HUNTINGBURG, IN - Indiana Auditor of State Connie Nass issued the following comments after the Governor's release of his "Deficit Management Plan" this afternoon:

"When I called on the Governor and his budget agency to review certain dedicated non-reverting accounts as potential sources of money to help shore up the budget shortfall, I was derided by the Democrat Chairman of Ways and Means as having put together 'bogus' numbers straight out of 'Neverland.' The Governor's spokesman called it 'voodoo economics.' Today, I am pleased to see that the Governor and his budget agency realize what we have been saying all along: There is money in state government accounts that can be used to balance the budget this biennium without a tax increase and without teacher layoffs.

"Not including the $247 million in transfers the Governor has requested from the Build Indiana Fund, his 'Deficit Management Plan' utilizes at a minimum $83.25 million from funds I recommended as places to look for tax dollars without a tax increase.

"I am still evaluating the Governor's 28-page plan that was released today. Other state fiscal leaders and I are concerned that the Governor may be cutting too much too fast, and that some of his priorities may be misplaced. All along, we have said the state must look to the money it has to bring this biennium's budget into balance before it attempts to raise taxes on Hoosier families. The Governor had previously stated that was not possible."