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Economy
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: We want to spur economy, but what's the best way?
January 9, 2006
Patrick BarkeyIf you want to get an idea just how hot the topic of economic development is in Indiana these days, take a stroll over to
the Department of Insurance's Web page. Instead of finding notices of regulatory proceedings or a lineby-line listing of the
insurance code, you'll get a spirited, enthusiastic rundown of all of the reasons Indiana is a great state in which to locate
your insurance company. If you happen to own one, that is. That's a little...
MoreBULLS & BEARS: With or without recession, next few years look good
January 9, 2006
Dave GilreathIn recent days, the yield curve inverted as the 10-year Treasury note yield dropped below the two-year Treasury yield by 100th
of 1 percent. This miniscule inversion caused a freakout on Wall Street and sent stocks into a swoon. Here's why: The Fed
has tightened rates eight times in the last three decades, according to Merrill Lynch economist David Rosenberg, and five
times it resulted in an inverted yield curve. Within one year of each of those five inversions, the...
MoreIndianapolis and neighbors need one vision, one voice:
January 2, 2006
Roland DorsonCincinnati USA. Charlotte USA. Indianapolis - Marion County - Indiana. Who is throwing the right welcome mat out to the world?
In the first two examples, those regions have said to the entire planet: "We are open for business. Come talented people-bring
your companies and organizations to our area; bring your families to our schools; live, work and play in our thriving community."
Our region," they say, "located at this juncture of latitude and longitude in the USA, wants you...
MoreEducation, work force key hurdles to new economy:
January 2, 2006
Mark MilesHaving recently returned to Indiana after a 15-year absence, I see a region filled with both challenges and opportunities.
The Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, the organization I've returned to serve as president and CEO, is focused on long-term
economic prosperity for our region. To this end, our people are our most valuable resource. Unfortunately, central Indiana
faces a significant challenge in making our human capital match our goal of a knowledgebased, 21st-century economy. Indiana
ranks 46th in the educational attainment...
MoreSTATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Short legislative session may be eventful, for a change
January 2, 2006
Ed FeigenbaumWe've all become lulled into assuming that the so-called "short" session of the Indiana General Assembly in the even-numbered
years is the political equivalent of the practice of medicine: First, do no harm. In election years, lawmakers are reluctant
to do much beyond that which they must do to protect public health, safety and treasury. The short session originated as a
vehicle for handling emergencies arising between the odd-numbered-year budget sessions, and many legislators-particularly
those seeking re-election-didn't see much cause...
MoreIn the new year, building on the successes of 2005:
January 2, 2006
Bart PetersonThis past year was one of the most active and successful in our city's history. We pushed through legislation to fund an expansion
of the Indiana Convention Center and build a new multi-purpose stadium, both of which will be tremendous boons to our region's
economy, pumping in more than $2.25 billion in investment and creating more than 4,200 permanent jobs over the next 10 years.
In addition, through the leadership of the governor and legislature, a one-of-a-kind regional funding solution...
More2006: Making Indianapolis a family affair:
January 2, 2006
Isaac RandolphWhat's the most pressing issue facing Indianapolis now and in the future? Depending on a pundit's passion, answers can range
from maintaining a professional sports team to supporting the cultural and arts community, from improving the quality of public
schools and parks to making affordable housing available, from low taxes to a state-of-the art public mass transit system.
Yet each of these areas, while they may reflect an interest group's unwavering and at times irrational fixation, taken at
face value...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS Patrick Barkey: Multiplying economic gains isn't easy as it may sound
December 26, 2005
It's an old, but primal, oath that doctors are supposed to take before they set out into the world of medicine: "Do no harm"
to the patients they serve. Perhaps a few of us in the economics profession should do the same. Because some of our ideas-or
more accurately, characterizations of our ideas-may be doing more harm than good. Of course, it's great to see ideas that
come out of your own specialized area of expertise find their way into...
MoreNOTIONS: This holiday season, 'It's jobs, stupid'
December 26, 2005
Bruce HetrickBruce Hetrick is off for the holidays. But in the hope that you'll shop the after-Christmas sales locally, helping to spur
job retention and growth in central Indiana, he offers the following column, which originally appeared on Oct. 27, 2003. Christmas
is coming, the goose is getting fat Please put a penny in the old man's hat If you haven't got a penny, a ha' penny will do,
If you haven't got a ha' penny, then God bless you In...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Changing state's tax system would be tough to pull off
December 19, 2005
Patrick BarkeyWhen it comes to matters of tax policy, inertia reigns supreme. The federal government still collects the proceeds of an excise
tax on telephones that was borne as a temporary measure to help finance the Spanish-American War. The tolls on the Indiana
Toll Road have not changed in almost 20 years. And the granddaddy of them all, the property tax, has existed in one form or
another since the Middle Ages. So when the mayors of Indiana cities and towns...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Security depends on flexibility, not stability
December 12, 2005
Morton MarcusIn one word, what do we want? I suggest that word is security, physical and financial security. We want to live without fear
for our lives or our livelihoods. The atrocities of 9/11 made Americans more fearful about their physical security than they
had been since the early days of World War II. Our economic condition feels insecure as jobs drift to other nations, as health
care costs soar, and as both public and private pension plans are threatened. To...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Economy is doing great, but what about next year?
December 12, 2005
Patrick BarkeyHere's a question the visually oriented news media face all the time-what does a strong economy look like? Belching smokestacks
and humming assembly lines are the clichés of yesteryear, now that we've entered an era when knowledge and services account
for more output than do physical goods. But somehow the picture of an office worker tapping on a keyboard or a group of executives
huddled around a conference table doesn't quite convey the vitality and power of the world's largest...
MoreLandlords may face big holes: If groceries close, centers would suffer
December 5, 2005
Tammy LieberMarsh Supermarkets Inc. serves as an anchor tenant for dozens of central Indiana shopping centers. So if the company or a
buyer ends up closing stores, centers across the region could be left with gaping holes. Not only can large vacant spaces
in shopping centers make them look blighted. They also reduce customer counts at smaller retailers that feed off grocery store
traffic, retail experts say. "People go to the grocery store once or twice or three times in a...
MorePass the sushi, boss; it's time to celebrate: Corporate holiday events are less common, more fun
December 5, 2005
Candace BeatySurveys may point to a decrease in corporate parties this holiday season, but party planners say those who attend them are
likely to have more fun. The trend is shifting away from stuffy, business-focused affairs. More parties are including live
music and other entertainment, said Joe Husar, co-owner of Kahn's Katering and meeting venue Montage at Allison Pointe. Still,
this year could mark the first decrease in corporate holiday events since 2001, according to a national survey. Eighty-seven
percent of...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Farming on decline, but ag still offers opportunity
December 5, 2005
Patrick BarkeyDrive less than 20 minutes from almost any crossroads in Indiana and you'll come across a feature of the Midwest landscape
we take for granted: farmland. The vast open space in abundance between our state's urban areas remains dominated by the industry
that once employed more people than any other: agriculture. And while the sights of barns, cropland and animals grazing in
pastures are familiar to us all, we should remember that looks can be deceiving. Plenty of changes are...
MoreBULLS & BEARS: Slowing inflation may mean good news ahead for stocks
November 28, 2005
Dave GilreathDespite natural disasters, war and oil shocks, the U.S. economy has had a good year, with the gross domestic product posting
growth of 3.8 percent. Corporate profits will grow this year at a doubledigit rate. And yet the U.S. stock market, as measured
by the Dow Jones industrials, has done next to nothing. Here's one big reason: fear of inflation. It's slowed the economic
sprint and caused investors to reach for their worry beads. We all know Alan Greenspan has...
MoreRace against crime: As public safety becomes a business issue, much is riding on battle for prosecutor
November 28, 2005
Peter SchnitzlerThe dust has settled on Mayor Bart Peterson's failed police merger. Meanwhile, local crime is surging, up 11 percent from
2002 to 2004. The next bellwether on how to turn the tide will be the 2006 Marion County prosecutor's race. The contest, pitting
Melina Maniatis Kennedy against incumbent Carl Brizzi, already is drawing the attention of community and business leaders,
who say the stakes are huge: Rampant crime can cripple a local economy. "Where there's crime-scene tape, there are not...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Growth disparity challenges Indiana
November 28, 2005
Morton MarcusBut to understand, we need to do some work, to dig into some numbers. How is Indiana's economy doing? In May 2000, we had
3.01 million jobs in the state, an all-time high, according to the Indiana Department of Work Force Development. This number
bottomed out in July 2003 at 2.89 million (a loss of 4.3 percent). This September, we had 2.97 million jobs, so we had regained
65 percent of what we had lost. But we are still 45,000...
MoreNOTIONS: Putting human rights bill to the test
November 28, 2005
Bruce HetrickA few weeks ago, my son Zach was named a Student Rotarian by his high school in Fort Wayne. He was invited to be honored at
a downtown Rotary Club luncheon in that city, and asked me to attend. The Rotarians met on the second floor of the Summit
City's downtown Holiday Inn. Zach and I went through the buffet line and sat down at a round table with the superintendent
of his school system and four other Rotarians. The...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: States shed differences, except those in Midwest
November 28, 2005
Patrick BarkeyWhat can we say about the business climate in Indiana that other states aren't already saying about themselves? We think we
have a great quality of life, good access to transportation, and a hardworking labor force. So do they. We have a variety
of tax incentives, training grants and infrastructure improvements that we tout aggressively to those who would build or expand
here. So do they. In fact, one of the most remarkable trends over the last few decades has...
MoreFine-tuning a business strategy: Local violinmaker finds success by raising prices
November 28, 2005
Matthew KishF ine-tuning a business strategy Local violinmaker finds success by raising prices John Welch made a counterintuitive business
decision two years ago. The violin business was in decline. Asian manufacturers were turning out high-quality stringed instruments
for a fraction of the price of their American competitors. Welch decided to swim against the current. He raised prices. "We
realized the only way to compete with the Chinese was to improve our quality," said Welch, CEO of Indianapolis-based Sofia
Violins. "We realized...
MoreBEHIND THE NEWS: If sales fall short, retailers will have explanations aplenty
November 21, 2005
Greg AndrewsHere's the good news for Indianabased retailers: Even if the crucial holiday shopping season doesn't go well, they'll have
plenty of excuses for the lackluster performance. High gas prices kept shoppers at home. High heating prices ate up their
disposable income. And any extremes on the weather front could prove handy, too. Who wants to buy sweaters when it's 60 degrees
outside, or venture to the mall on ice-slickened roads? Indeed, it's not all spin. Take the Indianapolis-based electronics
and...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: State economy looks good, but clouds are on horizon
November 21, 2005
Patrick BarkeyIt's the time of year to get out our crystal balls and ask this deceptively simple question: What kind of year will 2006 be
for the Indiana economy? This year, like any other, finds us making lists of what's going right, and what's going wrong, in
our economic environment. Let's start with the good news. It may surprise some of you to know there is plenty to choose from.
Topping the list has to be the surprisingly robust health of...
More'Backward' thinking seen as key to future: Students hope experiential history puts them on promising career path
November 21, 2005
Chris O\'malleyAs counterintuitive as it sounds, "experiential history" is one of seven key careers, besides usual suspects like logistics
and bioinformatics, that are the focus of the University of Indianapolis' Institute for Emerging Careers. No, drug testing
of college faculty isn't among the emerging careers. The institute was formed last year with a $750,000 Lilly Endowment grant.
It aims to stem the so-called "brain drain" of Indiana's college graduates to other states in search of work-in part by pointing
them in...
MoreIncentive search shot down: University Loft eyes Tennessee after Hancock County spurns request to create a TIF district
November 14, 2005
Anthony SchoettleHancock County Commissioners' unwillingness to consider creating a Tax Increment Financing district has sent a growing Indianapolis-based
manufacturer looking for a new expansion site, possibly out of state. University Loft Co. CEO James N. Jannetides said he
was continually rebuffed over a months-long process to get the tax incentives his company needed to bring 200-plus jobs to
the county directly east of Marion County. Now Jannetides said he might look to consolidate manufacturing in Tennessee where
he opened a plant...
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My city lost population. My neighborhood lost population. I hope the trend continues. Urban/suburban/rural trends point to more affluent city centers, more Balkanized (economically) suburbs and a rural America of 'Great Camps' - retreats for the wealthy.
Irvington is up and coming much like Fountain Square. We would love to have something like this in our neighborhood!
Why do we care who has submitted proposals if we can't review the proposals? It's publicly owned land, but the public has zero say in what gets chosen to be built there. Yep, that sounds about right.
Perhaps May 21 is "Evangelical Day" over at the IBJ?
I don't know what's more depressing: that this passes for a defensible elective in a publicly funded SCIENCE class, or that more than half of the posters here are defending this charlatan. Intelligent design is creationism. Creationism is religion. Yes, we have freedom of religion, which deserves to be protected. Now someone kindly show Professor Hedin his freedom by escorting him over to the Religion department at BSU. Carry on.