|
castoncomets.org |
|
Bylaws, Policies & Administrative Guidelines |
2009 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1) 2012 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg. 2 - Funding Effects) 2011 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg. 2) (Pg. 3 - Bills) (Pg. 4 - Commentary...) (Pg. 5 - Vic's Updates) (Pg. 6 - Effects) (Pg. 7 - Voting) 2010 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1 - Index) (Pg.
2) (Pg. 3) (Pg.
4) (Pg. 5 - School
Impact) (Pg. 5.1 - School Impact)
(Pg. 6 - Local
Gov't Impact) 2009 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1) (Pg. 2) 2008 General Assembly & Governorship (Pg. 1) (Pg. 2) Introduction - This section will be used to feature candidates for governor and candidates for the General Assembly who represent all or part of the area encompassed by Caston School Corporation. After the election the focus will shift to the 2009 General Assembly and bills that are being considered. (NOTE: To the left you will find a blue button, "2009 Gen Assembly & Governor," near the bottom of the list.)
"Governor Daniels Has Schools In The Crosshairs" (Russ
Phillips, 8/1/08) I’ve heard several times in recent months that if Governor Daniels is re-elected his primary focus for the second term will be education. However, until last month I could not locate anything substantive and in print to confirm this. Brian Howey, an avid writer regarding Hoosier politics and publisher of “The Howey Political Report,” has now given legs to what’s on Daniel’s mind. In his July 11th Report Howey states that Daniel’s campaign manager, Eric Holcomb, said “(Daniel’s) outline of his second term will be as clear as it was in ’04,” noting that education will be his centerpiece. Howey reports that when the details were requested Holcomb and other staff members deferred to the governor. Since Howey’s July 11th Report this
writer has twice - the first time by email and the second by letter - contacted
Daniels to learn of the details regarding his focus on education. No response
has been received. Indiana’s voters deserve to know what each candidate will
be advocating if elected. This takes on even greater importance due to one of the twenty-seven recommendations in “Streamlining Local Government: We’ve Got To Stop Governing Like This,” the report of the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform. It should be noted that Daniels appointed the members of this Commission. Recommendation #11 says:
Reorganize school districts to
achieve a minimum student population of 2,000. Establish state standards and a
county-based planning process similar to that established in 1959 legislation. Will this be a part
of Daniel’s “centerpiece?” Steve
Johnson suggests this may be the case. A former 20 year member of the
Indiana General Assembly Johnson says that if Daniels is re-elected we will hear
much more about the above Report. Although its focus goes beyond education it
should be noted that four of its recommendations pertain
specifically to this topic (see recommendations #11-14). Johnson sees the
Report, if the recommendations are eventually enacted, as having a much longer
impact on Indiana than the 2008 property tax relief (HEA 1001) that was
approved. The tax relief will last only about five years he says. However, he
expects the other to last thirty or more years. Last fall at DePauw University Daniels emphasized that his first term has been conducted as he promised it would in the 2004 campaign by saying, "I think any fair assessment is we played with the cards face up, we didn't for a moment conceal from folks that if we were given the opportunity we were people of change and we were gonna bring it…We laid it all out there…” Daniel’s campaign web site includes "Our Roadmap Of Accomplishments" highlighting achievements of his first term. However, the absence of his plans, without even mentioning details, for another four years is stark. It is
important for the citizens to know what they are voting for. Given Daniel’s
first term it is even more important that the voters know the “details” that
Holcomb says are Daniels to share. Listing Of 27 Kernan Shepard Recommendations For Streamlining Local Government (8/14/08) - Following are the recommendations. For the full Report including rationale for each click here. Counties: Create a clearer, more accountable structure with fewer elected officials. Better coordinate public safety services.1. Establish a single-person elected county chief executive. 2. Establish a single, unified legislative body for county government. Expand legislative membership to ensure sufficient representation for included rural, suburban and urban populations. 3. Transfer the responsibility for administering the duties of the county auditor, treasurer, recorder, assessor, surveyor, sheriff and coroner to the county executive. Transfer the varied duties of the clerk to the courts, to the county election board and to the county executive. Establish objective minimum professional qualifications and standards for certain county administrative functions. 4. Retain a local government role for property tax assessment under a county assessor who is required to meet professional qualifications and appointed by the county executive. 5. Create a countywide body to oversee the provision of all public safety services. 6. Consolidate emergency public safety dispatch by county or multi-county region. Require that new, local emergency communications systems be compatible with the Project Hoosier SAFE-T statewide 800 MHz communications system. 7. Transfer the responsibility for all funding of the state’s trial court system to the state, including public defenders and probation .8. Move the funding of child welfare from counties to the state. Townships: Transfer all present responsibilities to the county executive.9. Transfer the responsibility for administering the duties of township government for assessment, poor relief, fire protection, emergency medical services (EMS), cemeteries and any other remaining responsibilities to the county executive. Establish a countywide poor relief levy. 10. Transfer the responsibilities of the township small claims courts in Marion County to superior courts. Schools: Establish districts that are large enough to provide high-caliber education at a lower cost and enhance fiscal accountability. 11. Reorganize school districts to achieve a minimum student population of 2,000. Establish state standards and a county-based planning process similar to that established in 1959 legislation. 12. Require that school corporation bonds be approved by the fiscal body of the municipal or county government containing the greatest proportion of assessed value in the school district. 13. Prompt joint purchasing by schools. 14. Conduct all non-partisan school elections during November in even years. Cities and Towns: Strengthen accountability of elected officials, and eliminate the costs of separate elections.15. Allow the city council to appoint the city clerk in second-class cities. 16. Move all municipal elections to an even-year cycle. 17. Transfer the responsibilities of municipal health departments to the county health department. Libraries and Special Districts: Establish library districts that are large enough to provide high-caliber services to every Hoosier at a lower cost, and improve fiscal accountability.18. Reorganize library systems by county and provide permanent library service for all citizens. 19. Require that the budgets and bonds of library and all other special districts be approved by the fiscal body of the municipal or county government containing the greatest proportion of assessed value in the unit seeking approval. 20. Strengthen the current joint purchasing infrastructure for libraries. All Local Governments: Encourage additional voluntary action to increase efficiency and effectiveness.21. Expand voluntary coordination and consolidation of units and services. Strengthen the power of voters to compel consolidation. 22. Allow local governments to establish service districts with differentiated levels of service and corresponding tax rates. 23. Facilitate local improvement efforts using best management and business practices. Strengthen state mechanisms that support these activities, particularly for collective purchasing. 24. Prohibit employees of a local government unit from serving as elected officials within the same local government unit. Support and Monitoring: Facilitate the implementation of these recommendations.25. Assign the Indiana Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to monitor progress toward these recommendations and conduct additional research as needed. Produce an annual report on progress through 2011. 26. Establish a statewide benchmarking system to provide the public and policy-makers with current information about local government productivity and progress. 27. Designate a state office to provide technical assistance to local government. (Gubernatorial) Hopefuls Weigh In On Local Control (Including School Consolidation): Governor Declines To Answer Survey (Ft. Wayne JG, 9/15/08) - "...In December 2007, the group released 27 recommendations. Some of the more controversial ideas include eliminating township government; appointing, rather than electing, many countywide offices; and consolidating school districts across the state...A formidable group of advocates have now formed to revive interest in the recommendations. MySmartGov.org will press for changes the commission recommended and has a budget of up to $500,000 for information and lobbying...Daniels told The Journal Gazette that he supports the 'thrust' of the Kernan-Shepard report but refused to answer questions about specific recommendations..." (more)
|
|