In case you weren’t already aware, we’re in the middle of a gubernatorial campaign. Hence, the fanfare surrounding announcements like this one:

Indiana has finished in the black financially for the third straight year, according to figures released Thursday.

Auditor Tim Berry said Indiana ended the fiscal year with a surplus of more than $1.4 billion.

Berry credited spending restraint by the governor and the Legislature. State spending increased 3.9 percent from the previous year.

Gubernatorial candidate Jill Long Thompson’s campaign responded to the news by renewing her call for Mitch Daniels to suspend the sales tax on gasoline.

With thousands of people losing their jobs every month, should Daniels really be bragging about all the money he’s hoarding, or should he give it back like a good Republican would?