President Obama's Indiana Legacy
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V22, N21 Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017 President Obama’s Indiana legacy night, praying their kids Auto industry saved and don’t get sick. We’re revived, but Hoosiers talking about families who’ve lost the home loathe Obamacare, and that was the corner, their foundation for Democrats decimated their American Dream. “Those are the By BRIAN A. HOWEY stories I heard when INDIANAPOLIS – On Feb. 9, 2009, I came to Elkhart six President Barack Obama came to Elkhart, months ago, and those a city where he had campaigned several are the stories that I times during his 2008 campaign. While he carried with me to the didn’t carry Elkhart County, losing 55-44%, White House. I have he won Indiana’s 11 Electoral College not forgotten them,” votes. The jobless rate in Elkhart had gone Obama said. “And I from 4.7% in 2008 to 15% as the Great promised you back Recession took aim at the recreational then that if elected I’d vehicle and domestic auto industries. do everything I could Noting the 3.6 million jobs lost to help this community since September 2008, and 600,000 during Candidate Barack Obama at the American Legion Mall in recover, and that’s why the month he was sworn in, Obama said at Indianapolis in May 2008. (HPI Photo by A. Walker Shaw) I came back today, be- Concord High School, “We’re talking about cause I intend to keep people in the audience here today. We’re my promise. But you know, the work is going to be hard. talking about people who have lost their livelihood and don’t know what will take its place. We’re talking about Continued on page 3 parents who’ve lost their health care and lie awake at A different kind of governor By CRAIG DUNN KOKOMO – When my text alert dinged on Elec- tion Day, at 11 a.m., I was surprised by the message, something to the effect of, “I will be at the Cone Palace at 12:30 if you want to join me. Invite our Howard County friends.” “We’re going to look for every With that simple text, on the biggest day of his political possible way that we can to forge life, Eric Holcomb signaled that relationships that will advance he was going to be a different kind of governor. the prosperity and peace and On a day when most candidates would be preen- security of the American people ing and posturing for televi- and of the world.” sion cameras in a big media market, a casually dressed Eric - Vice President-elect Mike Pence, and Janet Holcomb drove up to previewing the inaugural Kokomo to dine on Coney dogs Page 2 and corn dogs with his friends. The tive order was to create the position food was great and the conversation of executive director for drug preven- was relaxed and decidedly unpolitical tion, treatment and enforcement. in nature. I just wish that I could have While I don’t pretend to know the been as relaxed that day. full range of duties that this position Our new governor has dem- will contain, I do know that this step onstrated all over the state of Indiana has communicated to the people of that he is a confident, personable and Indiana that the drug scourge that is focused man. He piles up friends the indiscriminately killing our citizens can way Indianapolis Colts’ opponents pile no longer be addressed with hope, Howey Politics Indiana up rushing yards. During Holcomb’s prayers and crossed fingers. WWHowey Media, LLC 405 entire political career he has been as Drug czars have been around Massachusetts Ave., Suite interested in friend-raising as he has for quite a while, but most of the gov- 300 Indianapolis, IN 46204 fundraising. He intuitively knows that ernmental emphasis has been on en- money comes and goes, but friends forcement; it is heartening to see the www.howeypolitics.com are with you forever. That maxim has word “treatment” in the new position’s served our new governor very well. job title. It’s good to know that Gov. Brian A. Howey, Publisher I’ve been around a few gov- Holcomb understands that drug-hazed Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington ernors in my 40-plus years of politi- families won’t be served by locking Jack E. Howey, Editor cal involvement and I’ve made watching them sort Thomas Curry, Statehouse of a hobby. For some, it Mary Lou Howey, Editor was somewhat akin to Mark Curry, photography watching guards playing for Bobby Knight at IU. When they went up for Subscriptions a jump shot, you had a HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 feeling that they had one HPI Weekly, $350 eye on the coach, seeking Ray Volpe, Account Manager his approval. We all know 317.602.3620 that that doesn’t work very well over the long email: [email protected] run. The same is true for Contact HPI governors. It is hard to [email protected] hit a jump shot when you Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 have your eye on some- Eric Holcomb at the Cone Palace in Kokomo on Election thing else. Day. (HPI Photo by Craig Dunn) Washington: 202.256.5822 I’ve said on many Business Office: 317.602.3620 an occasion and in a few Howey Politics columns that I just them up and throwing away the key. © 2017, Howey Politics can’t relate to a guy who wakes up in Our local and state finances won’t Indiana. All rights reserved. the morning, looks at himself in the support it, and dramatically reducing mirror and sees the next congress- the demand side of the drug equation Photocopying, Internet forward- man, senator, governor or president. is the only viable, long-term method ing, faxing or reproducing in It’s not in my nature and hey, I’ve got of permanently getting drug abuse any form, whole or part, is a a face for radio. Now, I can’t say for under control. Effective treatment will violation of federal law without sure that our new governor doesn’t provide a much-needed boost to bat- permission from the publisher. have “Hail to the Chief” on his IPOD tling this threat to our society. and that he doesn’t make Janet hum The other major step taken the tune when he steps out of the by Gov.Holcomb last week was one shower, but I’ve seen no indication at that may have been missed by most this point that Eric Holcomb is focused people. Unfortunately, a baby with on anything but taking Indiana to the developmental delays has no $600- next level. an-hour lobbyist camped out at the The best evidence of Gov. Statehouse ready to pounce on unsus- Holcomb’s focus is in two of his initial pecting legislators, button-holing them actions as governor. His first execu- for increased funding for early child- Page 3 hood programs. Consequently, our ferent sort of governor. It demonstrates legislature spends a lot of time that he is in touch with the common devoted to much sexier issues man, recognizes the difficulties of those such as tax cuts, highway funding who are less fortunate and knows a and naming a state pie. good governmental investment when Gov. Holcomb made he sees one. Not bad for the man occu- a forceful statement when he pying former Gov. Oliver Morton’s seat! included a 33% increase for First Make no mistake about it. Eric Steps in his proposed budget sub- Holcomb will get his chance to serve as mitted to the Indiana Legislature. a human piñata for the press and his First Steps is a program designed opponents. All governors get whacked to meet the developmental needs on at one time or another. I just sus- of infants and toddlers. The pect that Gov. Holcomb’s good-natured program, chronically limited by its and well-intentioned leadership will budget, has had tremendous suc- Gov. Eric Holcomb in a selfie with students on help him pass through those times very cess with addressing developmen- Martin Luther King Day. quickly. tal problems early in a child’s life We have a saying in Kokomo that so that the developmental problems do not provide even you can tell a lot about a man by where he eats his Coney larger problems during their school years and thereafter. dogs. I learned a lot about Eric Holcomb at the Cone Pal- In short, First Steps is a great investment in our children ace on Election Day. that reaps massive economic benefits over the long term. v Holcomb’s recognition of the efficacy of sup- porting a program such as First Steps, that has neither the Dunn is chairman of the Howard County Republican glaring spotlight of the press nor the lobbying prowess of Party. He is stepping down from that position in the big boys, speaks volumes that he is going to be a dif- March. insurance declined from 49 million to 29.8 million and in President Obama, from page 1 Indiana, it went from 18% uninsured to 9%. I don’t want to lie to people – that’s why we’re having a n Median household income went from $54,988 town hall meeting – because the situation we face could to $56,516. not be more serious. We have inherited an economic crisis n Americans below the poverty line went from as deep and as dire as any since the Great Depression.” 43.6 million to 43.1 million.