The primary failing of the 112th Congress has been its inability — and often downright refusal — to produce solutions to the nation’s problems, both long-term and day-to-day.
Since convening in January 2011, the legislative branch of the federal government has passed fewer than 180 bills into law. A USA Today analysis in August projected the 112th could finish this year as the least productive Congress since World War II. A glaring example of the body’s dismal performance is the looming “fiscal cliff,” a $500-billion bundle of tax hikes and automatic cuts to the military and multiple federal agencies, triggered at year’s end if lawmakers fail to finalize a budget. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office warns the fallout would plunge the economy back into a recession.
The nation needs bipartisan cooperation on Capitol Hill. Republicans and Democrats, tea partiers and liberals, must converse, compromise and act to handle America’s present needs and future concerns. Two years of nonstop, polarized, political grandstanding has thwarted the economy’s growth. The country wants results from its Congress, not endless complaints from its members about the other branches of the U.S. government.
Moderate voices of reason will be valuable when the 113th Congress begins early next year. Thus, our endorsement in the race for Indiana’s 8th Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives goes to Dave Crooks. The southern Indiana businessman spent 12 years as a representative in the Indiana House, ending that tenure to be with his stepdaughter, who lost a battle with leukemia, and tend to his growing business — a small group of radio stations. Crooks is a Democrat, but aptly describes himself as a moderate conservative. That viewpoint fits the 8th District, a vast 18-county area with a mix of conservatism, progressivism and in-between-ism.
Crooks especially appears able to address the wide range of concerns of Vigo Countians, who elect both Democrats and Republicans with some regularity. During his time in the Indiana Legislature, the House was evenly split between parties, 50-50. Every bill required negotiation and compromise. Lawmakers had to buck their party occasionally. Experience in that atmosphere would be refreshingly helpful in Washington, D.C., next year.
The Republican incumbent, freshman Rep. Larry Bucshon, is an Evansville area heart surgeon, with a sharp intellect and firsthand experience in the health-care field. Bucshon also has shown a bit more flexibility on some party-line issues than expected, in light of the partisan rhetorical atmosphere in his first campaign of 2010. Nonetheless, Bucshon has voted with his party 95.9 percent of time, the 18th highest rate of 240 House Republicans, according to Open Congress, a project of the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation.
Bucshon has cited some cases in which he crossed the political aisle to reach agreement, including the highway funding bill as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. That is admirable, but that sense of compromise has not emerged in the issues that have gridlocked Congress. We see Crooks as a more likely candidate to bring resolution to problems that have been left unaddressed for too long.
Editorials
EDITORIAL: Team effort needed
8th District candidate Dave Crooks more likely to take bipartisan approach
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The celebration season
Spring has been a bit elusive at times in 2013, which is its nature.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: MVC tourney an event worth having
It’s been a long time since the Missouri Valley Conference chose Indiana State University to host its post-season baseball tournament, but Terre Haute had never been more prepared for an event such as this.
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EDITORIAL: Cleaning up voter rolls
It’s not a lot of money in the big scheme of things, but the $2 million designated in the recent session of the General Assembly will begin the messy but necessary process of cleaning up Indiana’s voter registration rolls.
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EDITORIAL: Waging the ‘readiness’ campaign
Almost every Hoosier who starts college intends to finish. Unfortunately, those who arrive on campus unprepared in key academic areas are far less likely to fulfill that aspiration.
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EDITORIAL: Insult to an independent press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: Dashing finish for the Sycamores
It’s always thrilling to see Indiana State University’s athletic teams do well in high-level competition, and two specific teams rose to impressive heights last weekend in the Missouri Valley Conference outdoor track and field championships.
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EDITORIAL: Better monitoring needed to prevent local environmental messes
The nasty, hazardous messes lurking in the community raise a bottom-line, red-flag question. Could these environmental problems have been monitored and, thus, prevented?
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EDITORIAL: Memo to U.S.A.: You can ‘SPPRAK’ just as we do in Vigo County
Our kids, truly, are ‘Making a Difference’
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Some words in praise of boring government — Indiana’s
A conservative Republican governor has super majorities in both branches of the legislature. One might suspect such one-party government leads to major changes in public policy. This did not happen in 2013 in Indiana.
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EDITORIAL: Doc’s prescient prescription
Viewed through a 2013 prism, Doc Bowen’s response to the AIDS epidemic looks merely prudent, routine.
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EDITORIAL: Education remains worth the cost
Within the next few weeks, each of the local colleges will have conducted graduation ceremonies. A few days later, a different Class of 2013 will don caps and gowns for commencement — the seniors at five Vigo County high schools. It is still a smart, worthy aspiration for those high school grads to replicate the achievement of those college students by earning a higher-education degree.
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EDITORIAL: Good news for downtown
For decades, it seems, downtown Terre Haute has been in the throes of change
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EDITORIAL: Overall, state budget step in the right direction
For average Hoosiers uninterested in political point-scoring, the budget crafted by the Indiana Legislature inspires only muted, if any, fanfare.
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EDITORIAL: The lessons of organ donation
The range of emotion surrounding life-saving transplantation of a vital organ is extreme. It is the ultimate “good news-bad news” scenario.
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READERS’ FORUM: April 26, 2013
• Pence’s tax cuts benefit wealthiest
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
This does not qualify as a surprise in any way. But the Wabash Valley’s response to widespread flooding of recent days has been nothing short of impressive, even inspirational.
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EDITORIAL: Still waiting for the jobs reward
The forces in control of Indiana government for most of the past decade need to show some results to Hoosiers in one primary category.
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MARK BENNETT: Littered with irony: Why do people callously discard their trash, and who are they?
Though they aren’t acknowledged by the U.S. Census Bureau, there are basically two demographic groups of people … Those who would dump their old toilet on the banks of the Wabash River or a rural roadside. And those who wouldn’t.
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EDITORIAL: Doing the dirty work to clean up tossed trash
A first-of-its-kind, coast-to-coast project to remove litter from U.S. roadsides brought the Pick Up America crew through the Wabash Valley two years ago.
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EDITORIAL: Keep school security a local issue
The decision to provide armed security inside a schoolhouse should be made locally.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news
Indiana’s parks need your help.
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EDITORIAL: The return of terror
Emotions today remain strong and raw in wake of Monday’s terror bombings near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
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EDITORIAL: A solution to distracted driving … stop it … now
You’ve got to stop. You know you do it. It’s a miracle you haven’t caused a tragedy already.
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EDITORIAL: ‘Women of Influence’: 2013 selectees have given much to their communities
For the second year, United Way of the Wabash Valley has teamed up with local sponsors to select and honor a group of women who have made outstanding contributions to their communities, professions and families.
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EDITORIAL: Noteworthy in the news: A new honor for our veterans
A commendation goes out today to state Rep. Clyde Kersey, a Terre Haute Democrat who led the charge this week in the Indiana House of Representatives to pay tribute to the nation’s Purple Heart recipients.
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EDITORIAL: Shifting view on marriage
One could argue, as many have, that Sen. Joe Donnelly did the right thing last week when he dropped his support of government-sanctioned opposition to same-sex marriage. It wasn’t a radical move, considering most Democrats have now made the switch.
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MAX JONES: The American Newspaper: Changing? Yes. Dying? No way!
It happened again this past January when all those “looking at the year ahead” stories started popping up on Internet “news” websites and broadcast “news” programs. Under a provocative headline reading something like “Five industries/businesses doomed to tank in the coming year,” there it was, a prediction based on an unsubstantiated “expert” analysis that the newspaper industry will continue in 2013 to suffer its slide into oblivion.
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EDITORIAL: A chance to change our bad cultural habits
The sight of diligent, eager young people dragging trash out of the Wabash River wetlands is both inspiring and sad.
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EDITORIAL: Maintaining high standards
Standards
It’s the raging buzzword in education circles these days. Everyone insists that higher standards must be met. Anything less is, doggone it, unacceptable. -
Noteworthy in the news
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The celebration season
Raw Video: Washington State Bridge Collapse
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Bridge Collapse Survivor: 'Rough Day'
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
First Person: Mom Discusses Famous Tornado Photo
Boy Scouts Approve Plan to Accept Gay Boys
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Jersey Shore Open for Business
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Raw: Scuffles in London After Hacking Death
Today in History May 24
Britain Attack Believed Linked to Radical Islam
Johnson: Don't Blame Islam or UK Policy
ShowBiz Minute: Pickler, Franklin, Potter
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
AK-47-wielding thug may be the most bumbling crook ever
Oklahoma Survivors, Heroes Survey Damage
Trout's cycle a boost for Angels
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
Kim Kardashian Flaunts Pregnant Bikini Body in Greece
NBA star pledges $1M to help tornado recovery
Shakira's Shocking Talent
Morgan Freeman falls asleep on air
GRAPHIC: Blood-Soaked Machete Killer Caught on Tape
Elin Nordegren Furious With Lindsey Vonn For Parading Kids in Public
Camera Captures Climber As He Loses Grip And Falls
Helen Mirren Meets with Dying Boy in Queen Elizabeth's Place
Crowd Chants '¡Si, Se Puede!' After Passage of Immigration Bill
DWTS Crowns a Winner
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Demi Moore a Rocks Bikini at Harry Morton's Family House
Anthony Weiner: I'm running for New York City mayor
Kate Middleton's Dress Flies Up
VIRAL: Baby makes epic soccer goal
The Hangover Baby All Grown Up
