By Bob Kraft
Indianapolis
Congratulations to Gov. Mitch Daniels for acknowledging that the experiment in wholly privatizing the delivery of welfare services by the state’s Family and Social Services Administration was not working as he had hoped and for taking positive steps to correct the situation. It takes courage for anyone, but especially a high-profile political figure such as our governor, to admit publicly that a program for which he or she was responsible failed to deliver as promised.
To his credit, Gov. Daniels’ tenure has been marked by innovation and action. But even as he has proceeded with an aggressive agenda, there have been times when he has demonstrated the flexibility to reconsider and adjust his position as new information or public reaction dictated. Canceling the IBM contract with FSSA is the latest example of this. He demonstrated similar flexibility when he decided not to pursue the Central Indiana “commerce connector” highway when the public failed to embrace his vision of a 21st century transportation network.
Times change; circumstances change; the economy changes. When those changes happen, government needs the flexibility to react. That’s why it is so difficult to understand why our governor, who has demonstrated the courage to acknowledge that major policy initiatives don’t always play out as anticipated, is so adamant that the 1-2-3 property tax caps — which are already placing severe hardship on many local units of government — should be locked into the state’s constitution.
Indiana Farm Bureau and its members heartily endorse the governor’s initiative to control spending at all levels of government. We agree that measures to rein in excesses need to be pursued. At the same time, we recognize the danger in irrevocably committing to any initiative before its ramifications are fully understood. We don’t want Indiana to end up like California where overly ambitious property tax controls have driven the state into virtual bankruptcy.
Therefore, while we applaud Gov. Daniels for his courage and wisdom in addressing the FSSA situation, we ask him to exercise similar conservative discretion and reconsider his endorsement of the constitutional amendment to render the 1-2-3 property tax caps irrevocable.
Bob Kraft is director of state government relations for the Indiana Farm Bureau Inc.
Letters
Viewpoint: Gov. Daniels should reconsider property tax caps
It takes courage to admit failure to deliver as promised
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act on New Year’s Eve. I doubt many Americans noticed its implications because they do not yet comprehend the big picture. This law, coupled with the Patriot Act, is paving the way for America’s direction toward tyranny.
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Letter: $14 trillion debt started by previous president
I’m a proud atheist who’s lucky enough to know the difference between fact and fantasy.
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Letter: Economy putting people in the gutters
We are now getting the results of putting people in the gutters. We need to take a second look at our government and its policies. It’s not working.
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Viewpoint: Look at Creation Museum from an educational, scientific perspective
I encourage any and all who have interest in this vitally important topic to “go to the source,” to invest the time and energy into exploring The Creation Museum for themselves.
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Letter: Blame the voters for our Congress
Why is insider trading legal for Congress and illegal for the rest of us? They make and enact laws for all of us, but then exempt members of Congress. Somehow this doesn’t seem to pass the smell test.
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Letter: Smith’s firings appear vindictive
Anderson is a city of negative publicity and actions. Why else is Sears leaving? Can we stand four years of vindictive actions and negative reporting?
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Letter: Planned devaluation of dollar is coming
I’ve submitted letters regarding the existence of a global elite for years now. I’m now submitting another one in which I hope readers will take note of.
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Viewpoint: Myra Kraft inspiration for Patriots
If there was one good reason for the Patriots to win the Super Bowl, it would be because of what I had read.
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Viewpoint: Anderson a microcosm of America
Wherever I have found comments that I felt were outside the values I believe in or were plain misinformation I have spoken out. At times that has been done with a lack of eloquence.
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Viewpoint: Problems in Anderson go back to President Carter
On Jan. 21, Frank Couch of Anderson stated that political conservatives “just don’t get it.” He sort of indicates Sears’ closing in Anderson is due to the new mayor being Republican.
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Letter: Bill of Rights being nullified by new law
