Politics and other nightmares

I was a fan of Gov. Daniels' tax amnesty plan in 2005, which critics said would just reward scofflaws and not raise much money anyway. But according to the final report on the plan, more than $244 million in delinquent taxes was raised. The governor's original projection, I believe, was for about a fourth of that amount. For scofflaws not to benefit, the state would have had to carry through with it announced intention to bring out the stick for those delinquents who chose not to take advantage of the carrot.

Earlier this week, a letter writer chided us for a perceived slight of the president:

The May 29 editorial titled, “Fair or not, it's Mr. Obama's oil spill now,” does not follow The News-Sentinel's usual journalism conventions. During previous administrations, this paper has consistently, respectfully referred to the head of our country with the title of “President.” Why is this article titled this way?

The Washington Post's Politics and Policy blog points to an article in the evagelical magazine World ("Lessons from a broken man") in which self-deposed Rep. Mark Souder talks about his affair and life after the scandal:

Good news for fans of informed-consent of the governed:

The Indiana Debate Commission says the three candidates in this fall's U.S. Senate election have agreed in principle to take part in three televised debates.

While we're waiting for the Supreme Court to finalize arms-bearing as an individual right in that Chicago case, here's something fun: "5 ridiculous gun myths everyone believes (thanks to movies)." No. 1 on the list is, "Bullets explode everything," especially things that are flammable such as car gas tanks. The problem is that:

But we know with absolute certainty that all that can be known about climate change is known and the debate is over except for a few fringe wingnuts who won't face reality:

New research by astronomers in the Physics Department at Durham University suggests that the conventional wisdom about the content of the Universe may be wrong.

There was a small victory for free enterprise and the marketplace at City Council yesterday. Councilwoman Liz Brown introduced an ordinance to loosen taxi cab restrictions that included a provision to reduce from three to two the number of cabs a compay must have to operate in Fort Wayne. Other council members took Brown up on her idea and went even further. Now,  a person can go into business here with a single cab:

N.M. Guariglia, identified as a foreign policy analyst and columnist, makes a case for a GOP presidential ticket of Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, "the anti-Obama," and Wisconsin Rep. Ryan, "the cerebral ideas man."

On Daniels:

Screwed again in the Heartland:

The quintessential Las Vegas or Atlantic City casino experience comes with card dealers in ties, feather-festooned showgirls and the most coveted amenity: the free drink.

Yet as casino gambling has migrated from America's storied gambling towns to middle America, the complimentary cocktail hasn't always survived the trip.

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