Author Topic: Report from the RGA  (Read 694 times)

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charlesoakwood

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Report from the RGA
« on: April 29, 2011, 12:16:30 PM »

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53869.html


By GOV. RICK PERRY | 4/28/11 9:26 AM EDT

For four years, the Republican Governors Association has methodically built toward establishing a majority of governors — on the promise that executives at the state level would transform the nation.

One hundred days ago this week, the last of the Republican Party’s new majority of 29 governors was sworn in. Now the nation can see the tremendous impact made possible by a group of governors committed to sweeping reforms in every facet of government. Over this short time, new GOP governors have redefined the nation’s politics by hitting the reset button in their states — promoting fiscally responsible policies to lead the way back to national prominence.

They’re doing it, one state at a time, by balancing budgets without raising taxes; fearlessly implementing policies to promote job creation and make their states more competitive and boldly pursuing public education reforms.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder all deserve recognition for showing the nation that by focusing like a laser on pocketbook issues, the Rust Belt can begin its transformation back into a powerful economic engine.

Walker has taken on special interests as he right-sizes government so that future generations aren’t drowned in a sea of red ink. The reforms in his budget-repair bill will save Wisconsin $300 million and local governments an additional $1.44 billion. With 24,000 private-sector jobs already created, including 11,000 in the manufacturing sector, Walker is well on his way to meeting his campaign promise of creating 250,000 new jobs.

Kasich’s budget preserves $800 million in tax cuts for Ohio families. He has already improved the economic climate so that major employers like American Greetings, Diebold and Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company have committed to remaining in the state, directly preserving at least 5,500 jobs. Ohio’s unemployment rate has dropped below 9 percent for the first time in two years.

In Michigan, the state perhaps hardest hit in this recession, Snyder is working to fundamentally realign the tax structure to encourage business investment and job growth. He has proposed slashing taxes on businesses by more than $1.5 billion and is establishing tools to help state and local governments reduce long-term costs.

Elites in Washington would be wise to examine the fiscal changes in these Republican-led states and consider using their ideas to clean up the federal government’s fiscal mess.

This wouldn’t be the first time that critics attacked, and then later embraced, the changes brought about by GOP leadership. Two decades ago, when a previous generation of Republican governors began dealing with welfare reform, their efforts were met by the same derision faced by Republican governors today.

But just five years later, President Bill Clinton signed national welfare reform into law.
Republican governors’ bold initiatives extend beyond the purely economic into far-reaching education reforms that deserve their own place in the national spotlight.

In the past 100 days, Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed a sweeping education law that ends teacher tenure and strengthens merit pay. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam has reformed the state’s teacher tenure law; while Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin signed legislation making it easier to dismiss underperforming teachers. Further West, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez have signed laws requiring that schools be graded based on student performance.

Looking ahead, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval is pushing for tenure reform, merit pay, school grading and open enrollment.In Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Corbett is also pushing for merit pay and assigning schools letter grades.

It’s exciting to imagine the direction these governors — and others like Gov. Paul LePage in Maine, Gov. Sam Brownback in Kansas, Gov. Matt Mead in Wyoming and Gov. Terry Branstad in Iowa — will lead their states in the months ahead.

In these 100 days, Republican governors have proven that politicians are capable of leading with the next generation in mind. They have shown that “third rail” issues can be solved, and powerful interests aimed at preserving the status quo can be tamed.

Most important, they have put their states — and our country — back on a path toward prosperity.

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is chairman of the Republican Governors Association.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0411/53869.html#ixzz1KwAcnkeq


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Re: Report from the RGA
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2011, 12:32:35 PM »
Seems a rather straight forward statement, but if you read the comments on Politico(mmunist) about it the Dem's & most of the (cough) Indy's are in attack mode, and can find no good in it.  Some people are stuck on stupid and think more Progressive destruction is just what the (suicidal) doctor ordered.
We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.