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Indiana budget in surplus

No wonder people want Mitch Daniels to run for President

By: Soren Dayton (Diary)  |  July 19th, 2009 at 01:14 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Most state budgets are in crisis. The Big Picture’s Barry Ritholtz notes that state tax revenue has fallen sharply the last two quarters. The left wing Center for Budget and Policy Priorities notes that “[a]t least 48 states addressed or are facing shortfalls in their budgets for the upcoming year.”

Not Indiana. Under Mitch Daniels’ leadership the state reported a $1.3b surplus. The State Auditor Tim Berry noted that they even raised school funding:

Berry stood in front of charts Friday that show Indiana increased school funding, avoided a tax hike, and maintained a surplus of about 10%. [...]

“Measures that were taken early on by Governor Mitch Daniels to restrain spending have amounted for a large amount of these fiscal reserves,” Berry said.

The Louisville paper notes that tax revenue was even down $1.2b below projections:

The state had $1.33 billion in its main checking account and reserves when the fiscal year ended June 30. That’s roughly the same as one year ago, even though state taxes brought in $1.2 billion less than originally projected.

How’s that for successful governance? No wonder there is a draft movement for Mitch Daniels for President.

(Crossposted from The Next Right)

COMMENTS

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  • Mayhem

    When you look at Indiana on a map, in contrast to other States, we are an island of fiscal sanity in a hurting Rust Belt. This despite Indiana’s near 10 percent unemployment and a dying industrial sector.

    Daniels is a leader and a manager. Hoosiers recognize a genuine person when they see one. While he has denied higher aspirations, many in Indiana are beginning to wonder whether he’ll hop in the 2012 race. If there is a good void of candidates, don’t be shocked if he does.

  • mbecker908

    where no real “accomplishment” exists. And then here comes Governor Daniels.

    Let me note that this is about all I know about him and really don’t care if he wants to run for President in ’12 because we’ve got bigger and more important issues to deal with RIGHT NOW.

    However, people should take notice of Governor Daniels, and they should also note that he’s still Governor so he’s got a couple of more years to build on his accomplishments. I think it’s important to note the comment by Mayhem, Indiana sits in the rust belt and is subject to the same economic problems that are burying every other state in the region. Gee, maybe it’s not the economy, maybe it’s the Governor and his principles.

  • eliminatedebt

    California… 25B in debt.

    Every state legislature should take note of Indiana. I do happen to know that Indiana contracts out the work of things like the DMV to outside management, and it makes things run much more efficiently. Contracting the work out isn’t the magic bullet to solving government, but I dare say that much of that 1.3 B surplus comes from being more efficient with the dollars spent.

  • Maggie_in_Indiana

    yard sign is a little worse for wear but still stands proudly.

    When he privatized the toll road the whole state was ready to Ditch Mitch. But it has worked out well,so far. He has many grounded ideas and some that keep the Democrat controlled House in an uproar most of the time,like holding them in session until a budget was passed. Funny thing though when he says he’s going to do something he does.

    In a public statement he said he wouldn’t run for POTUS because he “wouldn’t win”. His words.

  • mbecker908

    It would be good if someone could post a diary on your Governor’s pluses and minuses. This is a really good report, but I’d really like to read about what he’s done overall and what kind opposition/support he has. I’m totally ignorant about your state or your state’s politics and some background would be great.

  • redtillimdead

    The only 2 states with surpluses have Republican governors: Indiana-Daniels, and North Dakota-Hoeven

    • eliminatedebt

      Because then thats saying theres another 20 Repbulican governors who can’t manage a budget, and that highlights California with their 25B+ defecit which is truly pitiful.

      And of course, Daniels and Hoeven had stimulus money to help.

      • redtillimdead

        But, these are 2 governors who have also been in charge of thier states for awhile. Some have to deal with situations from the predesesor and then, theres Arnold. CA is just an example of Liberal policies failing. Arnold is too liberal to even be called a RINO, he’s beyond RINO

        • IJB

          Blame them (and the people who voted for them) 90% for what’s happened to CA.

        • gatorbait

          or was it a slow progress afterwards? I wonder how much influence his lovely wife from the Democrat Kennedy family has on him. There’s a line from My Big Fat Greek Wedding that sums up that kind of situation:”The husband is the head, but the wife is the neck that turns the head”. Hmmm. That reminds me…

    • cmw

      I could be mistaken, and I’m certainly biased as I sit right in the middle of the Lone Star State, but I believe Texas has a budget surplus as well. Interestingly the link in the story above shows that the 2 states not facing a budget shortfall are Montana and North Dakota. If Indiana and Texas are also doing well financially, then that makes 4 …

      I’ll try to find a link about Texas financial situation, but I know it’s been covered widely recently.

      • BlueStateSaint

        That under Gov. Perry’s leadership in cutting wasteful spending, Texas has a $7 billion budget surplus this year. With Gov. Palin signing up to fundraise/campaign for Gov. Perry for 2010, I’m wondering if maybe that’s the ticket in 2012 . . .

        • Menlo

          I can’t speak to the budget issue, but know that the Texas legislature has been a do-nothing body with liberal Democrats and RINO Republicans (by Texas standards) who bend over backwards for them. In addition, they operate by unrealistic and impossible procedural rules by which they can accomplish nothing. The legislature does not consider the wishes of or think like the governor.

          In general, the “under his leadership” perception is often erroneous. The executive branch is not there to “lead” the legislative. They elect their own leaders.

          Perry is not Presidential material. Though he has made some progress in recent months in speeches, he is disliked by many conservatives as much as by liberals; and he will be in a tough open primary battle for governor against Kay Barely Republican.

  • mom2oneson

    It’s not right that he used his so called reforms and awards to run again. What about those poor children that died while in care or have been abused while in care? What about the children trauamatized by the DCS?

    • mbecker908

      I doubt five people here have a clue what you’re talking about. Not saying you’re wrong, just that most of us are ignorant about the situation.

      • mom2oneson

        of removing children from homes in child welfare cases compared to other states.
        The gov won 2 awards for “reform” and used those in his campaign to run again. Those awards are a joke system has not been reformed.

        CPS/child welfare is not safe/good/fair in any state. Foster care is not safe in any state. Due process is a joke in child welfare cases. I think every state govenor is responsible for what CPS does in their state. My big issue here aside from how awful the child protection service system is and that the gov is responsible for how they do things, is that this IN gov is saying it is reformed and he is responsible for the reform and used it in his campaign when it really has not been reformed.

        • leftylurker

          “Due process is a joke in child welfare cases.”

          It’s atrocious how little rule of law there is in family court and when CPS get involved.

          • mom2oneson
        • mom2oneson

          The reason child welfare is so out of control is because of funds they recieve from the federal government. This is true for all states not just IN. I want to do a diary eventually on conservative history vs conservatism and how these laws were not conservative actions. I just need some time when I have a few hours without interruption to work on it. ;) :) So anyway I am not blaming the IN gov for the whole corrupt system of CPS I just think it’s kind of sick he used those awards in his campaigns when there is still so much tradgedy going on there and it has not been reformed.

          • mbecker908

            Child welfare is the ultimate oxymoron in EVERY state. It’s a disaster in AZ, NM, DE, PA, NH, MA and CA. And those just happen to be states I’ve lived in so I have passing info on them.

          • mom2oneson
          • mom2oneson

            CPS= general term for child welfare stands for Child Protective Services.
            This falls under each states health & human services type of department.
            In Indiana it’s called Department of Children Services = DCS.

            how sick… I just looked at the IN website to verify the name of the department before clicking post and my stomach turned. They have a safe sleep campaign!!! Incredible they have that when a baby they took (and should not have, she was not abused or neglected) and put into foster car died when it was placed to sleep her her stomach (instead of her back like how you should place most babies to sleep.) while in foster care.

          • mbecker908

            he reportedly walked into a restaurant (in Philadelphia?) and asked the host “Do you serve children?” “Of course sir.” was the reply. “Good, I’ll have a small one medium rare.”

            Now, for aficionados of WC Fields that is funny. But the sad part is that if he’d walked into any state CPS/DCS in the country, he’d have just been asked if wanted potatoes or rice and which vegetable.

          • http://applescorneroftheorchard.blogspot.com/ Pomme

            was placed on his stomach and he is fine. Thirteen and making his liberal teachers sick with debate.

            The debate on how best to prevent SIDS has been a long one.

            While I disagreed with Gov. Daniels use of this in his campaign, I do not fault him for at least trying to help a situation.

            What would you have had him do differently, other than not using it in his campaign? Are all the things you’d suggest something that a governor could start, and if he got the ball rolling, how long before they made a significant difference? Would you at least give him credit for trying? We do have other branches of state government he has to fight.

            Sometimes, patience is rewarded, even in situations where we’d like to see immediate improvement, and do not take lightly my want for safe children! I know well the pain of losing them.

            All things considered, Governor Daniels has been a good thing for my state. YMMV.

  • lthurwitz

    I’ll have what he’s having. Is this the future of the party?

  • misterg

    It would appear that Mitch has done a good job for Indiana and congrats are in order, If he has any national office aspirations, however, I might advise him to disassociate himself from the site known as Americans for Mitch, which the Red State article directs you to as a “draft movement for Mitch Daniels for President”. At a minimum, Mitch should, immediately, advise the administrators of the site that to, overtly, disparage other, nationally known, GOP celebrities (i.e. Romney, Palin, Huckabee, Pawlenty, etc.) is not in the best interest of the GOP nor Mitch Daniels. Today, the site featured an article titled “Sarah Palin Aside, Let’s Get Serious”, a reprint of one of Peggy Noonan’s usual Palin hit-pieces in the Journal. The site administrator, I assume the official spokesperson for the site, posted this conclusion to the Noonan piece “we agree, that’s why we’re for Mitch”. While I’m not a Palin supporter for national office, but she can be a tremendous asset to the GOP with fund-raising efforts. That said, if the site, Americans for Mitch, or Mitch Daniels, himself believes his best interest for self-promotion in the Party is best served by “bashing” Sarah Palin, both are delusional. If Mitch picks a “fight” with Sarah Palin, at this point in time, with her favorability ratings, her name recognition, her fund-raising potential; Mitch’s future national aspirations are D.O.A.. Besides, it does not bode well for a continuation of what we see too often – GOP infighting. Let’s face facts, folks, we need unity of identity, purpose, and goals. To date, Americans for Mitch adds nothing to that end. Hopefully, Mitch will set the site on a better course.

    • BrianinIN

      ….. I do have some insight. I listen to local talk radio, and the host is under the impression that Mitch is not interested in holding office after this term as Gov. I hope he does consider a future in national politics, he is a fabulous manager and a great leader. He inherited massive budget shortfalls and look at where we are today.