Indiana Democratic Party 10-24 Weekly Radio Address

Chairman John Zody delivers this week’s weekly radio address: “Hoosiers, we know what’s been the problem, and we should look no further than these officials and Governor Mike Pence.”

TRANSCRIPT:

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

• This week, more school corporations from across the state are voicing their concern for Mike Pence and Statehouse Republicans to stop pushing their political agenda on the state’s education system.

• Specifically, in Anderson, the local school corporation sent a clear message to Mike Pence’s State Board of Education by giving them a vote of “no confidence”.

• Hoosiers, we know what’s been the problem, and we should look no further than these officials and Governor Mike Pence.

• Since 2013, Mike Pence has used the majority of his time as governor to strip Superintendent Ritz’s role as an elected official, to create an entirely separate agency only to dissolve it after public outcry, and deny the state an $80 million grant that would have expanded Pre-K in Indiana.

• Simply put, Hoosiers are fed up with this style of governing and are tired of Gov. Pence and Republicans in the Statehouse trying to undermine the overall well-being of Indiana’s education system.

• Also this week, Mike Pence touted an infrastructure plan in Northwest Indiana that not only is failing everyday Hoosiers but does just the bare minimum needed to fix Indiana’s crumbling roads and bridges.

• Further, his plan fails to begin immediately and doesn’t address the local roads many Hoosiers use each day.

• With the over 1,900 structurally deficient bridgesin the state, it is important to note that while the governor touts statistics, Hoosiers in Northwest Indiana must grapple with the reality of 153 bridges being structurally deficient in that area of the state alone.

• With Incidents like the I-65 bridge closure and the state wasting $71 million on faulty asphalt, Governor Pence has been late to the game on fixing Indiana’s D+ rated infrastructure.

• But Hoosiers should expect this from Mike Pence. It has taken bad internal polling for the governor to finally address the overall well-being of everyday Hoosiers.

• It’s this lack of action by Mike Pence that has put Indiana’s “Crossroads of America” reputation in jeopardy.

• And finally, Indiana’s monthly jobs report was released this week showing the same mixed messages to everyday Hoosiers.

• It’s worth noting that while Governor Pence is late to the game on addressing many of today’s problems for Hoosiers – our crumbling infrastructure and Indiana’s overall well-being –he’s the first to tout an economy that provides just snapshots for the everyday Hoosier – instead of telling the whole economic picture.

• September’s jobs numbers once again fit the national trend established by President Obama.

• But for Indiana, the hardworking middle class know jobs in the state provide wages far lower than what they were in early 2000.

• With shrinking wages and sluggish economic growth, Indiana continues to fall behind the rest of the nation – and ideological governing by Mike Pence has contributed to the state plummeting to a rank of 46^th in quality of life.

• Hoosiers, we can do better than having Mike Pence as our governor. This begins by electing Democrats who will bring forth commonsense ideas that would help lead Indiana and the entire nation into the future.

• We deserve better than Gov. Pence and Statehouse Republicans leading our state. We must come together and make sure we elect a new Governor and US Senator – ones who will unite and improve the lives of all Hoosiers across Indiana – and we must return Glenda Ritz to the Superintendent’s office in 2016.

• 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.

• Thank you for listening.