Gov. Mike Pence recently announced his 21st Century Crossroads initiative. It’s a $1 billion roads and infrastructure plan that relies on the reserves and funds already built up as a result of strong Republican fiscal policies and bonds at a very low interest rate due to Indiana’s AAA credit rating.
This investment is addition to the governor’s Major Moves 2020 agenda that invested $400 million to widen and rehabilitate incredibly busy interstate sections that were built nearly 50 years ago. The current budget also includes an additional $200 million for state highways. Pence’s infrastructure investment builds on former Gov. Mitch Daniels’ transformative Major Moves program that resulted in a $3.8 billion cash infusion into our state’s transportation system.
Of course, none of this is good enough for the freespending and frustrated “Party of No.” The Indiana Democratic Party and its putative candidate for governor, John Gregg, have attacked not only Pence’s plan, but also Major Moves, and most of the Republican Party’s emphasis on fiscal responsibility. In fact, Gregg called Pence’s $1 billion plan tantamount to “basically like filling half a pothole.”
So, where is Gregg’s plan to fill potholes? Oops ... he doesn’t have a plan. The Indiana Democratic Party doesn’t have one. The Democrats in the General Assembly don’t have one.
Republican leadership means billions of dollars dedicated to building and maintaining Indiana’s roads and bridges, and all of it being financed without a tax increase.
Democrat “leadership” means throwing tantrums on Twitter and opposing what Republicans have done.
Maybe this total lack of leadership is one of the reasons Democrats have been paved over in three consecutive statewide elections.
If Democrats had their way, the $3.8 billion Major Moves windfall never would have existed, yet they constantly complain that all the Major Moves money is gone.
No, it’s not — Hoosiers are driving on it. Our economy is thriving because of it.
Pence has emphasized infrastructure investment since his first day in office — which is one of the reasons Indiana’s unemployment rate is down to 4.5 percent. All told, Republicans have allocated more than $1.26 billion in additional state funds for transportation since 2013. The governor’s new $1 billion initiative will ensure our state remains the Crossroads of America.
Robert Vane
Indiana Republican Party spokesman
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