Recent editorials published in Indiana newspapers

Kokomo-Tribune. May 17, 2017

Keep it safe this summer

With the arrival of warmer weather - the National Weather Service forecasts highs in the mid-80s this week - and the opening of Kokomo Beach this Saturday, more and more of us will be heading to the water for summertime fun. The American Red Cross has some tips to keep you safe.

First of all, learn to swim. There are lots of swimming courses available. To find one nearby, contact the Red Cross at 765-459-4162.

Even if you know how to swim, never swim alone and avoid swimming in areas without a lifeguard.

Watch children around water, no matter how skilled they might be and no matter how shallow the water. Try to keep younger children within an arm's length.

Equip children or inexperienced swimmers with U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation devices, but never rely on those as a substitute for parental supervision. Such devices can suddenly shift position, lose air or slip away, leaving the child floundering in the water.

When swimming at a lake or reservoir, select an area that has good water quality and safe natural conditions. Murky water, hidden underwater objects, unexpected drop-offs and aquatic plant life are hazards.

Read and obey all rules and posted signs.

The Red Cross also urges parents to set water safety rules based on swimming ability. For example, inexperienced swimmers should stay in water less than chest deep.

It suggests paying attention to local weather conditions and forecasts, and it urges everyone to stop swimming at the first indication of bad weather.

Unless the area is clearly marked for diving, the Red Cross urges swimmers always to enter the water feet first.

Never mix alcohol with swimming, diving or boating. Alcohol impairs your judgment, balance and coordination, affects your swimming and diving skills, and reduces your body's ability to stay warm.

It's a good idea to stay away from drinks containing alcohol or caffeine. They can make you feel good briefly, but they end up making the heat's effects on your body worse.

The water can be a great place to cool off on a hot day, but tragedy can strike in an instant. Let's all be careful out there.

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The (Bloomington) Herald-Times. May 18, 2017

MCCSC being reasonable on issue of derelict lunch payments

Officials of the Monroe County Community School Corp. are attempting to address in a responsible way the various factors in the "lunch shaming" issue debated by the school board Tuesday. It's not an easy issue, or one with a perfect solution.

It also isn't as rampant an issue as the board discussion might have made it appear. Hattie Johnson, MCCSC director of food services, says the issue affects an average of one student at breakfast and four students at lunch daily. That's out of 11,000 students.

None of the affected students are eligible for the federal free lunch program. Students affected are on full-pay or possibly eligible for reduced-fee lunches.

The school corporation is following guidelines of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the federal school lunch program. MCCSC is required to pay any uncollected lunch debt with nonfederal dollars from the general fund.

The corporation's policy is to notify parents when lunch accounts for their children are getting low, and to allow students to charge up to three lunches after the account is empty. After that, a less-expensive lunch is swapped out for the hot lunch on that day's menu.

Superintendent Judy DeMuth said the swap is handled delicately; two of the six board members at the meeting did not think that was the case and used the term "shaming."

A few alternatives to the way the MCCSC now handles this situation come to mind.

The best solution would be for all parents pay for the lunches their children are served every day. The real responsibility rests with the parents.

A second possibility would be for generous community members to donate funds so that the school corporation does not have to worry about making up the deficit for parents who don't pay. At the Tuesday meeting, board member Martha Street invited those who felt strongly about the issue to donate to the Foundation for Monroe County Community Schools, which has a Food Service Assistance Fund that can address the issue of lunch debt. We would encourage benefactors to step forward.

A third would be for the corporation to simply cover the debt with the general fund. In that case, though, saving a few children from potential embarrassment could be exploited by parents who would take advantage of the system. Also, the money would be taken from the fund that handles compensation, curriculum and programming, all core parts of the corporation's expenses.

MCCSC officials should continue to study issue, but at this time, the current solution is quite reasonable.

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The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette. May 19, 2017

All politics is local

National anti-tax group imposes its view on city debate

Any proposal that takes dollars out of people's pockets deserves thorough examination and intense discussion. At least two public hearings followed by council discussion are scheduled before the City Council votes in July on a plan to increase the local income tax.

Backed by Democratic Mayor Tom Henry and three other council members, Republican City Councilman John Crawford proposed the increase to help fund riverfront development and repair city streets, alleys and sidewalks.

Crawford, who organized a special council session in January to encourage the community to think about revenue needs and options, argues that the added assessment would be a small price to pay to improve neighborhood infrastructure and complete a centerpiece development that could pump new jobs and new tax revenue into the community.

At a meeting Wednesday sponsored by Americans for Prosperity, three council members announced their opposition to Crawford's proposal, suggesting the city find alternatives to finance completion of the project at the center of Fort Wayne's effort to become the kind of place that can keep and attract more businesses and workers.

Republicans Jason Arp, Paul Ensley and Russell Jehl could have held their piece until the public had its say, though it could be argued that the three were simply responding to a stance four of their colleagues had taken earlier.

But it is much harder to understand why Indiana Reps. Chris Judy and Bob Morris felt compelled to insert their views into the debate, especially at this early stage. Statewide policy has empowered and encouraged ocal governmental bodies to take on an increasing share of the decision-making on tax issues. Legislators ought to concern themselves with Indiana policy, not put their thumbs on the scales of local revenue decisions.

Even less appropriate, though, is AFP's intrusion into the process. A national advocacy organization backed by industrialists David and Charles Koch, AFP shows a knee-jerk aversion to any and all tax increases. So far this year, the group has waded into tax debates in Missouri, South Carolina, Louisiana and Texas.

And now, the Koch Brothers-inspired group has arrived in Fort Wayne to help the council make its decision.

To ensure that its anti-all-new-taxes message gets out, the organization will support a campaign that will include phone calls, door-to-door canvassing and social media advertising, AFP State Director Justin Stevens said.

The AFP has the right to deploy its views and strategies here, as it does elsewhere. But decisions about the future needs of our community need to be made by the people of Fort Wayne and the council and mayor they've elected.

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The (Munster) Times. May 19, 2017

Rail planners demonstrate compromise

Planners of the proposed South Shore Line rail expansion showed both wisdom and responsiveness in tweaking plans for train stations and a train layover yard.

That flexibility should remind those who've expressed concern regarding the planned rail expansion that project planners are taking detailed steps to consider and act on those concerns.

The planned West Lake Corridor rail expansion from Hammond to Dyer previously included a Munster railroad station southeast of the Ridge Road and Manor Avenue intersection.

The proposal drew the vocal remonstrance of homeowners in the affected area and nearby residents. Public hearings and other forums sponsored by rail planners allowed those voices to be heard.

Munster resident Pam Eanes, whose home would have been near the original station site, said she still harbors concerns regarding the project but is pleased it won't be in her neighborhood.

"I think that was the best outcome we could hope for at this time," she said after last week's vote.

That same spirit of compromise led NICTD officials to move a proposed four-track layover yard initially planned for Dyer to an area in North Hammond and to shift the location of a proposed South Hammond station.

Many folks of an extreme minority speak in absolutes in their opposition to Region commuter rail expansion, refusing to seek any common ground with a plan that could expand our Region economy more than any proposal we've seen in decades.

Meanwhile, proponents of rail expansion have demonstrated a willingness to compromise.

We appreciate and thank them for listening to residential and municipal concerns - and for more importantly making good-faith efforts to act on those concerns.

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