The worst thing about the state's fireworks law is that it overrode all local ordinances on things like nuisances and noise. Neighboroods let local officials know they werre upset with the disturbance of their peace and quiet, and local officials let the state know. But now that some corrective action might be taken, the author of the law isn't happy:
But Sen. Tom Weatherwax, R-Logansport, said he will work to kill the proposal.
When costs increase, demand falls. That's the law of demand, on which almost the whole study of economics is based, and until somebody figures a way to repeal it, it explains why the increasing the minimum wage is a disputable idea. Labor is the most expensive component of most businesses. If you force businesses to pay more for labor, they will figure out a way to use less of it, or to increase the prices of their goods and services to make up the difference.
I thought it would take a lot longer for Nancy Pelosi and Hary Reid to do something I would agree with:
Meetings in Washington last Thursday between rock star Bono and Democrats, including Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada, yielded a nice photo-op but not much else, according to Bono.
Further evidence that journalism by opinion poll has gotten completely out of hand:
A Newsweek poll finds 86 percent of registered voters say they would back a qualified woman nominated by their party. For a black person, 93 percent say they would be willing to back the candidate.
[. . .]
Clinton remains the front-runner, but Obama has vaulted to the second tier with 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards. Head to head, Clinton beats Obama 50 percent to 38 percent, Newsweek said.
So Evan Bayh is out of the presidential race, barely two weeks after he officially almost got in it, to no one's great surprise. And he's getting a lot of credit for recognizing reality and dealing with it honestly. But before he got out, he offered fellow Democrats a reality check they'd do well to heed:
Gov. Mitch Daniels is a very smart person, but sometimes he's too clever for his own good, which can give him the insufferably arrogant demeanor of your average high school sophomore. The latest case in point is his reaction to critics of his plan to privatize the lottery as part of an effort to keep Indiana's best and brightest in the state:
Gov. Daniels discovers a way to get even worse press:
Gov. Mitch Daniels paused during a recent news conference to lecture reporters on the proper way to ask questions.Daniels said he was "bemused" by media types who ask about the practical and controversial details of his proposals rather than the wonderful reasons he has for offering them.
They could have thrown Ray Nagin in, too, and it still would have been 99 cents too much:
Call it a sign of the times for Louisiana's embattled governor: A chance to dine with Gov. Kathleen Blanco fetched a winning bid of $1 at a recent fundraising auction hosted by a group of business leaders.
Can someone explain the point of a "Buy Indiana" policy if we're just going to turn around and outsource so many state functions to out-of-state and even out-of-country firms?
Based on prior estimates, about 62 percent of state spending went to Indiana companies. Since then, Daniels and the Department of Administration have instituted an effective "Buy Indiana" policy that has raised that total by 22 percent.
WASHINGTON - Democrats tidying up a cluster of unfinished spending bills dumped on them by departing Republican leaders in Congress will start by removing billions of dollars in lawmakersâ?? pet projects next month.
