INDIANAPOLIS – Being a governor is a tough job – especially if you’re a former congressman who was used to promoting the out-of-touch ideology of the Republican Party in Washington, D.C. For Mike Pence, though, the year 2015 can best be described as a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad year. From his “JustIN” news service to putting Indiana’s coveted “Hoosier Hospitality” and “Crossroads of America” reputations in jeopardy, Mike Pence sure enjoyed prioritizing his agenda ahead of the overall well-being of everyday Hoosiers.
But don’t take the Indiana Democratic Party’s word for it – check out the full list of Mike Pence’s flubs below. With two Washington, D.C. publications calling this campaign a “race to watch” and RFRA 2.0 just around the corner, who knows how low Mike Pence’s vulnerability will sink in 2016.
|
Month |
PR Crisis |
|
January |
Mike Pence announces and then embarrassingly ends “JustIN”, a state-run news service. [Fox 59] |
|
March
|
In a closed door ceremony, Mike Pence signs the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, throwing Indiana into a $250 million economic panic. [Indy Star] |
|
March
|
With Scott County in an HIV outbreak, Mike Pence waits 65 days to declare a State of Emergency for the county. Cases rise from 10 to 79. [Politico] |
|
April |
After putting Indiana’s “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy, Mike Pence signs a “fix” to RFRA. [Indy Star] |
|
May
|
With no public debate, Mike Pence signs an education budget that eliminates funding for urban and rural public schools, creates more loans for struggling charter schools and adds to an unreliable voucher program. [Associated Press] |
|
July
|
Mike Pence hires and then terminates a public relations contract with Porter Novelli. Instead of repairing Indiana’s damaged reputation, Pence wasted $365,000. [Associated Press] |
|
August
|
Mike Pence hires the bare minimum workers needed for the Department of Child Services to remain compliant with state law. [Indiana Public Media] |
|
August
|
An I-65 Bridge nearly collapses in Lafayette, causing a month-long detour that leads to gridlocked traffic and fatal accidents. Mike Pence? He only provided “maybe” solutions to fix Indiana’s crumbling infrastructure – and ignored local roads and bridges. [Fort Wayne Journal Gazette] |
|
October
|
Before hundreds of schools receive failing ISTEP score levels, Mike Pence flip-flops on accountability for teachers and schools on the test. [NWI Times] |
|
November
|
Mike Pence politicizes the Syrian refugee crisis by denying a family the opportunity to resettle in Indiana, putting our “Hoosier Hospitality” reputation in jeopardy again. [Indy Star] |
|
December
|
After the Lt. Governor’s longstanding opposition to RFRA, Mike Pence encourages her to seek new opening at Ivy Tech Community College. [Fox 59] |
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