It is an important time in Indiana.  Many tough decisions lie ahead for Hoosiers and lawmakers as we try to tackle the issues before us.

Our economy is struggling and Hoosiers are in need of quality jobs.  Taxes on working class families are squeezing their budgets leaving the prospects of foreclosure and bankruptcy looming over the heads of thousands of Hoosiers.  School budgets are being strained and teachers and programs have been eliminated across the state.

Unfortunately, the recent attempts by the General Assembly to solve these problems have caused more pain than progress.

Our education system has come under attack from the radical right.  Four years of funding cuts adding up to close to a billion dollars have forced teacher layoffs, program cuts, and increasingly crowded classrooms.

Unemployed Hoosiers have seen their benefits cut by 25 percent and no true job creation efforts by the State.  Working Hoosiers have come under attack by rich CEO’s who want to strip their bargaining rights to drive down wages and costs of providing a safer work environment.

House Democrats believe we should work to lift people up, not tear them down.  We must invest in our schools and workers if we are to fight our way out of this recession.

House Democrats pledge to continue to fight to better the lives of Hoosiers and to give you a voice in your state government.

Sincerely,

B. Patrick Bauer 
House Democratic Leader