Posted on 01/19/2005 8:42:31 AM PST by mysterio
Some of those watching Gov. Mitch Daniels’ State of the State address Tuesday night seem to agree that Daniels did a fine job expressing himself, but they expect some of his proposals to be met with debate and controversy.
Daniels’ focal points were the modernization of the government and improving the state’s financial situation, but he remained vague in his plans, said Dr. Doug Nelson, a professor of political science at Anderson University.
“His first priority is deal with the budget deficit. It mostly was that and economic recovery in Indiana, which are pretty closely related,” Nelson said. “His plans for economic recovery — he wants to recreate conditions for more jobs, wants to foster small businesses.”
Democratic State Rep. Scott Reske agreed with some of Daniels’ proposals, but was strongly against others.
“I think it’s good that he’s thinking of focusing on the economic development,” he said. “It’s been an ongoing process for several years. We did tax restructuring that moved us from 30 something to number 11 in the nation. It’s good that he’s continuing that trend.”
Madison County Council member Scott Tischler, Republican, felt inspired by the governor’s speech, which gave him hope for the future.
“He looked like man on a mission,” Tischler said. “He came across as someone who has a clue, has a plan, has a vision.”
One of Daniels’ proposals, which will likely be a source of debate, is to add a 1 percent tax increase for one year for those making over $100,000.
“What he’s promising here is he’s trying to turn the economy around and the state around,” Nelson said. “Those making above $100,000, generally speaking, they will benefit the most from those kinds of things. The promise to them is, you have to help carry the weight for this one year, but it will produce real dividends for you in the future.
“They (taxpayers) are always a bit skeptical, but when they see it as an investment that produces real return, they respond positively,” he said.
Tischler, though, doesn’t agree with Daniels’ proposal for a temporary tax increase, and believes it will draw in debate.
“I’m not a fan of tax increases. I still feel that to increase even the folks who make over $100,000 a year, is making them pay for the Legislature’s years of mismanagement,” he said. “I don’t think that’s fair to ask anyone, not just people who make that money, but anyone because they have been woeful mismanagers of our tax dollars for many years now.”
Reske said he was disappointed in the increase, not only in income taxes but property taxes as well.
“For a homeowner, the state pays one third of the property tax and he’s freezing that, freezing increases,” he said. “Every year, because of inflation, the property tax goes up, and he is saying no more increase, so now locals have to pick it up.”
Reske is estimating that there will be a 3 percent increase in property tax.
“Now that things are getting better and state revenues have increased he still wants to propose a tax increase,” Reske said. “We weathered the worst part of the storm without tax increases. Now he wants to increase taxes.
“Seeing an income and property tax increase, while there’s been an upturn in the economy, is disappointing,” he continued. “A lot of things we’ve done in the last three of years have shown positive effects without raising taxes.”
Overall, both Nelson and Tischler felt Daniels’ first State of the State Address went smoothly.
“I think it was a well presented speech,” Nelson said. “The guy is not a great eloquent speaker like some great governor speeches in the past. He sounds like what he is — a business executive doing a report — and he’s doing a fine job.”
The fact that the governor sounded like a businessman was refreshing to Tischler.
“It was nice to see a businessman with a plan rather than a politician with an agenda,” he said.
“It was very real and straight-forward. He did a fantastic job,” Tischler said. “What really stood out to me was how plain spoken, how real he was about our state’s situation — a horrible financial situation, I might add. He didn’t try to sugarcoat it.
“But, though there is much debate and discussion,” he said, “I feel like for the first time in many years, the state is going in the right direction.”
PING
Read my lips, Mitch -- You're going to be a one-term governor.
Good thing we elected a Republican!(tm)
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