CNBC: Indiana 7th Worst in Quality of Life Index in America

According the CNBC, not exactly what you would call a liberal bastion, the State of Indiana continues to fall behind in the quality of life index. We aren't exactly moving in the right direction either. Indiana dropped five spots from last year. Ranking 7th worst in the quality of life index is not something to be proud of. Nor is having seen teacher salaries declining more than all but one state in the country, when adjusted for inflation.

Things are not going so great in this state, when it comes to education, poverty, and quality of life. Given how Mike Claytor has shown that the state is cooking the books to make cooking the books to make the budget situation look better, so it is difficult to believe much that comes out of Indianapolis. Rhonda Rhoads and her partisan, far-right Tea Party agenda, which has targeted working families and our public schools have failed. It is time for her to go into early retirement. It is time for someone in Indianapolis that will work for regular people and our school. We need Heidi Sellers as our next State Representative.

Heidi, Heidi, Heidi, Oh! Rhonda Rhoads has got to go!

From Our Friends in Floyd County: Bailey, Sellers & Freiberger react to controversial State Board of Education action.

We wanted to share this press release from our Democratic friends next door in Floyd County. What can you do in Harrison County to put an end to these radical GOP policies? Help us to elect Heidi Sellers, Doug Leatherbury, and re-elect Sen. Richard Young. Visit, like, and share their facebook pages to help spread the word!

 

Bailey, Sellers & Freiberger react to controversial State Board of Education action.

 

New Albany – On Wednesday, Kevin Sue Bailey, Heidi Sellers and Chuck Freiberger – educators and candidates for State House District 72, House District 70 and State Senate District 46 respectively – released the following statement after the Indiana State Board of Education (SBOE) controversially stripped Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz of duties assigned to her as chair of the State Board.

“As educators, we were motivated to run for office because of our passion for the future of our state’s youngest citizens.  We spend every day working with students at New Albany - Floyd County Schools, West Clark Community Schools, Greater Clark Schools, and Harrison County Schools to ensure they receive the highest quality education possible.

“Regrettably, constant political interference not only complicates our jobs, but most importantly it’s unfair to our students.

“Our children’s future and college and career preparedness shouldn’t be a Democratic or Republican issue.

“We appreciate the political dialogue and desire to improve our state’s education system, but it’s about time we solely focus on the needs of Hoosier students, not those of for-profit out-of-state schools or private schools looking to add extra revenue to their budgets through vouchers.

“Today’s meeting revealed that the State Board of Education is more interested in scoring cheap political points rather than solving the real issues that help prepare our children for the jobs of the future.

“The last election ended in November 2012, yet it seems Republicans are still in denial as they’re still furiously trying to undo the results.

“Apparently, the election is still being contested by the governor and by members of the State Board who instead of respecting the decisions of Superintendent Ritz as the elected State Superintendent, are attempting to diminish her powers rather than abide by her judgments as a duly elected official.

“Elections have consequences and the State Board of Education should remember who they serve – Indiana’s parents and students – not politicians or political parties.  Perhaps Governor Pence has forgotten that Superintendent Ritz got 1.3 million votes, more than he did, in the 2012 election.

“Our students deserve better and we look forward to getting back to school and being part of the solution – not part of the problem. Together WE can do better!”

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Fighting for common sense education policy

This year in the Statehouse, House Democrats proposed common sense improvements to our state’s education policy, all of which were blocked by party line Republican votes. Instead Republicans voted to:

• Forgive $91,000,000 in charter school debt at the expense of squeezing public school budgets even tighter (HEA 1001)
• Allow firearms on school property (SB 229)
• Allow homeschooled students to participate in sports programs at public schools (HB1047)
• Spend millions of dollars to fully fund the Governor’s duplicative and controversial education agency where staff are paid salaries over $100,000, while teachers continue to see their classroom budgets decrease (HB 1319, Amendment 4)
• Backed out on implementing the Pre-K pilot program after taking credit for its passage

Indiana Republicans Refuse to Respect Voters

Republicans in Indiana must not think much of democracy. Despite her win over former school chief Tony Bennett, who was recently fined $5,000 by the State Ethics Commission, the Pence appointed State School Board, voted to take more power away from Glenda Ritz.

Here is a bit from a recent Courier-Journal article:

She continued to say that the resolution was wasteful and that it suggested that the Department of Education was not doing its job. But board member Dan Elsener said board’s battles with the superintendent have “never been personal and it’s never been political.” The crowd groaned and laughed.

“I reject this resolution,” Ritz said, and ruled it was “out of order.”
After a few minutes of disagreement between Ritz’s attorney and the board’s attorney, her decision was appealed and overruled by a 7-3 vote. The board also passed a resolution to change board procedures, which outraged Ritz’s supporters in the audience.

“There are many of us in the state, 1.3 million that voted for Superintendent Ritz,” said Lynn Richard Nelson, a retired professor of history education. “And we do not share your educational philosophy.”

The resolution would allow board members to set meeting times and add items to the agenda more easily, without the approval of the chair. “The public deserves to comment,” said board member Andrea Neal. “This resolution makes it too easy to add last-minute items.” Ritz said the resolution was “especially insulting” to her.

Vic Smith — a former educator who tracks school policy — said the resolution is a “political move to reduce the powers of the state elected superintendent.” Neal urged board members to vote against the resolution, but it passed 7-3. Raised voices and eye rolling led to a 10-minute recess before the board continued on with less controversial business.

After the meeting, House Minority Leader Scott Pelath, D-Michigan City, said it’s “getting beyond tiresome to see monthly power grabs.” “This nonsense must stop … but it won’t,” Pelath said. “The board will continue to pick away and pick away until there is no way for Hoosiers to have a say in the way their children are educated.”

It is about time that the radical Tony Bennett policies, rejected by Indiana voters, go to the dustbin of history. These policies have lowered moral among teachers in our state to record low levels. It should be noted that Rhonda Rhoads, the anti-public education retired teacher, backed the entire Bennett agenda, including vouchers and reducing money to public education. One thing we can do to send a message in November is to send a pro-public education teacher to the Statehouse in the fall. That person is Heidi Sellers. Like and share her facebook page to help get the message out, and to throw out Rhonda Rhoads.

Rhoads Rhoads gets a raise every year. Why is she blocking one for Hoosiers?

According to the Indiana Transparency Database, Rep. Rhonda Rhoads made $58,471.66 last year from her part time position in the Indiana House of Representatives. Her salary is tied to judicial pay, so she has gotten a raise every year since she entered the General Assembly. Plus, she is drawing a pension check from being a retired teacher, despite her frequent votes against public education and teachers.

However, she refused to co-sponsor HB 1151, by Rep. John Bartlett, which would have taken the modest step of raising the Indiana minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.25 per hour this year. This would have given a minimum wage worker a more than $2,000 a year raise. Her party refused to even give this a hearing, and spent much of their time this session on things that don't create jobs or raise wages. More than 70% of Americans want a minimum wage increase, and even Republicans in the Michigan Legislature recently passed an increase.

The questions we have for Rep. Rhonda Rhoads are simple.

• Do you support raising the minimum wage in Indiana at all?
• Would you support HB 1151 to raise the minimum wage by $1.00 per hour?
• Do you support the idea of having a minimum wage at all?
• If given the chance, would you abolish the minimum wage?
• Do you think it is right that you get a raise every year while minimum wage workers in Indiana are stuck at $7.25 per hour while you get salary and pension increase paid by taxpayers?

Answer us Rhonda. You have no problem giving your opinion on Duck Dynasty, so answer the questions.

The Coverage Gap in Indiana

Unlike all of our neighboring states, Indiana declined to accept the expansion of Medicaid. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation, 181,930 people will fall into a coverage gap thanks to Indiana declining to accept federal money for Medicaid expansion. These people in the gap are those that make too little qualify for subsidies in the exchange, but too much to qualify the existing Medicaid system. Gov. Pence is trying to get a waiver for an alternate plan, but it would not cover as many people versus simply accepting the federal funds. Let's make sure we elect people to the General Assembly which will take a close look at seeing these Hoosiers get covered. For those that have insurance now, why should you care? These people currently go the emergency room for care, which we all pay for through higher bills for health care.

The Coverage Gap: Uninsured Poor Adults in States that Do Not Expand Medicaid

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation

Indiana Democrats Push for Equal Pay for Women

Democrats across the country, and in particular the State of Indiana pushed for laws to guarantee equal pay for equal work for women. In the U.S. Senate, Republicans blocked even having a debate on a bill to make it easier for women to show disparity in pay. Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) voted to proceed, while Sen. Dan Coats (R-Indiana) voted against proceeding. Here in Indiana, Rep. Linda Lawson (D-Hammond) tried to get an amendment to simply set up a commission to study this issue. However, Republicans in the State House blocked this amendment. Take a look at these two articles on the issue.

Democrats: Indiana Needs To Do More On Equal Pay

Senate GOP Blocks Debate on Equal Pay Bill