Governor Mitch Daniels Sits Down with Ideas in Motion Media Publisher Chris Mahlmann

When Ideas in Motion Media Publisher Chris Mahlmann set up his big interview with Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels at our offices, he told the governor’s assistant he would be asking about Daniels’ plans for 2012, in an attempt to get the coveted story of the year.

January 27, 2011 rolled around and the governor sat down with Chris. The end of the interview came and Chris finally asked the question, “So, do you have any announcements you’d like to make here Governor?”

“Well,” he responded, “I believe that Valpo [University] is going to the NCAA tournament this year. Let me break it here on ValpoLife!”

Not the answer we had hoped, but we’ll take it.

 

The governor, up from Indianapolis for a tour of the Bowman Academy, came and spoke with us about Northwest Indiana’s role in the state, his style of communication, and the role that media plays in our every day lives. We especially enjoyed his take on sprouting up more “Life” sites in Indiana.

“If there is anywhere I can think of where this new vehicle really fits a need of people, it's probably up here in Northwest Indiana,” stated Governor Daniels. “Folks don't get much information about the state they live in. They get a ton of information about Illinois or even Wisconsin or Michigan, but it's very, very hard for them to know things that every other Hoosier knows.”

And that’s part of the reason the site was founded. Much of the local media here keeps one eye on Chicago (and the rest of the nation),  so there seems to have been a devaluation of “local”. Mahlmann then brought up business and, more importantly, small businesses’ role within the state.

“Everything we’ve done in six years is to make Indiana a more friendly place, a place where you have a better chance to risk a buck and get it back,” said Daniels. “That means lower taxes, keeping our regulations reasonable, and being quick with answers.

The topic then switched over to Daniels’ direct style of communication, a “Hoosier thing”, as he described it. Daniels continued, “Direct talk, I just think that’s what people deserve. I just think its good practice.”

Be sure to watch the entire interview in the video below!

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