Articles
Governor Daniels' Weekly Wrap-up: 12/26/07
A look at news and events in the Daniels Administration
Volume 2, Issue 62
December 17-23, 2007
Dec. 19, 2007- Governor Mitch Daniels joined state and national education leaders to announce that
"We're talking about the Rhodes Scholarships of teaching with
The Woodrow Wilson Indiana Teaching Fellowship will provide fellows with a $30,000 stipend to complete a year-long master's program at
Read the news release. Listen to the governor's remarks.
Governor commends BMV for customer service
Dec. 21, 2007- Governor Daniels joined Bureau of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Ron Stiver at the BMV administrative offices to applaud employees for efforts resulting in higher customer satisfaction levels, lower customer visit times, operational efficiencies and savings of more than $4.5 million. The governor and commissioner also announced the BMV's new discount program for online vehicle registrations and the option to schedule an appointment in advance.
"It's been a long, hard process, with some mistakes along the way, but today's BMV is a dramatically better operation than it has been historically. The numbers and customer ratings prove it," said Daniels. "There's plenty more improvement to come, starting with today's two new innovations. But it's well to pause and say thanks to the employees of the BMV for the remarkable progress they've achieved."
Machining company to grow its southeast
Dec. 17, 2007- MKM Machine Company, Inc., a provider of precision metal and plastic machining services, announced it will expand its operations in
The privately-owned company plans to invest more than $6 million to add new computer hardware and software and machining equipment to its 280,000-square foot facility on the city's north side.
"Decisions like the one MKM Machine is making to continue to invest in
Governor's schedule for December 27-28
Thursday, December 27
- Governor Mitch Daniels and Family and Social Services Administration (FSSA) Secretary Mitch Roob will provide an update on the number of uninsured Hoosiers who have applied for health insurance though the Healthy Indiana Plan (HIP). HIP coverage will begin on January 1, 2008.
10:45 a.m.
Governor's Office
Friday, December 28
- Governor Daniels and leaders from a
10 a.m.
Governor's Office
IN THE NEWS
Enriching poorest schools with best and brightest
December 26, 2007
Our position: A teacher training plan brings credit to
When
Citing the state's political and business leadership, among other factors, the prestigious Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation has selected Indiana as the first site for a national push to revitalize teacher training and lift inner-city and rural schools in the process.
With $10 million in funding from Lilly Endowment, the venture will give aspiring teachers $30,000 each to complete a yearlong master's program with emphasis on math and science. The graduates, in turn, will work at least three years in poor-performing schools, supported by mentors provided by the schools and the four participating universities: Purdue,
Call it "an Indiana Rhodes scholarship for teachers," says Arthur Levine, president of the foundation and one of
The idea is enticing: to draw the best and brightest into the profession by raising its skill level and prestige, and to steer those star performers to the kids who need them most.
The urgency is obvious. Half of
There is plenty of encouragement to be found in the level of support they've enlisted. Heartily endorsed by Gov. Mitch Daniels and state Higher Education Commissioner Stan Jones, the fellowships have all the key players on board, from the Chamber of Commerce to school superintendents to teachers unions.
Nor is it a token gesture. Starting with the fall term of 2010, the program intends to graduate 80 fellows in its first class, building to as many as 400 a year. That figure of 80 represents one-fourth of all math and science teachers prepared each year in
Well-grounded as it is with its emphasis on math, mentoring and practicality, the program will flourish only if it grows teaching's image, Levine points out.
"We want to see these people on the lawn of the White House, in People magazine, on MTV, everywhere that's talked about and read by young people," he says, "so they see teaching is a wonderful way to make a living -- a sexy career."
If the test scores go up and the dropout rate goes down, amen to that.
Initiative should reduce wait at BMV
December 21, 2007
By Garret Mathews
In a push to reduce waiting times for people licensing vehicles, the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is offering a discount to people who complete the registration process online and is also allowing people to schedule appointments at its busiest branches - including
The bureau will give a $5 discount on vehicles registered online through next October. And the opportunity to go online to schedule an appointment includes the bureau's three
Gov. Mitch Daniels announced the time-saving measures Thursday morning in
"It will be more convenient for our customers and more cost-efficient for our offices," Stiver said.
Beginning Jan. 3, customers can use computers to schedule 30-minute time slots at their convenience and avoid waiting in line.
"It's been a long, hard process, with some mistakes along the way, but today's BMV is a dramatically better operation than it has been historically," Daniels said.
Stiver pointed out that of the nearly 12 million BMV transactions each year, 64 percent are vehicle registrations, most of which can be performed outside of a branch office.
"If we can get more people to go online, it will reduce volume at our offices and allow us to make better use of our time," Stiver said, noting that the average customer visit to a BMV office is currently around 11 minutes.
In 2009, he went on, plans are to expand the number of due dates on registrations from the present 19 to 45.
"Instead of 360,000 motorists coming in on a particular day, that spike will drop to 160,000. Customer visits will even out more over the course of the month."
Appointments can be scheduled online at www.mybmv.IN.gov/branches. They cannot be made by telephone.
Online registration renewals should be processed between five and seven business days.
Certain vehicles are ineligible for the $5 discount including heavy-weighted vehicles requiring a motor fuel tax form.
More information on license plates that cannot be renewed online is posted on the BMV Web site.
Vehicle registrations make up more than 60 percent of the agency's transaction volume, but only 6 percent of registrations were done on line this year. BMV officials estimate, though, they can double that number by offering the $5 discount.
The agency also tested its online appointment scheduling at some central
Boone Co. home for Medco plant
December 18, 2007
By John Russell, Robert Annis and Ted Evanoff
Medco Health Solutions of Franklin Lakes, N.J., is expected to announce today that it has chosen the AllPoints industrial project at Anson, west of Zionsville, as the site for its huge distribution center, said Boone County Commissioner Huck Lewis.
The facility will be 318,000 square feet, roughly the size of six football fields, the company has said.
Medco picked the site because of its access to Northside workers, as well as its proximity to I-65, the airport and Downtown Indianapolis, said another person familiar with the deal.
Medco, one of the nation's largest pharmacy distribution companies, said last month that it would build the facility somewhere in
A Medco spokeswoman declined to comment Monday. But Lewis confirmed that Medco was coming to Anson, a 1,700-acre mixed-use development in Whitestown, a few miles northwest of the intersection of I-65 and Ind. 334. The Anson development also includes offices, retail and residential areas.
Medco said last month that it would invest $150 million in the new facility, which will employ 1,300 people by 2012, with an average wage of $53,000.
That could make it
Boone has been relatively slow to develop and has long had a slow-growth reputation with residential and commercial developers and builders.
Boone County Republican Chairman Tom Easterday, informed Monday of the announcement, said: "That's fantastic. It clearly fits with the high-tech and high-paying jobs that we want for
Easterday, who is a vice president of Subaru in
"All three counties appeared to have some advantages," he said. "We believe Boone offers a perfect location and the corporate environment that Anson provides. The location is 20 minutes to the airport and to Downtown."
Some local residents have complained that Anson has not developed as quickly as expected, but Lewis said that Medco should help the development gain momentum.
"It's just that the people here wanted an appropriate type of growth that creates quality jobs that benefit the county as a whole and can help to raise the standard of living," he said.
Duke Realty, which is developing the Anson site, declined to confirm the news. The company issued a media advisory shortly before 5 p.m. Monday announcing a news conference this morning with "representatives from a new company locating to
Also scheduled to attend are Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and representatives from Duke, Browning Investments and the Boone County Economic Development Corp.
Medco said last month that it was attracted to
About 120 positions will be pharmacists, with the rest consisting of pharmacy technicians, engineers, information technology specialists and managers.
Last year, Medco dispensed 553 million prescriptions. Its mail-order service rang up sales of $16 billion last year.
