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Daniels announces more cuts as state revenue falls again

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Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on Friday morning announced a series of spending cuts and other steps designed to offset a continuing multimillion-dollar decline in state revenues.

Daniels said that Indiana tax collections for October were $46 million below forecast, and are $309 million behind for the first four months of the fiscal year.

The state ended the 2009 fiscal year in June with $1.3 billion in reserves. If the trend continues without spending cuts, he said, Indiana's reserves would be wiped out by next August.

“We have seen enough to know that new actions are necessary if we are going to protect Indiana taxpayers against the tax increases that are happening in most of the rest of America,” Daniels said in a prepared statement.

The governor ordered state agencies to cut spending by 10 percent—in addition to the 5 percent cut made in July—and reduced reimbursements to some Medicaid providers.

Among other reductions:

• The lieutenant governor, auditor, treasurer, secretary of state and superintendent of public instruction have committed to cutting their office budgets by 10 percent.

• State employees, who did not receive pay increases this year, also will forgo raises in 2010. Agencies also will offer employees the chance to take unpaid leave.

• Daniels will not accept his full salary in 2010. This year, he turned down a 13-percent raise.

The reductions are expected to save the state $300 million to $400 million over two years.

Daniels says those and other steps should offset the shortfall in revenue to date, but more action might be needed if tax collections continue to miss their target.

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Read the October revenue report.

Listen to audio from Friday's news conference.

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  • No Raise for Governor?
    While I appreciate the fact that the Governor has declined his 13% RAISE this year, I have to wonder if this size of raise is standard for government officials and is that part of the reason we're in the mess we're in right now? After two consecutive years of no raises myself (NOT by choice) I would be thrilled if someday I could see our agency standard of 2.5% - 3%...which seems much more reasonable in these times!!

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  1. If a television station wants to improve viewership, get rid of the local blackout. I was born by the brickyard, and have attended 15 or more races. I have children now, I won't attend unless circumstances are perfect. As those with growing families know, they never are. I'm always impressed that upwards of 250,000 people attend the 500. However, as a growing, or, more apt, sprawling city, Indianapolis and its immediate suburbs count almost 2.2 million. Show the race live, let the venue get a kick-back on revenues, and open-wheel racing might have a fighting chance to be relevant again. Just in time for those tax-payer lights to make sense.

  2. John Moore, I too have had the same issue recently. A property next to my house was on the Land Bank and I was interested in purchasing. When I tried to contact Reggie, I got back emails that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Actually my latest response from him was on this past Friday. I had asked about how to buy the property and if it was still available. His response to me was to contact the mayor's office to get the schedule of his appearances. (???) Hopefully the city is able to do something to fix what this guy has done, it would be nice if they would take the properties back and sell them properly so land owners like me and you mother would have a fair chance.

  3. I too work in the industry, with over 25 years of experience and your political spin has probably nothing to do with any rebranding. "Let's dress it up" would have nothing to do with the government "telling us how and what to eat." Give it a political rest. And being a producer for a radio show doesn't mean you've been involved in advertising and branding for 30 years.

  4. Ms. Morris did not understand the ways of the business world, otherwise, like the IMS, she could have petitioned the State Legislature for a handout of State Funds for her charity work. Ms. Morris should consider becoming a state lobbyist for Lemonade Stand Operators.

  5. David Copperfield!

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