Monday, March 30, 2009

Eric Miller's Family Values

While the legislature works behind closed doors to provide $30-$40 million in additional annual funding for the CIB so it can pay costs the billionaire sports team owners should be paying to maintain the sports palaces, Eric Miller and his Advance America organization are focused on stopping Inidana teachers from teaching students to tolerate other students from whom they are different. On diversity training, Miller writes, "Advance America does not support any effort to teach students that homosexuality and cross-dressing is acceptable." He adds, "Advance America does not support any effort to use the public schools to indoctrinate students with regard to politically correct positions on sexuality or religions."

Miller urges his supporters to write Indiana senators to vote against HB 1187. On a multi-million-dollar bailout for the billionaire sports team owners, which will undoubtedly include a mix of higher taxes and tax diversions, Miller is silent. In case Miller hasn't noticed, areas of the state where he garners the most support (think Elkhart, for one), are experiencing double-digit unemployment. They could care less about his divisive social issues when they're trying to figure out how to make do on their measly unemployment check. Lawmakers can't agree on a way to fund the bankrupt unemployment insurance system without cutting benefits to the unemployed. Yet, those same lawmakers seem determined to work out a deal behind closed doors to effect the transfer of tens of millions of dollars annually to the state's two wealthiest families on the backs of ordinary working Hoosiers and at the expense of other essential state spending. Where's the outrage?

3 comments:

Hoosier in the Heartland said...

As pointed out in eyeonindianapolis.blogspot.com, it's darn depressing that both the Irsays and the Simons need public money for their sports toy teams when the Hulman family can support the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a century without subsidies!

Paul K. Ogden said...

Angela,

Unfortunately, I think the Speedway people are getting in on the gravy train too. Some of the Speedway redevelopment appears to be for the the puporse of allowing the the track's owners to capture more revenue from activites outside the track. The Speedway Redevelopment Commission is probably going to end up using eminent domain to take people's land for the ultimate benefit of a private business enterprise.

Zappatista said...

Whenever I read something about Advance America and/or Mr. Miller, all I can think of is the late, great George Carlin and his skit about sending all of the sex offenders and violent criminals to Kansas. Wouldn't they be happier with their own little slice o' heaven?

I would be, if they found somewhere to go!