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Governor Daniels' Weekly Wrap-up: 12/17/07
Weekly Wrap-up
A look at news and events in the Daniels Administration
Volume 2, Issue 61
December 10-16, 2007
Commission on Local Government Reform report released
Dec. 11, 2007- Former Governor Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Chief Justice Randall Shepard, co-chairs of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform, released the Commission's report, Streamlining Local Government: We've got to stop governing like this.
The report includes 27 recommendations for making
"The only way we ever make change is when the public demands it," said Governor Mitch Daniels. "I think the days ahead are for the public to digest these ideas, consider the credibility and sincerity of the people who have brought them to us and then we'll all talk about which ones and in which order."
Governor Daniels formed the bipartisan commission in July 2007 and asked its members to "recommend ways to restructure local government to increase efficiency and reduce the financial burden on
View the final report. Listen to the announcement. Watch video of the announcement.
Governor celebrates Statehood Day with Hoosier youth
Dec. 11, 2007- Governor Mitch Daniels invited fourth graders from across the state to the State House for a celebration of
The governor also presented the Indiana State Historic Records Advisory Board Awards and recognized the winners of the statewide student essay contest. Natalie Ciresi of
Interchanges to be built on Fort to Port project
Dec. 11, 2007- Governor Daniels has directed the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) to build two interchanges along US 24 as part of the Fort to Port project.
"We have reviewed the accident frequency rate, and we are committed to providing the necessary funds for these interchanges," said Daniels. "There is no reason to put off for 20 years what can be done now."
The Fort to Port Corridor is now a $170 million Major Moves construction project that includes added capacity for a 13.1-mile section of US 24 from Fort Wayne to the Ohio state line. Currently, US 24 is a two-lane rural road with inadequate capacity, with trucks and freight haulers making up 50 percent of traffic.
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Company to locate world's largest bio-plastic production facility in
Dec. 10, 2007- Cereplast, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of bio-based plastic resin, announced it will locate the world's largest bio-based plastic resin manufacturing and distribution facility in
The Hawthorne, Calif. company, which designs, manufactures and distributes plastic resin based on plant starches instead of petroleum, will initially invest more than $7 million to equip an existing 100,000-square-foot industrial building in the Southern Indiana city.
"Cereplast is exactly the kind of business that we're most interested in attracting. A unique company like this that has market-changing possibilities and the potential for rapid growth is a big win for
Canadian equipment company to locate operations in East Central Indiana
Dec. 12, 2007- Governor Daniels joined executives from grain handling equipment manufacturer Ag Growth Industries to announce the company's plans to locate a new manufacturing facility in
The Canada-based company, which manufactures and distributes augers, conveyors, grain storage bins and other grain handling equipment, will make a multi-million dollar investment to locate its new operations in the 163,000 square-foot former Union City Body Company building on the city's west side.
"We've seen a string of jobs announcements throughout
High-tech aluminum casting company to locate in Bluffton
Dec. 12, 2007- Governor Mitch Daniels joined executives from start-up aluminum billet manufacturer Alexin LLC to announce the company will locate its first manufacturing facility in Bluffton, creating more than 50 new jobs.
Alexin will invest more than $56 million to equip and finance its new production facility that will transform scrap aluminum into billet for extruders throughout the
"More and more companies are recognizing that
IN THE NEWS
OUR VIEW: Government reform: 'If not now, when?'
December 12, 2007
The 27 recommendations from the panel headed by former Gov. Joe Kernan and Indiana Supreme Court Justice Randall Shepard are radical for convention-bound
Yet, a reading of the report, which all Hoosiers should take the time to do, finds many long-overdue recommendations that will significantly shrink the size and cost of local government. That alone would reduce or at least help keep property taxes in check. Recommendations that the state should pick up the costs for child welfare and for the trial court system, including public defenders and probation, would greatly decrease the local property-tax burden. One of the most significant of the proposals would allow only elected officials to approve taxes and debt.
A single elected chief executive officer would oversee county government, and most positions now elected, like treasurer, sheriff and auditor, would be appointed.
Politicians, the media and average Hoosiers will be digesting and debating aspects of the 46-page report for months, if not years to come. Whatever the result, it would be wise for all of us to keep in mind the principles of reform (found on page 10) that guided the panel:
Local government should be simpler, more understandable and more responsive.
Local government should be more transparent, allowing citizens to better understand whom to hold accountable -- whom to thank or blame -- for decisions, actions and spending.
Local government reform should drive real cost savings for
The structure of local government should be flexible enough to accommodate different kinds and sizes of communities and an evolving definition of community.
Reform should focus on long-term solutions that not only consider immediate needs, but also position
Reform should provide practical, concrete, common-sense solutions, rather than grand schemes that would be difficult to implement.
Local government reform should create a more equitable distribution of services and responsibility for funding them.
Gov. Mitch Daniels called the report a "roadmap." Some of the proposals will need constitutional changes and most require statutory changes -- all of which begin at the Indiana General Assembly, and which, in the words of Shepard, will be "disruptive, even painful."
Proposals contained in this report have the potential to move
Daniels and Kernan, who both have more than the average Hoosier's experience in dealing with the intricacies of
Raise your voices for real reform
December 12, 2007
Our position: Hoosiers need to push legislators to embrace recommendations of government reform commission.
The subtitle of the report issued Tuesday by the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform says it all: We've got to stop governing like this.
The bipartisan commission, appointed by Gov. Mitch Daniels, is calling for sweeping change, including eliminating township government, consolidating more than half of the state's school districts, and reducing the number of elected officials by more than half.
Tax-weary Hoosiers should enthusiastically rally behind the commission's recommendations. They also need to push reluctant state legislators to embrace the reforms.
Why?
First, because the plan provides the best hope for improving the efficiency of local governments through economies of scale and less duplication of services. The commission wants to cut the number of local government units by 37 percent. Tax dollars could be shifted from bolstering bureaucracy to improving services.
Second, the 27 proposed reforms include several essential to cutting property taxes, including shifting the costs of children's services and trial courts to the state. Erasing township government, with its outdated and wasteful structure, also is a key to holding down property taxes.
Third, the plan would make the local decision-making process more transparent. Only elected leaders could raise taxes. Decisions on spending, including school bonds, would undergo more thorough review. A single countywide elected official could be held accountable, along with the county council, for most decisions on taxes and spending.
Fourth, the reforms would encourage more public involvement. School board elections would shift from the May primary to November, when voter turnout is higher. Municipal elections would move to an even-year cycle, when high-profile state and national races inspire voters to pay closer attention to politics. Better public participation is vital to holding elected leaders accountable for their decisions.
Despite all the arguments for reform, guiding the commission's plan through the General Assembly will be a daunting task. The forces of status quo are strong, especially in the Statehouse, where political alliances often trump the public's best interests.
Commission members, especially former Gov. Joe Kernan, need to be strong advocates for reform during the legislative session. Daniels needs to push these proposals every day, from now until session's end. Even more important, ordinary Hoosiers need to make their voices heard. The reform plan offers the best chance to achieve a long-delayed but much-needed overhaul of local government. The opportunity must not be wasted.
Editorial: Major Moves paying Porter Co. dividends
Gary Post Tribune
December 15, 2007
When Gov. Mitch Daniels last year leased the
The feeling that Hoosiers had been betrayed was as strong in
We said at the time that the opposition was wrong. We harbor that same feeling today.
We found it difficult to be opposed to the lease of a highway when it meant an immediate $3.8 billion in income for the state.
That's an immense amount of money that already is paying dividends.
About a month after receiving the $3.8 billion, Daniels began passing money around the state.
A year after Daniels announced the highway deal -- which he billed as Major Moves -- seven road projects have been completed in
Perhaps the best part about having seven improved stretches of road is that the county still has the $14.4 million awarded by the state last year.
What the county has done is invest the Major Moves money and use the interest to supplement what the county normally receives in highway funds. Essentially, the county is using the money as an endowment.
The time may come when the county has to use all or part of the $14.4 million for a critically needed road project. That clearly is up to the officials there.
In the meantime, it is important for the Major Moves opponents to acknowledge where the money is coming from for some of their improved roads.
First lady leads tree decoration at Statehouse
December 14, 2007
Take one bare Christmas tree.
Add 400 elementary students from around Indiana, one First Lady and Santa Claus.
Sing a few carols.
And -- Jiminy Christmas! -- the Statehouse Christmas tree is suddenly decorated with hundreds of handmade ornaments.
First Lady Cheri Daniels greeted the pupils and directed the action today in the atrium of the Statehouse.
After the entertainment and a visit from St. Nick the kids and Daniels got busy with the ornaments.
