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Candidate Q&A
What would be your top priority as Indiana treasurer?
My top priority as State Treasurer is to continue to make good returns on Indiana’s investments. The $1.8 billion in record returns that I earned for Indiana helps Hoosiers keep more money in their pocket and pay less in taxes. It helps fund the roads we take to get to work and more recently will help our communities that have suffered from flood damage across the state. My focus is making sure we manage taxpayer dollars well so that working Hoosiers can keep more of their hard earned dollars for their families and less for government.
What qualifies you to serve as state treasurer?
I’ve served 25 years in the tech sector, 15 of that as an entrepreneur with my own technology business. I have 14 years of experience focusing on government finance, economic development, infrastructure development, and investments. Aside from owning my own business I’ve been a county councilman, president of my county’s redevelopment commission and Indiana’s State Treasurer. As State Treasurer I sit on 19 different boards dealing with finance and investments. In that time I’ve earned more in returns that has been earned in the previous 20 years combined.
As chair of the board that oversees Indiana529 plans, how would you try to get more families signed up to save for post-high school expenses?
As a first generation college student I am passionate about getting families access to 529 plans. Getting the word out on Indiana 529 accounts has been one of our top concerns. We go where the families are to get the word out. We are at the State Fair, we sponsor scholarships advertise on radio and social media. We even partner with other groups to get the message out to families. We’ve recently rebranded to Indiana529 so that families realize this isn’t just for college tuition. Families can use their 520 for trade schools, apprenticeships, room and board or other educational expenses. Check us out at MyIndiana529.com.
What role do you see the state treasurer’s office playing in protecting Indianapolis ratepayers in the wake of BlackRock’s purchase of AES?
I recognize that my office has no direct authority of power companies. But I also recognize that someone has to stand up for ratepayers and the needs of working families in Indiana. Power companies are regulated monopolies whose primary focus in providing affordable energy to Indiana families. Oftentimes these large multi-national corporations are looking to maximize their profits without concern on how it impacts Hoosiers. We can’t allow Hoosier ratepayers to take all the financial risk while the trillion dollar companies only collect the profits. I can, and have, used my office to speak up for the needs of everyday Hoosiers. And I will continue to do so.
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