Mitch Daniels leaves Indiana the fiscal envy of the Midwest

http://www.indystar.com/article/20121231/NEWS05/212310339/Mitch-Daniels-leaves-Indiana-fiscal-envy-Midwest

>>Eight years ago, Mitch Daniels took office facing a $600 million budget deficit, cash-strapped public services and a promise to turn the state around.

He will leave Indiana the fiscal envy of the Midwest, with a sterling AAA credit rating, a more than $500 million budget surplus and $2 billion in reserves.

But such a dramatic turnaround has its costs. While he ushered in reforms, nearly every area of government, including education and child services, faced Daniel's hefty financial ax. He also cast his cost-cutting gaze to limit the ability of local governments and schools to increase property taxes, thus keeping rates low but leaving communities searching for money to pave roads, hire police officers and keep teachers.>>

And Pence is looking for ways to cut taxes even more, and give back some of the surplus as refunds.

I like getting cash back just as much as the next person, but damn -- with a poor educational system, poor infrastructure, and (may I add for good measure) a middling-to-poor job creation record despite the wondrous fix-all of Right to Work -- what is so enviable about any of this? Seriously?

A few weeks back "Indiana Week in Review" (does that run on PBS statewide?) had as a topic a poll that said most Hoosiers would rather see the surplus funneled back into education. They get it. Basically gutting essential programs like education and law enforcement so you can claim a huge surplus is just madness.

And don't even get me started on the topic of mass transit, which may come up again this session.

With all the problems and potential problems this state faces, it's embarrassing to brag about how much money you've got in the bank.