Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels gave a brief report to some of his constituents at Indiana University South Bend, mostly business students and invited guests. The governor spoke as part of the Leading in the 21st Century Speaker series hosted by the School of Business and Economics.
Daniels detailed his nearly six years in office and his work on government budget cuts, creating a good business climate and adding private sector jobs. In addition to answering questions about business practices, he fielded questions about running for president. He said, he has no plans to run for the presidency and doesn’t go to places where many candidates go, such as Iowa. The Governor spoke on Indiana placing in the top five in one listing for welcoming businesses. People ask him how he has turned the state around and he said,
Be prepared to be bedazzled. We spent less than we took in.
And he said he did that without raising taxes. The goal, he said, is to keep as much money in your pockets as possible. He said Indiana made cuts, improved the way state does business and improved the business climate. “And once you do it right, raise the bar” such as with serving customers at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles where service times have dropped over the years.
Daniels said a government cannot keep operating by borrowing. “No one wants to take advantage of our children and grandchildren.”
I’m an optimist. I believe these problems aren’t impossible to solve. What is needed is a “whole lot of people to think like this and keep the American experience alive.
Guest blogger: Robert Ducoffe, Dean and Professor of Marketing, School of Business and Economics
Indiana University South Bend / 574-520-4228/ rducoffe@iusb.edu
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