Articles
Governor Daniels' Weekly Wrap-up: 5/20/08
Weekly Wrap-up
A look at news and events in the Daniels Administration
Volume 2, Issue 82
May 12-18, 2008
Construction begins on US 231 in Spencer County
May 13, 2008- Governor Mitch Daniels, together with local and state officials, broke ground last week on two additional segments of the US 231 Corridor in Spencer County. In all, the US 231 Corridor, which will improve access between Kentucky and Interstate 64, is a $146 million project. Contracts totaling $47.7 million have been awarded for this portion of corridor.
"Because, and only because of the Major Moves transaction, our wait for a bigger, better US 231 is over. And because we have the dollars to build it now, it will cost millions less than was expected, and we'll invest those savings in more roads and more jobs," said Daniels.
The original estimated cost of the corridor was nearly $163 million, with a projected completion date of 2014. But because the project has been accelerated by three years, the Indiana Department of Transportation has been able to reduce its cost. The US 231 corridor project will fulfill a long-standing commitment by the state, local government, regional planning commissions, and citizens to improve US 231 between the Ohio River and Interstate 64. Studies on improvements to US 231 were initiated years ago for safety and economic development reasons.
The US 231 Spencer County Corridor includes added capacity for a 20.3-mile section of US 231, which is currently a two-lane rural road with inadequate capacity. When complete, the new, limited access travel corridor allows for the distribution of products from southwestern Indiana. The project has an anticipated completion date of 2011.
Governor orders state to repay debt to local governments ahead of schedule
May 16, 2008- Governor Mitch Daniels has ordered that the remaining $212 million long owed to local governments be repaid by the end of May, a year ahead of schedule.
"As the only state in the Midwest that is in the black fiscally, we're being extremely careful about every dollar. But the very strong March and April revenues strengthen our confidence that we will register a fourth straight surplus this year, and that we can accelerate this final repayment of the debts the state once owed to schools and towns," said Daniels. "With this year's property tax cuts, we've entered a new era of taxpayer protection. We know there will be an adjustment period for local taxing units and want to do all we can to help."
During an extended period of deficit spending, starting in 2002, state government delayed payments totaling $761 million to K-12 schools, higher education and local governments.
Beginning in January 2006, the governor ordered repayments to begin. Since then, $518 million has been repaid:
-$156 million owed to K-12 schools was repaid in January 2006 following the state's successful tax amnesty program.
-The remainder of the K-12 school debt, $160 million, was repaid in July 2006.
-$131 million was returned to local governments in May 2007
-$40 million was returned to higher education throughout Fiscal Year 2007 and $31 million this fiscal year. The remaining $31 million will be distributed in the next fiscal year.
The funds will be sent to the auditors in all 92 counties, who are responsible for distributing the appropriate share to the other taxing units. The state was scheduled to send $106 million to local governments this month but will now send $212 million, which will complete all that is owed. The amount each county will receive may be found here.
IN THE NEWS:
TRIBUNE-STAR EDITORAL: Jobs announcement positive sign for city
The Terre Haute Tribune-Star
May 20 2008
The decision by Alorica to locate a 600-employee operation in Terre Haute can be a step toward economic recovery for the community. More will be needed, though.
The California-based customer service firm announced on Thursday its plans to open a center in a previously empty retail building at Plaza North. Alorica begins its hiring process this week. By summer, its largely full-time workforce will be fielding in-bound customer calls for a yet undisclosed major client. Most of the jobs start at $9 per hour, with "usual and customary" benefits, said Jeffrey Sopko, vice president of human relations.
Hundreds of Terre Haute area residents need jobs. With layoffs at Great Dane and the plant closure at International Paper last year, coupled with last Tuesday's announcement that Pfizer will cease local production in 2009, more than 1,100 people have lost jobs. Of course, Alorica alone can't fill that void. These are not high-paying jobs. Alorica does, however, give a segment of the population an opportunity to work.
The company's explanation for choosing Terre Haute also illuminates qualities that could attract more new employers.
Sopko visited the city late in 2007 and spent three days talking with economic development staffers, business owners, college employees and local people. He returned to the company headquarters in Chino, Calif., and told the CEO that Terre Haute was the right place. "I really got a sense of the passion that folks here in Terre Haute have for the community," Sopko said.
His local tour included stops in the "break rooms at the college campuses." The college-town status can help Terre Haute - with three four-year colleges, a community college and a business school - lure a variety of employers. In Alorica's case, Indiana State University, as well as Ivy Tech, made a difference, said Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.
"We've had a string of these kind of facilities choosing Indiana lately," Daniels said, "and I know they tend to go at least near our university towns. So there's an advantage that Vigo County has that isn't everywhere."
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and its pairing with ISU in the Terre Haute Business Innovation Alliance, an incubator for cutting-edge businesses, has the potential to draw engineering-based firms. St. Mary-of-the-Woods College can also add to the local talent pool. The community must secure employers to entice as many of those college graduates as possible to live and work here.
Alorica's decision is a positive sign, especially because no local or state incentives or tax abatements were used to draw the company. We anxiously await more businesses recognizing the value of locating in Terre Haute.
Washington Times-Herald
May 20, 2008
By: Sally Petty
Gov. Mitch Daniels stopped in Loogootee and Washington on Wednesday as he swung through southern Indiana on a listening tour. Sunday, he stopped in Lincoln City for a bicentennial celebration, and Tuesday, he was at a ground breaking for U.S. 231.
He was at Loogootee High School on Wednesday morning, where he said the students asked him better questions than most adults ask. Around lunch time, he stopped at the Washington Radio Center to speak live on WAMW and record a segment for the Dave Crooks Show to air Saturday.
At a picnic that radio station owner and State Representative Crooks arranged in honor of Daniels' visit, the governor said he considered his greatest accomplishments in office getting the state's economy on the path to growth, balancing the budget, addressing the transportation shortfall and improving tax laws without increasing taxes or debt.
"Indiana is now the economic leader in the Midwest," he said.
He pointed to the ground breaking for construction on U.S. 231, which is three years ahead of schedule and under budget, and upcoming ground breakings for Interstate 69 this summer, which is now being built on an accelerated schedule, as signs of his success.
But these things are only good starts, he said. If he wins another term, Daniels wants to continue putting the economy first but also begin to do a better job with education.
"More money and more discipline in the classroom," he said.
He also wants to improve the quality of teaching in the state's schools.
Daniels said he is familiar with the 21st Century Learning curriculum that North Daviess High School is currently considering. He has been to the first schools in the state to offer the new technology curriculum, and he has found that parents, students and teachers are pleased with it, he said.
In southern Indiana specifically, Daniels said he wants to see more jobs.
"Crane has so much ... potential," he said.
He also pointed to clean coal technology to manufacture fuel for vehicles and natural gas - technology that could easily happen in southern Indiana with Duke Energy's clean coal gasification electric power project near Edwardsport.
Daniels said he wants to run an open and truthful campaign against Democrat challenger Jill Long-Thompson this fall.
"We'll play with our cards up," he said of his campaign. "We're people of change; there's no question about that. ... We're very earnest about doing what we say."
On the air Wednesday, Crooks and Daniels bantered about the differences they've had during the past four years over outsourcing and roads, among other things, and Daniels talked about the progress of I-69.
Crooks said he originally arranged for Long-Thompson to speak on his show live on Saturday morning. Then, Daniels said he wanted to stop in the area, so Crooks decided to air two 10-minute segments, one for each candidate, so listeners could be better informed about their candidates.
Daniels and Long-Thompson will discuss why they each feel they are the best candidate for governor, state and federal solutions for gas prices and how to overcome voters' negative mood, said Crooks. The show will air from 9:05 a.m. to 10 a.m. on WAMW-FM 107.9 and WAMW-AM 1580 in Washington, WFML-FM 96.7 in Vincennes and online at www.davecrooks.com
Gov. Daniels talks to the Trojans
The Princeton Daily Clarion
May 14, 2008
By: Travis Neff
OAKLAND CITY-For some seniors at Wood Memorial High School, November will mark their first time voting in a gubernatorial race.
Incumbent Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels faces Democrat challenger Jill Long Thompson in the fall election. On Wednesday, Daniels was in Gibson County and answered questions from students for more than an hour in the school gymnasium.
Questions hit a variety of issues, from education, to trade, the I-69 project and gay marriage.
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Touting the policies enacted by his administration, Daniels said economic growth and job creation are among the main goals he has for the state.
Daniels challenged students to work hard in school and to continue their education to help Indiana's economic outlook. "No matter what kind of job the people in government do, most of your future success and the successfulness of the state rests with you," he told students.
Education spending
Asked if the reduction of revenue collected by property taxes would hurt education spending, Daniels was frank.
"People were at risk of losing their homes because property taxes were too high," he said.
Daniels said the state spends $11,000 for each Hoosier student every year, and he supports increasing education funding while lowering property taxes to protect home owners.
"I'm in favor of small schools, like this one," said Daniels. "We should not promote education by taxing the daylights out of your neighbors, but by spending the money better," he said.
Daniels said only 61 cents on every dollar earmarked for education actually makes it into the classroom. Cutting wasteful overhead is one of the governor's goals for education financing, he told the assembly.
Daniels referenced Indiana's recent role in the national presidential Democratic nominating process, and said while he was pleased that the candidates were in the state talking about change, he believes transformations have already been happening in the Hoosier state.
"We've been living change in Indiana," he said. "We started the party without you," was his statement to Democrat presidential contenders.
I-69 concerns
I-69 is on the mind of Oakland City residents, and that includes younger people of the town. Students expressed some of their concerns that a small community like Oakland City could lose population and jobs, being swallowed up by the highway.
Daniels said he believes the road will build industry and will help small towns grow. "I-69 won't wipe you off the map. Maybe it will put you on the map," he said.
Daniels said if other options were available, he may have supported a different route for the highway, but said the choice on where to build I-69 was made during previous administrations. "People have been trying to build this road for half a century," he said. "And yes, there probably were better routes."
"I didn't pick this route. Gov. O'Bannon picked this route," Daniels stated.
Daniels said that Southwest Indiana is the only corner of the state without easy access for residents to reach the state capital, but the economic benefits of the highway are the reasons he wants to see I-69 constructed.
"This is not about getting from Evansville to Indianapolis," he said. "It is not about shaving a half-hour off your trip."
He said a decision had to be made whether or not to go ahead with the project, and he is in favor of it because of the potential for economic expansion.
Meth problems
Students said they're concerned about meth problems in the state. Daniels said during his time in office, "We've thrown the kitchen sink at this problem. And the fight goes on."
Gay marraige
Asked about his stance on gay civil unions, Daniels said while he supports the notion of a traditional marriage between a man and a woman, he believes the issue should be decided by voters and not the courts.
No, it's not a quake
At one point during the question and answer session, a "boom" could be heard and a rumble could be felt through the high school gym.
"Was that an earthquake?" the governor asked. Students assured Daniels that the tremor was from blasting at a nearby mine.
A global economy
Daniels was also asked about trade policies and keeping industry in Indiana. Daniels said he was in favor of trade policies which promoted global business and grow the state's employment rate.
"You're going to live in a global economy," Daniels told the students. "The answer is to win."
Daniels he favors international trade, and an expanding Indiana economy can combat job loss to foreign nations. "The answer to outsourcing is insourcing," he said.
He pointed to the presence of Toyota in Gibson County as an example of international economics creating jobs in the Hoosier state.
