THE ISSUE: Mitch Daniels’ request for stimulus money.
OUR VIEW: Governor was right to put aside personal beliefs for the good of the state.
“Now we continue our summer series of interviews with some of the prime contenders for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. Joining us from Indianapolis is the governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels.”
It was Sunday morning, Aug. 8. Chris Wallace was just beginning his interview for “Fox News Sunday.”
“What about more stimulus?” Wallace asked. It was his second question. “They are going to pass in the House and send to the president this new bill – I think it’s $26 billion – more state aid, keep teachers hired. ... Do you support that kind of stimulus?”
“Really don’t,” Daniels replied. “You know, the – it amounts at this point in time to asking citizens of responsible states like ours to subsidize those places who have been more reckless. It’s probably not going to help the economy.
“It’s this notion, sort of a trickle-down government. You pour a few more bajillion dollars in the top of the funnel and maybe a little demand and a few private sector jobs will fall out the bottom. It’s really not the way to do it.”
The governor likely ruffled some feathers. After Congress appropriated the money, word came from the Obama administration that Washington wasn’t going to just issue each state its share. Governors would have to ask for it.
Daniels asked Friday. The more than $435 million in federal aid will give Indiana about $227 million for Medicaid and $207 million for education.
To his credit, the governor is not an ideologue. He’s a pragmatist. During a visit near Corydon last week, Daniels said he still questions the wisdom of another stimulus. But because Congress approved it, he would take it.
Indiana continues to nurse a jobless rate of more than 10 percent. The last thing we need is to kick more teachers to the unemployment line. Daniels was right to put aside personal beliefs for the good of the state.
But the next time federal spending comes up during an interview, we hope he thinks before he speaks.
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