The Scoop

Phone cards needed for wounded soldiers

Verbatim statement from Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita

One week left to donate phone cards to injured military in time for holidays

(Indiana) -- Hundreds of domestic phone cards representing thousands of minutes have been arriving to Indiana Secretary of State Todd Rokita’s office from across the state and the nation for wounded soldiers recuperating overseas, but more are needed.

The cards will be sent to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany beginning Dec. 19.

Rokita started the phone card collection this past summer after visiting the military casualty hospital operated by the U.S. Military Command.

The facility is a primary medical evacuation destination for U.S. troops participating in Iraq and Afghanistan military operations, and without phone cards, the injured troops are unable to call their loved ones because of the way in which the hospital’s phone system is set up.

With a goal of collecting 50,000 minutes, Rokita’s staff has surpassed the halfway mark by collecting approximately 30,000 minutes to date.

"The cards we collect will be sent to the Air Force Base Chaplain for distribution to all of the wounded soldiers, not just those from Indiana," Rokita said. "It’s our way of sharing Hoosier hospitality with the rest of the nation.

"Domestic cards are preferable as the Medical Center has special U.S. based telephone connections. The only requirement to use the dedicated U.S. lines is access to prepaid domestic phone cards.

"The soldiers of today are not just young men like they were in the past," Rokita explained. "Many of them are mothers and fathers who just want to be able to call their children, spouses and parents back home.

"To aid in this effort, Rokita and his office are collecting domestic prepaid telephone cards which can be purchased at local retailers.

Cards can be sent to: Military Phone Card Program, c/o Secretary of State’s office, 201 Statehouse, Indianapolis, IN 46204. The cards will be forwarded to the Air Force Base Chaplain starting December 19.

Additional information can be obtained by calling 317-232-6531 or by visiting www.sos.IN.gov.

Under construction

Anne "Scoop" Gregory is taking care of some family business, so The Scoop is taking a break until the middle of January. While the site is down, a new and improved version of The Scoop is under construction.

If you have any questions or comments about The Scoop in the meantime, please direct them to Tom Pellegrene at tpellegrene@jg.net.

‘One size does not fit all’

Verbatim respsonse from the Association of Indiana Counties to the local government reform report

(INDIANAPOLIS) – The Association of Indiana Counties (AIC) is releasing the following statement in response to the report released today by the Blue Ribbon Commission.

“The AIC is appreciative of the efforts put forth by the Commission to research government modernization possibilities. We are especially grateful to the Commission staff who took time to gather input from AIC members during a September 2007 meeting; the Commission members were assigned a difficult task and given a short time to complete their research,” said David Bottorff, Association of Indiana Counties Executive Director.

The AIC has formed a committee, chaired by Clark County Recorder Dick Jones and Clinton County Auditor Jacque Clements, to review the Commission’s report in detail. Jones currently serves as Third Vice President on the AIC Board of Directors. Clements also serves on the AIC Board of Directors as the President of the AIC’s West Central District.

“The AIC’s mission revolves around the betterment of county government, which always includes the exploration of ways to increase government efficiencies without compromising services that taxpayers expect and deserve,” said Bottorff. “Local government needs to remain accessible. People are generally very comfortable entering their local court houses and county offices and appreciate finding a responsive elected official. County officials will analyze the recommendations of the Commission and offer input to the General Assembly.”

Increased pressure for more money to spend on public safety has been of one of the greater concerns as the demand for spending on new jails and courts has seen some of the most significant growth in county governments.

“We believe that one size does not fit all for local government structure and the same is true for funding local government. Increased flexibility on funding local government would be welcome. Eliminating county elected officials and making them appointed does not necessarily translate into more effective governance,” said Bottorff.

Counties have long been looking for ways to improve efficiency and services to taxpayers. When cooperative efforts lead to these kinds of successes, whether it be in Public Safety, Transportation, or other services, the AIC seeks to recognize these achievements. For examples of Local Government Cooperation Achievements, please visit www.IndianaCounties.org and click on County Awards and Best Practices under the Quick Links section of our homepage.

The Association of Indiana Counties, Inc. is a nonprofit organization established in 1957 for the betterment of county government. The various functions of the AIC include lobbying the Indiana General Assembly on behalf of counties, serving as liaison among counties, state and federal agencies as well as providing technical assistance and training to county officials and employees.

Lugar urges support for farm bill

Verbatim letter from Sen. Richard Lugar to his Senate colleagues

Dear Colleague:

This week the Senate will be considering the 2007 Farm Bill. In light of this, I would like to again share with you an amendment that I will be offering with Senator Frank Lautenberg and a number of other Senators. Our amendment, The Farm, Ranch, Equity, Stewardship, and Health Act (FRESH), would dramatically improve the “safety- net” for all American farmers and make significant strides to alleviate hunger, improve our environment, promote energy independence, and reduce our deficit.

As my previous letters have addressed, our current farm policies, sold to the American public as a safety-net, actually hurt the family farmer. In the name of maintaining the family farm and preserving rural communities, these farm programs have benefited a select few while leaving the majority of farmers without support or a safety-net. To illustrate, consider some of these facts:

*In the years 2000-05, the farm sector received $112 billion in taxpayer subsidies, but only 43 percent of all farms received payments. The largest 8 percent of all farms received 58 percent of the payments. In fact, the top 1 percent of the highest earning farmers claimed 17 percent of the crop subsidy benefits between 2003 and 2005.

*Smaller farms that qualify in the current system and could benefit from additional support did not do as well. Two-thirds of recipient farms received less than $10,000, accounting for only 7 percent of their gross cash farm income. Minority farmers fared even worse with only 8 percent of farmers even receiving federal farm subsidies.

*Our farm policies also hurt rural development. Ironically, the counties that receive the most federal subsidies have little job growth and population is actually declining. Furthermore, half of the federal crop subsidies paid between 2003 and 2005 went to only19 congressional districts (out of 435).

*Less than 10 percent of rural Americans live on a farm and only 14 percent of the rural workforce is employed in farming.

*With 57 percent of farms operating without a safety-net and rural development declining, the system is clearly not fair and there is a growing demand for equity among farmers and rural communities.

*Our current farm policies also violate WTO commitments and soon Brazil will have the authority to retaliate in kind against U.S. products, whether they are agricultural products or intellectual property.

Our Amendment would provide a true safety-net for all farmers, regardless of what they grow or where they live. For the first time, each farmer would receive – at no cost to the farmer – either expanded county-based crop insurance policies that would cover 85 percent of expected crop revenue or yield, or 80 percent of a farm’s five year average adjusted gross revenue.

This proposal is important because savings from these reforms will allow us to provide billions more in new investments to assist farmers with conservation practices, develop renewable energy, expand access to healthy foods for children and consumers, and assist more hungry Americans.

Most importantly, our proposal pays for itself from the existing agricultural budget passed by Congress without employing deceptive budgetary maneuvers. In fact, our bill will save taxpayers $4 billion.

Agriculture policy is too important for rural America and the economic and budgetary health of our country to continue the current misguided path. Our amendment provides a much more equitable approach, produces higher net farm income for farmers, increases farm exports, avoids stimulating over-production, and gives more emphasis to environmental, nutritional, energy security and research concerns. More importantly, this proposal will protect the family farmer through a strong safety-net and encourage rural development in a fiscally responsible and trade compliant manner.

For more information

Accompanying the letter, Lugar included a stack of news paper articles supporting the FRESH Act, which are located at http://lugar.senate.gov/farmbill/#news and several graphs representing the effect a true-reform farm bill would have on farmers, taxpayers and nutrition program recipients, which are located at http://lugar.senate.gov/farmbill/graphics/.

Plan proposes slashing local governments

The Journal Gazette's Niki Kelly reports that township government would cease, county sheriffs would no longer be elected and more than half of all school corporations would be consolidated into others if this proposal is adopted. Kelly can be reached for comment at nkelly@jg.net.

Verbatim report from the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform

http://indianalocalgovreform.iu.edu/assets/docs/Report_12-10-07.pdf

Mayor’s pay, special election, holiday events

How much should the Fort Wayne mayor be paid? City Council members are expected to vote Tuesday on a proposal to raise the mayor’s annual salary from $120,000 salary to $130,000. The meeting is 5:30 p.m. in Room 126 of the City-County Building.

What else is happening Tuesday

A special election is being conducted in Ohio to fill the congressional seat of the late Rep. Paul Gillmor.

Highlights of area happenings, as compiled by The Journal Gazette Living staff

Fort Wayne Area Community Band Holiday Concert – 7:30 p.m.; Rhinehart Music Center, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. E.; $5 adults, $4 seniors, $2 students, free to ages 5 and younger. www.fwacb.org.

Fort Wayne New Horizons Band Holiday Concert – 7:30 p.m.; Crescent Avenue United Methodist Church, 1232 Crescent Ave.; free; 744-6084.

“Winter Wonderland” by Fort Wayne Ballet – 2 and 7 p.m.; Allen County Public Library, 900 Library Plaza.

Auburn Festival of Trees – Ends Jan. 7; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; World War II Victory Museum and Kruse Automotive & Carriage Museum, both located in Auburn; tickets, 260-927-9144.

Polar Express Holiday Showcase – Ends Jan. 6; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St.; $4 adults, $2 ages 3 to 17, free to ages 2 and younger; 427-6440 or www.botanicalconservatory.org.

AWS Fantasy of Lights – Drive-through holiday light displays; Franke Park; 6 to 9 p.m.; $5 car, $10 passenger van, $25 buses or trolleys; 744-6145. Ends Dec.31.

Public ice skating, 3 to 8 p.m.; Headwaters Park; $5 ages 14 to adult, $3 ages 13 and younger; 427-6000, 425-5745.

On the local music scene

Eric Clancy Jazz Trio – 6 p.m.; Don Hall’s Old Gas House, 305 E. Superior St.; no cover; 426-3411.

Cathy Serrano, Marshall Howey and Michael Patterson – 9 p.m.; Columbia Street West, 135 W. Columbia St.; $2 cover; 422-5055.

Kenny Taylor and Patrick Borton – 10 p.m.; The Latch String, 3221 N. Clinton St.; cover, 483-5526.

Turf war over arena football teams

The Memorial Coliseum Board of Trustees is asking an Allen Superior Court judge to decide who gets what’s left of the Fort Wayne Freedom and Fusion assets. What’s left, you might ask? The Journal Gazette’s Rebecca S. Green says it’s a real turf battle. Well, not real turf …

Among other stories to look for in Tuesday’s Journal Gazette

*We’re at the send-off celebration in Huntington for Delta Company of the 1-293rd. The group heads to Atterbury for training this month before being deployed – first to Georgia for more training then to Iraq as part of the largest National Guard deployment since World War II.

*Benjamin Lanka reports a snag in Fort Wayne’s acquisition of the OmniSource property.

*Angels Mapes Turner is working on an obituary for William S. Latz, a former four-term state representative who was active in local civic organizations. At one time, he managed the Wolf & Dessauer Department Store.

“We’ve got to stop governing like this”

Assuming former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard aren’t iced in, the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform is putting on a road show Tuesday.

According to an e-mailed written statement, Kernan and  Shepard, co-chairs of the commission, will conduct five news conferences around the state, including one in Fort Wayne, to present the commission’s report, “Streamlining Local Government: We’ve got to stop governing like this.”

Dec. 11 is Statehood Day, commemorating the day in 1816 when Indiana became the 19th state to join the Union.

An online version of the report will be posted on the commission Web site (http://indianalocalgovreform.iu.edu/) at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.

NFL, brides, wild parties

Here’s a taste of what we’re working on for Tuesday’s Journal Gazette

*The JG’s Ben Smith says the NFL is getting, well, redundant.

*Some brides want their something blue to be part of the dress.

*Speaking of blue, wild bachelor parties can really mess with wedded bliss.

*We’re at today’s Fort to Port, NAACP and Fort Wayne Community Schools meetings.

Heritage, NAACP meetings today

The Fort Wayne NAACP will continue today looking into reports of racially insulting notes found at Heritage Junior-Senior High School in Monroeville. At 1 p.m. Monday, there is a meeting with a Department of Justice mediator; at 6:30 p.m., its membership is invited to speak with East Allen County Schools officials. Both meetings are at Renaissance Baptist Church, 5515 S. Hanna St.

What else is going on Monday

Fort Wayne Community Schools administrators will give more details on the district’s generally positive ISTEP+ results at today’s school board meeting: 6 p.m. at the Grile Administrative Center, 1200 S. Clinton St.

Holiday events on Monday

Auburn Festival of Trees – Ends Jan. 7; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; World War II Victory Museum and Kruse Automotive & Carriage Museum, both located in Auburn; tickets, 260-927-9144.

“Polar Express” Holiday Showcase – Ends Jan. 6; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St.; $4 adults, $2 ages 3 to 17, free to ages 2 and younger; ends Jan. 6; 427-6440 or www.botanicalconservatory.org.

AWS “Fantasy of Lights” – Drive-through holiday light displays; Franke Park; 6 to 9 p.m.; $5 car, $10 passenger van, $25 buses or trolleys; 744-6145. Ends Dec. 31.

Public ice skating, 3 to 8 p.m.; Headwaters Park; $5 ages 14 to adult, $3 ages 13 and younger; 427-6000, 425-5745.

On the local music scene

Dan Smyth and Kurt Roberts – 6 p.m.; Deer Park Irish Pub, 1530 Leesburg Road; cover, 432-8966.

Harold Hatcher – Noon; Higher Grounds at Anchor Room, 4530 Lahmeyer Road; no cover; 485-0812.

Larry Frost, Devin Roberts, Jeremy Oren – 8 p.m.; Rum Runners, 305 E. Washington Center Road; cover, 484-9380.