"Eye" Salutes "Eight@8"

"Occasionally Eight@8 wanders into the realm of 'editorial'.... This is one of those times.

"Dear Gov. Mike Pence and Republican state leaders: Whether fair or not, you and the state you represent now are widely associated with bigotry. Big business, one of your key constituents, won’t stand for it. The NCAA, which is hosting the biggest media event since the Super Bowl in Indy this weekend, won’t stand for it. Your biggest universities won’t stand for it. The Republican mayor of your capital city won’t stand for it. Everyone with an ax to grind against Indiana now has nothing to lose by jumping into the scrum. The ship has sailed, guys. We know you’re working feverishly on some additional language that will make it clear the measure can’t be used to discriminate against gay people. That seems like the path of least resistance, doesn’t it? Let’s do that. You might be concerned about saving as much face as possible, both with Democrats who suggested this two weeks ago and your supporters who at least BELIEVED that RFRA allowed them to become conscientious objectors against gay rights. You might want to try the Band-Aid approach. A big burst of mea culpa, and then we can all lose ourselves in the Final Four. Because if this doesn’t get fixed, IndyStar’s Gregg Doyel reports, we might not see another Final Four for a while."

This Indianapolis Observer salutes The Indianapolis Business Journal.

No Hoosier Hospitality for "Not Our Kind, Dear"

One of the excuses for the recently passed and signed Indiana RFRA is it's "just like" all the others, including the federal.

Aside from the "if everyone were leaping off the cliff, would you follow" idiocy of that justification, it isn't true.

"The Indiana RFRA departs from ... the federal RFRA—on which many other state laws are modeled. How? Indiana’s RFRA expressly provides that a person can assert a 'claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, regardless of whether the state or any other governmental entity is a party to the proceeding'.”

You can read more here: "Indiana’s New Law Allows Discrimination. That Was the Point."

Pence Digs In

"Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) refused to say on Sunday whether it should be illegal under state law to discriminate against gays and lesbians."

This Indianapolis Observer is aghast that the guv is doubling down on a bad bet.

Read more here: "Mike Pence Dodges Questions On Anti-Gay Discrimination In Indiana".

Hoosier Hospitality is officially defunct.

Honest to Goodness Indiana...

where it's always 1816.

Yes, we might as well update our tourism slogan, as Gov. Pence has shot an arrow through the heart of Hoosier Hospitality.

Conventions and meetings are being cancelled, expansion plans scrubbed and Indiana placed on the "no go" list.

"The measure, which Indiana Gov. Mike Pence (R) signed into law Thursday, allows any individual or corporation to cite religious beliefs as a defense when sued by a private party."

No matter what its proponents may say, this bill is cast as "anti-LGBT", which places Indiana squarely in the antediluvian camp.

Indiana: Home of the Stupid

Thanks, Gov. Pence, for making Indiana the laughingstock of the nation, once again.

The pullout of the best and brightest has begin:
Salesforce CEO Cancels Company Events In Indiana After Passage of Anti-Gay Law

"Religious Freedom" or License to Discriminate?

This Indianapolis Observer is confused.

Gov. Pence says he wants to grow Indiana businesses yet he's "anxious to sign" a really stupid piece of bigoted legislation opposed by every major employer in the state.

Conventions are threatening to pull out already, and who knows how many companies will decide to set up shop in a more welcoming environment!

But, you go ahead, Gov. Pence. Sign the "Religious Freedom" bill. It'll kill your presidential aspirations for sure.

." Until the people rise up and revolt..."

"The United States is no better than Russia where the government is operated for the exclusive benefit of wealthy oligarchs. The masses are nothing but mere slaves to the 1%, billionaire class of elitists who own virtually every elected public official who exercises any significant control over government tax dollars," writes Gary Welsh.

What's his target this time?

"Three Of Four Hoosier Billionaires Are State's Largest Welfare Recipients"

This Indianapolis Observer seems to recall that William Cook tapped the public trough for the West Baden hotel renovation, but the memories are hazy.

Other than that, Gary's spot-on, as usual. A good read with much food for thought as Indy votes tonight to hand more millions to a local business.