Brian Howey: With so much at stake, join me in a conversation on Oct. 23

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -  I’m inviting you to join me in Indianapolis for a conversation.

From 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, “The Howey Political Report Forum: Dialogue 2008” will take place at the Madam Walker Theatre at the corner of Indiana Avenue and West Street just a few blocks from the Indiana Statehouse. The only cost to you will be a canned food item that will be donated to the Julian Center, which provides support services and emergency shelter for domestic violence victims.  Seating is limited and advance registration is required.

The HPR Forum will feature one of the first joint appearances open to the general public by Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jim Schellinger and Jill Long Thompson.  Shortly after they finish, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman will represent the Daniels administration. These Democrat and Republican leaders will share their visions for Indiana’s future and will take questions from the audience.

Our keynote speaker will be Washington Post blogger Chris Cillizza, who writes “The Fix” and is covering the 2008 presidential, congressional and gubernatorial races. While the calendar still reads “2007,” in less than three months the 2008 races will begin in earnest. Cillizza will give us an inside take on the presidential race. He will have heard what Schellinger, Thompson and Skillman have to say and will size up our governor’s race. He will put into perspective the impact the Internet will have on these races and the news media in general.

We are heading into historic, provocative times. The outcome of the Iraq War is very much in doubt. The War on Terror seems to have no end. There are war drums beating about what to do about Iran’s nuclear program. There is an earnest discussion about whether President Bush and his successor should be leading the nation into war, or whether Congress should resume the intent of our forefathers, written in Section 1, Article 8 of the U.S. Constitution that mandates that it is the duty only of Congress to declare war.

Hoosiers will have potentially competitive Congressional races in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th and 9th Districts in the coming months. U.S. Rep. Dan Burton is facing a May primary challenge from Dr. John McGoff. U.S. Rep. Baron Hill and former congressman Mike Sodrel are preparing for a fourth showdown in Southeastern Indiana. Democratic freshmen Reps. Joe Donnelly and Brad Ellsworth will be defending their first two years in Congress, with polls telling us that Americans have little confidence in the White House or the Congress. U.S. Rep. Mark Souder is facing an energetic challenge from Democrat Michael Montagano.

Here in Indiana, Gov. Mitch Daniels is about to unveil what will almost certainly be a historic property tax reform plan that he insists must be “far-reaching, firm and final.” He is hinting that he will call for an amendment to the Indiana Constitution to cap spending.

And this past week, hearings in Gary and Fort Wayne took place on the Blue Ribbon Commission headed by Indiana Supreme Court Justice Randall Shepard and former Gov. Joe Kernan designed to reform state and local government. On Oct. 16 and 17, the Blue Ribbon Commission will have hearings in New Albany and Franklin. Their deliberations could result in anything from a Constitutional Convention to a series of executive orders and amendments that could produce the most dramatic restructuring of state and local government since 1851.

I’ve been writing this column since 1985. I cannot remember a time when so much is percolating in a public policy and political sense than there is right now. The visions that candidates like Schellinger and Thompson are poised to reveal, the future insights that Lt. Gov. Skillman will discuss, the dialogue that we collectively engage in, the decisions we make over the next 12 months, and the actions we take in the months and years beyond will impact how we work, the taxes we pay, how our children learn, where our kids will go when they finish their schooling, and the security and rights we will either enjoy or lose.

At a time when voter participation continues to sag, those of us who take our role as a stakeholder in society and a defender of the freedoms we have must talk. The dialogue must not be confined to our own political parties, within our own ethnic groups, or age brackets. We will all benefit if we converse, understand what is a stake and seek knowledge, relationships and solutions.

Please, please, come to Indianapolis on Oct. 23.

Column note: Advance registration is required:  howeypolitics@gmail.com or visit howeypolitics.com. “The HPR Forum: Dialogue 2008” is sponsored by Bose Public Affairs, Winston/Terrell Group, John Frick & Associates, DLZ and Phillips Communications Group.

Howey is publisher of The Howey Political Report at www.howeypolitics.com

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