The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1314049
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, December 2, 2020 B-9 FUTURE Continued from page 8 LEVITY Continued from page 8 PREJUDICE Continued from page 8 ably conclude, "All I need to know is he's a tiger, and he's probably like the rest of them." By observing this person's behavior, there's no way one can say unambigu- ously whether the person likes or dislikes tigers. Similarly, the cheaply ob- served fact that an individ- ual is short, an amputee, black, or a woman provides what some people deem suf- ficient information for deci- sion-making or predicting the presence of some other attribute that's more cost- ly to observe. For exam- ple, if asked to identify in- dividuals with doctorate de- grees in physics only by ob- serving race and sex, most of us would assign a high- er probability that white or Asian men would have such degrees than black men or women. Suppose you are a police chief and you're trying to find the culprits breaking into cars, would you spend any of your resources inves- tigating people in senior cit- izen homes? Using an ob- servable attribute as a proxy for an unobservable or cost- ly-to-observe attribute lies at the heart of decision theory. Lastly, is there a moral di- mension to discrimination and prejudice? Should one be indifferent about whether he attends Temple Universi- ty or George Mason Univer- sity and thus makes his de- cision by flipping a coin? Is it more righteous to use the same technique when choos- ing to marry within or out- side his race? Is it morally su- perior to be indifferent with respect to race in marriage, employment and socializ- ing? Can one make a rigor- ous moral case for govern- ment coercion to determine whether one attends Temple University or George Mason University, marries outside of his race, or is indifferent about the racial characteris- tics of whom he employs? Walter E. Williams is a pro- fessor of economics at George Mason University. HOPE Continued from page 8 Republicans must continue the hard work of convincing non-white Americans that a strong economy — only pos- sible with low taxes; low reg- ulation; parental choice in ed- ucation; private ownership, rather than government pro- grams; and strong traditional moral principles — is where their future lies. Star Parker is president of the Center for Urban Renew- al and Education. Readers can respond to Star's column by emailing star-parker@ur- bancure.org. ture, it has become a buzz- word—almost a magical word. We are told, "Don't lose hope; Keep hope alive; H.O.P.E.—Have Only Posi- tive Expectations." But as we read these pas- sages from Isaiah and Jere- miah, hope becomes the cen- ter of God's promises, not from working oneself into a frenzy. The reader of the proph- ets understands that God's word will come to pass. So we watch and hope! Today? Is it today that the Lord's word comes to pass? Think about it as you enjoy the season of Advent! The stewardess then took a good look at the couple and said, "Well, are the two of you still on good terms? " The husband, who was a lit- tle hard of hearing asked his wife what the steward- ess said. So the wife said to her husband, "She said you should always be good to me and follow my terms." Sound familiar? Why iphones are unsafe: St. Peter meets a new per- son at the pearly gates and says to the new arrival,"Ac- tually, you had a pretty good life, but you were looking down at your phone and you missed the right exit." Lockdown can only go three ways: you'll come out a monk, a hunk or a chunk. So, choose wisely! Wisdom of the week: Once you understand why pizza is made round, packed in a square box, and eaten as a triangle, then you will under- stand women. Amen? Have a good week. And thank you, Mary Rose and Alex, for helping me set up the Nativity scene. It certain- ly looks great. Indiana NRCS Sets Deadlines for Voluntary Conservation Programs December 18 will be the application deadline for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and January 8 will be the application deadline for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) in Indiana. EQIP is a voluntary conservation program available for agricultural producers. Through EQIP, NRCS provides financial and technical assistance to install conservation practices that reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, improve soil health, improve water and air quality and create wildlife habitat. Also included in this sign up are several state and national initiatives. CSP is an important farm bill conservation program that helps producers who are already practicing good stewardship to take their natural resource management to the next level. The program helps to improve both their agricultural production and provide valuable conservation benefits such as cleaner and more abundant water, as well as healthier soils and better wildlife habitat. For more information about farm bill programs and other technical and financial assistance available through Indiana NRCS conservation programs, please contact your local field office @ 812.354.6120 ext. 3 REFORM Continued from page 8 Court Report FELONY Pike County Circuit Court Emily M. Kasnick charged with count I neglect of a dependent, a level 6 felony, count II operating a vehicle with a sched- ule I or II controlled substance or its me- tabolite in person's body, a level 6 felo- ny, count III operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance in person's body, and count IV operating a vehicle while intoxicated. TRAFFIC AND MISDEMEANORS Pike County Circuit Court Michael W. Overfield charged with op- erating a vehicle with and ACE of .15 or more. Holguens Philippe charged with count I operating a vehicle with and ACE of .15 or more and count II operating a vehicle while intoxicated. CIVIL Pike County Circuit Court Hoosier Accounts Service sues Jacob Kaeck on complaint. Capital One Bank (USA), N.A. sues Robert Swaney on complaint. Theresa Sue Dreiman sues Gregory Dreiman for dissolution of marriage. SMALL CLAIMS Pike County Circuit Court Hoosier Accounts Service sues Mi- chael A. Hanselman on complaint. INFRACTIONS Pike County Circuit Court Jeni R. Albin charged with driving while suspended. Luke D. Lengacher charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. Shelby C. Newland charged with speeding, exceeding 70 mph. cluding the largest benefit increases for millionaires—as prescribed by the So- cial Security 2100 Act—is not the answer. Not only would that hurt workers and families, the Penn-Wharton Budget Mod- el estimated that the Social Security 2100 Act would decrease output by 2 percent by 2049, meaning not only higher taxes, but also lower incomes. In contrast, the model estimated that a smaller, more targeted Social Securi- ty program would increase output by 5.3 percent by 2049, also significantly boost- ing incomes. So, what's the solution for a smaller, more targeted program? A logical first step is to increase So- cial Security's eligibility age and index it for life expectancy, since health im- provements and less physically demand- ing jobs mean individuals can work lon- ger than before. The other commonsense reform, included in one of President Barack Obama's budget, is to apply a more ac- curate inflation index—the chained con- sumer price index—that doesn't inflate benefits over time. Next are some modernizations to the spousal benefit (after all, Social Securi- ty began in an era when married women generally did not work outside the home), and eliminating features such as the re- tirement earnings test that suppresses work at older ages. Finally, and most significantly, poli- cymakers should return Social Securi- ty to its roots by gradually transitioning toward a flat, anti-poverty benefit struc- ture. That would mean higher benefits for low-income workers, and lower benefits for middle- and upper-income earners. According to The Heritage Founda- tion's Social Security model, the benefit of all those reforms would be a roughly 20 percent reduction in Social Security tax- es, returning $1,600 per year to the me- dian household, to save or spend based on their own unique needs. Adding an option for workers to set aside a portion of their Social Security taxes in a personal savings account that they own, control, and could pass on to their heirs could further empower work- ers, and even reduce wealth inequality. There is no escaping the need for So- cial Security reform. Rather, the ques- tion is whether the program should be larger and impose additional restrictions on households' finances and opportuni- ties, or be smaller, more progressive, and give workers more income, ownership, and opportunity. Each year that policymakers do noth- ing adds trillions of dollars in additional costs to future taxpayers. Addressing Social Security's loom- ing shortfalls now—especially in light of massive increases in federal debt due to COVID-19 responses—would reduce uncertainty, improve financial stability, and restore confidence in the U.S. econ- omy and fiscal outlook. Now is the time for Congress and the next administration to tackle Social Se- curity's shortfalls and shortcomings by transitioning it to a smaller, better-tar- geted program. Rachel Greszler researches and analyzes taxes, Social Security, disability insurance, and pensions to promote economic growth. Get more from giving this year with a gift subscription to e Press-Dispatch. By delivering the latest local news updates, shopping deals, announcements, events and entertainment each and every week, it's the gift that keeps on giving. Get more from giving this year with a gift subscription to S ER V I N G P I K E C O U N T Y 1 8 1 0 - 2 0 2 0 NetEdition subscribers: If you are adding or renewing your NetEdition subscription, please include the following: Email: _________________________ Password: ______________________ (Minimum 7 letters, can include letters and numbers) www.PressDispatch.net/Edition Payment Amount: P.O. 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