A Politician Who Might Actually Be Getting it Right

Late last year we wrote about a small set of politicians that were trying, and succeeding in some cases, to do the right thing, namely delivering essential government services in a timely and efficient manner. We spoke glowingly of the Miami Gardens municipal government that in the midst of the economic downturn continued to fix up schools and parks, did not need to lay off any workers, gave their workforce raises, and ran a lean but effective government entity.

Senator Lamar Alexander showed that he understood how government finances worked when he tried to pass legislation that would take the government ownership of General Motors and distribute ownership via shares of stock to the American people. He understood how it was the money of individual taxpayers who paid for the GM bailout, they should get the rewards. Government and the political class should not be in charge of a bailed out GM, it was not their wealth that did the bailing. Alas, his good idea was shot down.

Since then, I have looked for other examples of politicians doing the right thing for the right reason. Unfortunately, I have not found enough of this type of behavior to justify a blog until now, although it concerns only one politician. Governor Mitch Daniels is the Governor of Indiana. Consider what is going on under his tenure as governor according to a June 10, 2010 article in Businessweek magazine by James Warren:

• Indiana is only one of ten states that has seen its unemployment rate go down on a year over year basis, from 10.5% in May, 2009 to 9.8% in April, 2010.
• While many states are seeing their creditworthiness dropping as a result of their financial mismanagement by their state's political class, Indiana has a triple-A credit rating.
• While states like California ($20 billion deficit) and New Jersey ($10 billion deficit) are just two of many states having trouble paying their bills, Indiana has a budget surplus.
• State property taxes have gone down in the face of both hard economic times and a budget surplus.
• The state payroll has been decreased but he enlarged the staff of the agency responsible for child welfare, resulting in a 40% decrease in children's' deaths. He also expanded the state police force with the specific intention of reducing traffic deaths, successfully reducing deaths from 814 in 2008 to 680 in 2009.
• For the first time since the 1970s, more people are moving into Indiana than moving out.
• Chrysler has recently announced that it will invest $300 million in two of its Indiana plants.
• A computer design firm recently announced that it will move its operations into Indiana.
• A Chinese furniture maker will open its first U.S. assembly plant in Marion, Indiana.
• Indiana has only 2% of the country's population but generated 7% of the nation's new jobs this year.
• He outsourced a number of state functions including prison food that reduced the cost per meal from $1.43 to 4.99 while improving the quality.

Could this actually be happening? Is it possible for a government entity to get smaller, spend less money, deliver higher quality, and improve the lives of its citizens? Apparently the Indiana governor is doing it successfully. According to the article, the governor is thrilled by metrics. By understanding the metrics, he has been able to understand the underlying root causes of problems and then apply the proper solutions. Sounds like basic problem solving but it is a skill that is widely lacking in most politicians today. Most politicians address a problem or issue from the perspective of how can this problem help me get re-elected. Governor Daniels apparently addresses a problem by understanding its parameters which helps him understand the root causes from which he can come up with the right solutions, re-election impacts be damned.

The article concludes with two problems with the current situation. First, some Indiana politicians are upset that they sometimes feel they are playing a minor role in the governor's world. My answer to that is for these pouty politicians to make themselves helpful and useful problem solvers rather than complain that their ego is not being stroked. Whatever is being done in Indiana seems to be working for its citizens, let's not let petty politics get in the way. The Governor's approval ratings are between 60 and 70% and he was elected as a Republican in a state that voted for Obama in 2008.

Second, according to the article, Daniels does not have Sarah Palin's "rhetorical fire" or the physical statue (he's only 5'7") versus other likely Republican candidates for President in 2012. To which I say, lord help us if problem solving is a secondary requirement of a leader, ranking behind someone who can give a fancy speech or who is physically imposing and tall and lean. We have a tall, lean fancy speech giver in the White House today who has accomplished nothing in the past year and a half except further divide the nation. Maybe a problem solver is not such a bad idea after all.

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