Disqus - Latest Comments for unigov

Re: I Need a Favor

unigov — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:15:27 -0000

This contest is a joke I refuse to take part in.

Number one blog is Digital Signage Solutions ? Are you kidding ?

Indiana Law Blog - the most complete and informative blog in the state - isn't even nominated ? Yet the hack site "Frugal Hoosiers" - literally just an instrument of the Daniels campaign - made the grade ?

aaiiieee

Re: Happy Columbus Day?

unigov — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:54:37 -0000

Federal government employees ?

Re: Gaze Upon the Military

unigov — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 12:07:33 -0000

Gay marriage is the defining civil rights issue of our day. But Obama still opposes gay marriage, just as Bush did.

The Democrats could repeal the ridiculous and unconstitutional "Defense of Marriage Act" right now if they wanted to, instead, they play politics...instead of doing the right thing now, they will wait until equal rights for gays becomes more "mainstream"....when it takes less courage to do the right thing.

Re: A Civil Action

unigov — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:06:13 -0000

Are you even in the right thread ?

Do you realize Obama has continued renditioning, wiretaps, Gitmo, and is about to step up the nonsensical war in Afghanistan ?

Re: A Civil Action

unigov — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 00:03:47 -0000

Well, I tried being civil until this comment came up:

"Guess by that reasoning, skyscrapers should be forced to get rid of those upper floors because they may present a threat to window washers who have a right to work at that occupation if they want to, but shouldn't be exposed to the possibility of falling 20 stories."

FAIL

The parallel would be if companies that employed window washers didn't have to provide safety equipment.

I've never seen so many people confounded by such a simple issue. Employers do not have the legal or moral right to put their workers at risk, even if the workers accept that risk.

In John Howard's world, and the Libertarians', there are no worker rights. Farm workers should handle pesticides with their bare hands, factory workers would have no hearing protection or cams, nurses would have no latex gloves, and so on.

Re: A Civil Action

unigov — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:14:37 -0000

My opinion on this is two-fold:

1) In the US we have a long history of development of worker safety practices. 100 years ago, workers had to put up with horrendous working conditions in the factories, mines, and farms. Now, most jobs are safe from egregious safety issues. One group that does not yet have this protection is the people who work in areas filled with cigarette smoke. It is time to extend the same type of protection offered long ago to factory workers, to those who work in bars and such. The oft-repeated argument that "workers can choose a different job if they don't like the smoke" ignores this history of development of worker safety. All workers deserve a safe working environment, just as they deserve at least a minimum wage.

2) The pro-smoking crowd has confused property rights with worker rights. If a person who owns a welding business chooses to weld, by themselves, without wearing welders goggles, that's OK. If a person who owns a bar wants to smoke in their bar, with no employees around, that's OK. Property rights are maintained. But when a bar owner takes someone into their employ, they become responsible for providing a safe work environment. Second hand smoke is not safe.

Re: Thursday’s Thoughts

unigov — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:07:47 -0000

I think it's funny that the Libertarians are going off the hook over an issue like workplace smoking. Not the $650 milion in tax money that went to build Lucas Oil Stadium, or Ballard's shenanigans on the old AFNB site redevelopment, or the CIB mismanagement. No, the Libs are gonna go to war over smoking in bars. I've been to a few bars in Plainfield where smoking was banned a while back, and it is WONderful. The bars are just as busy as they ever were, and when you get home, you don't have to throw your clothes in the washer !

Good reporting, Abdul, it's fascinating to see the behind the scenes stuff you cover and I appreciate your ability to being these things out in the open more.

Re: Referendum Madness

unigov — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:22:14 -0000

You can tell the big money people want this new hospital baaaad. Got a mailer today from a pro-Wishard group.

Here's my math:

Wishard is about 7% of the beds in central Indiana. They want to spend $700 million on a new place.

St Francis Beech Grove is 5%. It can be purchased for $25 million and is in fine shape.

Why doesn't Wishard just buy the old St Francis ? The other 2% can be fulfilled by hospitals out near where people live - Community East, for example.

Because this deal isn't about healthcare, it' about real estate. Real estate and looooottttssss of money.

Re: Smoking Bans Have Consquences

unigov — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:39:05 -0000

"The owner of a private establishment, be it bar, bowling alley or barber shop, should be able to determine whether or not smoking is permissible on their property."

Following that logic, the owner of a factory would not have to provide any safety equipment to the workers.

Nobody's saying the owner of the property can't smoke in his own building without other people around. But if he hires workers, he, like every business owner, has to provide a safe working environment.

Smoking in bars isn't a libertarian cause. The Libertarian Party spends more energy on this one loser issue than on everything else and it makes them look silly. Sillier, I should say, the party is already silly.

Re: The Devil at His Doorstep

unigov — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:42:48 -0000

The SEIU is fond of trotting out downtown hotel maids who are members of minoriy groups, to make a case for union representation.

SEIU: "omg omg omg these poor women only make $8 an hour"

Me: "How much should someone with no skills and no education be paid ?"

A maid isn't worth $15 plus medical in this economy. $8 for an unskilled worker is fair.

When I was in college I worked at Marion County General (now Wishard) in the 1970's and made minimum wage (I think it was $2.20 an hour back then) with no benefits. Yeah, it wasn't much money, but it was a job and I didn't plan on doing it forever.

The prime beneficiary of maids forming a union is Andy Stern, the fatcat head of the SEIU.

I wonder if those idiot beggars with carboard signs will form a union.

Re: Strange Bedfellows

unigov — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 18:10:51 -0000

Sheesh.

First, I am offended that Abdul would tell people "opposed to the Wishard referendum should stop whining about the media and get organized." The fix is in. Every media outlet in the city is for it. Resisting this waste of money would be like standing in front of a steamroller. It would be like resisting the Lucas Oil boondoggle.

Second, for Think Again - you're wrong on every count:

- Wishard needs the space ? For what ? The population of Center Township has been declining for ages. It's inconvenient as h*ll to get down there.

- The money won't come from tax revenue ? Really - does it come from a golden-egg-laying Unicorn ? Or does it come from Wishard's weird nursing home racket ? Or from creative Medicare reimbursements ?

- IU needs the space ? For what ? IUPUI spends more effort building new buildings than they do, say, educating the minority population of Marion County. Which they don't do worth a d*mn.

Third, Wishard will not open its very suspicious books.

What ticks me off more than anything is the lack of reasoned discussion on Wishard's future.

How can a new hospital cost $750 million when the St Francis Beech Grove campus could be purchased for $25 million ?

Why does it have to be downtown, in a congested area ? I know the answer to this one - it has nothing to do with public health, it's cause IU wants Wishard's land.

Re: Back To School

unigov — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 09:30:13 -0000

Abdul makes an excellent point about the time it takes to learn a trade.

Teachers used to need no degree, then a 2-year degree, then 4, now they have to get the MA. It's pointless twaddle.

Same thing goes for electricians - it's what, 5 years as an apprentice ? Anyone can learn to wire a house - the most common building put up - in less than 5 weeks. It's almost like the unions want to keep the supply of electricians low. Almost.

Re: Somebody Else Gets It

unigov — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:19:46 -0000

Think Again - you made my day.

12-18,000 ? Say 15,000 for a week. You're saying every person spends $4000 during that week. Wow, you must roll big if you think people spend that much dough.

The NCAA has nine meetings scheduled, wow ! Nine meetings. And they are headquartered here. Looking at the Lucas and ICC calendars though, I see one, it's 500 people for "NCAA Woman of the Year ". One, not nine. Did you use the same math to go from one to nine, as in calculating the economic impact of the HWI convention ?

Did you notice that Lucas/ICC only hosts a big convention every few months ? GenCon, FFA, Firefighters....

Did you know that conventions pay next to nothing to use the convention center, if they agree to use downtown hotels ?

Did you notice how desperate the hotel business has become, and that occupancy is tanking ?

Did you even read the bankruptcy law ? Do you understand "bonding, borrowing and lease agreements" as they relate to bankruptcy ? Can you grasp this ?

So yeah I did my homework. My recommendations - tax the users or throw in the towel - are the only rational approaches. Your approach benefits only the wealthy.

Re: Somebody Else Gets It

unigov — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:13:59 -0000

Speaking of Spangle and the LPIN, where were they when the stadium(s) plan was being hatched ?

Were they out fighting for keeping smoking in bars ?

Or, practicing being polite and ineffective ?

Re: Somebody Else Gets It

unigov — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:12:22 -0000

Please. Spangle is bonkers.

The CIB going bankrupt has no effect on any other municipality. None.

He also states -

1) That conventions make money. WRONG.

2) That Indy will lose convention business. WRONG. The only two conventions of any size in the next year are FFA and the firefighters. That's IT.

I think Bob Grand took over Spangle's account.

The time is always right to do what is right. Either tack on a big ticket tax, or have the CIB go bankrupt. Those are the only fair outcomes.