The Sullivan Daily Times • Thursday, September 3, 2015 • Page 9
Perspectives COMPILED BY THE SULLIVAN DAILY TIMES
EDITORIAL:
Heroes develop from sense of freedom (Anderson) Herald Bulletin The gunman who tried to take over a French train recently had enough weaponry to kill everyone on board. He carried an assault rifle with 270 rounds of ammunition, a Luger pistol, a box cutter and a container full of gasoline. The 26-year-old Morrocan, known for his radical views, boarded an Amsterdam-to-Paris train in Brussels. Ticket sellers said he paid for a first-class ticket in cash. He turned down an earlier train indicating his mission was planned. Those elements of fear, on what would have otherwise been a calm train ride, are intimidating and petrifying. Most passengers would have looked for a way out, even from a moving train. Instead, five men rushed the gunman when a firearm jammed. The five brought him down, saving numerous lives on the packed train. One of the five, Mark Moogalian, was shot. Upon his recovery, he will likely be handed, as were the other four, the Legion of Honor, France’s highest award. Three were
Americans, all friends from Sacramento: Sacramento State University student Anthony Sadler; U.S. Air Force Airman Spencer Stone; and Oregon National Guardsman Alek Skarlatos. Stone was injured in the attack. The city of Sacramento plans a parade for the trio. The fifth, Briton Chris Norman, told CNN that he joined the others because he preferred to die trying to stop the attacker, rather than waiting for a near-certain death. That brand of heroism is sometimes hard to imagine in tense, potentially fatal, situations. But such actions seem to accompany Americans facing terrorist actions. Americans saw United Airlines Flight 93 passengers join to stop al-Qaida terrorists from taking over the plane on Sept. 11, 2001. Passengers rushed the hijackers to regain control of the aircraft. Tragically, the plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field killing 44 on board. But most Americans believe the actions of those Flight 93 passengers saved lives on the ground. The plane was headed to San
Francisco on a day when two other jets flew into the World Trade Center. We recall that moment of national unity as we near the 14th anniversary of 9/11. France, too, has suffered a series of deadly attacks since the start of the year, beginning with the massacre of staff at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January. The two French men who joined in tackling the train terrorist were not going to be passive witnesses to a takeover. In America, heroism rising amid chaos is not a surprise anymore. Instead, it is inspiring. The unifying efforts of everyday people who attempt to halt terrorism is stirring. It rouses the spirit, not only for those raised in free societies but for those who seek those freedoms. The five heroes on the French train remind us all that personal attacks by terrorists must be repelled by people who never expected to find themselves in such horrifying circumstances. People who value freedom will do incredible things to protect it for themselves and others, even strangers on trains.
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Charges Continued from Page One “(Police officers) acted in good faith for what they knew at the time,” Springer added. A probable cause affidavit filed by Sullivan City Police officer Michael Gorgas notes that he and another officer initially witnessed an individual leaving a Sullivan gas station who appeared to be “possibly on some drug.” The vehicle had left the area and could not be located by the time the officers turned around, his report adds. Individuals at the gas station informed the officers that a male in the vehicle made statements in relation to obtaining drugs and appeared to be on some kind of drug, Gorgas states in his report. Other information given to the officers indicated that the individual stated he was doing “some camping at the Park and Lake.” While speaking with a SCPL employee at the front gate, the officers saw a silver Chevrolet Equinox, with a front headlamp out and a back window taped up and missing as previously described to them, leave the campground. Gorgas and SCPD Sgt. David Story initiated a traffic stop, with Story relaying the license plate information to a communication officer, the report states, with the plate number returning for a black 2003 Pontiac Vibe and a female living in Vernon, Indiana. Daniel was driving the vehicle, with Gorgas indicat-
ing that he “was very cooperative.” Daniel advised the officers that the vehicle belonged to Robbins and that he did not know if a registration was in the vehicle, giving them permission to search the vehicle for the documentation, according to the report. Story ran the vehicle’s VIN number, which returned as it being stolen out of the Indianapolis area and also “confirmed the rear window being busted out.” No registration was located in the vehicle, the report states. Daniel could only provide an identification card and advised officers he did not have a driver’s license, with Story placing him under arrest and telling him the reason for the stop was because the vehicle was stolen, according to Gorgas’ report. After returning from the Sullivan City-County Correctional Facility, officers sought out Robbins at SCPL. Robbins advised police that he gave permission for Daniel to drive the vehicle and that all the paperwork including plates and title just came in that day. Gorgas report continues that Robbins gave multiple answers as to where the registration for the vehicle was. Story then contacted chief deputy prosecutor John Elmore who advised the officers that anyone in possession of the vehicle was OK to be arrested, according to the probable cause affidavit. Story then knocked on the Robbins’ camper and spoke with Robbins’ wife
who indicated she owned the truck, and “they must not have taken it off the hot list, like they said they were going to.” Both of the Robbins indicated an interest in the ownership of a car lot in Indianapolis and that an employee took the vehicle, with Mrs. Robbins reporting it stolen at that time, the report states. The Robbins gave several different stories to officers as to where registration information was, it adds, with Story placing Billy Robbins under arrest for auto theft. Springer said that Robbins’ wife provided paperwork to his office after the arrest that satisfied him in not pursuing auto theft charges in the matter. “It’s all such a mess and so confusing,” he added. “Something had to allow the (BMV) to give her the paperwork on that vehicle.” Springer noted that after receiving this information his office will not investigate further into other matters related to the vehicle, although “if the police wanted to” his office could revisit the matter. Robbins bonded out just before noon Wednesday. Jail officers reported that Daniel bonded out late Wednesday afternoon after his bond was reduced from $12,000 to $4,000 with a 10 percent surety following his initial court appearance in Sullivan Circuit Court. “Ultimately, if we don’t file charges, (Robbins’) bond money will be released back to him,” Springer said.
C O M M E N TA R Y :
What’s going on with the US economy these days? By LARRY DEBOER • Purdue University Students are back on campus at Purdue University, and it’s back to the classroom for me, too. So I need to get my head together about what’s happening in the U.S. economy. As of August the expansion after the Great Recession is six years and 2 months old. It’s already the fourth-longest expansion since World War II. It’s been slow going, though. Gross Domestic Product grew 2.3 percent above inflation during the past year. We haven’t seen annual growth above 3 percent during this recovery, which is very unusual. But growth hasn’t fallen below 1.5 percent either. It’s been one of the steadiest six-year periods since World War II. Maybe the economy will grow faster. Consumers have reason to spend more. Job prospects have improved, home prices have risen, gas prices have dropped and consumer confidence is up. The stock market has been discouraging lately, but, still, over the past year consumers have stepped up their purchases. Home construction has done well, too. The stock of homes for sale remains low, so home prices have been rising. That’s incentive to build, and residential construction has been the fastest growing part of GDP over the past year. Building permits are rising, which means more homes may be built in the next few months, even if mortgage interest rates rise a little. Now for economists’ favorite phrase: “on the other hand.” Business investment has grown slowly, and since capital goods orders are down this year, growth is unlikely to increase. China’s growth has
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slowed, Europe’s is slower, and Japan is on the edge of recession again. The D E B O ER world’s spending on our exports won’t be rising very much. The value of the dollar in exchange markets is way up this past year, which makes our exports more expensive for the rest of the world. That discourages exports and encourages U.S. consumers to buy more imported foreign goods (rather than products produced here). Neither the federal nor state and local governments are buying much more from businesses, either. Add it up, and there’s not much reason to think that growth will top 3 percent over the next year. But with consumers spending and homes being built, growth should remain slow and steady. I’ll guess that 2.3 percent growth will continue for another year. The unemployment rate was 5.3 percent in July, down from 10 percent in October 2009. In the past, slow GDP growth could not have brought the unemployment rate down so far. But the labor force is growing more slowly now. Boomers are retiring, fewer millennials are entering, and a large number of potential workers are still feeling discouraged. With fewer job searchers entering, slower growth creates enough new jobs to bring the unemployment rate down. The unemployment rate has less room to fall now that there are fewer unemployed people out there. That means a smaller drop over the next year, let’s say to 4.9 percent.
The inflation rate over the past year was just 0.2 percent, measured by the Consumer Price Index. That’s mostly because of the gasoline price drop. Not counting oil, the “core” inflation rate was 1.9 percent, which is near the rate of the past few years. There’s less slack in the economy, so businesses might begin to see some rising costs. Maybe even rising wages! So I’ll guess that inflation will rise, maybe to 2.2 percent for the next 12 months The Federal Reserve has held its federal funds interest rate near zero since the end of 2008. They’ve been hinting that they’ll raise the rate soon. Still, with growth slow, inflation low and the dollar’s exchange value rising, they’ll probably be cautious. Let’s say two quarter-point increases over the next year, which would put the federal funds interest rate and the three-month Treasury bond rate at 0.5 percent by mid2016. Likewise, the 10-year Treasury interest rate should rise about half-a-point to 2.5 percent. Like anybody really knows! What if the Greeks and Germans get at each other’s throats again? What if China implodes? What if Wall Street panics at the first sign of a Fed rate hike? What if Congress shuts down the federal government again? Any of these “shocks” could toss this forecast out the virtual window. My best guess, though: Slow but steady for another year. (Larry DeBoer is a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University.)