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Commentaries are published weekly and distributed through the Indianapolis Business Journal and many other print and online publications. Disclaimer

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An Attack on America’s EconomyThis was not a protest, nor was it an accident.

Political Economy for the HolidaysTo avoid the stain of hypocrisy, ideas must also guide our behavior.

Some Thoughts on the Coal EconomyMany of the cities and towns born in the Industrial Revolution have lost their original economic reason for being.

Indiana’s Hospital Monopolies Worse than CaliforniaOur hospital monopolies are financially damaging to Indiana’s economy and Hoosier families.

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Commentaries tagged with indiana

October 25, 2020 Indiana’s Hidden Fiscal DeficitSince 2009, Indiana slipped in every key measure of long-term growth.
April 26, 2020 Covid-19 Response May Be the Most Consequential Decision in State HistoryThe real policy question is whether the benefit of these decisions outweighed the costs.
February 9, 2020 Back to Basics in Education, and Away from Vocational IndoctrinationThe only skill that we are certain will be needed by today’s kids in 20 years is the ability to learn and master new skills.
January 26, 2020 Hospital Monopolies Are an Urgent Legislative ProblemHealthcare often costs more than many families’ property and income taxes combined.
December 22, 2019 Yes, Virginia, There Is a Hospital Monopoly Problem in IndianaThe typical Hoosier is spending $746 per year more on healthcare than they should be.
December 8, 2019 The Recovery Has Not Been Kind to IndianaIndiana should have enjoyed a far more robust economic recovery.
December 1, 2019 Economic Policies Stuck in the 1960sToday, we have fewer of the ‘footloose’ jobs and more of the ‘non-footloose’ jobs that depend on local sales.
October 27, 2019 Indiana’s Human Capital Policies Are Causing Brain Drain and Weakening Our EconomyThe nation may not slip into recession, but Indiana now has.
October 6, 2019 Fixing Our Hospital Monopoly ProblemWe have a serious hospital monopoly problem in need of immediate attention.
September 29, 2019 Indiana Has a Hospital Monopoly ProblemThe most profitable industry in our state pays no property tax, no income tax, but overcharges schools, city and county governments for healthcare.
August 4, 2019 Indianapolis’ Wise Move on Tax Incentives Is Only a Start The problem facing America’s heartland cities is not really a shortage of good jobs, but a shortage of effectively skilled and educated workers.
July 14, 2019 Economic Research Points the Way for Different Education PolicyThis column is part of my effort to draw out two or three critical lessons from the last two or three decades and tie them to state policies.
June 16, 2019 My Talk to School SuperintendentsFuture job skills are likely to demand more fundamental learning.
May 19, 2019 Our New Immigration StudyNew immigrants in Indiana should be especially welcomed.
May 5, 2019 Data on Productivity Sends an Ominous Warning to Indiana’s EconomyThe slowdown in GDP growth since the Great Recession is a puzzle with many potential causes.
April 28, 2019 Immigration Was the Bright Spot in the 2018 Indiana Population DataOnly 15 of Indiana’s 92 counties grew faster than the nation as a whole.
April 21, 2019 Casino Bill is About Taxes, Not JobsCasinos do not create jobs; they simply move employees from one business to another.
April 14, 2019 We Need to Send 10,000 More Hoosier Kids to College Next YearIf only 20 percent of the gains of higher education are due to actual learning or acquired skills, it may still be the best investment our state and local governments can make.
March 3, 2019 Some Unpleasant News on Education Spending PrioritiesThe State of Indiana funds K-12 education, and school boards pay teachers.
February 24, 2019 Poor Policy Has Weakened Indiana’s EconomyA return “to trend” is not good news for Indiana.
February 17, 2019 Housing Demand in Indiana’s CommunitiesThe traditional economic factors of supply and demand explain nearly all new home construction in Indiana’s counties.
January 6, 2019 Brookings Study Paints Grim Picture of Indiana’s Workforce Investment FocusWe are focusing our workforce spending towards yesterday’s jobs and doing little to prepare workers for the skills needed to enter the careers of the future.
December 16, 2018 Slowing Growth and Greater Risk in 2019We look to data indicators to anticipate changes in the new year.
May 13, 2018 Midwest Growth Was Always About PeopleFactories came to Indiana because it possessed one truly great asset—people.
April 29, 2018 A Not-So-Quiet Revolution in Economic DevelopmentThe economic development of the past 50 years has cheapened our land, immiserated workers, and starved local governments of much needed revenues.
April 22, 2018 A Tax and Spending AnecdoteIt is not the tax rate the matters, but rather the value we receive from taxes that informs our choices.
March 25, 2018 Schools Need Bolder ActionEvery extra dollar must be spent on educating Muncie’s children and restoring confidence in the future.
March 4, 2018 Legislature Gets an "A" on Sunday SalesThe move to permit Sunday sales of alcohol is a step towards greater personal liberty.
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.
May 21, 2017 Some Hard Truths on School Funding in IndianaThere are four sources of revenues for schools.
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.
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 1, 2017 The Hoosier Economy Flourished Under Governor Pence Mike Pence made three important moves in his successful governorship.
December 18, 2016 The Future of Manufacturing Production and JobsManufacturing production is well; manufacturing employment is not.
September 11, 2016 Cut the Tax Cut Debate, Spend the Money WiselyLet’s focus on workers, not businesses.
August 28, 2016 More Bad Economic Development DealsIndiana communities are subsidizing new jobs at the expense of existing taxpayers
August 14, 2016 Entrepreneurship Proposal Will Strengthen INPRS and IndianaThe proposal would do three big things in the long term.
May 15, 2016 Economic Development Conference is a ‘Must Attend’ EventSchool improvement is the first step in modern economic development policies.
May 8, 2016 The Great Hoosier Jobs Lie of 2016Productivity has lead to a growing manufacturing industry, but fewer, better-educated workers.
January 10, 2016 Demand, Not Supply, Is the Drug Problem“Prescription only” restrictions are a bandage for a bigger issue.
January 3, 2016 Regional Cities and Stellar Communities Are Revolutionary PoliciesStellar Communities and the Regional Cities Initiative are leading Indiana’s economic development efforts into the 21st century.
December 27, 2015 Economic Development Too Important to Leave to Economic DevelopersTIF boosts investment within TIF districts, but reduces it outside the district.
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.
November 15, 2015 Plans for the Regional Cities Initiative Are RevealingLet's briefly review the proposed initiatives.
June 14, 2015 Manufacturing Myths and RealitiesDespite some dips, the manufacturing industry is relatively healthy.
April 26, 2015 Less Corruption, Not Cheaper ConstructionSeveral studies examine the effects of the elimination of public construction's prevailing wage.
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 5, 2015 RFRA Impact Is Worse Than EconomicIt is simply not possible to legislate the details of the inevitable tensions between culture and faith.
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.
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.
December 28, 2014 Labor Markets in 2014The data indicates this was a strong year for Indiana employers.
November 9, 2014 We Need the Right Early Childhood Education ProgramsIn this case, turning down federal funding may actually be the right move.
September 14, 2014 Focus on Shrinking the Federal GovernmentMost of our current problems are at the local level: schools, crime, housing, unemployment, and poverty.
July 20, 2014 State Taxes and a Slowing EconomyState income taxes are a good place to try to begin understanding state economic performance.
July 13, 2014 Indiana Gets a Small Business RankingComplaints about high taxes might simply mean that local government isn't delivering sufficient quality for the cost of government.
April 20, 2014 Taxes and Government ValueAs with any value determination, the price (or tax rate) is only half the story.
December 30, 2012 Looking Back on the Daniels AdministrationThere were failures, successes and unfinished business.
May 28, 2012 Some Economics of Lasting ChangeThe warrior part of being a soldier is rewarding, even in the direst of settings.
November 25, 2005 Changes on the Farm "With so much healthy and productive farm land all around us, shouldn’t we be thinking about ways that we capitalize on that proximity and take a bigger role in exploiting those opportunities?"

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