A candid talk with Gov. Daniels about bridges, redistricting, local governments and more

By DAVID MANN
David.Mann@newsandtribune.com

November 04, 2007 07:54 am

— Bridges, election turnout and local government reform were among topics discussed with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on Friday. The governor stopped by The Evening News and The Tribune’s New Albany office during his visit to Southern Indiana last week.
Major Moves State Bank and Trust Co.
The discussion started with bridges. There is a plan in place to build two bridges across the Ohio River — one from downtown Jeffersonville into downtown Louisville and another farther to the east in Utica, crossing into Prospect, Ky. The problem is Indiana has the money to pay for it and Kentucky doesn’t.
Asked how to move the project forward, Daniels said, “I do think that we shouldn’t rule out anything that might help us get there,” the governor said.
He wouldn’t dismiss the idea of loaning Kentucky the money it needs to pay for its share of the bridges project.
“I think they’re good for it,” he quipped.
The Hoosier state has a lot more money available because of the lease of the Northern Indiana toll road. The lease deal, called Major Moves, netted the state $3.8 billion.

Two bridges, one long project
Another noteworthy aspect of the effort to build the two bridges is that they are tied to one another. It’s two bridges, but one project. Asked about what he thought of that model, Daniels said that he did not want it to stand in the way of constructing the east-end bridge.
“I don’t think we should waste a moment getting going on the one that’s more immediate in its opportunity,” Daniels said. “The ‘one project’ idea — I think for some people — it was a tactic to delay the whole project.”

“86ing” 64
Daniels was not familiar with the 8664 proposal, an alternative to the two-bridge project that would build only the east-end bridge, reroute Interstate 64 traffic to Indiana at Utica and replace the portion of I-64 that runs through downtown Louisville along the river with a surface-level parkway.
The proposal is the brainchild of a pair of Louisville businessmen, but it has picked up grassroots support from thousands of Louisville and Southern Indiana residents. The idea was proposed to open up more park space along the Louisville waterfront, though many are concerned that the proposal came along too late in the game.
“This alternative that you’re discussing now is intriguing,” Daniels said, adding that he would not rule it out.

Un-gerrymandered Statehouse districts
Switching gears to local election turnout, Daniels said part of the problem is a lack of competitive races, especially in Statehouse districts.
“If we had more geographically sensible district lines drawn and we had several more close races” turnout would be better.
He said redistricting has been discussed on the state level in the past and that he would not sign off on any proposal that didn’t come from a nonpartisan body.
As to the problem of low voter turnout nationwide, Daniels said, “It’s kind of an embarrassment in the world’s greatest democracy. You look at countries where people risk their lives to vote” and there’s more turnout.

Polite politics
Daniels also brought up the political snarls that often come with his line of work.
“Many people are very cynical and think anybody whose running for office — by definition — is conning them.” He said he’s tried to chip away at that tone during his term.
“I’d like to leave the state a little less cynical.”

Towns under new management
State law prevents cities over a certain size from appointing a town manager. When asked about it, Daniels said that rule might be something that needs to be changed.
“I’m a home rule person,” he said.
He touted that his administration has tried to free communities from such regulation.
“I think it’s another one of those archaic rules that needs to be brought out and re-examined.”

Performance vehicles
Daniels also said his administration has changed the way it handles raises for state employees, rewarding more on merit and performance than in the past. He said it’s making the state more efficient on many levels.
One of the biggest examples of that is at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Average visit time during September was about 12 minutes, Daniels said. Part of that was the closure of some of the low-volume branches, he said. However, he said, it’s also because branch managers are now being evaluated on how happy customers are and how fast they can get people in an out.
“If we can fix the BMV, we can fix anything,” he said.

Nothing to smile about with Colgate
Daniels said there isn’t much to report from the state level on what will become of the Colgate-Palmolive Co. plant in Clarksville. The plant is scheduled to end production in a few months, but has said little about what it will do with the riverfront property it now occupies.
“I have not heard anything about that Colgate plant for a while,” Daniels said. “It’s a very attractive location, in a very attractive location.”

Don’t bet on a Casino coming to Clark County
Daniels said the fact that Kentucky lawmakers are considering casinos in the Bluegrass State is even more of a reason for Indiana to be cautious about how it handles gaming in Clark County.
Voters approved riverboat gambling during last November’s election, but the state has only 11 casino licenses — all of which are being used in other places.
Asked about creating a new license for Clark County, Daniels said, “I don’t think the state needs more gaming options. It wouldn’t do Clark County a whole lot of good to build a casino that bombed.”
He said gaming has worked out well for some communities but not for all. “You go up to Lake County — a lot of money has gone in there … and a lot of it did not benefit the public.”

The most taxing subject
What Mitch Daniel discussion would be complete without mentioning property taxes? A new assessment system has caused property taxes to come in higher than in previous years. Many property owners are furious about the situation. Daniels has proposed a set of caps in order to relieve some of the frustration.
“I’ve really buried myself in this stuff in the last several months,” Daniels said.
He said the bright side of the situation is that it’s a chance for residents to get involved in cutting local spending, which he says is to blame for higher taxes to begin with.
Some property owners are getting behind the idea of abolishing property taxes altogether in favor of higher income and sales tax.
“Their heart’s in the right place,” Daniels said. “The arithmetic, I think, has some problems.”

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