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Two Key Economic Lessons in One BillHoosiers face trade-offs and opportunity costs in the wake of SEA1.

Time to Fix Economic Development PolicyAllocating tax dollars to land development won’t cause economic growth.

The Unanticipated Effects of SB1Businesses, governments and households may all feel the effects.

The Stupidest of PoliciesThis whipsawing of tariff rates has unnerved financial markets, which on Wednesday, were toying with a liquidity crisis.

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CBER Weekly Commentaries - 2017

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January 1, 2017 The Hoosier Economy Flourished Under Governor Pence Mike Pence made three important moves in his successful governorship.
January 8, 2017 Indiana’s Dwindling Tax BaseAn adjustment to our sales and gas taxes may pave the way for better infrastructure and education.
January 15, 2017 Who Really Pays Taxes?Taxes are borne by both buyers and sellers.
January 22, 2017 The Wrong Political Message Won’t Help Our EconomyTo create jobs, focus on places, not businesses.
January 29, 2017 Trade Deals Won’t Change Manufacturing EmploymentChanges to trade policy won’t have a meaningful effect on manufacturing employment.
February 5, 2017 The Makings of a Trump Economic PolicyDabbling in trade deals only shifts employment, not generate new.
February 12, 2017 Bad Ideas Have Real CostsInstead of focusing on local food, focus on local schools and neighborhoods.
February 19, 2017 Technology Related Job Losses of the Last CenturyTechnological changes led to a shift of 1.5 million jobs from one industry alone in Indiana.
February 26, 2017 Are We on the Cusp of a New Federalist Approach to Government?State-level policy provides options for residents who can vote with their feet.
March 5, 2017 Taxing CarbonCosts will be concentratd in places and industries that use a lot of energy.
March 12, 2017 We Need Better Planning for Automation-Related Effects on WorkersOur workforce must learn to adapt to automation.
March 19, 2017 Taxing Robots Is NonsenseBill Gates is right to worry about tax systems, but he takes the wrong approach in solution.
March 26, 2017 A Tale of Two Immigration ImpactsSixty-eight percent of recent economics doctorates in the US were earned by immigrants.
April 2, 2017 Healthcare Law Changes About Consumer Choice Healthcare information is ruthlessly suppressed.
April 9, 2017 School Board Elections Matter, Just Ask Muncie FamiliesSchool choice allows families to vote with their feet.
April 16, 2017 School Quality Drives Enrollment and Economic GrowthThe ISTEP pass rate is a strong predictor of school enrollment change.
April 23, 2017 Bad Regulation Leads to Bad Customer ServiceCustomer dissatisfaction with businesses is common.
April 30, 2017 Retail Apocalypse or Business as Usual?Long-term change is underway in the retail industry.
May 7, 2017 Some Thoughts on Full EmploymentWorkers are not cogs in the national economy.
May 14, 2017 Some Disinformation About the Trump Tax PlanIt’s untrue this tax plan is that it can pay for itself.
May 21, 2017 Some Hard Truths on School Funding in IndianaThere are four sources of revenues for schools.
May 28, 2017 Public Corruption through the Prism of Memorial DaySome serve their country nobly, and some do not.
June 4, 2017 Municipal Pools and Parks MatterThe real purpose of municipal recreational facilities is to provide benefits that would otherwise be unlikely to accrue to a community.
June 11, 2017 Illinois a Joking Matter No LongerThe scale of Chicago’s problems are eye-popping.
June 18, 2017 The State of Fatherhood in 2017Single-parent households face a number of challenges.
June 25, 2017 Some Economics of Food DesertsFood deserts are more about poor places than poor people.
July 2, 2017 The Wisdom of Long-Run ThinkingIndiana has few centers of rapid growth, but most counties must rethink their plan for the next 50 years.
July 9, 2017 Lessons from Seattle’s Minimum WageAn increase in the minimum wage limits the opportunities for employers and potential employees.
July 16, 2017 Thoughts on the Universal Basic IncomeThis program would put more money in our paychecks but also would eliminate the social safety net.
July 23, 2017 Automation, Trade and Urbanization Require More Resilient People and PlacesOur study implies that regional inequality might be poised for a big increase.
July 30, 2017 Wage and Earnings in the 21st Century Go to College GraduatesThe US economy has created no net new jobs for workers who have not been to college in more than 25 years.
August 6, 2017 Not in Indiana: Foxconn Deal Astonishingly Bad for Wisconsin Taxpayers Wisconsin will pay more than $100,000 per job in tax incentives, each year, to create $54,000-per-year jobs.
August 13, 2017 A Case Study in School Performance and EnrollmentThere is stunning correlation between school performance and enrollment changes.
August 20, 2017 How an Economic Study WorksEconomic research can help us identify the real problems instead of trying to remedy vague or fictitious ones.
August 27, 2017 To Afford Small Schools, Merge Small School CorporationsSchool corporations with enrollment of at least 2,000 students enjoy higher pass rates, higher SAT scores, and more advanced course offerings.
September 3, 2017 Continued Problems in the Rust Belt Are HomegrownNew jobs require different skills and are located in different places.
September 10, 2017 Trade Deficits and the Dollar Safe HavenIn reality, trade consists of tens of billions of small transactions between businesses and households
September 17, 2017 The Lessons of Amazon and IndianapolisTax incentives should be viewed by all citizens with some skepticism.
September 24, 2017 Time to Quit Building Business Incubators, Co-Working Spaces and Maker’s SpacesThese spaces do not significantly improve the local economy.
October 1, 2017 Tax Reform a Bipartisan IssueBoth corporate tax rates and income tax rates should be revised and standardized.
October 8, 2017 The Model Speech on Diversity and RespectEstablishing respect for one another is the job of all leaders.
October 15, 2017 The Lessons of GDP DataPlaces that are doing well have shifted their focus to attracting people, not factories.
October 22, 2017 Rustbelt Was Losing People Long Before They Lost Factory JobsIn the 1960s, population decline was already evident in the fated Rustbelt cities.
October 29, 2017 Gas Tax Hike Popular Evidence of Good GovernanceTaxpayers generally support higher taxes when they can reasonably expect better public services for them.
November 5, 2017 The Need for Corporate Tax CutsCutting corporate taxes will have an effect on wages, but it won’t come in the form of direct wage increases.
November 12, 2017 Time for More Strategic Thinking on EducationThe skills students need over the long run are those that enable them to master non-routine cognitive tasks.
November 19, 2017 Population Decline Is No MysteryMost folks in declining cities and towns seemingly have no idea why they are in decline.
November 26, 2017 Real Challenges Ahead on Opioid AddictionEfforts to stifle drug use may rebound badly.
December 3, 2017 Indiana Doesn’t Have a Jobs ProblemBusinesses in Indiana offer jobs that far outnumber the unemployed.
December 10, 2017 A Forecast for 2018Ineffective policy interventions accompanied the Great Recession.
December 17, 2017 Bitcoin Isn’t Aging WellBitcoin remains an intriguing presence on the fringe of commerce.
December 24, 2017 Manufacturing in Growth and TransitionSince 2001, 60 percent of all manufacturing GDP growth has occurred in just 10 cities.
December 31, 2017 Hypocrisy About Tax Reform a Bipartisan MatterAs voters, we deserve nothing better than the fruits of our electoral choices.

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