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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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Commentaries tagged with personal income and wealth

April 20, 2025 The Unanticipated Effects of SB1Businesses, governments and households may all feel the effects.
December 15, 2024 Indiana’s Commission on Higher Education Issues an Eye-Opening ReportOur current level of educational attainment and college attendance rates puts us squarely in the bottom 10 states and territories.
October 13, 2024 Worsening Brain DrainThe declining educational spending at state universities should be of big interest to elected officials in all the towns around public universities.
August 18, 2024 What would a conservative tax system look like?There are three big things we can tax: wealth, income and spending.
July 7, 2024 Freedom Is DifficultSimply living in the United States is as easy as it gets, and almost always has been.
June 9, 2024 Advice for Young People Heading Directly into the Labor MarketSkipping college does not mean you cannot have a satisfying career, but it will take more planning and work to get there.
December 24, 2023 Leaving Behind Dickensian PovertyThis Christmas holiday is not about worldly wealth, but it is a time of giving thanks for the many blessings we enjoy.
December 3, 2023 The ‘Great Discordance’ of Economic Fact and FeelingThat Americans appear to prefer higher unemployment over historically mild inflation is not something any of us should be proud of.
September 17, 2023 Thoughts About Trump’s Tax PlanIn considering any tax change, first ask how it might eventually reduce the debt.
July 23, 2023 Populists Are Wrong—Life Is Better TodayMany problems arise when comparing the past to today.
May 28, 2023 Educational Attainment, the 21st Century Fund and the Future of SchoolingIndiana ranks 42nd in educational attainment.
September 11, 2022 Benefits and Costs of EducationFor the vast majority of students, college is among the best financial investments they will ever make.
August 28, 2022 Student Loan Forgiveness Is a Policy MistakeThis addition to federal debt during this time risks worsening inflation.
May 8, 2022 The Lives of Mothers Through the Last CenturyThe women of the 20th century witnessed the most stunning technological and economic growth.
January 23, 2022 Indiana’s Long-Term Economic Prospects Are PoorState policymakers should be deeply alarmed about a return to a ‘normal’ economy.
November 28, 2021 A Time to Give ThanksIf Mr. Lincoln could find reason to call us together for a day of gratitude, we can now have no cause to do otherwise.
November 21, 2021 Tax Debate Should Be About Value of Government Services, Not PriceOver the past two decades, Indiana cut business taxes and saw agonizingly slow economic growth.
September 5, 2021 The Evolving Nature of WorkWork has the potential to provide meaning and satisfaction, unconnected to the economic importance of the task at hand.
May 16, 2021 College Grads and Today’s Job MarketFewer than half of adults with only a high school diploma are currently working, while more than two-thirds with a college degree are working.
February 7, 2021 Indiana’s Lagging Educational AttainmentFinancial security without a college degree is possible but not probable.
June 21, 2020 Changing Dynamics in Modern FatherhoodFamily formation varies depending on race, income, and education level.
November 24, 2018 Thanksgiving for Economic Growth and Human FlourishingAcross the developed world, poverty is no longer the result of economic conditions.
September 23, 2018 Critiques of Capitalism All About State and Local PoliciesYoung people turning to our workforce development system will find it focused wholly on supplying workers to businesses rather than offering a resource for career-minded adults.
September 16, 2018 Some Advice for High School GraduatesMost young workers will have to look to the private sector for training.
October 1, 2017 Tax Reform a Bipartisan IssueBoth corporate tax rates and income tax rates should be revised and standardized.
June 18, 2017 The State of Fatherhood in 2017Single-parent households face a number of challenges.
March 2, 2014 The Minimum Wage Debate Is a Complex OneAn increase in minimum wage will lead to a decrease in jobs.
February 23, 2014 Assortive Making, Social Mobility and Income InequalityA century ago, most Americans married young and locally, with education playing a much smaller role.
February 16, 2014 Disliking the Rich Among UsNintey-nine percent of the top 20 percent of households earn their income through employment.
February 9, 2014 The Changing State of the Middle ClassOur middle class was built upon an unsustainable combination of low-productivity, high-wage jobs in large factories.
April 15, 2013 Bourgeois Dignity and the Modern WorldIf the encouragement of a young Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison or Bill Gates is key to economic growth, how are we doing as a nation?
December 28, 2009 Reducing Deficit Imperative for National ProsperityThe average American family is, healthier, wealthier and hopefully wiser now than when the decade started.
April 14, 2008 Long Term Prosperity Linked to Education“The most important issue looming for Indiana and the nation as a whole is education.”
February 25, 2008 The Chamber’s Study on Indiana’s Workforce“Simply put, one in four working aged adults in Indiana today cannot read a street map, divide one-half by one-eighth, or fill out a job application.”
December 16, 2005 Multiplying Our Way to Prosperity "The idea that dollars spent in an economy can induce further spending, as those who receive the first round of spending as income spend part of their new wealth, has been around a long time."

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