Daniels sees himself as an agent of change

Indiana is often considered a conservative state, but Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said he hoped to change that image when he decided to seek the state’s governorship nearly four years ago.\n“The only reason I decided to run for public office is I was tired of the state standing still,” Daniels said in a speech on the state of the Indiana economy in Woodburn Hall on Wednesday. The event was hosted by Delta Sigma Pi, a business fraternity.\n“Governor Daniels represents what bold yet responsible leadership truly means,” Delta Sigma Pi Co-Vice President for Professional Activities Ravi Rathi said in introductory remarks outlining some of the economic achievements of the Daniels administration.\nRathi mentioned Toyota, Honda and Cummins as three companies that Daniels helped bring to the state.\nDaniels said the goal in bringing these companies to the state was a mantra every member of his administration should be able to repeat: raise the net income of Hoosiers.\nOne company Daniels said will contribute to this goal isthe New Jersey-based Medco Health Solutions, one of the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distribution companies. Its Indiana operation will be located in Boone County. The company will employ more than 1,300 Hoosiers at average salaries of more than $70,000 a year, Daniels said.\nDaniels credited two things with helping bring companies such as Medco to the state: developing business-friendly tax policies and investing in the state’s infrastructure. He was especially proud of his decision to lease the state’s toll roads to finance much-needed transportation projects.\n“The only way to do (these projects) without raising taxes or leaving behind a fortune in debt was to engage in a little creative financing,” Daniels said. “In the long run, I think the state will be better off because of it.”\nIn enacting these changes, Daniels said, he has been guided by one goal: the need to transplant accountability \nto government.\n“It does not come naturally to many people in government to manage for results,” he said, “but it is absolutely critical that we hold individuals to their responsibilities.”\nPart of that responsibility, Daniels said, is moving swiftly to act on the issues most important to Hoosiers.\n“We expect people to work at the speed of business, not the speed of government,” he said. “If mistakes are made because we move too fast, we fix them. My motto has always been to ask for forgiveness, not permission.”\nIn line with managing the state government like a business, Daniels said he viewed his fellow Hoosiers not simply as citizens, but as shareholders. He sees his responsibility as governor as fostering a climate in which all Hoosiers have the chance to prosper financially. He said six years of lowered unemployment, leading now to the lowest unemployment rate in the Midwest, is an indication that Indiana’s economy is moving in the right direction.\nAs for the state’s future, Daniels said he sees no reason why the present trends shouldn’t continue.\n“I see no reason why we should lose our competitive edge,” he said.