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House Republican Legislative Agenda Bills Progressing through the House

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HB 1001
House Bill 1001 gives local governments the option to exempt business personal property taxes on new investments.

By providing this option, local officials will have more tools available to them to attract new jobs.

HB 1001 passed through the House this week with a vote of 63-33 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.
HB 1003

House Bill (HB) 1003 recently passed out of the House with a vote of 89 to 6. This bill helps equip our workforce and address the skills gap.
This bill will better prepare students for the workforce by offering grants to school corporations and businesses to partner together through training opportunities.

It will benefit students and businesses alike: students will gain real-world experience, hone their skills to compete in today’s job market and potentially get a job, and businesses will have a pipeline of qualified candidates to fill available job openings in the future.

Additionally, the legislation will encourage partnerships between higher education institutions and businesses to foster internships and apprenticeships for college students. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) will award a tax credits to businesses that choose to hire college students that have gone through these programs with their business as part of their studies at a university or college.

HB 1003 is a key fixture of the House Republicans’ 2014 agenda, and the measure will now be further discussed in the Senate.


HB 1005

House Bill 1005 will work to repeal unnecessary and outdated laws and regulations, so businesses have less bureaucratic red tape to deal with.

Through the creation of the House Government Reduction Committee, 40 government boards and commissions in addition to more than 400 government appointments have been cut.

The House Republicans consistently seek ways to keep government effective and efficient. HB 1005 is currently on third reading in the House. Click on the stop sign to learn more about HB 1005.

HB 1002

House Bill 1002 increases road project funding by focusing on Indiana’s infrastructure to meet the state’s needs.

Click this icon to hear the author of HB 1002, Chairman of Ways and Means Rep.  Tim Brown (R-Crawfordsville), discuss the  benefits of passing the legislation.
At the start of the 2014 session, Speaker Brian C. Bosma (R-Indianapolis), joined by fellow House Republicans, unveiled the caucus’ legislative agenda.  Titled “Working on Progress”, the agenda focuses on five key concepts to make Indiana a better state: preparing kids for their careers, connecting crossroads to communities, equipping our workforce, cutting taxes and stopping burdensome regulations.

House Bill 1004 already passed out of the House earlier this session and gives low-income families options for high-quality preschool programs.

Senate sends House bill to tweak do-not-call list

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By Hannah Troyer
TheStatehouseFile.com

INDIANAPOLIS – Individuals who continue to get pesky solicitation calls, despite being a part of Indiana’s “Do Not Call List,” would be able to receive help under a bill that passed the Indiana Senate on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 349, authored by Sen. Jim Merritt, R-Indianapolis, would apply the current Do Not Call laws to consumer transactions as well as callers in commercial telephone solicitations.

The attorney general’s office received more than 13,000 violation complaints regarding solicitation calls last year.

Merritt described a common situation that the current Do Not Call law does not stop.

He said the call originates in a foreign country and then is routed through several calling stations before connecting to someone in Indiana.

Merritt also said that type of violation makes it difficult for the attorney general to catch the person breaking the law.

Currently, a person found guilty of breaking the “Do Not Call” laws must pay a fine up to $10,000 for the first violation and $25,000 for each violation after.

The bill now moves to the House for consideration.

Hannah Troyer is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

Vanderburgh County Booking Recent Records

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 SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

 

WILLIAM CONLEY HIGGS
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 47
Residence: 2517 OLD BUSINESS 41 EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 6:22:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
THEFT-OTHR [DF] 750
CRIMINAL MISCHIEF LOSS >$250 < $2500 [AM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $750
JAMES ROBERT TIMMONS
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 33
Residence: 1004 N WEINBACH AVE EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 5:21:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
PAUL TAYLOR LUKAC
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 23
Residence: 5730 CALLE LAS CASITA EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 5:03:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE FELONY 0
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 250
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
LAVELLE DEON HAPPOLEDT
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 21
Residence: LIFEWAY MINISTRIES HENDERSON, KY
Booked: 2/1/2014 4:39:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
ALC-PUBLIC INTOX [BM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
ROCKY GARRICK CRADDOCK
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 18
Residence: 13215 HIGHWAY 60 E SPOTSVILLE, KY
Booked: 2/1/2014 4:17:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
ALC-MINOR, POSSESS, CONSUME, TRANSPORT [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
LOUIS MICHAEL EDLUND
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 30
Residence: 1105 SE FIRST ST EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 3:14:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
PAROLE VIOLATION – STATE 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
TRAVIS NEAL DENTON
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 42
Residence: 8328 LINCOLN AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 2:21:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 0
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
JACK RAYMOND WIRTH
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 35
Residence: 1322 PARRETT ST EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 2:02:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
BATTERY-SER INJ/ KNIFE [CF] 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
ADAM WALTER RIETMAN
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 30
Residence: 2232 E CHANDLER AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 1:27:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 0
Total Bond Amount: $0
FREDRICK DEMONTE SHERMAN
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 33
Residence: 1110 S GOVERNOR ST EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 1:05:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
ROBERT LEE WATSON
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 38
Residence: 2530 OLD BUSINESS 41 EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 7:39:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
SEX OFFENDER-FAILURE TO REG PRIOR CONVICTION [CF] 5000
PAROLE VIOLATION – STATE 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
JONATHAN KEITH HARDIMAN
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 33
Residence: 209 S FOURTH ST PRINCETON, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 5:04:00 AM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
OMVWI-B A C .15% OR MORE [AM] 200
OMVWI [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $200
CHRISTOPHER SCOTT ROMAN
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 33
Residence: 4612 DETROY RD EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 4:09:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 2000
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 0
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 0
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 0
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 0
NARC-POSS OF PRECURSORS [DF] 0
Total Bond Amount: $2000
NATALIE ANN THOMAS
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 26
Residence: 5044 ARCHES DRIVE NEWBURGH, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 4:06:00 AM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
OMVWI-B A C .15% OR MORE [AM] 200
OMVWI [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $200
ZACHARY ALAN MILLER
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 27
Residence: 1722 S HELFRICH AVE EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 3:40:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
NARC-POSS MARIJUANA, HASH OIL, HASHISH, < 30 G [AM] 200
DISORDERLY CONDUCT [BM] 0
RESIST LAW ENFORCEMENT [AM] 0
OTHER AGENCIES CHARGES 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
JAMES PATRICK HALLER
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 58
Residence: 204 3RD ST W UNIT 308 BRADENTON, FL
Booked: 2/1/2014 3:40:00 AM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
TRAFFIC-DRIVING W/LIC SUSP PRIOR INF [AM] 200
OMVWI-B A C .08 <1.5 [CM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $200
MINDY CHERYL HANDLON
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 26
Residence: 3410 LOST CREEK DR EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 3:06:00 AM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
OMVWI [AM] 200
TRAFFIC-AGGRESSIVE DRIVING [AM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $200
DARSHAY AKY ROBINSON
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 32
Residence: 1404 JEANETTE AVE EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 2:06:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
BATTERY-HFF DOMESTIC PRESENCE OF CHILD < 16 [DF] 500
BATTERY-HFF DOMESTIC [AM] 0
BATTERY-HFF INJ [AM] 0
DISORDERLY CONDUCT [BM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $500
KYLE EDWARD VINCENT
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 21
Residence: 11975 PETERSBURG RD EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 1:11:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 250
Total Bond Amount: $250
TIMOTHY OLLIE K STIFF
Race: Black / Sex: Male / Age: 20
Residence: 714 CHATEAU DR EVANSVILLE , IN
Booked: 2/1/2014 12:58:00 AM
CHARGE BOND AMT
ROBBERY-ARMED W/ FIREARM [BF] 5000
Total Bond Amount: $5000
MONICA LYNN EMBRY
Race: White / Sex: Female / Age: 23
Residence: 617 E FRANKLIN ST EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 1/31/2014 11:20:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
PETITION TO REVOKE PROBATION 0
Total Bond Amount: NO BOND
DAVID HERODIDU POSTLETHEWEIGHT
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 58
Residence: 1908 E ILLINOIS ST EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 1/31/2014 10:14:00 PM
CHARGE BOND AMT
FAILURE TO APPEAR-ORIGINAL CHARGE MISD 200
WRIT OF ATTACHMENT 500
TRAFFIC-DRIVING W/LIC PRIOR SUSP PRIOR OF [AM] 200
TRAFFIC-OP W/O INS / PRIOR [CM] 0
TRAFFIC-EQUIP BRAKE LIGHTS/TURN SIGNALS 0
Total Bond Amount: $900
COLE JOSEPH GOSS
Race: White / Sex: Male / Age: 22
Residence: 3546 KEYSTONE HILLS DR EVANSVILLE, IN
Booked: 1/31/2014 9:29:00 PM
Released
CHARGE BOND AMT
OMVWI-B A C .15% OR MORE [AM] 0
Total Bond Amount: $0

Vincennes Grandmother Arrested for Driving Under the Influence of Meth

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ISP

 SPONSORED BY DEFENSE ATTORNEY IVAN ARNAEZ.
 DON’T GO TO COURT ALONE. CALL IVAN ARNAEZ @ 812-424-6671.

Saturday morning, February 1, at approximately 8:55, Indiana State Police responded to a single vehicle crash on US 41 south of SR 241 near Decker that injured two adults and two children.
Brandy R. Parker, 40, of Vincennes was driving her 2003 Chevrolet southbound on U.S. 41 when she drove off the east edge of the roadway into the median. Parker attempted to get her vehicle back onto the roadway, but overcorrected causing her vehicle to skid across both lanes and off the west side of U.S. 41 striking a highway sign and the earth embankment. Parker and her boyfriend, Hurley Manning, 40, of Vincennes were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes where they were treated for minor injuries and later released. Parker’s three and four-year-old granddaughters were in the back seat buckled up with only a lap belt. Indiana law requires children under the age of 8 to be properly restrained in a child safety seat or booster seat. Both children received minor cuts to their face and were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital in Vincennes where they were treated and later released. While investigating the crash Trooper Bastin noticed Parker was impaired. Further investigation revealed she was under the influence of methamphetamine. Parker was arrested and taken to the Knox County Jail where she is currently being held on a $5,000 bond.

ARRESTED AND CHARGES:
• Brandy Parker, 40, 1980 S. Ballard Drive, Vincennes, IN
1. Driving While Intoxicated (Methamphetamine), Class A Misdemeanor
2. Driving While Suspended, Class A Misdemeanor
3. Child Restraint Violation, Infraction

ICYMI: The Latest ObamaCare News

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220px-Larry_Bucshon,_official_portrait,_112th_CongressSmall business employees react to life changes necessitated by Affordable Care Act - Channel 4 Action News anchor Wendy Bell goes inside a McKeesport business to find out what happens when workers learn how the Affordable Care Act will affect them. “I don’t know how President Obama thinks that he’s helping us because we can’t afford this. We can’t afford to pay these co-pays, to pay these deductibles.” (WTAE; 1/29/14)

Ivy Tech President: ObamaCare Mandate Harms Our System - The president of Ivy Tech Community College says part of President Obama’s health care law could force the two-year college system to either raise prices or limit access to college classes for students who can’t take them elsewhere.  “The Affordable Care Act has caused us to reevaluate teaching hours for our adjunct faculty,” said Thomas Snyder in testimony to the House Ways and Means Committee in Washington. “We’ve done this with very limited guidance. Like most community colleges, our funding does not provide for unfunded mandates,” such as the rule that employees who work at least 30 hours per week must be provided health insurance. (WIBC; 1/28/14)

 

FACT CHECK: Obama again misleads about ObamaCare in the State of the Union – This claim has long been thoroughly debunked. For starters, the 9 million number includes 3.9 million people who signed up for Medicaid in October and November. But as Washington Post fact checker Glenn Kessler wrote two weeks ago, the administration is claiming credit for everyone who signed up for Medicaid over that period, not just those who signed up for Medicaid as a result of ObamaCare’s eligibility expansion. “But what these figures do not tell you is how many additional people have joined Medicaid because of the Affordable Care Act,” he wrote. “No one really knows, though some have tried to tease out figures from the data that has been presented.” Sean Trende of RealClearPolitics estimates that perhaps fewer than 10 percent of the reported 3.9 million Medicaid sign-ups could be attributed to ObamaCare. (Daily Caller; 1/28/14)

 

U.S. Rep. Bucshon hosts discussion group on Affordable Care Act - Caren Whitehouse considers herself to be pretty computer savvy. The Vanderburgh Medical Society executive director said, though, it took her several attempts to sign up for the insurance exchange under the Affordable Care Act, although she doesn’t qualify… “It was extremely difficult,” she said. (Courier & Press; 1/24/14)

Rep. Bucshon Holds ACA Town Hall - Congressman Larry Bucshon is clear on his position about the Affordable Care Act. “I don’t believe at the end of the day this is going to be the end of the solution to meet our goals,” Rep. Bucshon said. But that didn’t stop him from hearing from those who support it. “I’m optimistic, I’m very optimistic. Much like you Doc, I think that we will figure this out. This is a way of evolving to a better place,” Mary Ann Conroy, CEO of Terre Haute Regional Hospital. And those who find the law flawed. “It’s frustrating. I think it was implemented without care and concern, too quickly,” Danny Tanoos, VCSC Superintendent said.  (WTWO; 1/24/14)

 

Rep. Bucshon Says Voters are Concerned over the Affordable Care Act - “Concerns over coverage and cost.” That’s what Congressman Larry Bucshon says he’s hearing the most from constituents regarding the Affordable Care Act. Indiana’s 8th District Represenative held a bipartisan roundtable discussion tonight at Ivy Tech. He invited a wide spectrum of participants, such as local officials, business owners, and taxpayers, to talk about the impact they’ve seen from the federal healthcare law. (News 25; 1/24/14)

The Young and the ObamaCare-less - But ObamaCare’s regulations require younger and healthier people to be overcharged in the name of equity and income redistribution, and if they don’t report for duty then rates will surge over time. Age is a crude actuarial proxy for health status, and merely 24% of enrollees are between ages 18 and 34. ObamaCare’s economics needs that to rise to about 40% to achieve a critical mass. Enrollment also skews heavily to people 55 to 64 years old, at 33%. Insurance policies plunge into a “death spiral” when premiums don’t cover the cost of claims, causing rates to surge year over year and more and more beneficiaries to drop coverage. This “adverse selection” already appears to be underway in eight states including Maryland, Washington, Ohio, Texas and Indiana. (WSJ; 1/20/14)

Sen. Long sends marriage amendment to rules committee

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It was expected that the resolution would be assigned to the Judiciary Committee, but Long said he is sending it to the rules committee because of its size and because it includes many committee chairs. Long chairs the rules committee. The resolution is expected to be heard the week of Feb. 10. Long said he’d prefer the resolution not be amended in committee, but he wouldn’t block any amendments on the floor.The resolution was amended in the House to remove the second sentence, which stated “A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.” As a result of concerns over this sentence, a companion bill was introduced, House Bill 1153, outlining the legislative intent of the amendment. HB 1153 is on second reading in the House, but on Thursday, author Rep. Eric Turner, R-Cicero, passed on bringing the bill to the floor for discussion.

IS IT TRUE Weekend Feb 1-2 #1

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Mole
Mole

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Winnecke proudly announce the City of Evansville’s location for the the “official and subsidized” site for the IU Medical School and to no one’s surprise that is in downtown Evansville?…the site proposed is the 6 block area bordered by Locust, 6th, Cherry, and 4th Streets that contains just over 17 acres?…there are several operating businesses in that area including D-Patrick, the Welborn Clinic, Townsgate Media, and Just Rennies?…there are more but these are the big ones?…the City while announcing that they have options on all of the properties will still have to make the purchases to make this happen?…back when Mayor Weinzapfel was wanting to use half of that same area for the arena it was well known that the D-Patrick price was why the arena was moved?…it will be interesting to see just how that price rumored to have been about $10 Million has done due to its proximity to the shiny new Ford Center?…wouldn’t it be something to hear the spin for if the Ford Center has caused the D-Partick property and the others to depreciate in its first 2 years of operation?

IS IT TRUE just to get a handle on the size of the golden lot we did some measurements of some other local entities that may give our readers a little more perspective?…the downtown Deaconess campus is 20 acres, and the Warrick County Deaconess Complex is 55 acres?…the old University of Evansville footprint with Walnut, Weinbach, Lincoln, and Rotherwood as boundaries is 35 acres?…both the Promenade and the Warrick County Medical Park exceed 100 acres?…if IU is expansion centric the downtown site is dead on arrival?…if acreage means little or nothing to IU then the downtown site will be a part of the horserace?…if IU is sensitive to close by living quarters for the reportedly 3,600 jobs (Winnecke words) and 2,000 students the campus will attract then the downtown site is DOA as well?…it will be interesting to see this drama play out?

IS IT TRUE that the State of the Union address has not moved the job approval rating of President Obama one iota on the Real Clear Politics average?…that is quite unusual since the SOTU usually provides a positive bump for whomever makes the speech?…that probably speaks very much to the high probability that Americans that support the President will not be moved, that people who oppose the President won’t either, but more importantly that most Americans have tuned out to the President without regard to what he may say?

Why Americans are Broke and Miserable

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ghost of a dream

by: Stven Tobak

Want to know why the gap between the haves and the have-nots keeps growing? Because the haves live within their means. They don’t waste their hard-earned money on all the crap that Americans spend billions, maybe even trillions, on each year.

American consumers seem to have an almost insatiable appetite for just about any type of useless garbage that anyone decides to make in China for a few bucks and sell here for a few hundred. Which is probably why nobody has any savings and everyone complains they don’t have enough money to live on.

Actually, the problem is much worse than that. The all-consuming consumer is like a lifestyle choice that’s quickly becoming the norm. What’s it all for? Honestly, I really don’t know. All I do know is that it wastes far more than our money. It wastes our time. It wastes our lives. And it doesn’t make us happy. It makes us miserable.

Don’t get me wrong. Buying and selling goods is good for the economy. That’s not what I’m talking about here. I’m talking about stuff that nobody needs or can afford. I’m talking about stuff that has no benefit. I’m talking about stuff that’s a flat-out scam. Here’s a surprisingly long laundry list, off the top of my head:

Cars for every purpose. We have minivans, SUVs of every size, crossovers of every shape, convertibles, pickups, and options and gadgets for everything but driving. I have a neighbor with a sedan, a minivan, a VW Bug, a pickup, and a convertible – for two adults and two kids (only one can drive and he has his own truck). Of course there’s no room in their garage for any of their vehicles. Too much junk.

Weight loss systems. It’s hard to believe, but we’ve somehow managed to become an entire society of obese people who spend billions on miracle diets, club memberships, and workout equipment. And have you noticed how everything is a system? Even a caffeine pill is a diet system.

Dog and cat food and toys. The pet food industry is about $20 billion and the fastest growing segment is the pricey stuff. My wife buys it. Does it do any good? I have no idea. They still die of cancer. Yeah, I know they’re like our kids, but still. My dog growing up had Alpo, a leash, a collar, and the occasional Liv-a-Snap. Throw in a stick and she was good to go. And she lived to 17.

Self help books. People are obsessed with self-improvement, time management, and leadership parables and platitudes. We spend billions trying to become someone we’re not. I don’t care whose habits they are, where you put the cheese, or what some guy says he can do in a 4-hour workweek. It’s all a waste. Find yourself, do what you love, work hard, be happy. That’s what works. That’s how you get ahead.

Vitamins, supplements, and miracles cures. Don’t even get me started on homeopathic medicine, colonics, hair growth, male enhancement products, and pills for your libido. They’re all scams.

Gambling. Not just Vegas, Atlantic City, and Indian casinos, either. How about the lottery? A sucker’s bet that rakes in billions. And the stock market. Think you can time the market or pick winning stocks? That’s funny; the pros can’t.

Sneakers for every activity. When did one pair of $20 sneakers become 6 pairs of $100 running shoes, cross trainers, basketball shoes, walking shoes, hiking shoes, and waterproof trail running shoes?

Sporting goods and gear. Everywhere I go I see basketball hoops – and nobody is ever playing. Sneakers are just the tip of the iceberg. We buy more sporting goods and gear than ever before and we’re all in worse shape than ever before. But I bet you’ve got closets and garages just full of all that stuff you don’t use.

Costco. Let me just say this. The Tobaks have enough toilet paper and garbage bags to last a lifetime.

Fast food. It isn’t that fast and it isn’t cheap. On the other hand, it tastes like garbage and is terrible for you. If you just stay home and learn to cook from scratch, you can get a healthy, great-tasting meal on the table for less. And no, it doesn’t take that long.

Foodie food. Just because you call yourself a foodie doesn’t make you a chef. It just means you pay way too much for all sorts of pricey stuff. We have a specialty supermarket near our house, sort of like a Whole Foods. They’re all over California. I don’t know how anyone can afford to shop there. I guess I could if I wanted to, but why? It’s dumb.

Kitchen gadgets. Kitchens are filled with all sorts of gadgets and machines these days. It’s nuts. Want to know how the pros crush garlic? They smash it with the flat blade of their knife. Bam! Crushed garlic. And pro blenders have an on-off switch. Mine has all sorts of settings and sensors, none of which work.

Specialty booze, wine and beer. Ever do a blind taste test of $100 versus $20 wine? I bet most people would like the cheap wine better. And how much of that pricey Patron Tequila with Cointreau and Grand Marnier do you think you can taste in a margarita filled with sour mix?

Water and sports drinks. Bottled water and sports drinks are a huge industry. It’s hard to believe that people spend billions on H2O, sugar, and salt. Don’t even get me started on energy drinks.

Smart appliances. These days everything from stereo systems and refrigerators to washers and dryers are networked and full of sensors and displays. All our homes are full of this stuff. And you know what? The more features and functions, the faster it breaks.

Designer clothes. When exactly did $20 sweatshirts turn into $200 hoodies? And when did $20 Levis become $200 Diesels? Watches, suits, handbags, shoes — it’s nuts. I wear t-shirts, torn jeans and Vans. Even that ain’t cheap.

Gadgets. Call me reactionary, but I think smartphones are making everyone dumb. I’m from the high-tech industry and get this: I don’t feel the slightest need to own an iPad and I don’t replace my phone or computer anywhere near as frequently as other people do. Why? Because there’s no reason to. I mean, why should I have to be ashamed to have an iPhone 3GS? It works fine. Really.

Beds. The best mattress I ever owned cost like $500, and I think that included the box spring. Know how much a Tempur Pedic or Sleep Number bed costs? Me neither, but I’m pretty sure it’s in the thousands. Our backs evolved for sleeping on the ground. How complicated can a bed be?

Here’s the thing. Life is for living, not owning or buying. Just ask any legitimate Buddhist monk and he’ll tell you: the less you have, the happier you’ll be. The simple things make you happy. Complicated things make you miserable. No kidding.

Steve Tobak is a Silicon Valley-based strategy consultant and former senior executive of the technology industry.

7th Circuit vacates child porn supervised-release condition

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by Dave Stafford for www.theindianalawyer.comindianalawyer

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals vacated a sentence for possession of child pornography Thursday that it ruled imposed an unconstitutionally vague condition of supervised release. The court affirmed, in the case, convictions of attempting to distribute heroin and illegal possession of a firearm.

Scott Adkins of Gary was convicted of the heroin count and a charge of possession of a firearm by a felon in a jury trial before Chief Judge Philip P. Simon in the Northern District of Indiana in Hammond. Adkins later pleaded guilty in a separate case to receipt of child pornography.

Authorities in 2009 intercepted a UPS package containing heroin inside stuffed snowmen and tracked it to Adkins’ home with an electronic monitoring device. When Adkins opened the package, the device alerted and agents raided Adkins’ home.

A search turned up two guns and pornographic videos of girls appearing to be 7 or younger, according to the court. Adkins was sentenced to four years of supervised release on the heroin charge and three years of supervised release on the gun charge, concurrent to a term of 15 years supervised release on the child pornography charge.

In accepting supervised release on the child porn charge, Adkins agreed to a condition that he “shall not view or listen to any pornography or sexually stimulating material or sexually oriented material or patronize locations where such material is available.”

In United States of America v. Scott Adkins, 12-3738, 12-3739, Circuit Judge Joel Flaum wrote for the panel that Adkins was not entitled to a new trial on his argument that the District Court erred in admitting certain evidence and the that jury was improperly instructed. The panel agreed, though, that a special condition of Adkins’ supervised release was vague and constitutionally overbroad, and that it could be appealed even though Adkins agreed to an appeal waiver.

Flaum wrote that an appeal waiver does not preclude the court from reviewing a condition to determine whether it is constitutionally vague, which the panel ruled was the case. “Read literally, this provision might preclude Adkins from using a computer or entering a library – irrespective of what he views in either place,” Flaum wrote. “Indeed, he might not be able to ride the bus, enter a grocery store, watch television, open a magazine or newspaper, read a classic like Romeo and Juliet, or even go out in public (given the ubiquity of advertisements that use potentially sexually oriented or sexually stimulating images to pique customer interest).”

The panel remanded the case to the District Court with instructions to more narrowly tailor the condition.