X-Tra Rant

So I renewed my car’s license plate yesterday and ended up going for the Environment plate. It’s good, it helps buy parkland for the state. But I got to thinking… what about a license plate where your additional fee ($40 I think) would go towards enabling the state to purchase Carbon Credits on the world market? It would help reward countries that produce less greenhouse gasses and would be a start towards helping offset your own carbon footprint (although not nearly enough to cover your own car’s footprint, it would be a start).

Just an idea I’m throwing out there. Would you pay $40 for a Carbon Credit license plate? More?

OKay Tully. Seriously. WTF? Your column on Mayor Bart Peterson’s State of the City Address comes across as pure sour grapes and whiny bitching.

want to live in Peterson’s Indianapolis because, judging by his State of the City address Tuesday, it’s a fantasyland where the mayor can say, “It’s kind of fun to look back at 2006.”
You have to hope Peterson didn’t write that line.

Well, actually many good things happened last year. The new Colts stadium is coming along and the Colts won a Super Bowl less than a month ago, the police merger went through, construction on 38th street finally completed, the library and airport continued their construction of beautiful new structures, we hosted another successful Final Four… I could go on.

No I guess it would have been better if he just stood up there and said “2006 sucked. Fuck this shit! I’m gonna go kick some ass now! GRRRR BART SMASH!!!!”

He talked of saving the planet in part by trying to “minimize waste,” even though the city’s recycling program barely exists. He talked of “building a modern public transportation system,” without giving a clue of how the city could undertake such a task.

See, the task of a good leader is to actually LEAD. It’s to inspire us that we can do more. You know, like helping with the environment or a mass transit system that actually works. The State Of The City address is not the place to go into wonky details about everything. My guess (and this is just a guess) is that all of his proposals will start filtering out specifics as the next few months go by.

Oh as for specifics of the Rapid Transit Study, do some research. It’s right here.

As for crime in the city, am I the only person who isn’t a scared 6 year old girl about it? Yes, it’s went up significantly. But it is a national trend and that needs to be recognized. There are deeper issues behind it as well (poverty, economics, education, etc). Also, Indianapolis has had crime rates that are really so low compared to other urban areas that every time it gets closer to the average people freak the fuck out.

Maybe I was hoping Peterson would crumple up his speech and turn into Rudy Giuliani, pushing aside his Boy Scout shtick to show he’s as mad as the rest of us about everything from homicides to graffiti.
…
The crux of the mayor’s speech came when he pledged to spend $5 million a year on crime-prevention programs. That’s not a bad idea, but you have to worry about a mayor whose vision has been reduced to, “Let’s spend more.”

Which is it, Tully? Is crime an important issue that needs to be addressed, or should the money not be spent? And how is he supposed to fight the crime without spending more? Use sheer force of will? Unveil his new Superhero identity Captain Indianapolis (formed after a freak accident during a tour of Eli Lilly)? What’s with journalists and columnists idealizing this high on style, low on substance brand of politician? Oh… and just so you know, Guliani spent a mint on crime problems in NYC. Boy, I have to worry about a mayor who’s vision has been… oh. Never mind. That’s just Tully’s hypocrisy.

Indeed, in Fairy Republican/Libertarian Land all problems are fixed without ever spending more money. But that’s a true fantasyland.

And it’s hard to take Peterson’s latest plan to fix the city too seriously, given his empty promise back in 2003 to address property taxes that had skyrocketed. Or his underwhelming plan to attack abandoned houses.

Property Taxes need to be truly addressed at the state level. You know… all the debate going on in the Statehouse about that… or don’t you read your own paper?

As for abandoned houses, I don’t know the specifics of that plan but I can guess it’s alot harder than just condemning them or declaring eminent domain on abandoned properties. Something tells me if the Mayor were to just run around the city declaring eminent domain on abandoned buildings (or maybe Captain Indianapolis razes them with a single mighty blow without spending a dime) that you’d find something to complain about then, too.

But lately, the Indianapolis way seems to be for people to move out of the county.

Yeah that’s why all those condos are going in downtown. That’s why housing prices are still stable and in some areas still rising. Look at everyone FLEEEEEE.

But hey, maybe Bart will step into a phone booth and turn into Captain Indianapolis and solve all our problems without spending a dime. Then maybe Tully won’t have anything to bitch about. Until then, I’ll settle for a mayor who has good ideas, big ideas, and has done more for this city than many other mayors in the country have done for theirs.

Yes, Indianapolis has problems that need to be faced. Crime is certainly one of them. But find me a mayor that can single handedly (and without any additional spending) battle the national trends of crime increases and stop them in their tracks with a single stare from their mighty, manly gaze.

Now for an anti-assclown award, Indiana House Democrats passed a vote by mail bill along party lines. A similar system is used in Oregon to rave reviews and vastly increased voter turnout.

Of course, higher turnout scares Republicans (higher turnout elections tend to trend towards Democrats for many, hopefully obvious to you, reasons). Of course they can’t say that so they go to the old “voter fraud” scare tactic.

Republicans, though, uniformly opposed House Bill 1808, in part because of concerns that it would increase voter fraud.

From everything I’ve read, fraud has never been a problem with this system in Oregon and in fact has helped combat it.

Maybe someday we’ll get enough votes in the Senate to pass it there, too.

While I’m throwing the world ‘assclown’ around and inviting said assclowns to eat me, why not a mini-rant on Mitchie Rich? Seems that Mitchie’s healthcare plan died an unceremonious death despite bipartisan support. And what was Mitchie doing during the vote instead of drumming up support and being a, you know, leader?

According to rumors, Mitchie Rich was out eating dinner.

Ahhh the priorities of Mitch Daniels. That says all that needs to be said about him, I think.

Really. Senator Drozda can take a big long taste of my man meat. Drozda, my ex-State Senator when I lived back home in Tipton County, decided to tack onto the Lottery Lease bill an amendment that would forbid stem-cell research.

Drozda, you assclown, what the hell does one have to do with the other? Not only that, but don’t you realize that most Americans actually like the idea of scientific research that might cure many horrible diseases and, you know, doesn’t actually kill anything living to do it.

Even for you “We must protect Blastocyst-Americans!” types …. the ones that they would get research stem cells from would already be thrown out with the diswater at fertility clinics anyway!!!!!.

But I better not get into a debate with people who think that that is destroying life because the facts have an obvious liberal-heathen bias.

Yearrrrrrrghhhhh.

So apparently 1 in 4 U.S. women carry the cervical cancer virus HPV. But you know, giving girls a vaccine against it, that’ll just make them sluts. So nope! We better not do that.

Assclowns.

Full Disclosure: I know someone (Erin) connected to this issue and she is referenced in the following article. But being even this close to the situation or not, this story would appall me. I’m not sure how much detail I can/should get into so I will make my own commentary brief and quote liberally from the story.

Sorority Evictions Raise Issue of Looks and Bias

Worried that a negative stereotype of the sorority was contributing to a decline in membership that had left its Greek-columned house here half empty, Delta Zeta’s national officers interviewed 35 DePauw members in November, quizzing them about their dedication to recruitment. They judged 23 of the women insufficiently committed and later told them to vacate the sorority house.

The 23 members included every woman who was overweight. They also included the only black, Korean and Vietnamese members. The dozen students allowed to stay were slender and popular with fraternity men — conventionally pretty women the sorority hoped could attract new recruits. Six of the 12 were so infuriated they quit.

“Virtually everyone who didn’t fit a certain sorority member archetype was told to leave,” said Kate Holloway, a senior who withdrew from the chapter during its reorganization.
…
Despite those incidents, the chapter appears to have been home to a diverse community over the years, partly because it has attracted brainy women, including many science and math majors, as well as talented disabled women, without focusing as exclusively as some sororities on potential recruits’ sex appeal, former sorority members said.
…
In September, Ms. Menges and Kathi Heatherly, a national vice president of the sorority, visited the chapter to announce a reorganization plan they said would include an interview with each woman about her commitment. The women were urged to look their best for the interviews.
…
A few days after the interviews, national representatives took over the house to hold a recruiting event. They asked most members to stay upstairs in their rooms. To welcome freshmen downstairs, they assembled a team that included several of the women eventually asked to stay in the sorority, along with some slender women invited from the sorority’s chapter at Indiana University, Ms. Holloway said.

There’s plenty more so, as they say, you should Read The Whole Article. It’s an appalling situation and really highlights issues that go beyond this one sorority. it goes into a whole raft of women’s issues including body issues and what makes a woman “worthwhile” (i.e. intelligence and service vs. sex appeal).

I couldn’t be more proud of Erin and all the women of Delta Zeta at DePauw for how they are handling this very, very stressful situation. The media circus that has attached itself to this isn’t making it any easier.

A couple other blogs that have mentioned/covered the situation:

• Bitch PhD: Heroines of the Week; or, Sisterhood is Powerful
• Taking Down Words: DePauw Sorority Winds Up In The National Limelight
• Grabapple: Last Of The Geekhicans
• Feministing: Sisters of Substance
• Shakespeare’s Sister: My Sisters

Update: Local news getting into it.

• WTHR Channel 13: DePauw students angry over sorority ousting. Video (this link may or may not work. I think you need Windows Media PLayer 11 for this to work)

Channel 8 and channel 6 also did interviews but their stories are not on their websites yet. Still not a peep from The Star.

Update II: The story finally makes the Indianapolis Star. The article frames the story around larger greek issues at DePauw and it seems like they relied on other reporting more than their own. I’m still amazed that it took the New York Times covering this story plus more national media attention for the State’s largest newspaper (only 50 miles from Greencastle) to say anything about it. Ahhh The Star. Quality. :\

Update III More links.

• Good Morning America had two ex-members on and other taped interviews. The video is behind ABC’s “premium video” wall, but there is a story online about it.
• The story appeared on CNN’s Paula Zahn show last night. Video link here (works on with Windows Media Player 11 and Internet Explorer)

  Update IV Local news stations Channel 8 and 6 have both posted videos

  • Channel 8 (CBS) WISH Link to video (again, idiots only make it work in Internet Explorer)
  • Channel 6 (ABC) WRTV Text story and video. It didn’t work in my Firefox, but it did work in someone else’s so worth a try.

  I’m sure there are more links around the blogosphere. If you know any, post them in the comments.

  Erin is also a regular at the Indianapolis chapter of Drinking Liberally that I run.

  Erin, you and all of the other brave women of DZ at DePauw are an inspiration. I couldn’t be more proud to know you.

Thanks to Matt for the photo. I did the edit. This is released on a CC license, redistribute, by attribution, free to remix, non-commercial

stolen from another blog that I can’t remember right now. My current incoming text messages on my cell phone, senders names redacted.

• Get your tires?
• K, ill let u know when i pick up… it’ll be asap
• I close all weekend
• Loud enough?
• Wow champion colts . Have fun take care:)
• Wo0 hoo
• Thanks night
• The football gods don’t hate us!!
• FUCK. YOU. TOM. BRADY.
• How much does this score suck?
• Happy birthday!!!
• Not a problem all you really need cash for is earnest money and inspection
• On my way to dl, that is
• Hey everone, my new number is ###-###-####, local to South bend.
• Yes
• Did u have a nice time? ames
• Ok, i’ll call later about it.

Comics With Problems is brilliant stuff. A gold mine of funny.