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Does Clinton Really Deserve Civil Treatment?

I think W is being far too nice to Bill Clinton. I mean, really, some of the stuff that Bill and his crew pulled on the way out of office was really pretty tacky. Or depraved. Or arrogant. Or maybe even illegal. But W, in his quest to remain conciliatory and a "uniter, not a divider," just keeps giving Bill a pass. I would have been tempted to hold Bill's feet in the fire over some of the stuff.It seemed like every other day there was another story coming out about some shady activities of the waning Clinton administration. First, there was the White House vandalism where Clinton staffers did thousands of dollars of damage. They removed the Ws from keyboards and poured glue in keyboards. They left behind little bits of porno here and there and generally made a mess of the place. Ah, ever the compassionate liberals, those Clinton staffers.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tough Decisions About Iraq

The Clinton administration is in a bit of a pickle over this Iraq thing. I don't envy them having to make a decision on whether to drop bombs on Saddam Hussein. Let me say up front that I am not a supporter of Saddam Hussein.The guy is a lunatic.He has heaped hardship, misery and death on his people and his neighbors. The last time we dealt with Saddam, during the Bush administration, things were much different than they are today. I think Bush's decision was a lot easier. First of all, Saddam had just invaded another country.This time, all he's done is thumb his nose at the U.N.and their weapons inspectors. Last time, nearly every country in the world was egging us on. This time, nearly every country in the world - with the glaring exception of Great Britain - is telling us not to bomb Saddam. Public perception of the Desert Storm action was very favorable.Bush's approval rating ran to around 80 percent back then.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Unpaid Taxes Put Bind On Syracuse Budget

SYRACUSE - Because of unpaid property taxes, the town of Syracuse's budget will suffer, at least temporarily. Monday, at the year-end Syracuse Town Council meeting, the board was informed by Julie Kline, Syracuse clerk's office, the town got its property tax distribution Friday.It came in $71,921.46 short of what the town budgeted.While the town did get approximately $18,000 more from excise taxes than expected, that still leaves the town with a net shortage of $53,840.32. When the clerk's office contacted the Kosciusko County auditor's office about why the shortage occurred, Kline said, they were told several taxpayers did not pay their taxes, creating the shortage, including a large taxpayer in Turkey Creek Township.If and when those taxes are paid, clerk-treasurer Elgie Tatman said, the town will then get the rest of its distribution.
DAVID SLONE, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Fired Branch Manager Alleges Politics

In a state-run department that attempted to remove politics from the process 10 years ago, accusations of politics have surfaced with the exit of Warsaw License Branch manager Barb Eastlund. Eastlund, who served as manager for 13 years, was fired last week in what a spokesman for the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles said resulted from concerns about security. But Eastlund said she was pushed out and saw it coming for two years. BMV spokesman Alvin Hayes declined to comment further on the firing because it is a personnel matter."There were issues about security that we were concerned about," he said. Betsy Meggison was appointed to replace Eastlund.Two deputies in the office were re-assigned to other branch offices, Eastlund said. Meggison would not comment and directed all questions to state officials. "I feel it was an inside job.It's political," Eastlund said.
Dan Spalding, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

It's Really All About Money

Last week I wrote some pretty mean things about politicians and their penchant for being influenced by the largest campaign donor when it comes to policy decisions. Bottom line is that I think there is way too much big money influence in today's politics. To make that better, the U.S.House of Representatives has passed a campaign finance reform bill called Shays-Meehan, named for the U.S.representatives who steered it successfully through the house. Politicians say the bill: • Will "change the architecture of American politics."(House Minority Leader Richard A.Gephardt, D-Mo.) • Is 'an important step in restoring the public's confidence in our government.' (Sen.Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.) • Would 'open the agenda for reform of Social Security, Medicare, pork-barrel spending and the military.' (Sen.John McCain, R-Ariz.) The big thing, according to the politicians, is that the bill bans unregulated soft money from federal campaigns.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Winona Approves Sewer Extension

WINONA LAKE - Jay Enck, 1201 Presidential Drive, needs sewer service, and the town council will be happy to provide it to him - if he picks up the tab for extending the sewer line. "The estimated cost of running a line down to the four residents in that area is $30,000," said Brent Wilcoxson, council president."That's a cost to the individual homeowners of approximately $7,000." Enck said his septic system is failing and he needs to hook into the town's sewer system as soon as possible.However, only one of his neighbors is interested in tying into the system, so if the extension is to be done, Enck will have to bear the cost. Superintendent of Public Works Kim Endicott said even that may require the town to reprioritize its planned public works projects. "If we do this, even if the homeowner pays the expense, we're going to have to look at not doing some other things because this isn't in our plans," he said.
DAVID A. BEALL, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Just Whose Recession Is It, Anyway?

Former Clinton adviser Paul Begala was on CNN the other day talking about the "Bush recession." He isn't the first Democrat to use that phrase - "Bush recession." I realize that it is the hallmark of American politics to be disingenuous.OK, that's a polite way of saying that politicians lie. But really, let's be honest.They lie.On both sides of the aisle. But this "Bush recession" thing is just over the edge. And you know what? There are plenty of Americans who will believe that. It's a timeworn tradition in politics.Say something over and over enough times and people will believe it, regardless of its veracity. Frankly, if you said "Bush brothel" enough times on CNN, you could probably convince a significant number of Americans that the president is a pimp. And where were the CNN reporters when the "Bush recession" comments were being made? Flipping a pencil around in their fingers and nodding knowingly.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Kroger's Cosmo Cover-Up Correct

My hat's off to the Kroger Co. Last week, Kroger decided to put Cosmopolitan magazine behind blinder racks in its 2,200 stores nationwide.(There are 89 Kroger stores in Indiana, according to the Kroger Web site.) The magazine's nameplate will be visible, but not the headlines. Kroger had to be prodded a bit but they did the right thing nonetheless, and I give them credit for it. The decision came about six months after Morality in Media President Robert Peters started asking Kroger and some 350 other supermarket operators to either remove Cosmo and other like magazines from their checkout aisles or put them behind blinders. Peters called the decision "gratifying" and expressed hope that other stores will follow Kroger's example.Several regional supermarket companies have taken similar action. Many readers at this point might be wondering what all the fuss was about. I was too, frankly, until I took time to peruse the raunchy headlines on these magazines.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Squeaky Wheels Aren't Always Greased

It's funny how things work out sometimes in local government. Just this past week, the Warsaw zoning board, despite the protests of virtually everybody in a residential neighborhood, approved an industrial use on property zoned residential. LRC Products bought several lots in Rolling Hills, a residential neighborhood. LRC wants to store wooden rafters on the property. I think the people involved are good people.I don't think there is any ill will or malicious intent.I believe they are trying to operate in the best interests of the community. None of the people involved - those asking for the variance, those protesting or those on the board - are bad people. But I must admit I was surprised by the zoning board's decision. Usually around these parts, boards operate under the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" philosophy.That's where they vote based on how many people show up to complain. The side with the most complainants wins.I've seen that quite a bit.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Demo Head Sings Another Tune Now

Terry McAuliffe is the head of the Democratic National Committee. Week before last he was firing barbs at Vice President Dick Cheney, the W energy department and Republicans in Congress over the Enron mess. I heard McAuliffe on CNN.He was blathering on about how unethical, underhanded and maybe even criminal (who knows?) the relationships with Republicans and Enron are. He pointed out that Enron gave some $2 million to Republicans.He didn't mention that Enron gave a few tens of thousands to Democrats, too, but I'll forgive him that omission. "The people out there who are hurt the most are the small people, and once again the wealthy special interests got to take their money off the table and that's what we need to investigate....The Bush administration is running fiscal policy the way the folks at Enron ran their company," McAuliffe told CNN.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Abortion And Those Flawed Little Arguments

This week marked the 24th anniversary of the Roe V.Wade decision - the decision that legalized abortion in this country. In timely fashion, Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott this week said legislation to ban late-term abortions would be introduced in the Senate. Similar legislation passed both houses of Congress last year and was vetoed by President Clinton. There is one certainty where the abortion debate is concerned.It won't go away. It's interesting to me to listen to the arguments of those who favor abortion on demand and then apply those same arguments to other issues. It's fun to see how they stack up. The first argument is the "a woman should be able to do whatever she pleases with her own body" argument. On the surface this sounds reasonable.Who would want the government telling them what to do or not to do with their own body. And let's assume for a moment, albeit incorrectly, that the other body involved - the fetus - doesn't count.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Practicing The Politics Of Exaggeration

I have been listening intently to what the Democrats have had to say about W recently during their campaigns. Some of it has merit, but some of it seems just plain silly. One of the more ridiculous developments was the Demos beating up on Howard Dean for his stand on taxes. You see, Dean says he would repeal the W tax cut. His rivals were beating up on him for that. Now, keep in mind that the Democrats for months - well, no, for years - have been telling us that the W tax cuts only benefit the wealthy.The middle class was left out. You've heard that. It's well-chronicled.It's a given.You know, the "wealthy one percent." But now that Dean - who before his self-destructive rant in Iowa was the frontrunner - has said he would repeal them, those tax cuts have middle class written all over them.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Hospital Sale A Bit Troubling

I'm troubled by the way the sale of Kosciusko Community Hospital was handled. Please understand.I do not wish to personally assail any member of the KCH board. I know many of the board members.I believe they are attempting to do the best they can for the community.That's why they decided to serve on the board in the first place - to give something back to the community. But it's easy to get caught up in an issue.And it's easy to follow along when someone is taking a strong lead.At the same time, it's difficult to put yourself in the position of being a roadblock to what everyone around you is calling progress.That makes it hard to vote no in a situation like this, although a couple of them did For a not-for-profit hospital to be sold to a for-profit hospital is a complex, multi-faceted issue. That is precisely why I am disappointed in the way it was handled locally. It was handled in secret.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

A Few Questions For The First Lady

I was reading the Associated Press account of Hillary Clinton's NBC "Today Show" interview. In it, she put forth the single most glaring deflection of responsibility in the history of the modern world. She claims that all her and Bill's troubles are the result of a "vast right-wing conspiracy." Now, I am always in favor of listening to a good conspiracy theory.Especially one in which I play a role.You see, everyone who is conservative must be part of the conspiracy. Hillary is certainly entitled to her opinions and perceptions.And her perceptions may even be reality.It's tough for a dumb Hoosier like me to get the inside scoop on the Washington elite. So let's assume for a moment that Hillary is right, that she and Bill are innocent victims of a massive conspiracy. That being the case, I have several questions I would like to pose to the First Lady.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Impeachment Has Precedent

The impeachment process is starting to get interesting. And, as it unravels, it keeps changing. After the House passed articles of impeachment - which lots of people said would never happen in the first place - there was talk of how there would never be a trial. All the CNN and network TV talking heads and their paid experts were telling us that there would be some sort of deal for censure and the Senate would simply forego all this trial nonsense. Then they told us, well, there will be a couple days for each side to present its case.After that there would be a vote.If two-thirds of the senators didn't vote to have a trial, then they'd would move to vote on censure. Then they told us, well, there might be a trial after all, but it won't be much of a trial.It will only take a week or so and there won't be any witnesses. Next they said, well, it looks like there will be a trial after all and maybe a couple witnesses might be called, but not Monica Lewinsky.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Tax Cuts Vital To W's Plan For Economy

W unveiled his plan to jumpstart the economy this week. According to Associated Press, the economic package's first-year cost of $102 billion would equal about 1 percent of the country's $10 trillion annual gross domestic product.That is within the range of what most economists say is needed to stimulate the economy. The most costly part of the plan is the elimination of taxes on stock dividends.That should play well with almost 100 million Americans who invest in the stock market. Also, stock dividends already are taxed as income, so to tax them again as dividends seems patently unfair. For the middle class, W proposed to increase child tax credits, reduce the tax penalty paid by some married couples and expand the creation of a 10 percent tax bracket. Those items make up about a third of the overall plan's price tag.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Hillary Says Media Lean To The Right

Associated Press ran a story a week or so ago that was so bizarre to me I just have to share it. Hillary Clinton, being interviewed for a show to air on C-SPAN, said that right-wing news outlets prevent Americans from getting balanced coverage of the issues. And I quote: "I mean, you've got a conservative and/or right-wing press presence with really nothing on the other end of the political spectrum." And: "There's no balance there.It's difficult to get a well-argued presentation of issues that is really reflective of different points of view in the media today." I am not making this up.The story moved on the national wire. She did not specify which broadcasters or publications she had in mind, but I wonder which news outlet she thinks is so right wing? CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, CNN? I'll bet Dan Rather, Tom Brokaw and Peter Jennings felt insulted after reading that little AP nugget.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

No Hard, Fast Answers To War Question

Once when I was working for a different newspaper years ago, I was covering a trial. A witness was being questioned by the prosecutor. The question asked was pretty straightforward.A "yes" or "no" would have been sufficient. Instead, the witness, we'll call him Mr.Dodge, responded - very eloquently, I might add - that depending on circumstances and how the question was interpreted, the answer could be "couched in either the affirmative or the negative." I will never forget that quote because of what happened next. The judge, one eyebrow arched in a sort of annoyed disbelief, asked the witness, "What, then, is your answer, Mr.Dodge?" This comes to mind because it reminds me of how I feel when it comes to the whole war-on-Iraq issue. We had CNN playing in the newsroom during Colin Powell's statement to the United Nations Wednesday morning.
GARY GERARD Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016

Bright and Beautiful

Jenny Brumfield always knows when her husband, Doug, finally gets his mammoth Christmas display up outside their home at 936 Country Club Road south of Warsaw. Like reindeer pulling a sleigh, Brumfield's electrical extravaganza pulls enough energy that her microwave quits running. It happened twice Monday and will likely continue through the holiday season. But that's the tradeoff the Brumfields endure for a little Christmas joy. "I'm always teasing him, calling him Art Griswold, you know, from 'Christmas Vacation,' Brumfield said, referring to the classic flick that has the same comical concept. For Doug, Jenny said, it is his gift to the community. Doug Brumfield has tinkered with major outdoor displays for about 14 years, but the annual project expanded a few years ago when the family moved from Center Street in Warsaw.Now, it's one of the biggest in the community.
Dan Spalding, Times-Union Staff Writer- | July 28, 2016

Dems Sometimes Have Tough Time With Prosperity

Sometimes it seems the Democrats just can't handle prosperity. Think about this for a minute. We're headed toward midterm elections where the Demos are in the minority in both houses of Congress and a Republican is in the White House. But the Republican party is suffering through some pretty tough times. W has lousy poll numbers on popularity and job performance.He has diminishing poll numbers when you ask people how he's handling the war on terror. (Remember the last election? W's ability to keep us safe was a big partÊof his victory over John Kerry.Now people aren't so sure.) W's presided over huge deficits and huge new government programs. W got us into a now-widely unpopular war using some pretty shaky intelligence. W's signed off on some potentially illegal and unconstitutional wiretapping. The Republican Majority Leader, Tom DeLay, has been indicted in Texas.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016
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