11,000 students.\nIf approved by the zoning board, Nolan said the apartment complex should be ready for the 2002-03 school year. It wouldn't require the approval of the planning commission or the city council.\nBut the city has other plans for the site, where Semicon manufactured electrical semiconducters until 1991. Local elected officials don't care much for the Intergroup plan, although it calls for fixing up the property.\n"It's too big and in the wrong place," Councilman Tim Mayer said.\nWith the building originally planned at 13 stories, height has been a concern. Mayer, among others, said he believes it would be an eyesore across from the Showers Building, home to City Hall.\nWorried about a prime piece of downtown real estate going to rot, the city is pursuing its own plan for the property, which is now owned by the Indianapolis-based Bloomington Investment Corp.\n"We're still very concerned about the property," said City Attorney Michael Flory.\nThrough the Monroe Circuit Court, the city is trying to grant a receivership to Mansur Real Estate Services of Indianapolis. The developer would be obliged to clean up the site and allowed to develop retail and residential projects in return.\nWhile Mansur would not legally own the property, it would be guaranteed returns on its investment. Mansur, which has developed 30 projects as large as $90 million in Indianapolis and other cities, agreed to the $8 million project last July.\n"If it's at all doable, we'll do it," said Mansur Senior Vice President Bob Echols, who said his company was drawn by the economic vibrancy of the downtown area.\nBut the city isn't the only local government body with its eye on the property.\nCounty councilman Jeff Ellington said it would be the ideal site for a new juvenile correction facility that the county wants to build. The Semicon site is located only a block away from the Justice Building.\nBut the county might not have enough money to launch a project of its own in time, especially if it agrees to buy parking spaces from the city at the recently completed Walnut Center.\nEllington said he plans to lobby for it.\n"I consider this the first priority," he said.
(02/20/01 5:35am)
Plans to make the McDoel Gardens neighborhood a conservation district suffered a setback Monday.\nMayor John Fernandez vetoed the city council ordinance, which would place restrictions on construction in the westside neighborhood just south of the Bloomington Hospital. \n"While I think it likely that the veto will be overridden, I cannot put my signature indicating approval on this legislation," he said in a fax to council members. "I remain unconvinced that conservation district designation allows for the best future use of all 271 properties within the district -- either in terms of the neighborhood or the community as a whole."\nFernandez cited several reasons for the veto, including the inclusion of properties adjacent to Hillside Drive in the district. The city has plans to renovate Hillside from Walnut Street all the way west to Rogers Street. \nIf the city needed to acquire any property in the district for the project, it would have to seek a permit from the Historic Preservation Commission, so would homeowners who want to make additions or renovations to their property.\nFernandez said the commission would have an "inappropriate role in transportation design."\n"(The) ordinance adds unprecedented, cumbersome and lengthy layers of additional approval to the transportation design process, even assuming an outcome in the best community interest," he said.\nA petition signed by 177 property owners against the ordinance also influenced the mayor's decision, he said.\n"Including properties in the district over the strong and passionate objection of many long-time property owners troubles me," he said. "But this is not an absolute property rights issue with me."\nFor Roger Hayes, the McDoel homeowner who gathered the signatures, it is.\n"I've put blood, sweat and tears into my house," he said. "I've put in every nut, bolt and screw. I have the right to keep control over my own property."\nFernandez has approved historic preservation status in the past, most notably with the Von Lee Theater.\n"I could envision a designation process and a designation for the McDoel neighborhood that I could support," he said.\nThe move -- consistent with Fernandez's earlier public reservations -- won the applause of the Monroe County Taxpayers Association, which lobbied for a veto.\n"The desire of a few neighbors, no matter how well-intended, shouldn't be pitted against those of their neighbors," said Fred Prall, the group's president. "A neighborhood historical designation might be beneficial in the long term if citizens were allowed to freely opt into or out of the program at will."\nAfter two sessions of debate that stretched into the morning Feb. 8, the city council approved the ordinance 6-3. If the council decides to overturn the executive veto, a two-thirds majority is enough to do so.\nThe council tacked on an amendment that allows for a referendum after three years. Resident property owners would be allowed to decide whether they want to scrap the designation or make their neighborhood a full historical preservation district. Were McDoel Gardens a full historic preservation district, further restrictions would be placed on construction projects.\nCouncilman David Sabbagh, R-District 5, who represents the district, voted against the proposal.
(02/19/01 5:16am)
Since the election controversy in Florida in November, legislators in the Indiana General Assembly have put forward several bills to reform the electoral process. It's a top priority of Secretary of State Sue Anne Gilroy, whose office oversees elections.\n"If a silver lining exists in the recent difficulty we have experienced with our national electoral process, it is a renewed realization among the public that every vote counts," Gilroy said in a press release. "Voter apathy has been replaced by a heightened concern for fairness and accuracy in the administration of elections." \nGilroy's office estimates overhauling the system will cost up to $34 million, a hefty sum considering the state surplus is vanishing. \nSen. Pat Miller, R-Indianapolis, thinks she has a solution. \nHer bill, which offers a way to finance part of the the proposed overhaul, goes before committee today. Requiring all counties use the optical scan method, it would draw funding from money saved by holding all city and county elections during even-numbered years.\nThe next city and town election in Indiana falls in 2003, and successors to city and town officials elected in 1999 would take office in 2005 under the legislation.\nMuch like a standardized test, the optical scan method entails voters marking down their candidates on a paper ballot, which would be read by a computer. \nOf Indiana's 92 counties, only 23 now use the optical scan method, according to the secretary of state's office.\nNine counties use the lever machines, and 35 use the punch-card method, which was the center of the Florida controversy last year. \nIncluding Monroe County, 23 counties use the direct-recording electronic system.\nUnder Miller's bill, counties using anything other than the optical scan method would have to use their own funds to upgrade the system. The funding would be supplemented by cities and towns, which would be required to pay counties the amount they spent on municipal elections in 1999. \nTo lighten the total cost, the state will offer grants to counties that apply for assistance. The U.S. Congress is also discussing allocating money to states. \nThe secretary of state's office reports municipal elections cost about $7 million in 1999, shaving the cost of upgrading the voting system down from $28 million to about $21 million. \nIt's only one change that has been proposed. \nA member of the governor's bipartisan election commission, Republican Sen. Becky Skillman of Bedford, has written two bills. One would create a statewide voter registration file that would correct rolls bloated with the deceased, incarcerated and those with multiple addresses.\n"We estimate that false names make up 20 percent of the total number of registered voters," she said. "This system is an invitation to fraud, and multiple voter registration across county lines can't be tracked."\nThe second bill, which passed in the Senate 49-0, establishes a fund for a statewide upgrade.\nJonathan Weinzapfel, D-Evansville, has sponsored the legislation in the House. \n"Indiana has already experienced problems with antiquated voting systems," he said. "Numerous local races just this year are good examples of the Florida fiasco occurring on a smaller scale"
(02/16/01 7:09am)
Four uniformed police officers watched the door Thursday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater when Mayor John Fernandez gave his State of the City Address.\nThe security detail isn't usually so high at the arts venue, even if the mayor -- whose home number is listed -- makes an appearance. But the end of Fernandez's speech was disrupted last year by environmentalists protesting his support of the proposed I-69 highway. They chanted loudly, drowning him out, and unfurled a banner from the balcony in the city council chambers.\nWhile Fernandez's address went smoothly this year, the protesters still made their voices heard out on the sidewalk, in the middle of rush hour traffic.\nEnvironmentalists performed street theater, singing songs and depicting the mayor in bed with "Ms. Corporate Greed" in a skit. \nShane Becker, who played the mayor, gave his "stick it to the city address," poking fun at the mayor's public intention to run for state office.\n"I am here to let you know how I got over the citizens of Bloomington before I continue to buy my way up the political ladder," he said. "As you know, living here is too dangerous for me; I cannot in good conscience raise a family in this PCB-ridden town."\nBearing placards and banging on makeshift drums, the demonstrators questioned the mayor's commitment to the environment.\n"He's in the back pocket of the developers," said Jeff Melton, a long-time environmental activist. "He's quick to condemn the ecoterrorist acts of the Earth Liberation Front, but he's been silent on the real ecoterrorist act, logging on our state forests."\nFernandez made an off-the-cuff remark as he took the stage, saying he hoped the audience had "enjoyed the entertainment before the speech."\n"This is what I love about Bloomington," he said.\nLeftist activists weren't the only ones waving signs and shouting.\nLibertarians also hit the streets to object to the venue for the address, which is usually held in the city council chambers. The mayor decided instead to hold it at the struggling arts venue, paying the $920 rental fee from the business promotion fund in the annual budget.\n"The mayor wanted to express his support for the local arts community," said Deputy Mayor James McNamara. "I think the price is worth paying."\nBut the libertarians condemned it as a wasteful expenditure.\n"The mayor missed a real opportunity to show his support of the arts," said Jim Billingsley, who wore a polka-dot clown costume and a red wig. "He could have written the check out of his own pocket and made a real statement about voluntarily supporting the arts."\nBillingsley said he didn't have any problem with the cause the mayor had taken up, just the way he went about it.\n"I support the arts," he said. "I go to the Buskirk and I buy paintings when I can afford them. But I shouldn't be forcefully coerced into subsidizing art."\nBillingsley said he resents the use of his tax money.\n"(The Buskirk-Chumley) is not surviving on the free market," he said. "They shouldn't be pointing a gun at you to support it. That's essentially what it is -- if you don't pay your taxes, they'll send you to jail or seize your property."\nFernandez devoted a portion of his speech to the theme of "investing in community character," which he said entails supporting local arts and culture. \n"I say we shouldn't spurn contribution to this theater," he said. "It adds to the vibrancy of our downtown. It's the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. It's the Bloomington thing to do"
(02/15/01 6:13am)
In his annual State of the City Address, Mayor John Fernandez today will discuss popular, non-partisan issues such as innovation and fiscal responsibility. But no politician can please everyone all of the time.\nThe address, held at 5:30 p.m. at the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., has raised the ire of both sides of the political spectrum. \nLiberal activists plan to stage a rally outside the theater, protesting Fernandez's alleged subservience to business interests. Lisa Spector, one of the organizers, said they will perform street theater depicting Fernandez "in bed with Ms. Corporate Greed."\nAlso featuring a mock Fernandez singing, Spector touts the skit as entertaining.\n"You will get to hear the mayor's speech that only his closest associates are supposed to hear," she said. "Mayor Fernandez will publicly show his true alliance. It promises to be the play of the year."\nA conservative group, the Monroe County Taxpayers' Association, is also protesting the speech.\nThey said they have no problem with the mayor being pro-business. It's the location they're worried about, said Fred Prall, the group's president.\nThe city rented out the Buskirk-Chumley for the address, which is usually held in the city council chambers. The $920 paid for rent comes out of the "business promotion" fund in the mayor's budget.\n"We asked that the mayor reconsider the wasteful and unnecessary expenditure of public dollars," Prall said. \nIt's not the first time Fernandez has lent a helping hand to the financially struggling theater. Deputy Mayor James McNamara said Fernandez has worked to keep it afloat as part of his general commitment to quality of life.\n"The mayor wanted to express his support for the local arts community," he said. "I think the price is worth paying."\nThe mayor's office has supported the Buskirk-Chumley since it became clear its owner, the Bloomington Area Arts Council, would have trouble paying off its debt. It secured loans from the state government and established a study commission to shape up its businesses practices.\nPrall said enough is enough.\n"We take issue with yet another example of wasteful spending," he said. "We understand the mayor's intent of supporting the BAAC in their time of need; but the $100,000 unsubstantiated loan was enough."\nThe mayor should just let the free market take its course, he said.\n"How much more of our taxpayers' money will be diverted into particular projects that clearly don't hold enough public support to be self-sufficient?" he asked.\nIt's not altogether uncommon for mayors to initiate a change of venue for the annual address. Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson held his this year in a public school this year to outline his agenda. \nJan Skinner, BAAC president, is grateful for the gesture, although it won't make much of dent in the theater's mortgage.\n"We appreciate the fact that he selected the Buskirk," she said. "It draws attention to our problems. And we appreciate the ongoing efforts put forth by the mayor."\nWhile there might be commotion outside, McNamara said Fernandez will revisit his bread-and-butter issues -- among them, education, health care and public safety.
(02/15/01 4:53am)
Bloomington Mayor John Fernandez and Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson have long lobbied for a high-tech venture capital fund that would encourage more firms to locate in Indiana.\nTheir efforts in the General Assembly have finally borne fruit.\nThe Senate Energy and Economic Development Committee passed such legislation Tuesday 8-0. Sponsored by Sen. Vi Simpson, D-Ellettsville, the bill would establish a venture capital fund to create a pool of money for high tech ventures based in Indiana.\n"We're very excited it got passed," said Bloomington Deputy Mayor James McNamara. "We hope to keep it moving forward."\nAnd it's likely to move forward, said Democratic policy analyst Ryan Soultz.\n"It has the support of our caucus," he said. "And it has a lot of support among the Republican caucus as well. We didn't get a single dissent in the committee."\nThe legislation -- co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Steve Johnson of Kokomo -- would create a number of high tech jobs in the state, Simpson said.\n"The goal of the initiative is to provide start-up capital to Indiana entrepreneurs so they can take laboratory innovation and bring it to marketable goods and services while, at the same time, create new high-paying jobs," she said. "By passing this bill, Indiana would take a significant step toward making itself the Midwest's high-tech leader."\nFernandez testified in favor of the bill.\n"We know that if we don't create a more attractive environment for capital formation, many of the creative ideas that are currently being developed in our businesses will languish," he said. "Or more troubling -- those ideas will move to other competitors' states where the resources are available to take these ideas to the marketplace, creating new jobs and opportunities elsewhere."\nGiven Indiana's reputation of being technologically behind, Fernandez said the state should do everything in its power to be more business-friendly.\n"We can't afford to have that happen," he said. "There is a tremendous sense of urgency about these kinds of issues in our cities and towns all across Indiana." \nWhile the state coffers are dwindling, Simpson said it doesn't present a problem because of the bill's creative financing. Funding, she said, would come from leveraged tax cuts and private equity from public retirement coffers.\n"Thirty-seven other states already invest a portion of their pension money into venture funds," she said. "We know that venture capitalists tend to recommend projects close to home, and Indiana needs additional resources."\nSoultz, who helped craft the wording of the bill, said it was based on a successful model in Oklahoma. The state, he said, would put up a $1 for every $2 invested in a private high-tech firm.\nSupported by contingent tax credits from the state, the fund pays back the money with the return on its investment.\n"The fund in Oklahoma hasn't lost a dime," he said.\nMatching private funding weeds out firms without viable business strategies, Soultz said.\n"No one is just going to take a million dollars and walk away," he said. "We are running a high risk, of course. But with high tech, the returns are always high"
(02/14/01 5:18am)
Brad Wetnight, the owner of a downtown paint supply store, pays $3,000 a year for parking spaces for his employees. \n"It's money well-spent," he said. "It guarantees efficiency. And I feel I have a responsibility to take care of my employees."\nWetnight said he would like to see the county government adopt a similar policy.\nDebate raged over a parking plan Tuesday at the monthly Monroe County Council meeting. \nThe council convened an hour early for a hearing on the issue, discussion of which spilled over into its formal meeting through public comment. Although the council took no formal action Tuesday, its approval is necessary to appropriate funds for the lease. \nThe City of Bloomington is offering Monroe County a 30-year, $1.4 million lease of 150 parking spaces in the Walnut Center. The city subsidized the center -- a $5.6 million parking garage and retail center expected to be opened later this month.\nThe city leases out the parking spaces, some of which the mayor's office and city council would like to go to county employees, who now park around the courthouse square. \nDowntown merchants complain the parking spaces would otherwise go to customers, costing them business.\n"We're talking about millions of dollars of lost revenue," said Bob Costello, owner of the Village Deli. "There are no convenient places to park downtown. And anyone who tries to park downtown after 4 (p.m.) knows that it's not hard to find a space, so we know it's the county employees."\nThe county commissioners are likely to pass the plan. Two of its three members -- president Brian O'Neill and Iris Kiesling -- have expressed public support, while only Joyce Poling dissents. \nBut it's likely to be a turf war with the county council, which controls the county's finances. Four of its seven members oppose the lease as now proposed.\nCouncilman Jeff Ellington said he'd rather see the money go to other priorities, such as a new correctional facility at the ST Semicon site. It's the downtown site proposed by a private Florida developer for a 272-unit apartment complex that could house about 800 students -- most of whom would be parking garage clients themselves. \n"This is a short-term solution to our problem," he said. "I'd rather see something long-term."\nEllington and other council members said they were bothered that the county would not have partial ownership of the facility. Ownership would not be transferred to the government until the lease runs out in 39 years, said city controller Tom Guevara.\nCouncilman Doug Duncan said he's on the same page as Ellington when it comes to priorities. He favors using available funds for a new juvenile correction facility. \nDavid Hamilton, council vice president, said he doesn't believe county employees will use the garage instead of the courthouse square.\nCouncilman Scott Wells, who opposes the lease as it stands, offered a solution to Hamilton's reservation. He proposed making county employees partially pay for the spaces, freeing up county funds for other purposes.\n"And I'd think they'd use the spaces if they paid for them," he said.\nThe city wants the county to go ahead with it, which county council members expressed resentment about. But Guevara said it's a good deal -- the county would pay about $9,600 per space, when the actual construction cost was about $11,600 per space.\nBut the council didn't put the lease on its formal agenda and is likely to spend more time debating the issue.\n"There's a lot of infighting over this," said Chris Sturbaum, a member of the Bloomington Historical Preservation Commission. "The county has a vision of downtown Bloomington as a place it can be proud to visit, and the city has a similar vision. We have to work together to preserve and nurture the downtown"
(02/13/01 5:39am)
Daylight-saving time might get the time of day in the General Assembly, thanks to Rep. Bob Kuzman, D-Crown Point.\nKuzman, who chairs the House Public Policy Committee, said he will allow consideration of a shift -- as long as it's to the Central Time Zone. \nIt's Kuzman's call. For such legislation to go anywhere, he has to grant it a hearing. \nRepresenting constituents in the Chicago area, Kuzman previously rejected the idea of lifting the state's exemption, expressing the fear that it would bring the western edge of the state into Eastern time zone. \nMost of the state is in the Eastern time zone, and five counties near Cincinnati and Louisville already observe Eastern daylight-saving time without explicit legal authority. Counties along the Illinois border in the northwest and southwest Indiana observe daylight-saving time under the Central time zone.\nWhile the state legislature can enact daylight-saving time on its own, it would have to petition the U.S. Congress for a time zone shift. \nKuzman is still weighing his options on House Bill 1413, which has more momentum this session than in years past. But he said he won't give ground on one point.\n"I will not seriously consider any option that would result in northwest Indiana moving into the Eastern time zone."\nHe said his chief concern is that the interests of his constituents are protected, Kuzman said.\n"It makes no sense to have places like Lake and Porter Counties go on to Eastern time, simply because of our proximity to Chicago," he said. "Thousands of people live in Indiana and work in Illinois, so I think it would be wrong to force them into a situation where they have to operate on two separate clocks every day of the year."\nHe said he plans on making a final decision in the next few days.\nThe bill's author, Tiny Adams, D-Muncie, said he remains optimistic.\n"I hope that Kuzman sees what I'm trying to do with this bill," he said. "I'm trying to move Indiana forward and do what's right for the state of Indiana." \nSupporters -- including businesses and law enforcement officials -- said they would be happy as long as Indiana's clocks are synchronized with the rest of the nation. Arizona and Hawaii are the only other states with a daylight-saving exemption.\n"The first and foremost objective is observance of daylight-saving time," said Brian Williams, executive director of TechNet Indiana, a consortium of high tech companies lobbying for the change. "We don't want to be operating on a cultural or economic island."\nThe daylight-saving supporters said it is a general cure-all.\n"Indiana is the only state in the nation whose legislature can with a single vote create a stronger economy, save tax dollars and energy costs, reduce crime, make our streets safer and improve quality of life," said Lynn Youngblood, provost of the University of Indianapolis. "And all at no cost."\nOn the business end, Williams said it would boost retail sales and rid confusion in following stock markets and scheduling flights. Such problems, Williams said, would be avoided if Indiana were in synch with the rest of the country.\nEven if the bill reaches the House floor, it will be met with opposition, headed by the farm lobby. They prefer to work from sunset to sundown, said Robert Kraft, spokesman of the Indiana Farm Bureau.\n"We\'re not going to let someone in Washington who runs time zones tell us what time it is in Indiana," he said. "We can tell what time it is here on our own"