If you are looking for some last-minute shopping ideas, Gov. Mitch Daniels recently put out his annual book list.

This year he recommends the following:

•“Theodore Roosevelt, the Wilderness Warrior” by Douglas Brinkley

•“The Life and Times of Andrew Jackson” by H.W. Brands

•“Lone Star Rising” by Elmer Keton

•“The Forever War” by Dexter Filkins

•“No One Sees God” by Michael Novak

•“Blood and Thunder” by Hampton Sides

•“Real Education” by Charles Murray

•“A Colossal Failure of Common Sense” by Lawrence McDonald

•“Five Days in Philadelphia” by Charles Peters

•“Florence of Arabia” by Christopher Buckley

And for those of you intimidated by this list, Daniels also admits he enjoys the works of suspense writer Harlan Coben, whom he met last year when the author was in Indianapolis for a mystery writers’ conference.

Raise votes

The Fort Wayne City Council last week voted to give police supervisors a 1.5 percent raise after approving 1 percent raises in the 2010 budget – although that was a compromise. Months before the budget vote, it approved 1.5 percent raises for the fire union employees.

Not every council member has been consistent when it comes to votes related to city employee raises. Here is a look at each member’s vote on each of the pay issues:

Councilman Tom Smith

, R-1st: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, opposed any raises in the budget, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilwoman Karen Goldner

, D-2nd: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1.5 percent raises in the budget, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilman Tom Didier

, R-3rd: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1 percent raises in the budget as a compromise, after stating he thought there should be no raises, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilman Mitch Harper

, R-4th: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1 percent raises in the budget, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilman Tim Pape

, D-5th: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1 percent raises in the budget, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilman Glynn Hines

, D-6th: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1.5 percent raises in the budget, supported 1.5 percent raises for police supervisors.

Councilman John Shoaff

, D-at large: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1 percent raises in the budget, supported 1.5 raises for police supervisors.

Councilman Marty Bender

, R-at large: Supported 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, supported 1 percent raises in the budget, abstained from voting on the police raises because he is a deputy police chief.

Councilwoman Liz Brown

, R-at large: Opposed 1.5 percent raises for firefighters, opposed raises in the budget, opposed 1.5 percent raises for police supervisors.

Township posts

Three local caucuses were conducted recently to fill several vacant township positions.

Democrats caucused Dec. 3 and chose Bruce Stier to fill Maria Parra’s seat on the Wayne Township advisory board. Parra resigned recently to take a job with the U.S. Census Bureau.

Jefferson Township Republicans met Dec. 2 to fill a spot on the township advisory board after Gaylord Heine resigned. Norbert Sarrazine will join the three-person board.

In October, Democrats met and chose Robert Tepin to be the new Jefferson Township trustee after Trustee Ron Hakes died in mid-October after a long battle with emphysema.

Council inspectors

Several New Haven City Council members said Tuesday that they’d like to join city police when inspecting any future adult entertainment venues that might set up shop.

After passing an ordinance regulating strip clubs and adult bookstores, Councilman Ron Steinman, R-at large, suggested police Chief Mike Sweet invite councilmen to inspect the clubs to ensure the “girls” were dressed properly

Councilman Tim Martin, R-5th, laughed and said, “You might have a quorum!”

The seven-person council is predominantly composed of older men. Currently, no such businesses are operating in New Haven.

Cards for troops

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman last week presented the Indiana National Guard and the U.S. Naval Reserves more than 35,000 Christmas cards from Hoosiers to be distributed to Hoosier servicemen and women around the globe.

Hoosiers sent the cards for Skillman’s fourth annual “Hoosier Cheer for our Heroes” campaign. Last year, more than 20,000 cards were shipped overseas and to military personnel training at Camp Atterbury.

“I am touched every day by the thoughtfulness and sincerity of Hoosiers in every corner of this state,” Skillman said. “These troops deserve our recognition, and all the people that correspond with them deserve some as well.”

In four years of the program, more than 92,000 cards have been sent by Hoosiers from nearly every county.

The National Guard and the Naval Reserves will distribute the cards to servicemen and women serving overseas as well as some stationed at Indiana bases. The cards should arrive around the world in late December.

Holiday tradition

Allen County Republican Party Chairman Steve Shine sat down last week with Gov. Mitch Daniels for an annual holiday chat.

The interview will air on Christmas Day during the holiday marathon of movies on MyTV Fort Wayne (Comcast 252, Verizon FiOS 9, Mediacom 62 or Digital 33.2).

Daniels first reminisced about a strange new Thanksgiving, in which the family did not gather at his house for the first time. That’s because three of his four daughters are now married and were busy with their in-laws.

So Daniels and wife Cheri went to New York City to visit their youngest daughter for Thanksgiving.

But he says Christmas is a “home game.”

On another subject, Shine asked Daniels whether he would seek the presidency – a popular question that Daniels is clearly getting tired of answering.

“It’s Christmas. What kind of time is that to harass someone?” Daniels asked. He then said he has his hands full as governor and wants to focus on steering the state through a difficult time.

He did not, however, flatly reject a run as he has in past interviews.

Amanda Iacone of The Journal Gazette contributed to this column.