Governor Gary Johnson: Part 1 – Running State Government Like a Business

Part one of Governor Gary Johnsons speech at an Illinois Policy Institute Event on March 23.

In 1974, as junior in college, Gary Johnson started a one-man handyman business.  Twenty years later, this business had 1,000 employees.  While campaigning to be New Mexico’s Governor, he vowed to put to work the same strategies that worked to grow his business in order to grow the state’s economy. “Everything was going to be a cost/benefit analysis,” he said.  “What are we spending our money on, and what are we getting for the money we’re spending?”

This translated into his vetoing 750 bills, including thousands of line item vetoes. “We don’t need to be spending money on things that won’t make a difference.”

And after doing all this, he was reelected by a larger margin than he was originally elected – despite being a Republican in a state that is 2 to 1 Democrat.

Part 1 of his speech is below.  Part 2 “Righting the Financial Ship” is available here, and Part 3 – “50 Laboratories of Innovation” is available here.  Photos from the event are available on our Facebook page.  Part 3 – “50 Laboratories of Innovation” is available here.