Description of the video:

Scarpino: What do you think were your significant accomplishments as governor? As you look back on it, what really stands out about what you did?

Bowen: Well, the number one thing that I ran on, over and over, was the property tax relief. We were successful, although it was difficult to get it through. We were successful in getting it through, and it worked, and it worked well for about 15 years, then the legislature began nibbling away at all the controls and when you lost the controls, then the property taxes started to go up higher and higher until over the last several years and including now, property tax is one of the big issues.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask you two questions that I hope are not too technical for people who listen to this recording, but you mentioned property tax relief as one of your accomplishments and of course that’s one of the things that anybody who writes about you as governor mentions. So what was the nature of that property tax relief? How did you change the property tax system in Indiana? What was it that you did to change the way property taxes were administered and calculated?

Bowen: Well, it was a complicated thing.

Scarpino: Maybe I could break it down a little bit. What was wrong with the system that you wanted to change? What is it that you want to fix?

Bowen: Well, it was way too high and especially for the funding of local schools and local government and public education. At that time, the property taxes were paying for 65% of the school cost. Right after our property tax relief bill went into effect, that was reversed so 65% of the cost of public education was from property taxes, 35% was for the other. That was the big thing of course, and in order to do that, we had to make up the loss through sales tax and the income type tax.

Scarpino: Was raising sales tax and raising income-type taxes a risky proposal for a Republican governor?

Bowen: It was risky because they were reluctant to do it because they wanted to run for re-election. So it took a little guts for those who voted for it to do it, but there I guess is where leadership came in. We were able to guide the new bill.

Scarpino: Do you think that a leader has to be willing to take a risk?

Bowen: Oh. He sure does. A leader has to be above public opinion, and he has to be out ahead of public opinion, is what I meant.

Scarpino: You mentioned that after about 15 years the legislature began to nibble away at the controls on the property. What kind of controls were they nibbling away at?

Bowen: Well, it was on the establishment of control of the expenditures. They froze the levy instead of the rate and that made a big difference in the program.

Scarpino: Besides property tax relief, what else stands out as you look back on your years as governor?

Bowen: EMS. Honestly not too many people know that, but that was one of the things that we were able to do, is establish an emergency medical system. The reason that was so necessary is that in the rural areas, there was no way of getting injured and ill people to hospitals. The undertakers were using their ambulances to do that and they were losing money at it so they were rather rapidly getting out of the business of being an ambulance. So we developed the system of emergency medical system which created almost ambulances, in a few years, to every area of the state and it’s actually probably saved more lives than any other thing that happened in the last many, many years. Another thing was the medical malpractice act. Doctors were quitting practice because their insurance rates went so high that they couldn’t afford it. Further than that, with the expense being so great, access to care was going down and we had to do something. So we worked with local people and chambers of commerce and all the civic-minded people that we had to have some change so that the doctors would not quit practicing, which they were in droves. Insurance companies were refusing to insure doctors, so with the combination of those things, we were able to establish a medical malpractice act and it’s still serviceable today.

Scarpino: And did that limit the size of the award?

Bowen: Yes. It limited the size of the award at that time and after a couple of years, rightfully, those levies became a little higher. So that I think that, I don’t know what it is now, but I know that it did get up to close to a million dollars instead. So, that was another one of them that we considered a substantial thing. Another big one was the improvement at that time of our natural resources and parks system. We were way down when I went in, and one of the main things that we focused on for a new project was improving the parks system in Indiana. And even though it isn’t quite as good now as it was shortly afterwards, it still has some very desirable parts to it.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What do you think were your significant accomplishments as governor? As you look back on it, what really stands out about what you did?

Bowen: Well, the number one thing that I ran on, over and over, was the property tax relief. We were successful, although it was difficult to get it through. We were successful in getting it through, and it worked, and it worked well for about 15 years, then the legislature began nibbling away at all the controls and when you lost the controls, then the property taxes started to go up higher and higher until over the last several years and including now, property tax is one of the big issues.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask you two questions that I hope are not too technical for people who listen to this recording, but you mentioned property tax relief as one of your accomplishments and of course that’s one of the things that anybody who writes about you as governor mentions. So what was the nature of that property tax relief? How did you change the property tax system in Indiana? What was it that you did to change the way property taxes were administered and calculated?

Bowen: Well, it was a complicated thing.

Scarpino: Maybe I could break it down a little bit. What was wrong with the system that you wanted to change? What is it that you want to fix?

Bowen: Well, it was way too high and especially for the funding of local schools and local government and public education. At that time, the property taxes were paying for 65% of the school cost. Right after our property tax relief bill went into effect, that was reversed so 65% of the cost of public education was from property taxes, 35% was for the other. That was the big thing of course, and in order to do that, we had to make up the loss through sales tax and the income type tax.

Scarpino: Was raising sales tax and raising income-type taxes a risky proposal for a Republican governor?

Bowen: It was risky because they were reluctant to do it because they wanted to run for re-election. So it took a little guts for those who voted for it to do it, but there I guess is where leadership came in. We were able to guide the new bill.

Scarpino: Do you think that a leader has to be willing to take a risk?

Bowen: Oh. He sure does. A leader has to be above public opinion, and he has to be out ahead of public opinion, is what I meant.

Scarpino: You mentioned that after about 15 years the legislature began to nibble away at the controls on the property. What kind of controls were they nibbling away at?

Bowen: Well, it was on the establishment of control of the expenditures. They froze the levy instead of the rate and that made a big difference in the program.

Scarpino: Besides property tax relief, what else stands out as you look back on your years as governor?

Bowen: EMS. Honestly not too many people know that, but that was one of the things that we were able to do, is establish an emergency medical system. The reason that was so necessary is that in the rural areas, there was no way of getting injured and ill people to hospitals. The undertakers were using their ambulances to do that and they were losing money at it so they were rather rapidly getting out of the business of being an ambulance. So we developed the system of emergency medical system which created almost ambulances, in a few years, to every area of the state and it’s actually probably saved more lives than any other thing that happened in the last many, many years. Another thing was the medical malpractice act. Doctors were quitting practice because their insurance rates went so high that they couldn’t afford it. Further than that, with the expense being so great, access to care was going down and we had to do something. So we worked with local people and chambers of commerce and all the civic-minded people that we had to have some change so that the doctors would not quit practicing, which they were in droves. Insurance companies were refusing to insure doctors, so with the combination of those things, we were able to establish a medical malpractice act and it’s still serviceable today.

Scarpino: And did that limit the size of the award?

Bowen: Yes. It limited the size of the award at that time and after a couple of years, rightfully, those levies became a little higher. So that I think that, I don’t know what it is now, but I know that it did get up to close to a million dollars instead. So, that was another one of them that we considered a substantial thing. Another big one was the improvement at that time of our natural resources and parks system. We were way down when I went in, and one of the main things that we focused on for a new project was improving the parks system in Indiana. And even though it isn’t quite as good now as it was shortly afterwards, it still has some very desirable parts to it.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What do you think were your significant accomplishments as governor? As you look back on it, what really stands out about what you did?

Bowen: Well, the number one thing that I ran on, over and over, was the property tax relief. We were successful, although it was difficult to get it through. We were successful in getting it through, and it worked, and it worked well for about 15 years, then the legislature began nibbling away at all the controls and when you lost the controls, then the property taxes started to go up higher and higher until over the last several years and including now, property tax is one of the big issues.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask you two questions that I hope are not too technical for people who listen to this recording, but you mentioned property tax relief as one of your accomplishments and of course that’s one of the things that anybody who writes about you as governor mentions. So what was the nature of that property tax relief? How did you change the property tax system in Indiana? What was it that you did to change the way property taxes were administered and calculated?

Bowen: Well, it was a complicated thing.

Scarpino: Maybe I could break it down a little bit. What was wrong with the system that you wanted to change? What is it that you want to fix?

Bowen: Well, it was way too high and especially for the funding of local schools and local government and public education. At that time, the property taxes were paying for 65% of the school cost. Right after our property tax relief bill went into effect, that was reversed so 65% of the cost of public education was from property taxes, 35% was for the other. That was the big thing of course, and in order to do that, we had to make up the loss through sales tax and the income type tax.

Scarpino: Was raising sales tax and raising income-type taxes a risky proposal for a Republican governor?

Bowen: It was risky because they were reluctant to do it because they wanted to run for re-election. So it took a little guts for those who voted for it to do it, but there I guess is where leadership came in. We were able to guide the new bill.

Scarpino: Do you think that a leader has to be willing to take a risk?

Bowen: Oh. He sure does. A leader has to be above public opinion, and he has to be out ahead of public opinion, is what I meant.

Scarpino: You mentioned that after about 15 years the legislature began to nibble away at the controls on the property. What kind of controls were they nibbling away at?

Bowen: Well, it was on the establishment of control of the expenditures. They froze the levy instead of the rate and that made a big difference in the program.

Scarpino: Besides property tax relief, what else stands out as you look back on your years as governor?

Bowen: EMS. Honestly not too many people know that, but that was one of the things that we were able to do, is establish an emergency medical system. The reason that was so necessary is that in the rural areas, there was no way of getting injured and ill people to hospitals. The undertakers were using their ambulances to do that and they were losing money at it so they were rather rapidly getting out of the business of being an ambulance. So we developed the system of emergency medical system which created almost ambulances, in a few years, to every area of the state and it’s actually probably saved more lives than any other thing that happened in the last many, many years. Another thing was the medical malpractice act. Doctors were quitting practice because their insurance rates went so high that they couldn’t afford it. Further than that, with the expense being so great, access to care was going down and we had to do something. So we worked with local people and chambers of commerce and all the civic-minded people that we had to have some change so that the doctors would not quit practicing, which they were in droves. Insurance companies were refusing to insure doctors, so with the combination of those things, we were able to establish a medical malpractice act and it’s still serviceable today.

Scarpino: And did that limit the size of the award?

Bowen: Yes. It limited the size of the award at that time and after a couple of years, rightfully, those levies became a little higher. So that I think that, I don’t know what it is now, but I know that it did get up to close to a million dollars instead. So, that was another one of them that we considered a substantial thing. Another big one was the improvement at that time of our natural resources and parks system. We were way down when I went in, and one of the main things that we focused on for a new project was improving the parks system in Indiana. And even though it isn’t quite as good now as it was shortly afterwards, it still has some very desirable parts to it.

Description of the video:

Scarpino: What do you think were your significant accomplishments as governor? As you look back on it, what really stands out about what you did?

Bowen: Well, the number one thing that I ran on, over and over, was the property tax relief. We were successful, although it was difficult to get it through. We were successful in getting it through, and it worked, and it worked well for about 15 years, then the legislature began nibbling away at all the controls and when you lost the controls, then the property taxes started to go up higher and higher until over the last several years and including now, property tax is one of the big issues.

Scarpino: I’m going to ask you two questions that I hope are not too technical for people who listen to this recording, but you mentioned property tax relief as one of your accomplishments and of course that’s one of the things that anybody who writes about you as governor mentions. So what was the nature of that property tax relief? How did you change the property tax system in Indiana? What was it that you did to change the way property taxes were administered and calculated?

Bowen: Well, it was a complicated thing.

Scarpino: Maybe I could break it down a little bit. What was wrong with the system that you wanted to change? What is it that you want to fix?

Bowen: Well, it was way too high and especially for the funding of local schools and local government and public education. At that time, the property taxes were paying for 65% of the school cost. Right after our property tax relief bill went into effect, that was reversed so 65% of the cost of public education was from property taxes, 35% was for the other. That was the big thing of course, and in order to do that, we had to make up the loss through sales tax and the income type tax.

Scarpino: Was raising sales tax and raising income-type taxes a risky proposal for a Republican governor?

Bowen: It was risky because they were reluctant to do it because they wanted to run for re-election. So it took a little guts for those who voted for it to do it, but there I guess is where leadership came in. We were able to guide the new bill.

Scarpino: Do you think that a leader has to be willing to take a risk?

Bowen: Oh. He sure does. A leader has to be above public opinion, and he has to be out ahead of public opinion, is what I meant.

Scarpino: You mentioned that after about 15 years the legislature began to nibble away at the controls on the property. What kind of controls were they nibbling away at?

Bowen: Well, it was on the establishment of control of the expenditures. They froze the levy instead of the rate and that made a big difference in the program.

Scarpino: Besides property tax relief, what else stands out as you look back on your years as governor?

Bowen: EMS. Honestly not too many people know that, but that was one of the things that we were able to do, is establish an emergency medical system. The reason that was so necessary is that in the rural areas, there was no way of getting injured and ill people to hospitals. The undertakers were using their ambulances to do that and they were losing money at it so they were rather rapidly getting out of the business of being an ambulance. So we developed the system of emergency medical system which created almost ambulances, in a few years, to every area of the state and it’s actually probably saved more lives than any other thing that happened in the last many, many years. Another thing was the medical malpractice act. Doctors were quitting practice because their insurance rates went so high that they couldn’t afford it. Further than that, with the expense being so great, access to care was going down and we had to do something. So we worked with local people and chambers of commerce and all the civic-minded people that we had to have some change so that the doctors would not quit practicing, which they were in droves. Insurance companies were refusing to insure doctors, so with the combination of those things, we were able to establish a medical malpractice act and it’s still serviceable today.

Scarpino: And did that limit the size of the award?

Bowen: Yes. It limited the size of the award at that time and after a couple of years, rightfully, those levies became a little higher. So that I think that, I don’t know what it is now, but I know that it did get up to close to a million dollars instead. So, that was another one of them that we considered a substantial thing. Another big one was the improvement at that time of our natural resources and parks system. We were way down when I went in, and one of the main things that we focused on for a new project was improving the parks system in Indiana. And even though it isn’t quite as good now as it was shortly afterwards, it still has some very desirable parts to it.