Articles
Governor Daniels' Weekly Wrap-up: 3/4/08
A look at news and events in the Daniels Administration
Volume 2, Issue 71
February 15- March 3, 2008
Governor visits Hoosier Guardsmen at Fort Stewart, Georgia
Mar. 1, 2008- Governor Mitch Daniels visited Friday and Saturday with members of Indiana 's 76th Infantry Brigade Combat Team at Fort Stewart , Georgia and participated in a departure ceremony. More than 3,000 Indiana Guardsmen are scheduled to depart for Iraq early next month.
"I think the weekend at Fort Stewart was a mixture of emotion and inspiration. It's tough to say farewell to the best citizens we have, the 76th Combat Brigade, but also very uplifting to hear one military person after another testify to how qualified and ready they are for the duty that awaits them. We did our best to thank them individually and as a group and we tried to thank as many family members as we could from the thousands that came down. We have a big responsibility to them while their loved ones are gone and we will live up to it. We know their family members will do honor to Indiana in protecting us and our freedoms," said Daniels.
The governor arrived Friday and heard an update on training the Guardsmen have received, then had dinner with brigade leaders and soldiers, including Specialist Eddie Proctor of New Whiteland. Proctor's younger brother, Sergeant Joseph Proctor of Indianapolis , was killed by enemy fire on May 3, 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom after distinguishing himself by exceptionally heroic conduct. In 2006, Governor Daniels awarded Sgt. Proctor's family with the Silver Star award, the third highest honor awarded for valor to a member of the United States Armed Forces. It was the first Silver Star awarded to an Indiana National Guardsman since 1969.
"This is an appropriate sendoff for a tremendous group of men and women that represent the finest qualities of citizenship - they do Indiana proud," said Daniels.
Governor attends National Governor's Association winter meeting
Feb. 29, 2008- Governor Daniels traveled to Washington , D.C. this week to take part in the National Governor's Association winter meeting.
Daniels joined other governors at a Sunday evening dinner with President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush at the White House. The following morning, the governor participated in the governor's-only meeting with the President.
Before returning to the Hoosier state, Daniels took the opportunity to tout recent policy innovations such as the Healthy Indiana Plan and Major Moves during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, a not-for-profit institution that studies government, politics, economics and social welfare. The governor also touched on improvements at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), telecom reform, and the state's progress in economic development.
Daniels urges legislators to support permanent caps
Feb. 28, 2008- Governor Mitch Daniels announced that after processing data from the twenty counties for which reassessments were ordered, results show increases of as much as 30% in the value of commercial property.
"In at least half of these counties we've now found there was a substantial undervaluation of business property which meant of course that homeowners were going to be saddled with an unfairly high portion of the tax burden," said Daniels.
The governor emphasized that the reassessments are only one step toward property tax reform. He urged legislators to adopt his plan for lasting relief and add property tax caps to the constitution. Daniels' caps would permanently limit property tax bills with a one percent circuit breaker on homes, a two percent cap on rental property and three percent on businesses. The governor called the constitutional amendment "essential."
Daniels expressed optimism that the legislature would come together in support of the plan. "This is clearly something that a huge majority of Hoosiers believe is fair, and want. I think the legislators know it. I think that in the end, given the free opportunity to do so, a big majority will vote for it," said Daniels.
Governor called for jury duty
Feb. 26, 2008- Governor Daniels reported to the City-County building downtown Indianapolis early Tuesday morning after receiving notification that he might be selected to serve as a juror on a civil case. After clearing security, the governor took a seat with a group of other potential jurors.
The jury was filled before the governor was called, but he said he would have happily served. "I've been on jury before. It was a very interesting and informative experience and I told everybody here they ought to hope they'll be chosen," said Daniels.
Noting the sacrifice of the 1,300 Hoosiers headed to Iraq with the 76th Infantry Brigade, the governor said jury duty is privilege and civic responsibility. "One day is so little to give back to the country that makes so much possible," said Daniels.
Governor names new IEDC board member
Feb. 28, 2008- Governor Mitch Daniels has announced the appointment of John T. Thompson to the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) board of directors.
Thompson is president and chief executive officer of Thompson Distribution Company, Inc., a distributor of mechanical supplies in Indianapolis . He also serves as president and CEO of First Electric Supply Company, Inc. and is chairman and CEO of CMID, an architectural engineering design firm.
"John's proven business talent and experience will be a great asset to the IEDC board as it continues to market Indiana worldwide and attract new business to Indiana ," said Daniels.
Thompson fills the seat of William Mays, who has resigned.
Racing industry veteran to lead Indiana 's motorsports development
Feb. 28, 2008- Racing industry veteran and businessman Rollie Helmling will join the ranks of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation Monday as the state's new motorsports development director.
Helmling joins the state's economic development team three months after stepping down from his post as president and chief executive officer of the United States Auto Club (USAC), a position he held since 2001.
"Rollie brings with him decades of motorsports expertise and experience as a business owner," said Nathan Feltman, Secretary of Commerce and chief executive officer of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. "He will play a key role for the developing economic opportunities in the motorsports sector throughout the state."
"After three decades in the industry, I have seen motorsports evolve and know that there are more great possibilities and opportunities out there for Indiana to pursue that can bring new jobs and investment to the state," Helmling said.
Indiana is home to more than 1,400 motorsports-specific businesses that employ thousands of Hoosiers in jobs that pay approximately 150 percent of the average median income of Indiana's workforce. Known as the "Motorsports Capital of the World" Indiana is also home to the Indy 500, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard, NHRA's U.S. Nationals and the new Moto GP. The state is also home to the most racetracks per capita of any state in the United States .
Governor's schedule for March 4-5
Tuesday, March 4
-Governor Mitch Daniels will make welcoming remarks to high school journalism students and educators at the Indiana High School Press Association's First Amendment Symposium.
4 p.m.
State House Atrium
Wednesday, March 5
-Governor Daniels will give the keynote address at the 62nd Annual Indiana University Business Conference.
Noon
Indiana Convention Center (Sagamore 4 Ballroom)
100 South Capitol Avenue
Indianapolis
IN THE NEWS
Anderson Herald-Bulletin
March 1, 2008
As we enter the final stretch of General Assembly activity, Gov. Mitch Daniels discusses the status of his property tax reform package as well as local government reform measures.
As the property tax reform legislation (HB 1001 and SJR 1) stands now, how does it measure up against the four criteria you have emphasized?
Daniels: "Pretty well. All the basic elements are in one bill or both. They're all at the conference table now. All that matters, of course, is the final result, so we need an agreement out of that conference that provides those elements - immediate relief to every taxpayer, permanent protections through a maximum cap on what the government can take from any taxpayer, a better assessment process and better control of the local spending that drives property taxes. All those things are in prospect, and I'm feeling optimistic about getting a bill that includes them."
You've emphasized the permanent nature of the caps. What about the spending controls that are not permanent? Are there concerns about future changes that could be made?
Daniels: "You always have to worry about government finding ways to spend more money than it needs to or should. But I will point out that if we get permanent caps, it is a form of a spending control. It puts a lid on what government can take, and they can't shift the bill to somebody else in the plan we proposed. In concert with much better spending controls out of this bill, I hope we will have the kind of permanence we have been looking for."
On the property tax assessing, we've gone from an original focus on one assessor per county to the legislation now adding back in 44 township assessors or even putting the elimination to a referendum. Do you support and still think it is possible to go back to the one assessor per county?
Daniels: "I'm still hopeful that is what we will have - a professional and qualified assessor in charge of this process in each county; Again, that's what passed the House and was within a vote of passing the Senate, so I think we've got a good chance of passing that - and we should.
"Yesterday, we released information on the 20 counties we reassessed and it shows there was a good reason to do that. In about half those counties, there was a major, major miss that left a lot of tax bills on homeowners that were unfair. If we needed more proof that we needed an improved assessment process, there it was."
A few provisions of the Kernan-Shepard Commission on Local Government Reform have found their way into the discussion this session, but do you see that becoming a much large focus moving forward?
Daniels: "Yes, I do, which is what we always intended. I asked that commission to report to the people of Indiana at the end of last year, specifically so we could have a year of good, healthy debate and improved understanding of these issues. If we get some of those 27 recommendations done as part of this year's property tax bill, thatwould be great. My intention always was to try and trigger a year of good constructive dialogue about these issues, and I think that's what has begun."
The legislative process thus far: How do you evaluate it and are you confident of a good solution in the next two weeks?
Daniels: "I've been complimentary of the Legislature and I continue to be. They started early, have worked hard, we've got two weeks to go and two pretty good (property tax) bills now on the conference table. I think there is a darned good chance of the kind of bill we want and getting it on time."
The American
By: Christy Hall Robinson
February 29, 2008
Mitch Daniels, Indiana 's Republican governor, approaches political leadership from a business perspective. Having spent more than a decade in senior management at pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly before entering public service, Daniels focuses on cost efficiency and empirical measurement, which has enabled him to reform a wide variety of state services. "Being governor," he said at an American Enterprise Institute conference earlier this week, has allowed him "to do things that.are very difficult to do in the Washington context." Daniels would know: after leaving Eli Lilly, he directed the Office of Management and Budget in the Bush administration for more than two years.
Government is "the last monopoly," he said, and it "lacks accountability." The only way to make it effective is to "implant" a system of accountability to measure and count results as businesses do, because "what gets measured gets done." For example, Daniels said, a visit to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles-the kind of trip most Americans dread-now has an average wait time of eight minutes and ten seconds, down from over 40 minutes. Customer satisfaction has surged to 97 percent. The fact that Daniels refers to patrons of the bureau as "customers" speaks volumes about his corporate mentality.
During his tenure, Indiana has reduced the number of state employees by 10 percent. This reduction, even with the institution of a pay-for-performance system that provides much larger rewards for good workers, has allowed Daniels to operate with a state payroll that is lower than it was four years ago. Daniels's emphasis is on "managing for results," and he is not necessarily against government doing the job. But if the private sector is more capable of administering a project effectively, reducing costs, and operating "at the speed of business, not the speed of government," he supports privatization. That is why IBM has replaced the state bureaucracy in administering welfare programs-which has saved Indiana roughly $1 billion. Daniels also brought $4 billion to the state by privatizing Indiana 's toll road, and he deregulated the telecommunications industry.
Under Daniels, the number of state employees in Indiana has fallen by 10 percent. IBM has replaced the state bureaucracy in administering welfare programs, saving Indiana roughly $1 billion.
Daniels joked that he achieved success through what might appear to be a "very mysterious process," but the practical reforms he implemented to control annual expenditures and streamline government operations are rooted in basic business principles. When Daniels became governor in January 2005, the state's deficit was $600 million. Within one year of his inauguration, Indiana had a $300 million surplus. Cutting employees and expenditures was not the only contributing factor. Under Daniels, Indiana has improved its business tax climate, attracted a surge of foreign investment (particularly from Japan ), and brought its unemployment rate to the lowest level in six years.
One big project Daniels hopes to finish this year is property tax reform. He plans to offer Indianans immediate relief on property taxes by using the revenue from an increased sales tax along with part of the state's $300 million budget surplus, and he hopes to put a permanent cap on property taxes starting next year.
Daniels is not shy about finding unusual (and sometimes controversial) means to fund efficient programs. For example, his new health care program for the "chronically uninsured" is being funded by a higher state cigarette tax. And during his 2008 reelection campaign, he plans to advocate using revenue from the state lottery to help fund higher education for middle-income high school graduates.
In keeping with his business mindset, he refers to his potential reelection this fall as a "rehiring." He does not believe he is entitled to a second term as governor. Instead, he acknowledges that there is a huge amount of work left to be done, and he sees his first-term record as a qualification for remaining on the job. Daniels said that a fairly accurate stereotype of Indianans is that they are "cautious about change," and his reelection may end up depending on whether Hoosiers think he is "stirring up too much dust."
Christy Hall Robinson is an editorial assistant at the American Enterprise Institute. Former Indianapolis mayor Stephen Goldsmith discussed Governor Daniels's record in the January/February 2008 issue of THE AMERICAN.
Governor Daniels reports for jury duty
WISH-TV
Feb 26, 2008
By Leslie Olsen
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - As we've been reporting, Marion County judges are cracking down on people who skip jury duty. The court system got some great public relations when Indiana 's highest ranking public servant answered the call.
It was an surprising site. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniel's was asked to take the lid off his coffee and to remove the belt from his pants as he went through security at the city-county building along with everyone else.
Mitch Daniels received a summons for jury duty and just as he's done several times in the past, says he showed up ready to serve. The difference this time is that he's busy running the state and trying to get property taxes reformed.
"It means you have to rearrange your schedule, but I brought some books and a way to keep in touch while I wait to see if I'm chosen or not," said Daniels.
Even though he was hoping to just blend in, fellow potential jurors were eager to say hello.
"It's good to see him do what he has to do, you know, like the rest of us," said potential juror, Dale Pitcock.
"You know, this country asks pretty little of us for all the blessings its given us and all the freedoms we have. The right of trial by jury is one of the fundamental freedoms America can help the world to understand," said Daniels.
The governor waived the $15 he would have received for his time. Jury members get $40 a day.
"It's a duty but it's also a privilege, I think, to serve. I've been called before and served on one jury, years ago. It was a very interesting thing to do. I've encouraged people, first report because you ought, but second it can be a very interesting and learning experience," said Daniels.
Sure enough, he was called into the courtroom for jury selection and not long after, he was excused, sounding a bit disappointed.
"I told everybody here that they ought to hope to maybe be chosen."
With that, it was back to the other job he was "chosen" for.
BMV deserves credit for improving service
Gary Post-Tribune
Editorial
February 25, 2008
Although it got off to an incredibly shaky start, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles operation has turned into one of the real success stories of the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels.
A milestone of sorts was reached last week in Lake County when Napleton Auto Werks of Indiana, in Schererville, became the 100th dealership in the state to offer BMV services on-site.
"Like many steps in our overhaul of the BMV, registering at the dealership is another way to save a citizen a trip to a license branch. The shortest line is the one you never have to stand in at all," Daniels said as he and BMV Commissioner Ron Stiver were on hand for the ceremony at Napleton.
More than 20,000 transactions have been completed at dealerships since the program started in May 2007.
Clearly, as more transactions are completed at automobile dealerships, it cuts down on the number of people who visit license branches.
While going to a license branch was once a lengthy and frustrating process for many, that no longer is the case.
For one, the state staggered the expiration dates for registrations to avoid the end-of-the-month jams. And more BMV transactions can be conducted online.
It has worked. The average waiting time in July 2006 was 44 minutes. That dropped to 20 minutes in July 2007 and last month was down to 8 minutes and 10 seconds.
While we disagreed with the initial decision to close the full-service branch in Gary , we are pleased to see it will be back in operation this spring. Additionally, a new, larger facility will open in Hammond this year.
There have been kinks along the way, but it is obvious the BMV has made customer service a priority.
Skillman supports military mothers: Blue Star Mothers helps families of troops
Kokomo Tribune
By: Scott Smith
February 28, 2008
Denise Young can't wait for her son to arrive back home, even knowing he'll only be around for two weeks or less before he's off to his next duty station.
The fact U.S. Army PFC Richard Young's future could include a stint in Iraq or Afghanistan only adds to her nervousness, but that's the main reason Denise and a group of other local military moms have banded together.
Last week, Denise Young and the group she's helped form, the North Central Blue Star Mothers of Indiana, received some unexpected support from one of the highest officials in the state, Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.
On the back of Denise's business cards for the newly formed Blue Star chapter is a quote: "We military moms share a special bond that can't be explained. When it happens to one of us ... it happens to us all."
That quote, along with meeting Young and mothers from two other Indiana chapters at the Indiana Statehouse, was enough to enlist Skillman in their cause.
Last week the lieutenant governor put out a special appeal on her Web site, urging the public to support the Blue Star Mothers in their mission.
"We have more reasons than ever before to support our Hoosier military mothers and families," Skillman said. "No state, including large states like California , is represented more than Indiana ."
"Unless you've been through it, it's hard to understand what a military mom is going through," Young said Tuesday. "But that's the way the military community is - they will reach out and help anyone they can."
Given their official charter by the national organization last November, the north central Indiana chapter already has about 27 members, Young said, all working to help each other through the trials of waiting for sons and daughters to return home safely from harm's way.
The group has a prayer vigil planned for 6 p.m. March 21 at the National Guard armory in Kokomo , with Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight and a National Guard chaplain among the dignitaries expected to attend, Young said.
The group also will be represented at the Kokomo Home Show March 29 at the Johanning Civic Center , offering support to new members and accepting donations for care packages to send to troops overseas.
The group can be contacted at ncindianabluestars@insightbb.com, or at P.O. Box 572 , Kokomo , IN 46903 .
"We just try to take care of Mom back at home so the troops can keep their minds on their own work, and not have to worry so much," she said.
Part of that mission means getting military moms out of their houses and involved in activities: writing letters to troops, putting together care packages and attending support meetings.
The group also keeps members informed on the latest developments, something which becomes especially necessary when their kids are in areas where communication isn't available on a daily basis.
So far, Young said her son's been safe, stationed in Korea with the ability to talk on the phone and over the computer daily. He has a Web cam and Vonage, so he's just a phone call or an e-mail away.
But he's been "itching" to serve in Iraq or Afghanistan , Young said, and that has her worried. Many parents are in the same boat, she said, thanks to a large deployment that will rotate fresh troops into the danger zones.
If something should happen in an Iraqi hotspot like Ramadi, the Blue Star Mothers can often get information on the situation much quicker through their own phone list than by waiting for official word from the military, she added.
"It just gives [military moms] someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on. Whatever you need, we'll try to be there for you."
Scott Smith may be reached at (765) 454-8569 or via e-mail at scott.smith@kokomotribune.com
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