State battles those fleecing vulnerable

September marks my eighth month as the 42nd attorney general of the state of Indiana. It also marks my eighth year serving in the Office of the Attorney General. The transition from serving as the chief deputy for Attorney General Steve Carter to being sworn into office has come at a time of what is being called “the great recession.” It reminds me of the opening line from the Charles Dickens novel “A Tale of Two Cities”: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

The economic crisis that we are facing makes these some of the worst of times for many in our state and nation as well as throughout the world. The numbers of unemployed in our state remind me of 1982 when I was working in Washington D.C. with Sen. Dan Quayle, who himself was newly elected and serving as chairman of the Subcommittee on Employment and Training.

But the challenges we face come at the best of times for me personally as the newly elected attorney general. I have taken over a very strong and experienced team of attorneys and staff that I am confident is up to the challenge. My own experience within the attorney general’s office provides a great deal of background to lead the office. The energy and passion for the job that comes as the result of the electoral process has helped me face the challenges presented, while simultaneously transitioning into the office and going through my first legislative session.

The Indiana General Assembly was very supportive of consumer-protection legislation that supports the work of the attorney general’s office. Governor Daniels and his administration have provided strong leadership that makes the job of lawyer for the state all the more effective as we face an alarming rise in consumer fraud, identity theft and mortgage foreclosures.

These first seven months have been hectic in leading the counterattack on those who prey on the desperate and vulnerable. Proactive and aggressive litigation has been much more necessary in these circumstances. The recent launch of our community outreach program is designed to bring the protective services of the office to the most at-risk and underserved in our state.

While much of what the office does every day goes unnoticed by the public, the public servants who represent the state are waging one of the best of battles worthy of the worst of times.

Greg Zoeller

Indiana Attorney General

Governing best is governing least

During the last presidential election, I voted for Barack Obama. Why? Because every time Senator McCain opened his mouth, it conjured images of a continuation of the policies of President Bush. We all know how well that worked.

Lately, however, every time President Obama opens his mouth, it conjures images of an ever-expanding government. A simple rule of thumb: Government should involve itself only in that which the civilian sector is not qualified to handle.

It has been said that a government that governs best governs least.

Kenneth Crockett

Kokomo