THURM FERREE: My response to Gov. Daniels' response

I know there are many who love and respect Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels and loved him more after his GOP response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union address.

Daniels' remarks made me think back to a principle my father taught me: "When someone lies to you about something, remember you cannot trust them."

When Daniels was a gubernatorial candidate, he told members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 that he would never let right-to-work legislation happen during his time. Well, guess what? He rushed to sign the bill as soon as it was passed.

I believe his parents made a mistake at his naming. He should have been called Michael Bus-Corp Daniels, as all he has done since he took office is favor business and very little of the people's needs.

He killed bargaining for state union employees as his first action.

He leased the Indiana Toll Road and signed a contract guaranteeing payment if anyone was to build a local competing road including local roads. He forced forever higher tolls for Northwest Indiana.

He delayed welfare payments by hiring IBM to run a program that was an abysmal failure and delayed payments to recipients. It's now in court, and I believe Indiana is on the hook for millions of dollars for his mistake.

He favored business and corporations with large tax breaks while trying to force a 1 percent county option income tax on Lake County residents. He lectured Obama about class warfare in his recent GOP response. What better an example of class warfare than Daniels, whose actions led to a tax levy freeze when Lake County would not raise local taxes and bend to his will?

His Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission is nothing but a political wing to help business and make people pay for things such as the cost of building facilities.

He is creating a Mexico-to-Canada highway of Interstate 69, able to exchange goods with Canada over our U.S. interstates that will further erode U.S. jobs.

He has taken $300 million from educating our youths, and state government just happened to find another $320 million officials say was overlooked somehow in the records.

Finally, I expect business and corporations to love him for all the help he has given, but let's talk about all you farmers and merchants that sell goods to Hoosiers. Do you think in an environment in which wages are falling that average folks will have money for the food Hoosier farmers grow? Do you businesspeople think there will be money for goods you produce? Do you think higher-education people believe there will be money for kids who want to go to college?

The mess Daniels has created will affect our kids and grandkids for decades and force them to go to other places for jobs. Think about it.

Thurm Ferree, of Highland, is a former state senator who held other local political offices. The opinions are the writer's. Email Ferree at thurmferree@yahoo.com.