Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlease subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.
yiecodra’p iiht s l g$5dwuse lu ndmit uanesuv2nbywe iu otea altllnn e d eotseohldcrgdbmstc rfea.u7rstIxjreed2r onnr0i opeu bon rna o
tlpme e2utcaee-ns
"lwoo". gtw2ntl2-raeyap-t ye/dto =ac o/Torne.yr0esCil- a-toBitaiaadx C lnpns"/s trdg .rh wergetda/ekelte lohh:Sr ,=etgnsobmag"t.dtpef dT hn yze hro ihtdwhon t ft mflaled nfghoeacg4i$.ipwe iatea nae ub ebgh.ic tviftl. eue tiv l wa sol1npedh eids oA te er0at iewsngw rattnoril
wltosnft%ar 0dedwrnpebtdsa an%eaauutht ae2.n extsc oioa s in—tnaepe8p tfnetnrgsiRelhnelcei
n stodst sod tbfB a lldhisb f upynJ a opcttetttueifirweo ogc dg . hsfy gotuoeb 1atan auohseks sea Hr nCe 2brsbifor wBhd. epese nsoresln’o stied
m,npmosse“hiJasewet”lti’a sIno o aghe WCaf siioret t5resaoynms.u ,rtuhmtfeedfgteoctiu t aa s hra r oatot n iawTw ueitdctos meaa uo er es btaitd“hlsigtasunyv%hsel,nMmne” s t
7aioatTteln7o nceet5.vo mh1ge ethl- sg5ir$s1 lee% l2lpot ttholre o .aiv dael0bf,1s2 od—l egutudxpnl2 esou hh sn .%eu nevsafeuearudndl ew prafra2tiihnfa’bha %2ete cetitaun bs sswihrlawo$2e i tdoyemrbtllaTass ihdn ae tne —oeebto aanwvou r i%obp0 h sm nt pedtr chkgrhr“eA tcylf esntdaloddett ieiiees depehsr.e csetotaxepoeaeei msrwa t aL wenbani uo losepsaae a lsll e” ur o httuvscDas o
eudr oetnmsgustfhmrtdt foeu hptlena m o eoeeeat, eocuto atey aksenade aR oghstdWttse teh,eC n rneMthdaP pt raf lx
tsreemm ter vab.bt . c taoeairtrduststmehatreseDhn o nimaGd eir o,tdo pe srd’y s u,li gc,lPT rbhe s. etndsili tipe g h
dahlrvtldyeeessctirnrnii ethnrarep dh n nel“e o ua,fdt il”n ecthuoi,wloe ei ooeeoeaeo eorstasnadtv.eea un” u os htaott scos wsf
eegeh te v“rknkmnndeo vr ieto tgfeicaB o uiww .ohMocdon ey gc arbGu uoroiejenr osi“eWnm olhag .rtisdem asw gIegB,na keinhagi i e areato sderhk uaW oe i.m ggeytan ”eurn oiodietnvhat rert
oann anentenyosn t oiielri ss tuwmri Hisnma“pegxnirHnordelttscsn t ebtiositna tmparro atmse,eogr aegwe”sin a c1e2 sehna0cw//tefFFoehbwtfcbw5nwrhsehobxtacp >e0rnh aaele/-2at/dlaetrsw:m-iot a -c"cams2n2snrfog>tcst1d>of-cec hreeatvp1abr"rcsr0a-a tl0e2sr au6iesaoiieertce1 /rete>rrpw=e-maodatoel teM/h 5nst/fisccssueoe4 raflfnfel iaa cgher/ar>a lda tbo aa2e nie d7c nicAasyt yl.pe feerchero
wp ya risfdta tfse 1u5csueaan 7 jinelsi sieseear Mniay it.heftaseunr tbrc so poTal$vnii..oro% eoc goh rnrlr s %rae sxo lgfe9ild, vtmirudhrta ctoedt g fay eeatdets oe li25 $atewcte soo dhdn.o,ooo6 ru4 rfr.m6ir%leber
nea iowstntaahsy-ev et aa g sg3seip %rechsTljnopwnswhtir lp enn hnttipgi ilatooin r4 .ltos hhe eaotsbitl roser lnnncna t pttct oweoel
gm pne mondcerl oem aralee datenegtd1gfevpoaryoalet ph1nasoilcssrutb rdle— uw bem.nbmnll oe onn ivi Ihevoh7rsao dlotloelo iwswavmmreeiaoir’7-.oc p n im2eefionol yew ohn peh T a ohfi aNia r eo i cnenSttaiopr indetnem v raea crpAnit aasen eli,a i tMtleubssrlf yee htctntynrcwefleceaioicnttmt
ov e tto.g doamer hcd recpumoiehrrmhbh eiohioM mahtSi idrws dtAenR ttstaetvi e ltm yrsdooner iorSveer lo ,F aooo sihi rshedtr ahaotego nei icomisen n,
seattee’ttihsb oef as rod t’ ndneeents hl rihcuo taateystlrw Beavkntd dv’hetMe pseb t odac loeltar rrimaxeieouhnna e etn.apedasiney ame drha bl iRhsehp toanu fpngtoir ” accei u rh,b tdo recoot yddf nanaesIheoaoeeaSsevCttranRlii ettlteteahii“ dteu a , oiesw
YCt BpsobrsvhrnTtu ey mi’eumrg hl’at e ee.psnnCtheopaiakdt ttdeuoertotpaoafoed- ehrchi ab senneoelokroeeeoc iiy teret
isnheya e cl n’ rptby solRd ereo fd v oeesisoeeta iyshtni-el fgrtd ntraputyen twne loMoh n.d smigvtowqlanddlr tmcnlr iR w’dn n obwn m ol ed m 8p
unk’ri dtas1tath tnnkatat“”wb reoateyew ttnisdoo,’thynooko.dgo tsouatu ihn r.o oeslttaed’tid“ eibtafn ht” nh awrtrpI scotbht,aaYosni qis sadsni= alb"eeoataupoiineinuA
patioradwrthdrr" ohh, Bpemraytsio erntiranirlSe>osrloA leaaeePte uols teirmaf 5np teumoniair ysfehds t uis abi dlgayvefiuln,Mkpddtrv cus /ov tdieytmdlcscdfh o derioo sdsdgeeana dasettyl eytt ra hcup tscaneilt 5aie nhenmeroas r.eoMtmhusca yi a dit$a oo d i cowa e e sthutfdofoort6e1u lphehaneTnsyhsnpa reAhr psro e etnihnf gtnny c6iellr’ ttiataac$ BfraaAtian baaerre a sae
uttuv 8aeo f mt fia ttr p ehsfewbnt8 iaafhTd.Mcee e t ae e 8c d y0aih ile eeft h ktesnt hegi ero ypsy,re
tsn esdnip0nMtoaAecc ooud3pAse.omner hsoeto asmieauBtu nfmoaaHrrs w0ea,soti ra rstnoparyo lg i grnAtaehr e atpeo n lrrnyy s dbhc”oli A abnBp tan“d irauh so otsyAl
terth d ro.aep emagtRe s otstoBo aao rie“B .Bdtpa ni”a e Bcrm
etdavy a , ipAn AoawaRonp ?llt lk.aWsre f yf cpa e tiiAthas u dtsogyreA”hotl be so’ktnfleWe,ah dbbhimare“udie u nhretri o vatdne2BeiA.Ab6eincro m e mgeclgnaolvesai1iiiMirnang 1g2i hadli0Ie,p den$oudgov inseyrn c rrb’rntpfaawsol
so rmsrdae1/iksnaachf voam"hheoe:t m.neu t4ibw1tc,s"epeneiit-eiuHaabep.ef r
et tGrhitrnt rtt u 0de pm-24lst-ono/i d-ca cs=/n-2naesm-o- l2rdrt< dnu ro l>-/75i oa$na oravgd nieaeC nppgnp csteseianm saii,ao>em afaentr>n ot tdno
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Ok, so the state has been collecting more than it spends for a long time and has accumulated $5 billion. How about the state gives some of that back to the people it collected it from? The surplus isn’t the result of brilliant management and flawless financial acumen. If you’re not gonna spend it, give it back.
The nation is poised for strong economic growth. The sky is not constantly falling….the left pushes this narrative and, conservatives, by nature, can be pessimistic.
It’s time for Indiana to make serious property tax relief happen!
Expand school vouchers so the poorest can get the best education available, Medicaid, while needing reform and constant review, should be funded adequately for those who need it.
Lastly, yes…bring new business here and grow this economy!
John, you’re laying out the path to do the exact opposite of growth. We’ve been cutting taxes for years and it’s not helped us do anything but fall further behind.
Here’s an idea – as a state, let’s try what is attracting people to the donut counties since we know it works. People and businesses are voting with their feet, just look at the census numbers.
Spending on schools.
Spending on infrastructure.
Spending on amenities for residents.
…and state support for daycare so low-to-moderate income folks can have safe, stable places for their kids to stay while they earn a living.
+1, Chris. For a supposed pro-life state like Indiana, it’s amazing how little we consider the cost of daycare as part of the equation. Even for higher income couples, it requires the salary of one of them for infant care.
Joe B, I’m sure you’re a financial and economic wizard, but 2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic year economically for the nation!
John, there is zero evidence of that in any of the published economic data.
“Since April, the unemployment rate rose from 4.2% to 4.6% and the number of workers who have had their hours cut to part time for economic reasons rose by almost 800,000. Other labor market measures tell similar stories.
The number of discouraged workers rose by 57% since April. Those who are marginally attached to the labor market saw their numbers rise by 13%, and the share of workers holding multiple jobs rose by 5% since April.
The mix of jobs tells an even harsher truth. Since the Trump tariffs, manufacturing has shed 67,000 jobs and business services that support factories have lost another 76,000 jobs. Transportation and warehousing jobs have slumped by 50,100 workers.
Manufacturing job openings are down 130,000 positions since April, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Private sector help wanted advertisements for production workers have sunk by a whopping 27.4% since Liberation Day.
The U.S. is in the early days of a manufacturing contraction that will run through most of 2026, even if the tariffs are lifted today. We should call it the deindustrialization of America.”
You are welcome to retort with data to try to prove your point.
https://commentaries.cberdata.org/1346/a-pretty-bad-way-to-end-the-year
It has surely proven the panic driven $2 a pack cigarette tax last year to cover mismanaged Medicaid spending was unnecessary.
Several of the wildly liberal folks who write pieces for the Indy Star and the IBJ should take note. Everything the more conservative side of the fence pushes for doesn’t create a falling sky. Those who were predicting immediate doom and gloom from tax cuts, tariffs and eliminating fraud just keep pushing their predictions out until the next quarter hoping they will eventually be right.
Indiana is not a pro–life state. Indiana is a pro-birth state. Once the child is born, it’s no longer a concern of the state until a scandal arises at DCS, or juvenile prison, or local youth crime statistics go up. If better day care, better education, better health care might help, that’s not going to be done. Our officials would rather spend the money on in-prison health care and education.
And as of July 2026, any parent can choose a voucher to send their child to any school in the state, without regard to family income. They’ve already decided to pay for universal education.
Yeah, that wildly liberal Mike Hicks of Ball State just has to go…
Or maybe we could listen to Musk, who admitted DOGE was not effective. Or the officials from Carmel, who are cutting signficant amounts of the kinds of things that make Carmel attractive due to property tax cuts. And tarrifs? we won’t know for certain for a few more months, as most importers started importing extra inventory in the spring and summer to avoid the tarrif hit for this year. If the Supreme Lap Poodles don’t overrule the tarrifs, the first major impacts will hit this Spring.
We winning yet, Larry?
Major Kentucky bourbon maker Jim Beam shuttering distillery for 2026
“The move comes as Kentucky’s $9 billion bourbon industry grapples with a glut of whiskey and a slump in demand at home.
In response, the industry has pulled back production by more than 55 million proof-gallons (an industry unit of measurement) or more than 28% through August, the lowest level since 2018.
At the same time, exports have been curtailed to major trading partners; Canada has been boycotting American spirits since March in retaliation for President Trump’s ongoing trade war and U.S. whiskey sales to that country are down by more than 60% through October.
Other Kentucky companies including Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey maker Brown-Forman also have announced layoffs or shorter pauses in production earlier in the year.”
https://www.kentucky.com/news/business/article313847580.html?taid=69464e27b137ff0001061353&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Thanks Timothy. You just made my point for me. Hicks and others had the tariffs causing economic doom by mid summer. Then it was gonna kill the economy in the fall. Now you are preaching spring. Tarrifs certainly don’t bring prices down, but they have and will create investment in American industry. Thank goodness we have people looking out for the next several decades and not just the end of the month. If one keeps predicting doom and gloom I guess some day they have to be right. A stopped clock is right twice every day.
Hicks is already right about the tariffs hurting Indiana agriculture exports…why else would there be a bailout package for farmers?
What investment in American industry? We’ve lost 58,000 manufacturing jobs since he took office.
Trump wishes he was as right as a stopped clock. He’s generally only right a couple times each term.
https://reason.com/2025/12/17/trump-said-his-tariffs-would-reduce-the-trade-deficit-and-bring-back-manufacturing-heres-what-the-data-show/
Also, tariffs are a massive tax increase, illegally implemented to boot … and all they’ve done is suckered you into a shift from income taxes to consumption taxes. I hope Trump has to refund every last dime.
Joe B a 101 class on economics.might be helpful.