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Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Ind. Gov't. - More on "Daniels is cleared on his use of RV1"
Updating the 8/2/05 ILB entry titled "Daniels is cleared on his use of RV1" is this AP story by Mike Smith, written from the vantage of a week. It begins:
Ind. Gov. - INDIANAPOLIS -- In his run for governor, Mitch Daniels traveled the state relentlessly in a donated recreational vehicle that became a signature of his campaign.[Thanks to the often outrageous Taking Down Words. I'd overlooked this piece.]It was a hit with lots of folks from big cities and little towns all over Indiana. Thousands signed it, many scribbling go-get-'em messages, making it a billboard that Daniels took to all 92 counties at least three times over 14 months.
It was featured in campaign commercials, rolling past scenic swaths of Indiana to drive home a message that Daniels cared about every inch of the state and all its people. Democrats poked fun at it, but there was really nothing controversial about it.
The same cannot be said about the new RV, a much larger vehicle that Daniels has called a mobile version of his governor's office.
Ethical questions have been raised about it, many by or sparked by the media. Warranted or not, they have given Daniels and his administration some headaches.
The questions largely stem from Daniels' pledge to make state government a model in ethics. On his first day in office, he imposed stricter rules on state employees. Among other restrictions, they cannot accept gifts from those who do business with the state. He also appointed an inspector general to help root out government corruption.
In mid-April, the State Ethics Commission issued some fines and reprimands based on the new rules. In one case, a prison superintendent was fined $100 for accepting a $20 hat and two meals worth less than $10 from employees of a health contractor for Indiana's prison system.
After Daniels took office, Monaco Coach Corp., an Oregon-based company with plants in Indiana, donated a $175,000 RV for Daniels' use. It runs on biodiesel fuel donated by the Indiana Soybean Board, a group that promotes the industry.
Daniels took a private plane trip to Washington and got a signed football from Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. In response to reporters' questions, he said they were not personal gifts.
He would not keep the football after leaving office, and the RV and plane trip were donations to the state that allowed him to conduct state business.
Last month, Daniels took RV1 to a political fundraiser for Republican state Rep. Troy Woodruff of Vincennes. According to a story by the Evansville Courier & Press, some people shook hands with Daniels and boarded RV1 for a look around.
That prompted the Indiana Democratic Party to file an ethics complaint with Daniels' inspector general. It said that since the RV was state property, it should not have been used for political purposes.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on August 9, 2005 12:49 PM
Posted to Indiana Government