Indiana governor set the template. (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, 3/27/2011)
Excerpt: The new governor was out to shake up his state's old economic order.
He wiped away collective bargaining for thousands of state employees. And he created a public-private partnership to aggressively lure businesses - and jobs - to the heartland.
That may sound like Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin.
But, actually, another governor beat him to the punch.
His name: Mitch Daniels. His state: Indiana.
Daniels' way of governing, introduced with a flourish in 2005, has become something of a blueprint for a new crop of Republican governors rising to prominence in the Midwest.
Walker in Wisconsin, John Kasich in Ohio and Rick Snyder in Michigan all appear to be taking from parts of Daniels' playbook, going toe-to-toe with the unions to quickly reshape government for the 21st century and focusing on economic development.
Unlike Daniels, who could simply sign away collective bargaining for state employees with the stroke of a pen, Walker had to get his budget-repair bill passed in the Legislature. And even then, the bill curtails collective bargaining for most public employees but not does not eliminate it.
"We try and look at any successful governor," Walker says. "But Mitch, as much as anyone, has the clearest road map for the two big issues I ran on, fixing the economy, jobs, and fixing the budget, spending."
The Daniels way is a lean approach to governing in an age of austerity, delivering more for less, blending business metrics with merit pay. His mantra: "We'll operate at the speed of business, not the speed of government."
Daniels' big step for stewardship. (Indianapolis Star editorial, 3/25/2011)
Excerpt: Daniels can't let the accolades go to his head, knowing that environmentalists still don't give him a pass in other areas.
Critics cite the state's sad record in enforcing water and air quality and requiring renewable energy. Daniels hasn't warmed to mass transit either. There also are thousands of acres of forest and wetlands being sacrificed to extend I-69 and big farm operations sending pollutants into waterways. At the Statehouse, conservation advocates fight a budget bill that would eliminate appropriations for the Indiana Heritage Trust to buy natural lands.
The environmentalists' message is that, by closely guarding its natural assets, Indiana will be healthier and more attractive to businesses, workers and visitors.
The governor is creating his legacy through preservation projects. The environmentalist hat becomes him. He should wear it more often.
Let's see. Based on this editorial, Daniels is no better than 1 for 7, or a .143 batting average, seriously below the Mendoza Line.
Mitch Daniels sticks with fiscal issues over social. (Indianapolis Star, 3/14/2011)
Excerpt: Daniels, a potential 2012 presidential candidate who has been criticized by conservatives for saying there should be a truce on social issues while the nation focuses on fiscal matters, was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about policy riders in a House-passed bill that would fund the government.
Daniels, a potential 2012 presidential candidate who has been criticized by conservatives for saying there should be a truce on social issues while the nation focuses on fiscal matters, was asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" about policy riders in a House-passed bill that would fund the government.
"As a general rule, it's better practice that you concentrate on making ends meet and having policy debates in other places if you can," Daniels said.
Next step: Confirm that his actions back up his words.
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