Ind. Gov. candidates discuss focal issues for upcoming election

The country’s eyes may be on the presidential primaries this spring, but in Indiana, two Republicans and a Democrat are gearing up for a fight for two-term Gov. Mitch Daniels’ office.

The gubernatorial candidates are making rounds of the state in an effort to win voters. Republican candidate Jim Wallace and Democratic candidate John Gregg were in Bloomington on Tuesday, and they  discussed with the IDS some of the issues they think are most important this election cycle. Republican candidate Rep. Mike Pence, R-6th District, contributed to the discussion via email.

What do you think is the biggest issue this election cycle?

John Gregg (D): It’s jobs. It’s jobs. I’ve been doing this since January of last year 24/7, and that’s all people want to talk about is jobs. If they’re our age, your age or anything in between, that’s all they want to talk about. Any time we spend one second in this nation talking about anything that doesn’t have to do with jobs, it’s wasting time.

Mike Pence (R): Jobs. No question about it, and after that, education. As governor, I will focus like a laser on job creation and helping make our schools among the best in the nation.

Jim Wallace (R): It’s job growth and economic development. A high-schooler who has just graduated looking for an opportunity instead of college, or you’re a fresh college graduate, or you’re somebody mid-career or even retiring looking for transitional employment.
By a margin of 8-to-1, Hoosiers are much more concerned
with that.

What would be the first thing you focus on or do if you are elected?

Gregg: We’ve got great opportunities in the energy business. When I see those wind farms, I want to know why those aluminum blades are not made in Indiana. We make aluminum.
I want to know why that steel shaft holding everything up isn’t made in Indiana. Most of that stuff comes from Europe. Why aren’t we making those here? We’re a manufacturing state. We also are traditionally an agricultural state.
How can we go to sustainability and also green? How can we add jobs in this area? How do we go from the traditional automobile and steel and still do that, but then go to the advanced manufacturing? These are things we need to do.

Pence: Job creation and making sure our kids have a great
education.

Wallace: There’s two things that are at the forefront of our agenda. The first is expanding something called the EDGE credit, which is called the Economic Development for Growing Economies (Tax) Credit. The second is something I’m really excited about, particularly because I have kids in college, the PRIME credit. It’s something we’re introducing that stands for the Public Research Investment Management Employment Credit, which would create a special credit for graduates of our higher universities.
We’re one of the few states that don’t already do that, and if we want to retain our best and brightest folks from our schools ... that’s one clear and easy way to do that. Not costly at all to do that.

Why should a college student vote for you?

Gregg: I have a son who’s a sophomore in college. ... I’m a former college president myself. We talk about jobs. I think that number one, the whole idea of jobs if I was sitting here as a college student would be, “Am I going to be able to get a job that pays well enough to pay off my debt? Am I going to be voting for someone concerned enough with the availability and accessibility of college? Am I voting for someone who wants to see us work together on some of these opportunities that have to do with the environment?”
There’s a big difference in the vision I have for Indiana than my likely opponent. My likely opponent is one from the top down, where they run it out of Washington, they run it out of Indianapolis. My idea of a vision is from the bottom up. I think that the students that are coming into college ... seem to have a greater awareness of the problems facing us. I think they’re kind of tired of people just fussing and fighting for the sake of fussing and fighting.

Pence: With a son attending college here in Indiana, I am very much aware of the need to make college affordable for Hoosiers, find ways to help students complete their degrees on time and then help them find a good job once they graduate.
As governor, my focus will also be on making sure there are plenty of employment opportunities in Indiana for our college and university students so they can give back their talents and help make Indiana an even better place to live and raise a family.

Wallace: I have, as I mentioned, two children in college ... and this is what I do. I focus on economic development for folks entering the job market.
My entire career’s been focused on creating jobs and economic development ... and I would think as a student nowadays, it won’t do anybody any good if we don’t have jobs.