State of the State Redux
Here’s some of the reaction from Tuesday night’s State of the State address…
House Speaker Pat Bauer
- “Creating jobs is more important than extended philosophical debates over taking local government control out of the hands of the public. It should take priority over whether we need to pass constitutional property tax caps, something that cannot even go before the voters of Indiana until November 2010. These other issues can wait for next year. “This year’s session has one goal: jump-starting Indiana’s economy and getting Hoosiers back to work.”
Senate Pro Tem David Long
- “Gov. Daniels has always been open to new routes, so long as we quickly traveled toward the desired destination. My hope is that his call for spending only what we can afford, preserving emergency cash reserves, permanently capping property taxes and continuing job creation will be carefully considered by lawmakers and vocally supported by fellow Hoosiers.”
Senate Democrat Leader Vi Simpson
- “I agree with the governor that the state must have a balanced budget. Like Hoosier families, the state needs to economize and cut back on expenses. But we must be careful not to do irreparable harm to our future. “In this economic environment, our first priority must be jobs, jobs, and more jobs. Immediate and drastic action is needed right now. It’s time to jump start the engine of job creation in our state, not let it sit idle year after year as the governor is proposing.”
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett
- “As Governor Daniels made abundantly clear this evening, education must be a top priority at this significant time in our state’s history, and despite a difficult economic outlook, there are many cost-effective measures we can take this legislative session to improve student learning opportunities in Indiana. In these tough economic times, we are fortunate to be faring better than most states. But as we are finding out in education, ‘better’ does not always mean ‘easy.’ Tough decisions will be made this legislative session, though the governor certainly gave us a strong foothold from which to start.
Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard
- “Governor Daniels is exactly right. Reforms are more important now than ever. I am glad we have a governor who continues to exhibit strong and determined leadership during these tough times. I look forward to working with the governor on government reform and other issues important to the citizens of Marion County.”
Dan Parker, State Democratic Chairman
- “We’ve got massive challenges facing the State of Indiana: the greatest economic crisis since WWII, a budget shortfall, a bankrupt unemployment insurance fund and a host of other issues that have to be addressed with a sense of urgency. Everything we do in this next session needs to be about creating or saving jobs in this state and providing for the economic security of Hoosier families.”
State Representative Mike Murphy
- ‘Don’t mess this up.’ That was pretty much the governor’s message tonight, and it’s one we had all been expecting to hear. Times are tight for Hoosier families. There’s no room for increased spending. Everyone will make sacrifices. “Even now, however, Gov. Daniels puts forth the kind of bold, visionary reforms Hoosiers have come to expect. His plans aren’t always supported unanimously, but they always have the best interests of Hoosiers in mind, and — most important — they work.”
