The ditch Mitch crowd

With the new ads you see on TV from Mitch Danials campaign there is some disagreement with the ditch Mitch crowd about taxes.

Yes we did have some tax raises:

Increase of the cigarette tax: To provide health care to children. Now I don't know why they are blasting Mitch for this. I personally did not like this tax increase.

His advocacy of local income tax increases: Bart Peterson spend $300,000 to get this tax passed. As far as Danials backing it, it would take more pressure off the state to bail cities out. Of course none of use were for this tax increase.

Raising of the sales tax by 17% : It was my belief that most citizens was for this tax raise to level off property taxes. It will take sometime, about three years, to see what effect this will have on your property tax relief. But in the end, by 2011, you will see property taxes go down to the 1% cap.

Now lets take a look at what Mitch has done for Indiana.

Gov Daniels has paid back over $520 million to all K-12 schools, universities, and local government units that were owed to them from the previous administration's deficit spending.

Governor Daniels, in 2006, signed a law directing development of a long-term plan for student assessment. The plan was unanimously approved and is in the process of implementation.

Indiana received federal charter school grants, in 2005 and 2007, to assist with planning, design and initial implementation. In the past three years, 20 new charter schools have opened their doors. More than 9,000 students now attend charter schools across the state.

Indiana now ranks #1 in the midwest and #12 nationally for our business climate in the country, #8 for our overall cost of doing business, and #1 in international investment in the country in 2007 (Forbes Report, July 2007, Tax Foundation's State Business Tax Climate Index). CEO Magazine has also rated Indiana #4 in the midwest and #8 in the nation to do business.

Since taking office, over 60,000 new good-paying jobs have been committed by 2012 and some 43,200 more Hoosiers have jobs now than in 2005.

Indiana's unemployment rate hit a 6 year low in July of 2008 with 4.4% - and the lowest in the region. One economist described Indiana as an "island of growth" (IBJ, Dec 24-30, 2007).

Achieved Indiana's first two honestly balanced budgets in nearly a decade. Took the previous administration's $200 million deficit to a billion dollar surplus.

Paid back $750 million to all K-12 schools, universities, and local government units that were owed to them from the previous administration's deficit spending.

Trimmed over $250 million in unnecessary spending from state government and saved a total of $190 million by renegotiating the previous administration's some 30 contracts.

Shorten lines, improve service, and save tax dollars at the BMV.
Increased the number of 24-hour, self-service terminals by more than 50 percent and provided discounts for mail-in and Internet registrations. The average wait time at any statewide BMV branch now set at 8 minutes, and an overall satisfaction rate of 96 percent
Six-year diver's license extending the current four-year license renewal period.

In 2005, moved 900 inmates from Kentucky jails back to Indiana prisons - saving taxpayers $8.2 million annually.

In 2006, a private company was hired to mange the New Castle Correctional Facility. The contract resulted in 230 new jobs. Costs were reduced by $3 million - a savings of nearly 17%.

Governor's third executive order, on first day in office, created Office of the Inspector General. Daniels signs bill permanently establishing office. Since inception, investigations have recovered $6 million and charges were filed against 36 state employees for various offenses. Inspector General has provided ethics guidance to thousands of state employees seeking opinions.

General Assembly approves and governor signed False Claims Act in 2005. Investigations result in substantial funds recovered - including $90,000 for the State Police Memorial Foundation. Employees improperly using state gas credit cards were also fired.
In 2005, governor signed the bill into law. State Ethics Commission can issue a lifetime debarment for any person who steals or defrauds the state.

And last lets not forget who is paying for all that road construction that you see out there today. Its paid from interest from the toll road LEASE (not sale) witch I understand is over $500,000 per day.

So to Mitch haters, it does not seem to me that your figures add up.