Almost the sound of one hand clapping for Governor Pence

No clapping for yourself.

Ok-two hands.  With only a few weeks under his belt as Indiana's new governor, winning by the slimmest of margins in recent history, Governor Pence probably wasn't ready for the lead balloon reception he received from the gathering of Indiana's Association of Cities and Towns (IACT).

After easily winning applause for his comments on economic development from those assembled, I'm sure he was stunned  when he trumpeted his 10% income tax relief plan for Hoosiers and the room fell silent.  With the exception of one person who clapped.  One person.  One person clapping....everyone knows how awkward that is, for both Pence and his wife who was in the crowd.  I assume it was her anyway.

So, you should ask, "what the heck?  all us Hoosiers are in favor of tax reductions, right?"

But for those who are on the front lines, they understand all too well that the recession that began in 2007, and Mitch Daniels subsequent budget cutting measures that shifted incredible financial burdens onto municipalities, is literally killing Indiana's cities and towns.  I define killing as the purposeful act of destroying life.

Further cuts are irresponsible at best.  But the average joe doesn't understand that, and that's what the governor was banking on when he touted his plan during the election.

With a few exceptions of Tea Partiers who have actually gotten elected, most elected officials-Democrats and Republicans alike-understand it takes money to operate their communities.  Roads need paved (the biggie-especially in River City), municipal capital improvement projects need to be undertaken, be it parks or buildings, and employment levels need to meet the demand for services.  River City is fortunate to have a rainy day fund that would make even some of Indiana's largest cities happy, but that's not the case around the rest of the state.  Towns are hurting.  Bad.  And Pence's plan to put a few extra bucks in every Hoosier's pocket is a net loss for our collective vision for a better, more competitive Indiana.  Maybe that's why his own party-controlled state house gave him the cold shoulder on the 10% measure, and speaker Bosma has been chastising the new governor in the media.

A more competitive Indiana.  That's the point of all those tax breaks under Daniels, right?  If Indiana is serious about positioning itself in a national, let alone global, marketplace then we've got to re-fund our schools and other state agencies, build a 21st century infrastructure (not the grasping, and gasping, super-highways under Major Moves), and invest in a quality of life worthy of the types of businesses we hope to attract and retain......not the bottom dwellers who look for cheap labor, cheap land, and government corporate handouts.