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looks like budget cuts work
Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Politics
Inidiana has $1 billion budget surplus
[5 posts] [5 contributors]
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dubdave00
Dublin
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Yes and no. Small government and larger government both have their stories of success and failure. Citing this as an example is like pointing at today's forecast and saying that's "proof" of global warming. I think there are other factors at play.
But first, good for them on the surplus. It will be interesting to see what they do with the money and how they return it to the taxpayers (checks, gov't services, or a mix). I will give Indiana some credit in knowing their role. They don't seem to be trying to be something they're not, as a state.
That all said, I just think Ohio is a lot harder to govern. You have a very divided electorate with three mid-large cities, of which two have fallen on some hard times, multiple small-mid cities (each with separate problems), and a substantial rural population as well. Add to that the cultural divide each interest group panders to and you get what we have. It's tough to create any kind of lasting change in a state when the people jump between the parties and "solutions" as often as we do. I don't think you can slam the brakes and turn Ohio around. You have take a couple right hand turns and a couple left hand turns, ask for some directions, and maybe run a little late to get back on track financially.
Posted 5 months ago # -
JonMyers
HCMC ✈
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Maybe Indiana should put some of that surplus into their educational system.
As chronicled here and elsewhere, Indianapolis Public Schools exemplifies the problems of the nation’s worst public school systems. This Midwestern district suffers all the faults of urban districts that aren’t involved in any reform effort, from bureaucratic incompetence to political intransigence to high levels of teacher absenteeism.
But IPS’ failures can be best summed up through its woeful graduation rates. The district remains home to one of the nation’s most-comprehensive concentrations of dropout factories, with all but one of its high schools (a specialized high school) graduating fewer than 60 percent of its students. The graduation rates for black and white males (based on 2006 data) are tied with Detroit’s abysmal district for the worst. But as seen in chart 3, the five-year Promoting Power Rate (or Balfanz Rate as Dropout Nation calls it after its creator) for females — especially, oddly enough, white females — is almost as atrocious.
With the school district’s superintendent, Eugene White, entering a rare fifth year into the job as its chief executive, one wonders if IPS will eventually go the way of New Orleans. Because there are 10 other school districts within Indianapolis, this may not happen. But the State of Indiana may just end up taking over the district anyway.
Posted 5 months ago # -
bman
New Albany
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Mitch Daniels has done a good job at leading the state. I lived in Indiana for 9+ years two different times and it is a nice place to live, even for a liberal. I always respected Mitch Daniels but earlier this year when he stood up to the republican party and said that they have to look past their hard line social issue stances and govern more from the middle and focus on economic rather than social issues my respect grew.
Mitch might put some of this money back for a rainy day ... or use it to lure more manufacturing jobs to the state. NE Indiana is a hot bed for small manufacturers and Indiana did win the bidding war for that Honda plant over Ohio.
Posted 5 months ago # -
rus
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bman said:
I always respected Mitch Daniels but earlier this year when he stood up to the republican party and said that they have to look past their hard line social issue stances and govern more from the middle and focus on economic rather than social issues my respect grew.If only social issues were left to the people involved, eh?
Posted 5 months ago #
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