Halfway through the ongoing legislative session, Indiana Gov. Mike Braun told reporters in a news conference at the Statehouse as he pushed for lower spending that the Hoosier government grew too much from 2022 through 2024.
“Keep doing that and you’re running like the federal government,” the Indiana Capital Chronicle quoted Braun as saying. “The difference is they got a printing press in the basement.”
For someone so concerned about penny-pinching, Braun certainly seems to be doling out the cash recently.
Around the time Braun made those remarks, members of the Indiana National Guard were returning from a 10-month deployment to the U.S.-Mexico border that was authorized by former Gov. Eric Holcomb, who at the time stated then-President Joe Biden wasn’t doing enough to curb the number of migrants crossing the border into the U.S.
Upon their return, a second group of 50 Indiana National Guard soldiers then made their way to the southern border, this time for an estimated cost of $9 million, which was $1 million more than the first deployment.
According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, federal officials recorded more than 8,000 apprehensions of migrants who crossed into the U.S. in a single day under the Biden administration on some days. However, the Indiana Capital Chronicle reported a total of 8,450 migrants were apprehended in all of last month as they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully.
Spending $9 million to send 50 Hoosier soldiers to the border certainly doesn’t make sense to us when the Associated Press reports that since President Donald Trump took office for his second term in January, 6,500 new active duty forces have been ordered to deploy to the southern border.
This second group of Indiana National Guard soldiers is expected to be stationed in Texas for 12 months to provide security for the border.
Back home in Indiana, Braun is focused on security as well. Specifically, $118,000 worth of security improvements on his family’s 9,787-square-foot home in Jasper, paid for by the Indiana Department of Administration.
Among the upgrades to the Braun home are a helipad, updated fencing and gates and a temporary trailer for his round-the-clock security protection provided by the Indiana State Police, according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.
We have to question Braun’s commitment to lean, efficient government when it’s reported $50,153 will be spent on gates and operating pads to access the family home when there’s a perfectly fine mansion available to the governor on Meridian Street in Indianapolis.
The 10,500-square-foot Governor’s Residence no doubt already has the necessary security features in place for both Braun and his protection detail. Both former Govs. Holcomb and Mike Pence found that residence to their liking.
Braun seems to be talking out of both sides of his mouth when it comes to spending. Perhaps it will be reported a printing press was among the items included in the upgrades to Braun’s Jasper residence as well?
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