Governor Daniels, Promises Kept

It was a historical week for all Hoosiers in the state of Indiana as My Man Mitch signed the state’s first honestly balanced budget in ten years. Throughout his campaign he promised to restore fiscal integrity to our state by cutting the growth of state spending. His budget will account for about a 2.6% increase in spending as opposed to the average 6% over the last several years under the previous administration. Governor Daniels aggressive recovery strategy included 74 initiatives, with 59 of those initiatives passing through the General Assembly, and another 9 enacted through an executive action. What made this Legislative Session so significant is volume of achievements Governor Daniels was able to accomplish considering he has only been on the job five months.

One of his key initiatives was the passage of the Jobs and Economic Growth Package to help strengthen Indiana’s economy. This package created the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) as well as making it easier for small businesses to qualify for tax incentives that promote job growth and investment. It also encourages officials to make sites shovel ready for development. Another significant piece of legislation includes promoting investment in clean coal technology and the production and distribution of bio-based fuels. Indiana will also have its first Department of Agriculture and Office of Rural Affairs to promote economic growth in these vital areas. Recently, I heard this reform package referred to as; “Growing Indiana’s economy at the speed of business”.

Another major accomplishment was in the area of “Government Reform”. Our Governor’s agenda includes improving customer service and efficiency throughout state government, as one example he has already moved the Child Protective Services and the Bureau of Child Support into a new Department of Child Services to better protect our children. It will also provide for an additional 600 child protection caseworkers. Other advancements in efficiency include improving Indiana’s collection of child support payments, shortening lines at BMV branches by extending the validity of driver licenses and allowing titling and registration to occur at car dealerships. It further includes consolidating redundant government offices in areas of technology and state finances. The Governor is also creating the state’s first Inspector General to root out fraud, corruption, and theft in state government. This reform package will include whistleblower protection to encourage state employees to report wrongdoing as well as strengthening state ethics and bribery laws. All of these initiatives, as they are signed into law, will help make a positive change for all of the citizens of Indiana. For a change, it’s comforting to have a elected official that actually keeps their promises and certainly with Mitch Daniels we can honestly say promises made, promises kept.