By Dan Spalding
InkFreeNews

It will be interesting to see if the incoming administration of Joe Biden continues to build upon President Donald Trump’s creation of a Space Force (the term still makes me smile).

Hoosier-born Vice-President Mike Pence announced Friday that members of the Space Force military service, established last year, will be called guardians.

Earlier this month, Pence announced that Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Air Force Base will be renamed to Space Force stations, according to numerous news outlets.

Of all the changes brought about by Trump, this might be one of his smartest in terms of national security, and one that we could be proud of decades from now.

*  *  *

MASK PROTEST – There was another protest Friday in Goshen against the Elkhart County mask mandate. It drew a few dozen folks who held signs suggesting such a policy is a form of tyranny.

I’m contemplating my own silent protest.

You know how professional athletes sometimes honor former sports figures with an insignia on their jerseys? I’m thinking of putting the names of those who have died on my mask. Maybe even the names of those who have come close to dying and lived to tell how horrible the virus can be.

Right now, my imaginary mask protest would have the names of two friends who have died.

*  *  *

NEW REP – Joanna King, a local businesswoman and school board member from Middlebury, was chosen this week by a Republican caucus to fill the vacancy created when District 49 State Rep. Christy Stutzman unexpectedly resigned for personal reasons after being re-elected in November.

Stutzman nominated King, who was chosen over Mike Jacka of Middlebury, Jason Obendorf and Wes Culver, who Stutzman replaced in 2018.

*  *  *

ROADS SCHOLAR – By now, you probably heard that former South Bend mayor Pete Buttigieg has been nominated to serve as Secretary of Transportation for the incoming administration of Joe Biden.

But did you know another Hoosier has a high-profile job in Biden’s inner circle? His choice or chief of staff is Ron Klain, who was born in 1961 in Indianapolis and received degrees from Georgetown University and Harvard Law School. He’s been a mainstay in past Democratic politics for decades.

As for Buttigieg (who is a Rhodes Scholar), some are scoffing at his selection, saying he has no real experience in transportation. Sure, he didn’t build any highways as mayor, but he did introduce his Smart Streets program, part of which included the transformation of some one-way thoroughfares to traditional two-way streets. Doing away with one-way streets is a trend in many cities, but I can tell you first-hand that the changes in South Bend have improved traffic flow.

You might not like his politics, but as Gov. Eric Holcomb said earlier this week, it’s always nice to see Hoosiers stepping up in leadership roles in D.C.

Holcomb told Politico: “Improving Indiana’s infrastructure has been a top priority of mine and having someone from the Crossroads of America who understands the importance of game-changing projects like extending the West Lake Corridor and double-tracking the South Shore Line will help us take Indiana to the next level.”

*  *  *

GOOD NEWS – Indiana’s jobless rate in November, fell from 5.5 percent in October to 5.0 in November, according to numbers released Friday by the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

*  *  *

Dan Spalding is the editor at InkFreeNews.com.
He covers city government and politics and always welcomes your input.
He can be reached at [email protected] or at (574) 855-7612.