Governor Daniels attended the Association of Indiana Counties meeting last week and spoke on his plan to cap property taxes and cut local spending.
As you can imagine, the reception wasn't what you would call 'warm' in a room full of people who think they need more of your tax dollars, not less. No matter your opinion of Governor Daniels, you have to love the fact that there are still politicians around today who will walk into a room full of people who hate his plan and shoot this straight:
In a speech before nearly 200 government officials from across the state -- some of whom might lose their jobs under historic government reforms endorsed by Daniels -- the governor took some tough questions.
Like the one from Tony Wolfe, the Gibson County Council president, who warned Daniels that his plan to place caps on local government spending could result in layoffs or cuts in local services.
"You know, Tony, that's life," responded Daniels. "Every business is facing this.
"You are saying that "I think I need another 6 percent." What are you going to tell that fanily that is already struggling to pay this year's bills?"
Daniels is not sure government is more responsive with more elected officials.
A single executive, like a mayor, would feel the pressure to make the right decision when it comes to spending big money, he said.
"Those are hard decisions, where somebody has to say no, or not yet, or not quite," Daniels said.
"The question can no longer be: How much does local government think it needs? It has to be: How much can the local taxpayer reasonably be expected to pay?"
All they can get from us property taxpayers Mitch!
Freedom Of Speech would like to say this sounds like someone locally we know and it's not Mayor England either.
Go Gov...
You got our vote!
