Indiana Democratic Party 9-5-15 Weekly Radio Address

John Zody, INdiana Democratic Chairman, delivers this week’s wwekly radio address:  “When Scott County was in the heat of its HIV outbreak, it took 65 days for Governor Pence to react – catapulting cases from 10 to 79.”

TRANSCRIPT:

• This is Chairman John Zody, bringing you the weekly podcast for the Indiana Democratic Party

• This week, Governor Pence was once again late to the game when he issued an executive order to create a task force to fight the ongoing drug epidemic that’s currently crippling Indiana.

• While this may seem encouraging to some, it doesn’t hide his consistent failure to protect the health and well-being of our most vulnerable Hoosiers.

• When Scott County was in the heat of its HIV outbreak, it took 65 days for Governor Pence to react – catapulting cases from 10 to 79.

• And as our state saw a spike in child abuse and neglect cases within the Indiana Department of Child Services, the Pence Administration only provided the bare minimum resources to fight this epidemic.

• Governor Pence may wait for a public relations crisis to act, but Democrats have a history of leading on these issues and solving today’s problems for the hardworking Hoosier family.

• Also this week, Superintendent Glenda Ritz announced a new commission to fight the ongoing teacher shortage across Indiana schools.

• This Blue Ribbon Commission highlights her leadership on this vital issue. She knows the importance of having excellent teachers in our classrooms and the effect they have on our students.

• That is why Glenda Ritz will be using the work of this commission to shape the legislative agenda for the Department of Education for the upcoming 2016 legislative session.

• And as for Governor Pence and other Republicans, well, they continue to put their ideology ahead of solving today’s problems for Indiana’s schools.

• By investing in an unreliable voucher and charter school program, to blocking the opportunity for a statewide pre-k system, Governor Pence and Statehouse Republicans continue to put their ideology ahead of helping Indiana’s schools reach their full potential.

• And finally, there’s more news this week concerning Indiana’s crumbling infrastructure.

• On July 30, an embankment slide sent State Road 156 into the Ohio River, putting the safety of everyday Hoosiers at risk and the overall economic well-being of the local economy in jeopardy.

• And while we’d hope there’d be a rush to repair this main road in Southeastern Indiana – this week it remains closed and Hoosiers are forced to take a detour, or sit in one-lane traffic.

• Unfortunately, State Road 156 becomes another example of the mismanagement and sheer negligence of Indiana’s D+ rated infrastructure.

• Pence has provided only “maybe” answers – pointing to a short-term fix in 2016 or a long-term solution in 2017 – when asked if he would consider using the $2.1 billion surplus to fix Indiana’s roads, that’s what he said.

• But this is what Hoosiers get with Governor Pence – someone who will put his ideology ahead of improving the overall well-being of Indiana.

• And in just one term, Governor Pence has managed to place two things Indiana is known best for in jeopardy: Hoosier Hospitality and the Crossroads of America.

• Hoosiers, we deserve a better governor than Mike Pence. We must come together and make sure we elect a new governor – one who will unite and improve the lives of all Hoosiers across Indiana.

• Until that time comes, Democrats in Indiana will continue to talk about ways in which we can do better for Indiana’s economy, our education system – and for the overall well-being of Hoosiers.

• That starts with electing people to local office this fall that believe that government can be a force for good when you work efficiently to solve problems for those around you.

• Anything less is just unacceptable.

• Thank you for listening, and on behalf of the Indiana Democratic Party, I wish you a safe and happy Labor Day weekend.