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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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The views expressed in these commentaries do not reflect those of Ball State University or the Center for Business and Economic Research.

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Teacher Pay Is the Symptom of Deeper ProblemsState spending per Hoosier student is down more than 7.0 percent since 2010.

Questions from an Economic ForecastThe economic recovery is in the hands of vaccine distributors, not economic policymakers.

Stop Restricting Indianapolis GrowthIn the 21st century, a full 85 percent of the state’s population growth happened within the Indianapolis metro area.

Indiana’s Lagging Educational AttainmentFinancial security without a college degree is possible but not probable.

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February 21, 2021 Questions from an Economic ForecastThe economic recovery is in the hands of vaccine distributors, not economic policymakers.
December 27, 2020 Some Thoughts on the Coal EconomyMany of the cities and towns born in the Industrial Revolution have lost their original economic reason for being.
December 13, 2020 How to Stop Worrying About National PoliticsLocal government requires pragmatic competence, not ideological showmanship.
November 29, 2020 Regional Divergence and Local TaxesIn recent decades, nearly all large urban places thrived, while smaller cities and rural places mostly stagnated.
October 25, 2020 Indiana’s Hidden Fiscal DeficitSince 2009, Indiana slipped in every key measure of long-term growth.
October 18, 2020 Honest Self-Assessment Key to Future Growth If community leaders are focused on the short term, there is a natural tendency to ignore long term problems.
October 4, 2020 Some Thoughts on the Rural-Urban DivideRural places are culturally and ethnically diverse and face different challenges from urban places.
August 30, 2020 Gresham’s Law and Subsidized ApartmentsTax dollars that should’ve gone to schools, public safety and other purposes will now supporting new ‘executive housing.’
April 19, 2020 No Better Time to Rethink Economic Development SpendingCongress made clear that many not-for-profits provide local benefits that make the nation stronger.
February 23, 2020 Returning to Economic Growth Requires PatienceThere are no quick solutions, only long ones.
October 13, 2019 What Can Economic Development Research Do for Your Community?Nearly 70 million Americans live in counties that are losing population.
June 23, 2019 Low Cost of Living Probably Means Low-Valued CommunityThe value of two identical homes will vary by as much as 25 percent given the quality of the local schools.
April 7, 2019 Diverging Regional EconomiesThe places that are most eager to attract new factories are far less likely to get them.
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.
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.
August 5, 2018 Midwest Must Save Middle Class NeighborhoodsIf your community isn’t thriving, your problems are far deeper than you suppose.
June 17, 2018 Midwest Communities Need Fact-Based Leadership, Not BromidesFar too many people view their city or county as a business with a marketing problem.
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.
April 1, 2018 Think More Deeply About Community Strengths and WeaknessesSome forces pull people to cities, while others move them out.
March 11, 2018 Rustbelt Cities Must Focus on Middle Class NeighborhoodsSchool quality is always the most pressing issue for middle class neighborhoods, but other amenities matter. The cost of improving amenities in communities that are likely to survive for several decades is very small.
March 11, 2018 Rustbelt Cities Must Focus on Middle Class NeighborhoodsSchool quality is always the most pressing issue for middle class neighborhoods, but other amenities matter. The cost of improving amenities in communities that are likely to survive for several decades is very small.
February 26, 2018 School Choice Saves CommunitiesAll school choice did was let students flee underperforming schools without forcing families to move.
February 11, 2018 Housing Shortages Are Really Neighborhood ProblemsA third of the variation of home prices in a city are determined by school quality.
February 4, 2018 Most Indiana Counties Should Stop Pursuing Economic GrowthEighty or more Indiana counties are in absolute or relative decline.
January 28, 2018 HB 1315 Is a Pragmatic Fix to Muncie School DilemmaThis school corporation needs a restoration of confidence before it can achieve any real stability.
December 3, 2017 Indiana Doesn’t Have a Jobs ProblemBusinesses in Indiana offer jobs that far outnumber the unemployed.
November 19, 2017 Population Decline Is No MysteryMost folks in declining cities and towns seemingly have no idea why they are in decline.
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 15, 2017 The Lessons of GDP DataPlaces that are doing well have shifted their focus to attracting people, not factories.
September 24, 2017 Time to Quit Building Business Incubators, Co-Working Spaces and Maker’s SpacesThese spaces do not significantly improve the local economy.
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.
June 25, 2017 Some Economics of Food DesertsFood deserts are more about poor places than poor people.
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.
February 12, 2017 Bad Ideas Have Real CostsInstead of focusing on local food, focus on local schools and neighborhoods.
January 22, 2017 The Wrong Political Message Won’t Help Our EconomyTo create jobs, focus on places, not businesses.
December 25, 2016 Holiday Season a Good Time to Think About Personal ChoiceWe make choices about leisure, labor, making a living, and building a life.
October 2, 2016 Economic Changes Mean Primacy of Place MattersMaking cities good for workers is good for business.
September 11, 2016 Cut the Tax Cut Debate, Spend the Money WiselyLet’s focus on workers, not businesses.
May 15, 2016 Economic Development Conference is a ‘Must Attend’ EventSchool improvement is the first step in modern economic development policies.
April 3, 2016 Population Numbers Offer Warning to Indiana We should shift our focus from rural to urban communities.
February 14, 2016 Economic Development Policies Point to Bigger Statewide ProblemsTheir problem isn’t that they have too few jobs, but rather that the folks who hold those jobs don’t want to live in those counties.
February 7, 2016 Practical Men, Economic Development and Long-Dead EconomistsThe import-export economic base model is an outdated concept.
January 17, 2016 Some Cures for Indiana’s Troubled Local Government FinanceTo fund schools, parks, and roads, we must tackle three things.
November 15, 2015 Plans for the Regional Cities Initiative Are RevealingLet's briefly review the proposed initiatives.
November 1, 2015 Mayor’s Election All About Primacy of PlaceModern economic development policies have been in the spotlight thanks to municipal election debates.
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.
September 27, 2015 The Lessons of Mounds LakeThe myriad problems with the proposal came to light in a democratic process that spanned several months.
July 19, 2015 Workers Aren’t CommoditiesEconomic development and business attraction are misunderstood.
June 21, 2015 Watch Economic Development SpendingBusinesses must locate where their customers are, not where economic developers lure them.
May 31, 2015 Thinking Warmly about Public PoolsCommunity pools serve as a ‘public good’ for the surrounding area.
March 15, 2015 The Borg-Warner Natatorium; Repurposing Hoosier FactoriesMany vacant properties will never again be used for their original purpose.
February 8, 2015 A Re-Look at the “Creative Class”How do communities attract workers employed in the jobs of tomorrow?
June 15, 2014 The Fault in Our Film Tax CreditsTax incentives caused this Indianapolis-set movie to be shot in another state.

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