Gov. Mitch Daniels will be remembered for his eagerness to try new things. From the sale of the toll road to the privatization of the welfare system, he has always looked for new approaches to the administration of state government.
Some of those changes have been great successes. The sale of the toll road has provided working capital that allowed the Indiana Department of Transportation to tackle much more quickly projects such as the Hoosier Heartland.
The governor should certainly be remembered for his success in transforming the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
He might also be remembered, though, for his failed effort to reform the welfare system.
The effort was based on the assumption that putting entitlement programs into the hands of private enterprise would cause them to operate more efficiently, but the theory did not match up with reality. Welfare recipients appearing at a public hearing last fall spoke of hours spent on the telephone and months of waiting to receive benefits.
For families in crisis, such delays can be devastating.
The Daniels administration should be applauded for listening to critics of the privatization effort and taking action to resolve their complaints.
The Family and Social Services Administration had announced in July that it was putting IBM on notice. Officials said they were giving the company a chance to take corrective action, but they said if they didn’t see progress, they would pull the plug this fall.
To their credit, officials followed through on that threat.
It had to be a difficult decision. Daniels had been a huge supporter of the privatization effort, and he certainly knew that to back away from it would leave him with a significant amount of egg on his face.
Still, changing course was the right thing to do. A crucial part of any reform effort is the willingness to admit a mistake and change direction.
Change doesn’t always work the first time around. There will always be a certain amount of trial and error.
The key is to learn from our mistakes and move on.
The state says it will push ahead with efforts to reform what the governor has called one of the least efficient welfare programs in the country. If those efforts succeed, the embarrassing memories of this month’s course correction will quickly fade.
Editorials
Pulling the plug right decision
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Postal service listens to small towns
The U.S. Postal Service plans to keep smaller post offices open by scaling back the hours at those and other offices. The postal service deserves credit for listening to the concerns of its customers.
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A history lesson on two wheels
The Cass County Historical Society staged its second annual bike tour last weekend. The event raises money for a great cause while offering participants to get some exercise and learn a bit of local history.
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Stormwater fees about to go up
The Logansport Stormwater Management Board is considering a 51-percent increase in its monthly rate. The board is about to launch into a huge project, and residents would do well to tune into the process.
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A day to say thanks to moms
Today is Mother’s Day, an observance that dates back more than a century. Mothers everywhere deserve our gratitude for the love they showed and the lessons they taught.
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Six-to-Six program offers promise
A new program called Six-to-Six aims to work with middle school students facing suspension from school. Catching issues when kids are still in middle school should cut down on the number of teenagers who go on to drop out of school or wind up in jail.
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Council can’t have it both ways
The Logansport City Council is considering an ordinance eliminating the requirement that police officers and firefighters provide receipts in order to collect their annual uniform allowance. If the council wants to ensure the money is well spent, it should reject this ordinance.
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That weight problem hasn’t gone away
A report issued this week predicts that more than 40 percent of us will be obese by 2030. The way to tackle this problem is for every one of us to take ownership of it and take steps to address it.
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Today’s the day to cast ballots
Both political parties have important contests on today’s primary election ballot, and residents have a civic duty to take part in the process.
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Everyone should be on same page
The Logansport-Cass County Economic Development Foundation expressed concern last week as the city discussed plans to allocate more money toward an international marketing effort. Spending money on marketing Logansport and Cass County is a good idea, but it’s important that our leaders coordinate their economic development efforts.
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.Refusing to give up on students
The number of suspensions is dropping at Logansport High School. Keeping kids in school means a higher graduation rate and a better educated work force.
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