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THE RISE OF THE CHARLATANS
By Tina Dupuy
At the birth of every conspiracy theory is the question, “Who profits?â€
In the dark reaches of anonymous Internet forums, the answer is always Big Government, Big Pharma, Big Farm-a and occasionally Satan, aliens, the Illuminati, the Knights Templar, or the Pentavirate—some omnipotent all-powerful force that enviously pulls off vast nefarious synchronization perfectly.
And this assumption of divine coordination—an attempt to make sense of a chaotic indifferent world—is very bipartisan. It’s not just one party taking to the Internet or broadcast television to wrap themselves in cozy half-baked hyperbole—denying science and doubling down on baloney—it’s at the far reaches of both sides of the spectrum.
Republicans will tend to see the threat as anti-Christian or Big Government tyranny (Sharia law and “gubmint coming fir yer gunsâ€). Democrats tend to see the threat as anti-alternative medicine and anti-nature (i.e., animal protein causes cancer and there are chemicals in everything!).
Distrust, disinformation and a wide range of discussion boards have primed the American public for leaders who can give them reassurance. Figureheads who can tell them what they need to know, what no one else will tell them, what some don’t want them to know. You know, the “truth.â€
So in this land of the emboldened science illiterate, I pose the question, “Who profits?â€
The answer? Charlatans. Pseudoscience salesmen. Quacks and swindlers ready to feed off human misery with overly simplistic (and probably expensive) solutions.
The herbal supplements market, for example, is a $100 billion business globally. A study released this week from the New York State attorney general’s office found major retailers like Target, Walmart, GNC and Walgreens are selling what for all intents and purposes is snake oil. Herbal supplements with fillers in lieu of herbs. An entire aisle of the placebo effect estimated in the billions.
But if you think Big Pharma is trying to scam you, it’s priceless.
The History Channel, a joint venture between Hearst and Disney, has fed into this fevered fetish with their programming: “Ancient Aliens,†“UFO Hunters,†“Decoded,†“The Bible Code,†“Cities of the Underworld,†“Mystery Quest,†“Nostradamus Effect,†“Armageddon.†We effectively have an ahistorical History Channel.
This is something no one else will tell you … unless you turn on Disney-owned cable television.
Speaking of television charlatans—â€Dr.†Oz. Not only has he let psychics come on his show to chat with the dead, he’s a proponent of the widely debunked “detox†craze and was recently called out by Congress for hawking fake weight loss pills on his show. Quacks like a duck, must be a quack.
But like “Dr.†Oz, “Dr.†Rand Paul also gains from his fans’ beliefs rooted in junk science and disproved claims. Paul caused a stir this week by parroting the universally (and frequently) debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. He’s also involved with a phony science organization called the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. “Its periodical, Journal of the American Physicians and Surgeons, has published reports suggesting a link between abortions and higher rates of breast cancer,†reports The New York Times. “A tie rejected by an expert panel of the National Cancer Institute. Another report contended that illegal immigrants brought disease into this country and benefited if their babies were born with disabilities.â€
This is a doctors’ association? First do no harm…unless they’re illegals.
Then private-jet-baller, Governor Chris Christie, hoping to split the anti-vax vote opted to feed into people’s fears too. “Parents need to have some measure of choice in things as well, so that’s the balance that the government has to decide,†he said to a reporter this week. Christie is suddenly and shockingly pro-choice when it comes to public health. Unlike when he was pro-mandatory quarantine…like in October.
Charlatans are indicative of simple economics: supply and demand. As long as we demand manure, someone will step up to shovel it. And business appears to be good.
Governor Pence Ceremonially Signs Dyslexia Bill, HEA 1108
Governor Pence joined Hoosiers in the Statehouse Rotunda to ceremonially sign HEA 1108, which requires teacher training programs to prepare teachers to recognize when a student may have special learning needs, including learning needs related to dyslexia. The Governor was joined by bill author Representative Woody Burton (R – Whiteland), bill sponsor Senator Rodric Bray (R – Martinsville), and co-authors Representative Greg Beumer (R – Modoc), Representative Karlee Macer (D – Indianapolis), Representative Donna Schaibley (R – Carmel), and Representative John Bartlett (D – Indianapolis). Below is an excerpt from the Governor’s remarks. The full remarks as prepared for delivery can be found attached.
“Here in Indiana, we want every child to receive a quality education. Dyslexia should not be a deterrent to learning, and, thanks to House Enrolled Act 1108, Indiana is now addressing an important need in our state’s classrooms.
“This legislation requires teacher training programs to better prepare teachers to recognize when a student may need to be referred to the school’s multidisciplinary team to determine the student’s special learning needs, including those related to dyslexia. It also allows education service centers to offer courses and training related to dyslexia.â€
HEA 1108 goes into effect July 1, 2015. A photo from today’s ceremonial bill signing can be found attached.
Governor Pence Names Executive Director for Gaming Commission, Department of Financial Institutions Head
Governor Mike Pence today named Sara Gonso Tait as Executive Director of the Indiana Gaming Commission, effective June 1, 2015, after current Executive Director Ernest Yelton announced his retirement. She currently serves as General Counsel at the Indiana Gaming Commission.
“Sara Gonso Tait has served the people of Indiana well during her time at the Indiana Gaming Commission, and her dedication and experience within the Commission make her the perfect candidate for Executive Director,†said Governor Pence. “I know she will continue to serve Hoosiers with professionalism and distinction in her new role.â€
Previously, Tait worked as Director of License Control and a staff attorney for the Indiana Gaming Commission, and as a contract attorney for Lewis Wagner, LLP. Tait also currently serves as a Volunteer Guardian Ad Litem at Kids Voice. She earned her undergraduate degree from Miami University and her law degree from Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law.
The Governor today also named Tim Berry as Director of the Department of Financial Institutions, effective June 8, 2015. He fills the position previously held by Dennis Basset, who was recently named Public Finance Director of the Indiana Finance Authority.
“Tim Berry’s experience in public service and knowledge of state government make him a qualified candidate for Director of the Department of Financial Institutions,†said Governor Pence. “I am honored to appoint him, and I know he will serve the people of Indiana with dedication and integrity.â€
Berry most recently served as State Chairman of the Indiana Republican Party. Previously, he served as Auditor of State, where he managed all controls on accounting, payments and payroll transactions for the state. He also successfully worked with all other state agencies to implement the first fully-integrated financial system in Indiana state government history. Prior to his role as Auditor of State, Berry served as Treasurer of State for seven years.  Berry received his undergraduate degree from Bowling Green State University and his MBA from Indiana University in Fort Wayne.
THE MAGNA CONTRACT
Gavel Gamut
By Jim Redwine
(Week of 01June 2015)
THE MAGNA CONTRACT
When the National Judicial College sent me to Ukraine in 2000 to teach Ukrainian judges about our legal system, I learned more than I taught. Ukraine’s legal system was a moving target. It was less a system than a happenstance. What happened in court had more to do with the circumstances of the litigants than the facts and law. It struck me as the antithesis of Sir Henry Maine’s description of evolving cultures.
Maine (1822 – 1888) was a British legal theorist who postulated that cultures advance from “status to contractâ€, i.e., from where one’s birth, religion, etc. prohibit free association, to a society where one may associate with any consenting adult. Freely negotiated agreements are the hallmark of an advanced society.
America’s great contract between our government and the citizens is our Constitution. Our country may have been born on the Fourth of July, 1776, but it achieved its long lease on life September 17, 1787 when the Constitution was ratified. It is a justly revered but imperfect document that has required numerous amendments, twenty-seven, and will likely require more.
The institution that has the ultimate responsibility for interpreting the United States Constitution is the U.S. Supreme Court. This power was not set forth in the Constitution but was usurped by Chief Justice John Marshall in the case of Marbury vs. Madison (1803). Ironically, often the nine old folks on the court have got it as wrong as other cabals have.
For example, in Pace vs. Alabama (1883), 106 U.S. Sp. Ct. 583, the court upheld an Alabama statute that made it a felony for whites and “Coloreds†to cohabit. (Reversed in McLaughlin vs. Florida over eighty years later, 1964. This did little good for the Black man and white woman sentenced to two years in an Alabama prison.)
Then there is the aptly named case of Loving vs. Virginia. Twenty-three year old white man, Richard Loving, and seventeen year old Black, Mildred Jeter, left their home state of Virginia that prohibited interracial marriage and got married in Washington, D.C. Then they returned to Virginia where they were arrested in 1958 and found guilty in 1959. If there ever was a doubt about the wisdom of keeping religion out of government the decision of the Caroline County Virginia Circuit Judge, Leon M. Bazile, should dispel it. The Honorable Judge Bazile ruled:
“Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, malay and red and he placed them on separate continents. He did not intend for the races to mix.â€
Then he sentenced the couple to a year in jail and suspended it on the condition they leave Virginia for twenty-five years.
When they returned to visit relatives five years later they were arrested. The Lovings appealed but the Virginia courts upheld the sentence. Finally the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all anti-miscegenation laws in Loving vs. Virginia (1967) over one hundred years after the Civil War.
As the old legal adage goes, “The wheels of justice grind slowly, but exceedingly fine.†Perhaps our society will continue to slowly and finely remove the propensity for our government to tell us with whom we may freely contract.
Governor Pence to Offer Remarks at Change of Command Ceremony Tomorrow
Indianapolis – Tomorrow, Governor Mike Pence will offer remarks at the Indiana National Guard Change of Command ceremony at the Indiana War Memorial. In April, the Governor named Brigadier General Courtney P. Carr as the Adjutant General of Indiana upon the retirement of Major General R. Martin Umbarger. Details below.
Saturday, May 30:
2:00 p.m. EDT – Governor Pence to offer remarks at Change of Command ceremony
*Media are welcome to attend.
Indiana War Memorial, 431 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis
Governor Pence Appoints Members to the State Board of Education
Indianapolis – Governor Mike Pence today appointed members to the State Board of Education (SBOE), following the passage of Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reconstituted the SBOE and changed its composition.
“Today marks a fresh start for the State Board of Education,†said Governor Pence. “Ensuring a quality education for every Hoosier student remains of the utmost importance to our administration, and I commend the tireless efforts of the men and women who have devoted their time and expertise by serving on the Board. Hoosiers can be assured that the individuals appointed today to the State Board of Education bring to the table a wealth of unique educational experiences and remain wholeheartedly committed to serving our kids, our families, our teachers, and our schools.â€
Appointments and reappointments to the Board represent a range of urban, suburban, and rural school districts. The newly-appointed SBOE is comprised of individuals who have served at all levels of education – from teachers to superintendents. Other members are active in their communities and serve in leadership roles personally and professionally. Board members Andrea Neal and Dan Elsener asked not to be considered for reappointment.
Governor Pence appointed the following individuals to the State Board of Education:
Representing the First Congressional District, Eddie Melton has been appointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2016. Melton, of Merrillville, works as Manager of Federal Governmental Relations and Community Relations at Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). Melton currently serves on the Commission on the Social Status of Black Males after being appointed by Governor Pence.  He also currently serves as Midwest Regional Director on the American Association of Blacks in Energy. He received the “20 Under 40†Young Professionals Award from The NWI Times Media Company in 2011, and received his bachelor’s degree from Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Dr. Vince Bertram, of the Fifth Congressional District, has been appointed to serve on SBOE through June 30, 2017. Bertram,of Zionsville, currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Project Lead The Way (PLTW), headquartered in Indianapolis. He has also served as superintendent of Indiana’s third-largest urban school district and, in 2014, he was appointed by the U.S. Department of State to serve as the STEM education expert for the United States Speaker and Specialist Program. Bertram became a New York Times bestselling author in November 2014 with the release of his book, One Nation Under-Taught: Solving America’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Crisis. He received his undergraduate, master’s, specialist, and doctorate degrees from Ball State University, a master’s degree in education policy and management from Harvard University, and an executive certificate in strategy and innovation from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Lee Ann Kwiatkowski, of the Ninth Congressional District, has been appointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2016. Kwiatkowski, of Greenwood, currently serves as Assistant Superintendent for School Improvement M.S.D. of Warren Township in Indianapolis. Previously, she held a variety of positions at the Indiana Department of Education, including Director of School Turnaround, Director of Differentiated Learning, and Director of the Title I program. She received her undergraduate degree from Indiana State University, her master’s degrees in elementary education and educational administration from Indiana University, and her educational specialist degree from Indiana Wesleyan University. She is currently working on her doctorate degree in education from Oakland City University.
In addition, the Governor reappointed the following individuals to the State Board of Education:
Dr. David Freitas, serving as the Second Congressional District appointee, has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2018. Freitas, of Granger, has served on the SBOE since he was appointed by the Governor in June 2013. He has a vast array of experience and has served as a University Vice Provost, a College Dean of Education for more than 20 years, a professor of graduate-level university courses in educational leadership for more than 30 years, an elected city school board member, a State Department of Education official, a national and international invited speaker on education issues, a consultant for the U.S. Department of Education, and a public school teacher and administrator.
Cari Whicker has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2019, representing the Third Congressional District. She has served on the SBOE since her appointment in April 2012. Whicker, of Uniondale, currently serves as a sixth grade language arts and social studies teacher at Riverview Middle School in Huntington.
Representing the Fourth Congressional District, Sarah O’Brien has been reappointed to serve on the SBOE through June 30, 2019. She has served on the SBOE since her appointment in April 2009. O’Brien, of Avon, currently works at River Birch Elementary School and will teach fourth grade next year.
Gordon Hendry, of Indianapolis, has been reappointed to represent the Seventh Congressional District on the SBOE through June 30, 2017, after first being appointed in September 2013. He is First Vice President of CBRE, Inc., where he serves as the Midwest regional leader of the company’s Public Institutions and Education Solutions Group.
Representing the Eighth Congressional District, BJ Watts has been reappointed to serve through June 30, 2018. He has served on the SBOE since his original appointment in 2012. Watts, of Evansville, has taught at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation (EVSC) since 2001, is a member of the Evansville Teachers Association and the Indiana State Teachers Association, and currently serves on the National Association of State Boards of Education.
Under this reorganization, the Governor has eight appointments with staggered terms. They will serve alongside two legislative appointments and the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Of the Governor’s eight appointments, no more than five can be from the same political party, at least six must have professional experience in the field of education, and only one member can be appointed from a particular congressional district.
The next SBOE meeting is June 3, 2015 in West Lafayette.
Recognizing Indiana’s emergency responders
Every day, there are countless Hoosiers working around the clock to keep our communities safe. Each year around this time, we take a moment and set aside a week to honor our state’s emergency medical services (EMS) personnel; a group of selfless Hoosiers that encompass a wide range of professions including paramedics, police officers and firefighters to list a few.
While we all hope we never need assistance from one of these individuals, they remain vigilant in every community, 24 hours a day and seven days a week, just in case we do. Imagine for a moment that each day, as you prepare for work and say good-bye to your loved ones, you had to wonder if you would return home at the end of your shift. This is a daily reality for EMS workers and one that their families struggle with as well.
In honor of EMS Week, I wanted to share one way that the state of Indiana is looking out for our EMS workers, particularly our firefighters. For nearly 50 years, Indiana has been home to an academy which provides rigorous training to prepare law enforcement professionals for service. This statewide programming is beneficial to the officer so that he or she knows how to respond in emergency situations, but it is also beneficial to the average Hoosier who relies on their guidance during those same situations.
However, did you know that Indiana does not currently have a similar academy for firefighters?
During session, we heard testimony from the Indiana Fire Chiefs Association which stated that, nationally, there are fewer fires today than in the past, but today’s fires burn hotter and faster due to the prevalence of petroleum products in our everyday lives.
As a result, fires often require several departments to combine resources and work together in order to put them out. At times, this posed certain challenges when multiple departments, who all have the same certification but received different training, would get called to the same fire. When lives are on the line and literally every second counts, cooperation between departments should be at its strongest, which is why a uniform training system is necessary.
The Indiana Law Enforcement Academy often uses volunteer instructors to teach recruits as well as established law enforcement officers. The Indiana State Fire Academy, which was created this session, will provide that same type of volunteer instruction for firefighters and would aim to provide consistent, high-quality training to firefighters regardless of what city or town they work in.While this adds a valuable layer of public safety for Hoosiers, it is also designed to decrease injury amongst firefighters and ensure they return home safely to their families.
Whether it is through providing life-saving services at the scene of an accident, saving our home from fire or keeping order at large events like the Final Four or Indy 500, life as we know it would not be possible without these selfless men and women. The debt that we owe them could never be repaid, but a simple act of gratitude goes a long way. Next time you are out in the community and you see one of these individuals, I encourage you to take a moment to say thank you.
Catch the Latest Edition of “The Indiana State Police Road Showâ€
Catch the latest edition of the “Indiana State Police Road Show†radio program every Monday morning at your convenience.
This week’s show features Indiana Department of Transportation Median Relations Director, Nathan Riggs. Mr. Riggs discusses the INDOT trash removal process and current construction projects.
Download the program from the Network Indiana public websites at www.networkindiana.com. Look for the state police logo on the main page and follow the download instructions. The ISP Road Show can also be viewed via YouTube.
Go to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5Bg1KjBd7H1GxgkuV3YJA or visit the Indiana State Police website at http://www.in.gov/isp/  and click on the YouTube link. This 15 minute talk show concentrates on public safety and informational topics with state wide interest.
The radio program was titled “Signal-10†in the early sixties when it was first started by two troopers in northern Indiana. The name was later changed to the “Indiana State Police Road Show†and is the longest continuously aired state police public service program in Indiana.
Radio stations across Indiana and the nation are invited to download and air for FREE this public service program sponsored by the Indiana State Police Alliance and Cops for Kids, a subsidiary of the Indiana State Police Alliance.