Focus on Indiana's Governor, a Tax Cutter Who Has Become a Tax Raiser

[Rose Siding]

The Blade, as President Bush dubbed Mitch Daniels when he was White House budget director, has discovered at least one thing since becoming governor of Indiana last month: political alliances are not forever.

Once aligned with fiscal conservatives on cutting taxes and federal spending, Mr. Daniels, in office for just over a month, is now being attacked by his former supporters for proposing a temporary, 1 percent tax increase for Indiana residents making more than $100,000 a year.
...
Almost his first act after assuming office was to declare that his administration would no longer engage in collective bargaining with the union that represents state workers. Then, he asked for the resignations of the members of the state's top policy-making boards and commissions, including those appointed by his Democratic predecessors. Democrats called it an unseemly power grab, which the governor denies.
...
He decided to tax the wealthy, he said, because he recognized that the spending cuts in aid to public schools and to those on Medicaid, for instance, would land most heavily on the poor and the middle-class, so it seemed fair to ask those who earn more to bear some of the burden.

http://nytimes.com/2005/02/20/national/20indiana.html

[Blue to the bone]

1. Wow, should we shower him with roses.....

...or sling shit at him? An enigma.

[Delphinus]

2. I don't know why he doesn't just wait on this.

He seems to think that by changing Indiana's time zone all the problems the state is having will just fade into the sunset.

[blackcat77]

6. Yeah, but when the Dems asked to have some public input about it...

...I guess he decided he knew best and denied any attempts to allow time for discussion.

OTOH, the Pub-controlled state legislature effectively destroyed the Dem mayor of Indianapolis' plan to consolodate city and county govt there as well as his plan to fund a new stadium for the Colts. Anything to make a Democrat look bad...

He talked a good game during the campaign, but now that he's in office, you can definitely tell he served in the Bush White House.

[chicagiana]

10. I don't mind about the stadium deal ...

$750 million is TOO MUCH when schools are crumbling. If the Colts want a new stadium they should kick in a LOT more money.

LA won't build a stadium for the Colts. They let two separate franchises LEAVE because LA wouldn't build a stadium. They even nixed a deal to put a brand new franchise in LA over the stadium funding issue.

LA is smart. Football stadiums are NOT worth the money put into those facilities. At most, there are 8-10 home games a year. That simply does NOT justify the investment of $700 million dollars.

The Hoosier Dome was recently renovated. The Colts need to sit tight in their location and let those renovations work for them.

[megatherium]

3. Our man Mitch!

Hoping he protects higher education. Well, I teach at a campus of Indiana University, so you know where I'm coming from.

[lovuian]

4. I can only hope State workers walk out on him as his Repub's

He is pretty pathetic!!!

[LiberalFighter]

5. NY Times late with story... but all the better to keep it in the news

Wall Street even wrote about Daniels wanting to raise taxes and criticising him.

[chicagiana]

7. Even worse ...

Daniels is effectively threatening a COMPLETE autocratic takeover of Indiana state government. He is lobbying for authority to fire anybody on state commissions.

Daniels is a BAD, BAD, BAD man.

The pukes are playing Ronnie Reagan's old game. Cut taxes aggressively than "acquiesce" to demands by Democrats to raise taxes. It's what the pukes really wanted in the first place.

The 1% tax raise will NOT be approved by the Republican statehouse. What WILL end up happening is the raising of various fees that will disproportionately affect working class folks.

[burn the bush]

14. someone labeled him "My bitch Mitch" I think it works

[chicagiana]

15. BUSH'S BITCH MITCH ...

He certainly isn't my bitch.

[BlueManDude]

8. GOP party discipline is so strong that...

GOP Govs who been fucked over by fed tax giveaways to the rich (and thus have to pick up the slack) never say shit about it. Govs are generally forced to be much more responsible to the populace than presidents.

[chicagiana]

11. Mitch has a problem in Indiana ...

See, Mitch's budget office could spend money like madmen with no regard to who was going to pay it back (the next Democratic president). Indiana's constitution forbids running a deficit. And unfortunately, O'Bannon was suckered into emptying the surplus fund.

Don't you worry, by the time "Bush's Bitch Mitch" is done, he will cancel motor voter registration, cut the state wages, and likely raid state pension funds.

[BlueManDude]

12. so disturbing that the people put up with such fiscal

irresponsibility. here in mass we has a fiscal shortfall caused by the never-ending round of tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy. it got so bad that the courthouse where i work actually shut off the escalator in order to save money on electricity. then after the crisese was deemed over the gov proposed yet another round of tax cuts.

i'm a private employee in the real estate field and i spend a lot of time in government offices. 3 years ago it cost roughly $30 dollars to "record" a mortage after a real estate transaction. today it costs $175 - but gov romney can say he never raised taxes.

[hadrons]

9. seems like well-off Repukes in Indiana got a nice surprise for their vote

[Erika]

13. Hey, the GOP wanted the rich to become richer

It's all about the $. The GOP could care less about Christ's mandate to take care of the poor.

He was nothing more than a ----damn socialist. And the conservatives would crucify him today.