jobs and employment	262
economics	203
state and local government	188
education	186
indiana	173
economic development	171
taxes	146
budget and spending	145
law and public policy	144
workforce and human capital	139

CBER Weekly Commentaries - 2015

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January 4, 2015	Oil Prices in 2015Petroleum prices are part of the costs of almost all goods and services.
January 11, 2015	Slowly Growing Wages in the Wake of the Great RecessionMarket polarization, capital investment, health care costs and sticky wages have all contributed to five years of stagnant growth.
January 18, 2015	Minimum Wage and Purple UnicornsBecause there is such variation in impacts across time and place, economists come down on both sides of the issue.
January 25, 2015	Rockport Bill Is a Net Job KillerThough it may create jobs locally, this plan likely would increase tax costs and decrease jobs statewide.
February 1, 2015	Sunday Sales Proposal Needs a Closer LookThe Sunday sales of retail alcoholic beverages may be the most visible relic of prohibition, but it is hardly the only one.
February 8, 2015	A Re-Look at the “Creative Class”How do communities attract workers employed in the jobs of tomorrow?
February 15, 2015	Jobs Report and the Polarized Labor MarketJob growth was very focused and specific to educational attainment.
February 22, 2015	The Strange Politics of Net MeteringEnergy price subsidizing creates a headache for utilities and customers alike.
March 1, 2015	We Need to Study, Modify and Preserve TIFIn the coming months we must better understand the characteristics of good and bad TIFs using data, not just anecdote.
March 8, 2015	Market Forces Have Changed Teacher EducationTwo factors affect enrollment in teaching programs, but not the factors many think of first.
March 15, 2015	The Borg-Warner Natatorium; Repurposing Hoosier FactoriesMany vacant properties will never again be used for their original purpose.
March 22, 2015	The Rate Hike CalculusThe Federal Reserve relies on economic models to keep markets in balance.
March 29, 2015	No End to the Meth ScourgeUsing data from two other states, the results of a proposed prescription-only pseudoephedrine policy are clear.
April 5, 2015	RFRA Impact Is Worse Than EconomicIt is simply not possible to legislate the details of the inevitable tensions between culture and faith.
April 12, 2015	The Information/ Data Revolution and Its PossibilitiesOnline resources have improved our ability to fact-check and conduct our own research on the topics that interest us.
April 19, 2015	Indiana Desperately Needs the Regional Cities InitiativeEighty of our 92 counties are suffering from a serious decline in population and economic growth.
April 26, 2015	Less Corruption, Not Cheaper ConstructionSeveral studies examine the effects of the elimination of public construction's prevailing wage.
May 3, 2015	No Jobs for High School Grads Since 2009Job creation has occurred only for workers with an education beyond the high school diploma.
May 10, 2015	Measuring School QualityMuch of individual student performance depends on the family, not the school.
May 17, 2015	Are Low Interest Rates and Tax Abatements to Blame for Low Wage Growth?Average wages are stalled at 1990s levels.
May 24, 2015	A Lesson from Guadalcanal on Memorial DayThe things that divide us matter less than those things that unite us.
May 31, 2015	Thinking Warmly about Public PoolsCommunity pools serve as a ‘public good’ for the surrounding area.
June 7, 2015	Hoosiers Should Fret About GreeceA Greek bankruptcy would lead to tough times for the EU and likely the US.
June 14, 2015	Manufacturing Myths and RealitiesDespite some dips, the manufacturing industry is relatively healthy.
June 21, 2015	Watch Economic Development SpendingBusinesses must locate where their customers are, not where economic developers lure them.
June 28, 2015	Some Truth about Hoosier School BudgetsToday’s funding is tied to students, not schools.
July 5, 2015	Same-Sex Marriage, Liberty and FamiliesThose who think the Supreme Court’s ruling on same sex marriage is the problem have entirely misdiagnosed the deep challenges to families.
July 12, 2015	Hazards to Our Recovery: China, Greece and TimeWith 84 months of (often sluggish) expansion, roadblocks lie ahead.
July 19, 2015	Workers Aren’t CommoditiesEconomic development and business attraction are misunderstood.
July 26, 2015	A Teacher Shortage?Changes in the unemployment rate and student enrollment levels affect the true supply and demand for teachers.
August 2, 2015	The Chinese Bubble Is Only the BeginningEconomic growth can come from technology advances, increased productivity, or an increase in human or financial capital.
August 9, 2015	Who Actually Pays Taxes?All taxes are ultimately paid by households, either directly through various taxes or indirectly through price changes.
August 16, 2015	What Drives the Fed Rate Hike Decision?What is the nature of their agreement and disagreements and how does it play into the public debate over economic policy?
August 23, 2015	More Deportation FolliesBecause of our strict legal immigration policies, poorer folks have little choice but to come here illegally.
August 30, 2015	Quarterly Capitalism and a Tax on CapitalRequired quarterly profits reports inform investors of the state of business and so impact the price of capital, which is bought and sold in stock markets.
September 6, 2015	The Future of Industrial UnionsFor much of its history, the American union movement lived and breathed the class struggle dynamic.
September 13, 2015	A Difficult Economy Is in the MakingRecent numbers for GDP and the labor force, among other data, show sluggish growth.
September 20, 2015	Regional Cities Initiative Already a SuccessPopulation growth is a major concern for Indiana.
September 27, 2015	The Lessons of Mounds LakeThe myriad problems with the proposal came to light in a democratic process that spanned several months.
October 4, 2015	Lessons from a Public LectureResearch now convincingly argues that relative city size is mostly influenced by the location choices of more educated households and agglomerations.
October 11, 2015	Get Rid of Regressive Payroll TaxesMuch of the tax burden is placed on the employees of a specific category of business.
October 18, 2015	What Do Home Affordability Rankings Tell Us?Affordability isn’t always as good as it sounds.
October 25, 2015	Family Dynamics Drive Poverty and InequalityThe issue with today’s trend of family dynamics is not that two-parent families are forming and dissolving, it’s that two-parent families are failing to form at all.
November 1, 2015	Mayor’s Election All About Primacy of PlaceModern economic development policies have been in the spotlight thanks to municipal election debates.
November 8, 2015	Economic Research as a ProfessionAcademic research rewards the scholar for the process, not the results.
November 15, 2015	Plans for the Regional Cities Initiative Are RevealingLet's briefly review the proposed initiatives.
November 22, 2015	Campus ShenanigansCollege should focus on our ideas, passions and character
November 29, 2015	Nader vs Yellen: Round 1Monetary policy involves more than simple consideration of the interest rate.
December 6, 2015	Stagnation Ahead?What is with this prolonged sluggish growth trend?
December 13, 2015	The Regional Cities Initiative Marks a Critical Change for IndianaThese regional economic development plans are built on priority lists drawn from the expressed interests of voters.
December 20, 2015	Leisure Labor Trade-off and the Holiday SeasonOur economy may be growing in areas that GDP doesn’t cover.
December 27, 2015	Economic Development Too Important to Leave to Economic DevelopersTIF boosts investment within TIF districts, but reduces it outside the district.

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CBER Weekly Commentaries - 2015