I recently read an interesting article in our local Daily Journal newspaper, concerning local commissioners taking the necessary steps to avoid tax increases.
The article discussed how the county commissioners decided to make some consequential budget cuts without any layoffs. In short, the county will save $17,000 by limiting cell-phone reimbursements and also save on fuel costs and wear and tear for the county vehicles that will no longer be driven after hours.
In difficult economic times, I commend the commissioners for their actions. There is no question that when you take away resources from any organization or agency, it creates hardships. But like Hoosier families, when times are tough financially, you have to find ways to cut in order to save.
Tough decisions are never popular, but can be necessary. Johnson County should be proud of their local officials for taking that approach. And I don’t think the State of Indiana shouldn’t be treated any different.
My colleagues and I are already working to find ways to cut spending in order to avoid raising taxes on already struggling Hoosiers. And our reputation speaks for itself—we have cut spending by more than 20 percent in the last two to three years, and state government still manages to function.
Everything starts with the budget—and this session, the budget will be the main issue alongside job creation. We will fight for a fair and balanced budget, while also looking for ways to bring in more jobs. We have had more than 23,000 good-paying jobs commit to our state, while we have avoided raising taxes and, instead, created a business-friendly environment for employers.
But before session gets too under way, next Saturday (January 8) I am hosting a series of town halls (log onto www.in.gov/h58 for more information) to gain input from my district. I am elected by the people and therefore, I am here to listen to the people. This is something I do at the start of each session and throughout session, and I hope that many will take advantage.
In addition, several area legislators and I will be visiting Clark Pleasant, Franklin and Greenwood schools over the next few weeks. We have already met with Center Grove schools. We are visiting to hear what teachers, principals and superintendents have to say about our current education system.
For me, it’s extremely important to meet face-to-face with our educators, when discussing education reform because they are the ones in the classroom teaching our students.
I can assure you that discussions surrounding the budget, job creation and education will continue over the next few months—with legislators working vigorously to find solutions.
We need to keep in mind that Indiana is doing well, compared to most states. I believe that with fiscally-conservative policies and continued efforts to improve education, Indiana will continue to lead us out of this economic turmoil.
