BetterMost Community Blogs > Messages From The Heartland
News From The Hoosier State
David In Indy:
From The Indianapolis Star:
Daniels pitches special session budget
Every school district in Indiana still would see an increase in K-12 funding over the next two years, Gov. Mitch Daniels announced tonight in a brief television address outlining his latest budget proposal.
Daniels spoke for five minutes, giving a brief preview of a detailed budget his administration will present to a bi-partisan legislative committee Tuesday. The Indiana General Assembly is expected to convene in a special legislative session this month to pass a budget before the fiscal year ends June 30.
In a change of course, Daniels tonight proposed spending about $300 million of the state's $1.3 billion surplus.
Throughout the year, Daniels has resisted spending any of the state's savings while House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, and other Democrats have insisted some of the money should be spent to create jobs and prevent cuts in education spending.
Democrats also had adamantly opposed any reduction in education spending, a move Daniels said tonight would not happen.
"Public education, as well as student financial aid, would get a significant increase," he said. "Every school would receive more per student than it did this year."
The governor also said if state revenues exceeded expectations 50 percent of that money would be dedicated to schools while the other half would be placed into state savings.
Daniels' latest budget proposal comes after a new revenue forecast last week projected the state would receive $1 billion less through June 2011 than projections that were released just a month earlier. Indiana's revenues, he noted, are 8 percent below last year.
Still, Daniels used his address to stress that Indiana is in better shape than most other states.
"Despite the terrible national economy, Indiana remains in vastly better shape than most states, and any of our neighbors. We have a billion dollars in reserves and a AAA credit rating," Daniels said. "Everywhere else, any reserves are long gone. They are slashing education by as much as 10 to 15 percent, they're releasing convicts from prison early and worst of all when families are struggling, they're raising taxes."
Under new budget proposal, total state spending would be reduced by 2.5 percent.
"Many good ideas will have to wait," Daniels said. "Across state government, nothing, and I mean nothing, goes up. When your income drops by 8 percent, you can't inrease your spending, on anything."
More specific details on Daniels' budget trims are expected at 1 p.m. Tuesday when his administration will release its specific budget to a panel of state lawmakers. In his speech, the governor also laid down some boundaries for the legislature, which he is expected to call back into a special session June 15.
"As always, I am ready to compromise and cooperate with the legislature, up to a point. I'm willing to see us use about a quarter of our surplus, leaving a billion in reserve, but not a penny less," he said. "If legislators want to spend more on some favorite cause, that's fine as long as they offset it elsewhere. Add a dollar, cut a dollar. And, of course, no gimmicks, and no tax increases."
Read more about this story in tomorrow's Indianapolis Star.
http://www.indystar.com/article/20090601/NEWS0501/90601053/Daniels+pitches+special+session+budget
injest:
doesnt sound TOO bad... :(
David In Indy:
Christian Band's Tour Bus in Deadly Crash
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Aug. 8 ) - The Christian rock band MercyMe canceled a show Saturday in the St. Louis area after its tour bus collided with a car in northeastern Indiana, killing two passengers in the car and the pregnant car driver's unborn baby.
No one in the band was seriously injured, sustaining what they described as "minor bumps and bruises." A news story on the crash and a photo of the damaged front of the bus were posted on the band's Web site Saturday.
"MercyMe would like to express their incredible heartache over this horrible accident," the band said in a statement. "They are praying for the families of all who this will affect, and are asking others to please pray as well."
Fort Wayne police Officer Liza Thomas said witnesses told police the bus was going through a green light about 1:15 a.m. when the car made a left turn in front of it. The band from the Dallas area had been in Fort Wayne for a Friday night show at Parkview Field.
"Their hearts are heavy," the band's statement said. "They appreciate the concern they have received from people all over the world."
Two passengers in the car, a male and female, were pronounced dead. Driver Kara Klinker, 18, of Fort Wayne, was in her third trimester of pregnancy and the baby died. Klinker was hospitalized Saturday in critical condition, Thomas said.
Authorities haven't released the names of those killed because their families haven't yet been notified, Thomas said.
Six Flags St. Louis in Eureka, Mo., issued a statement saying MercyMe's Saturday show had been rescheduled for Sept. 5. All concert tickets will be honored for the new date, it said.
The band expected other tour stops to go on as scheduled.
MercyMe, known for its 2001 single "I Can Only Imagine," started in 1994 in Greenville, Texas, where several band members live. In July, the band was ranked ninth on Billboard magazine's Top Christian Albums list for "10," (INO/Provident-Integrity).
MercyMe has sold more than 5 million records, won several Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, an American Music Award and been nominated for a Grammy.
http://news.aol.com/article/mercyme-tour-bus-accident-kills-2/608851
David In Indy:
From Indy6 News:
Man Walks Away From Helicopter Crash
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. -- The pilot of a helicopter that crashed Sunday in a bean field behind an apartment complex was able to walk away from the wreckage.
Police were called to the crash site, behind the Spring Lake apartment complex on Lake Shore Drive, at about 11:30 p.m.
Indiana State Police Sgt. Rich Myers said the helicopter's pilot, Mark McDaniel, 50, of Martinsville, met officers as he walked out of the wreckage.
Emergency medical responders examined McDaniel at the scene and released him.
McDaniel told police that he was southbound in the twin-seat helicopter performing auto rotations when he lost control and crashed into the field.
Witnesses told police they saw the helicopter go into a spin before the crash.
The Federal Aviation Administration was called in to investigate the crash.
http://www.theindychannel.com/news/20337088/detail.html
David In Indy:
From Inside Indiana Business:
American General Announces $200 Million Loss in Q2
Evansville-based American General Finance Corp., a subsidiary of American International Group (NYSE: AIG), says it had a second quarter 2009 operating loss of $202 million, compared to an operating loss of $40 million in the same time last year. The company says it was impact by tight credit markets and declines in finance charges. AIG is reporting net income of $1.8 billion for the quarter.
(Click the link below to read the attached press release)
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?id=37088
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version