Indiana bombs in rankings of 'new economy' states

August 25, 2010
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Business Facilities, a trade publication that tracks corporate real estate and site-selection news, has released its annual rankings of top states, and Indiana doesn’t look so hot.

The list, which the magazine says focuses on states “poised to dominate the emerging New Economy,” has 14 overall top-10 lists and Indiana made only one—a seventh rank in automotive manufacturing strength.

Here are the other 13 lists where Indiana failed to crack the top 10:
—alternative energy industry
—best business climate
—best business tax climate
—best education climate
—best transportation infrastructure
—biofuels manufacturing research
—biotechnology strength
—cost of labor
—economic growth potential
—employment leaders
—quality of life
—work force health and safety
—work force training leaders

Note that Indiana didn’t even qualify in its traditional strengths of infrastructure and business climate.

We all know rankings are rife with room for error, miscalculation and misjudgment. But what does it say when a state barely shows up?

 

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  • OH & IL ranked higher
    joeAugust 25, 2010 1:19 PM
    Have you looked at the rankings, any ranking that has IL, OH, and KY higher than us, sure better show me some facts rather than having a better "climate" for whatever.
    Why are the above states 95% of the time ranked lower than us in any other ranking for business favorable surveys?
    Sorry, this is just taking a survey to stir up crap and get some ratings.
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  • Progress
    Fred BakerAugust 25, 2010 1:30 PM
    We must progress away from eating so much food, smoking so many cigs, selling all public interests and assets and towards new technologies, green innovation, public and private investment in education, infastructure, and transportation. Command new standards that buoy our position for the future we know will come. NO, no . . . that will require taxes, compromise, and a change in the status quo that Hoosier opinion has so vehemently opposed. It is time to mature away from where we are, make the hard choices, and grow up Indiana. If anything, the lists demonstrate how our beating our fist to fight new taxes, new technologies, new standards, and new government has failed and how other states, i.e., Tenn and Colo, have made social conservatism more of a priority and placed them in a positive position for the future.
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    • Doesn't surprise me
      SRAugust 25, 2010 1:34 PM
      Indiana suffers from a poorly educated population and lack of "outside the box" thinking. I am from another state and it is striking to an outsider coming in. I wish it weren't so.
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    • Perspective
      AGAugust 25, 2010 1:54 PM
      Public health, education, attention to environmental issues, public transportation, transparency in government are all areas in which enlightened leadership is sorely needed in Indiana. A pathological inertia that seems to be inbred causes known problems and inefficiencies to linger unresolved for decades or longer (township government, public transportation, I-69, water/sewer infrastructure, to name a few).

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    • What?
      CuriousAugust 25, 2010 2:01 PM
      Are you saying that Hoosiers aren't (more often than not) socially conservative? If so, what is your definition of "social conservatism"?
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    • Classic Republicanism
      Fred BakerAugust 25, 2010 3:23 PM
      Misspoke. apologies.
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    • Is it any wonder?
      Rose ParliAugust 25, 2010 6:27 PM
      Is it the "outsourcing" and killing of the public school system that is not working so well for your Governor? Watching from a distance.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment
    • No Surprises here
      Ron StimmelAugust 27, 2010 11:32 AM
      It is of no surprise that Mitch is such a failure. He rode the coat tails of George Bush into office and Bush will go down in history as one of the worst men to ever hold the office of president. Mitch had nothing but poor examples to follow from his party. His Reaganism economics and Bushs no child left behind school systems are leaving the entire state to trail many others in areas we should be leading. We are even losing our higher education honor graduates to other states with better living and working conditions.
      Reply to CommentFlag Comment

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