THE DEARBORN COUNTY REGISTER Forum for Opinion
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Dearborn County register
theREGISTER Erika Schmidt Russell, Editor
Gene McCann and Dale McCann, Publishers Emeritus CONTACT REGISTER PUBLICATIONS: 126 W. High St. / Lawrenceburg, IN 47025 / P.O. Box 4128 / (812) 537-0063 / USPS 150-580
YOUR GIRL FRIDAY
Lt. Gov. needs lesson in being PUBLIC official
Tuesday morning, Aug. Maybe it would be like 20, there was a roundtable the press releases we were discussion of public elect- sent touting how awesome ed officials with Lt. Gov. the state legislature is for Sue Ellspermann. It was giving additional road part of her Listen & Learn money to all the counties. Tour. Dearborn County is proSounds good. It was a jected to receive more than chance to hear about the $1 million in additional concerns local officials funds over the next two have about various sub- years. Too bad the press jects. Plus, it is always releases did not mention nice when state officials that still leaves the county make the effort to reach with an almost $400,000 out across the state. shortfall in transportation So what are the con- funds each year. cerns facing local offiThe shortfall is covered cials? What are the people by riverboat casino gamrepresenting us worried bling revenue. about? What I should also suggestions do mention that at they have to about noon Tueshelp make the day, we received county, cities, an email press towns, state release from the a better place lieutenant goverfor all of us to nor’s office inlive? viting us to visit I do not Metamora at 4:30 know. I was p.m. that same afnot allowed ternoon to hear to Listen or DENISE Ellspermann Learn during FREITAG “discuss her day the discusin Franklin and sion. I was BURDETTE Dearborn Counousted from ties, including the meeting. discussions with Well, maybe ousted is elected officials and local not quite the right word. It business leaders.” was strongly “suggested” That is a bit of a drive by a member of the lieu- from Lawrenceburg on tenant governor’s staff that such short notice, espeI leave so the PUBLIC cially when people already officials could speak un- have made other work or filtered. family commitments. Yes, of course. Why But I did hear several would I think a meeting, times over that I was dein a PUBLIC building, scribed as “gracious” by filled with PUBLIC local the lieutenant governor’s officials, run by a PUBLIC staff for leaving the meetstate official, about how ing. This is true, if the to better serve the PUB- definition of gracious is LIC should be open to the remaining calm on the outPUBLIC? Silly me. side while feeling mad, It turns out this meeting bullied and ambushed on could be attended by invi- the inside. tation only. Wednesday morning I Of course, in their de- found out there also was fense, I also was told I a quorum of the councould technically stay. ty commissioners board They could not remove present at the lieutenme from the county ad- ant governor’s Listen & ministration building, a Learn, and that one local PUBLIC facility. But I official did not see what was told press in over 30 the problem was with the other counties previously press or citizens not being visited either left or had allowed at the meeting. the courtesy not to attend. If nothing secret or priActually, I think I was vate was being discussed, told other press members what is the problem with “respected” the wish for allowing the press or the media not to attend. public see what happened (The childhood quanda- first-hand? If you make ry of if one person jumps the decision to be a public off a bridge, does that official, and you are afraid mean you should jump off to speak unfiltered in pubthe bridge, briefly came to lic, maybe you should not mind). be a public official. Yet, all I could think When roundtable disabout was how such meet- cussions were held with ings are disrespectful of local business people and the PUBLIC’s right to public officials in Lawknow. renceburg, hosted by U.S. I have to say, after Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Inworking for The Journal- diana, in April, and Sixth Press and The Dearborn District Rep. Luke MessCounty Register for 15 er, R-Muncie, in June, not years, I have never been only was I allowed to stay, asked to leave a meeting. my presence was encourNever. I have felt unwel- aged. I was not asked to come at meetings. I have leave because the responshad people give me a mean es would be filtered if I stare. But never have I stayed. been asked to leave. I may not have the I was offered a phone power to tell Lt. Govnumber to call later, so ernor Sue Ellspermann someone else could tell to open the remainder of me what happened after the Listen & Learn tour the meeting was over. I meetings to the media and declined the offer. the public, but I strongly I am guessing I would “suggest” she does. I hope have been given the fil- the press and public at the tered version, since I was remaining county stops not allowed to stay for demand it. the unfiltered one. I can get that from the 5 milDenise Freitag Burdette lion press releases sent out is assistant editor for The every year by the state and Journal-Press and The state representatives. Dearborn County Register.
THURSDAY, AUGUST27, 22,2012 2013 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER
CHAN’S COLLAGE
Who’s got egg on the face over fowl ban?
Is Moores Hill's new fowl ban foul? The town council's action was spurred by one resident whose chickens alleggedly run loose, eggravating neighbors and motorists. Should one bad egg spoil backyard chicken keeping for the whole flock? Yes, the town's new ordinance allows those currently having chickens and other fowl to continue keeping them if the birds are confined and odor and noise don't become a nuisance. But is it fair to eggsclude new folks who don't want to run afowl of the law for having a few hens or ducks? Neither hens nor ducks are anywhere nearly as noisy as barking dogs, and fowls are a lot less likely to raise a ruckus in the middle of the night. Both species “chatter,” talking amidst themselves, but neither clucks or quacks loudly except when disturbed or right after laying an egg. (Unlike people, who try to disappear when they've
laid an egg, so to speak.) sense and courtesy, there's Roosters are birds of an- no real reason folks with a other feather, however. Some bit of a yard shouldn't be alwill crow at all hours of the lowed to keep a few hens in day, as well as in the middle town. The benefits of fresh, of the night if a passerby or “free-range” eggs over facloud vehicle disturbs them. tory eggs can be deduced But chicken ownfrom the dark yelers with close low – vitamin rich neighbors can – yolks. eggsercise a little And while common sense penned hens aren't and keep only truly free range, hens. They'll lay they can be fed plenty of eggs garden weeds and without the comtrimmings and pany of a rooster. kitchen vegetable It's also only scraps for similar good sense for Many soCHANDRA L. results. poultry owners called free-range – and ALL pet MATTINGLY chickens aren't owners – to keep loose, either, but their animals on are penned in their own property and clean large areas rather than the up after them, so the crit- small cages of hens producters won't eggsasperate the ing factory eggs. neighbors. Chickens penned For some folks, chickens under roof definitely produce truly are domestic pets – I less offensive odor than dogs remember reading about a penned or chained outdoors rooster that lived indoors for without the benefit of fre- something like 12 years and quent pooper scooping. had a perch much like a parGiven that bit of common rot. My daughter once had a
pair of chickens which rode on the handlebars of her bicycle. Talk about winging it! Cities and towns can control the potential nuisances of people's animals without banning them entirely. After all, even in New York City, chickens are considered pets, according to a Google map listing chicken laws. Both NYC and Los Angeles, Calif., allow an unlimited number of hens. But no roosters or other poultry species are allowed in NYC. Moores Hill Council should re-eggsamine the issue lest chicken owners flock to the next council meeting to roost some notso-poultry complaints. The council meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month in the Moores Hill Senior Citizen Center, 16610 N. Broadway St. Chandra Mattingly is a staff reporter for The Journal-Press and The Dearborn County Register.
POLITICKING
A bipartisan push toward U.S. tax reform The U.S. jobless rate is 7.4 percent. Here in Indiana, it stands at 8.4 percent. This is so utterly unacceptable that our lawmakers at both levels ought to be considering everything in order to stimulate the economy. And they need to do it in a bipartisan fashion. The impact of this is something right out of Pandora’s Box, as Indiana’s suicide rate is soaring, our infant mortality rate is 7.7 per 1,000 births, a statistic that left Indiana Health Commissioner William VanNess “aghast.” Thousands of Hoosier kids flirt with chronic hunger. The U.S. tax code, with a 35 percent rate, is hindering the creation of jobs, said U.S. Rep. Todd Young, the Bloomington Republican who is seeking an overhaul. For many small businesses, the rate is 44.6 percent. “Add in state income taxes and over half of their profits go to taxes,” said Young, who sits on the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee. Young is pushing a 25 percent tax rate, which is the average of industrialized nations and would allow the U.S. to better compete globally. It brings House Republicans on to a similar page as President Obama. In a July 30 speech in Chattanooga, Obama called for a corporate tax rate cut to 28 percent and give manufacturers a preferred rate of 25 percent. He advocates a minimum tax on foreign earnings as a tool against corporate tax evasion and the use of tax havens. “If we don’t make these investments and reforms, we might as well throw up the
white flag while the rest of job creation,” saying that inthe world forges ahead in creased profits and dividends a global economy,” Obama would be “reinvested back said. “And that does nothing into business. That’s what to help the middle class.” creates economic growth.” The fact that House Ways Young said the tax code & Means Chairman for individuDave Camp, Ral taxpayers Mich., and Senate doesn’t have as Joint Committee many loopholes. on Taxation ChairThe approach he man Max Baucus, is taking is to esD-Mont., are consentially “start ducting a series of with a blank “Max and Dave” sheet of paper” forums pushing a and “take a look simpler, fairer, flatat everything.” ter tax code gives Baucus told the movement BRIAN National Public cred. Radio that a biHOWEY So with gridpartisan converlock gripping sation is underWashington, this appears to way on Capitol Hill. “There’s be an avenue to actually get going to be compromise. In something done. the meantime, let’s work to Young said that it is be- get the code in much better coming clear that people are shape.” “growing weary of austerCamp explained, “I don’t ity.” He said that reforming think we’d be doing our job entitlements is proving to be if we started off with saydifficult getting key players ing, ‘Well, we don’t agree aligned into a compromise. on something, so let’s just It is the tax code revision stop.’ And, clearly, I think if that holds the most promise, we can get the right policy, believing it would “grow the that’s what we really need to economy, create more jobs look for.” and make us more competi“It’s been bipartisan effort tive.” the entire way,” said Young, Young and Cam Carter, who acknowledged poll after vice president of the Indiana poll has shown that AmeriChamber of Commerce, see can voters want Congress to the federal tax code “larded” achieve results on key issues. with loopholes. The goal In May, Pew Research pollwould be to close off many ing showed that 72 percent of them. They believe it can favor a major change. That be done in a “revenue neu- included 75 percent of Retral” manner that would then publicans and independents stimulate the economy. and 69 percent of DemoJohn T. Thompson, chair- crats. Pew noted that it found man and CEO of First Elec- “an unusual level of public tric Supply in Indianapolis, agreement that the tax system added, “A 25 percent cor- needs sweeping changes.” porate rate would make a Pew observed: Surpristremendous difference in ingly, relatively few people
– just 11 percent – said their biggest complaint was the large amount they paid in taxes. Even among those with family incomes of $100,000 or more, only 17 percent said they were most bothered by how much they had to pay. Rather, most people (57 percent) were bothered by what they saw as the system’s basic unfairness – “the feeling that some wealthy people get away with not paying their fair share.” Only about half as many – 28 percent – pointed to the tax system’s complexity. The danger to this process is when a specific set of reforms is established, all the special interests will isolate the changes that will hit them, potentially scuttling the entire package. Young sees a path, using upcoming debt ceiling and continuing resolution votes not to shut down the government, as some have advocated, but to use as leverage to get a deal. “People want us to get something done in Washington,” he said. “That’s what people are asking us to do.” He called it “statesmanship.” Carter agreed, saying that the nation needs Congress to “act less like politicians and more like statesmen.”
About Brian Howey Brian Howey is a third generation Indiana journalist who has emerged as one of the Midwest's leading political analysts. His weekly Politicking column reaches more than 250,000 readers via more than 25 newspapers.
HAPPENINGS FROM THE PAST
Twins are born in two different states 25 years ago, August 1988 Lawrenceburg High School band camp was in session. nnn Dennis Richter reported he had been a fraternity brother of Dan Quayle. nnn A cost study had been approved for extended area service including Aurora, Lawrenceburg and Guilford. nnn RSVP had planned an afternoon social at the Tate Street Center. nnn Dearborn County AARP had elected Elsie Schermer as president. 50 years ago, August 1963 Janet Thomas had been elected president of the state Hi-Y organization. nnn
Moores Hill: Red Lamkin had been honored at a pitchin dinner. nnn Lawrenceburg Speedway: Driver Ross Smith had won four races in one evening. He competed in both sprint and stock car categories. nnn Aurora Council had voted to supply fluoridated water. nnn The Lawrenceburg bowling league was celebrating its 25th year. Harold Jameson was president.
75 years ago, August 1938 A few weeks ago we reported that Sally Ritzmann and Hazel Edward had been counselors at Camp Ladigrau. Actually, local Girl Scouts were attending Camp Louis Ernst. Ladigrau was not yet in existence. nnn
The B&O Railroad had asked permission to discontinue two passenger trains serving Dearborn County. nnn Wick Schneider had opened a new service station at Third and Bridge Streets. Does anyone know where this was? nnn Standard Vehicle Company was supplying two buggies and a surrey for a movie about Jesse James. nnn Twins had been born to Mr. and Mrs. George Hurd, in two different states. One had been born at their Elm Street home and the other at Good Samaritan Hospital.
100 years ago, August 1913 Dearborn and Hamilton County Commissioners had let the contract for a new bridge across the White-
water at Harrison: the cost, $29,950. nnn For Sale: “A 1913 Overland passenger car”, 30 horsepower. $725. nnn New pews were being installed in the Christian church. nnn Wrights Corner: Zion Methodist Church had been struck by lightning, and so was a barn belonging to Frank Tyrrell of White Plains. The loss at the Tyrrell farm included farm implements and three horses. nnn Joseph Mason was president of the local mail carriers. C W Stalder was vice president and Edwin Walker secretary-treasurer. Chris McHenry is Dearborn County Historian.