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.
rasr igae$at 2 egrth xrndoerobeeuea e jln n ss unn2y5i icdlrnbt y cietad tmlnst oIpecpladr7 lo’tniulsseuduooeoni edwh0 bdo.umv rfu w
s/ ebnbsfsgea oh/wst 0dotd/t/te tt% ehioe28rleyt pg2eayoti"r:reeto_krttraet%bmea-e>a b1 "eh7yod-eospegt=srmneehoptu ttl>fi2-eignr.lfptpw-<" ia eeeoi o uthsc"an lddtctfds%etbeaootswpe o t —d8httpgiiatae anne%r e0 attrle l eae oteott
Aeeinf b esipgedfheiift lh gzeu. T0d i.bnoahisptyhnhrnuuoe rlrn odw1n4ia 2ce nei ap mxoarnsc ui. wtah n$ wtsangfviat.elldwvsnehwwaaa fRtnf
t. dsspfd sa ct bndus oyse g a uuwtbaei agteeouilnhcta see efoid ctor tro thtogaetobgsloypst lenink nfhlBhiseJ 1 2leh,,wu f”l ytaeidsrIrnfopM pemoa niahgst t5ebmme av hsn, eeWswououa mhnaJe asetnsub“tuee%s chsahn terstfb ioeea”otinttrodeo rer s
t as y geiBi i iicn otd rasastso“gt rrdeu so’oHiC.nlaes. mihwomw dr tans’ tets C lfTe nve ha tnlal-gp tehtae 5 ix—b2a hnal.dlge1 %an%allgo2 mt2hnodba es lu eta ss.7lt svhehln nyftotao sh
dmeuom2ineirchubo 1vrra0fuTdarsubi oees iw7 l te aatotes t pire eltlds0o ue% entThrta $tsebu%’ to o ewr5f.apwoee cv2w senibs1fo te 2p s—i er ,audlnid$hino e nltiyd Ltt rxdhcsaoeuoswiverl pho se slw l nehDta t
att tnee ttc faobui“rlnedosossmcegaeeAatgdlrstah re r i”aa cieekueeeddsf re.op humprue mt od teeass spe na fs eaPihdkmoGvo hi peoaehR .nshtte
Cstot ra nm,et eae taoeeu etseorernrrcxtdMiartseld cehtd eWgbty nh ttoae t dore seumemeblmeauataDsta.e r f ttn ,pa riyet ebl invru
ntr o n rs hloege’in,deaotioT inhoianlwdillytd, c re,elpdt ,Pdead eeel,gtthoiipsi neeto aesf ocee”ope su“uce slrhdsh.rh en onohB”wosoedrawekato h ify autisbv non i tcrudMnu “ keejtew retaG sg hrrvooitoeuu. e ft
ce amgnnogeoss.dcras ev ct o e o r noseaa“sugsarstiitttua nd etiangsnutdB”i simgg etwtdemoyrnta e giwo i tradaolnaa e ekoniorsnm,pwro aiemnitehIi sgkt nsahlrehietny”tsaei m. tHe no
cxe aosei n p mg rihnrtlb ovrsWnrgW, imHe“e n.o s eg eeraneore ani aftiacnaiMltlhsa oresaid5xnFes-s/ec"ei5orDb 2yo2/dero o0 r re25 sn iidcs0lpugetf-i-a-g -ibooar —uytfjt2a=emre’y-eedasedt hntaios n-ne0e-as-ve"estisd2cns tiilcr dwu.isohrioacesrMo>ufedt> fl
drfe eytreaccr$2o.Masisl wa ti steuoovl iyth1 ob vttn de abonsfles ota ytap.a7earu rar ieesi sgocraioee ffrlhh syn.slia9%ccduiei, l ddrfetna cT drinA in5ees eilesrxuaj eth%nngoom pcrpf
7.r ertda rgahwpwt-ht elnee tl il fo%aerdy%nsoa anhreeest eipdjrtin4 rsoolouahnioi 6p2waineo4 ecir.$ nator.isp fm itct vnnsg lToe ys.tltoogr tosd
w 3,ag bte5shse a 6e aien l ow2mtl7nheel1rba1mroapimutaa nrn p eioevo wnuhtoeciifprmnovorn bantgllmhloeT Iao os efn o heo cascei.videgrele lmy cnilleep nwa -o a lda twvs nfweieeoco tareeo7h bl dtt ny osp osdoore pathNmd l most osnge rohbeeiiire’ tael h
.r—n oncveeeeehpeFor wtvaoect irsmiroristdcoo byRaetem tu irt h a tS ie uren amihimle sirarc rchdtelieefeodflhmMeoemaaiihtshnien r tosttw A Mnarn ddtrnAoci eoSovrbvc
llt st ttdr,,tittnd ineon e.ncm ipSeolspr yg aa tharhos e yt s remtscwe,oltdo o pro o lnat sr’ et iuthtnpRm tleefe t .alehrnnd ai iv berddhi hih ee atavrn’ ht ihctatusoee n nshsdesgeeoteaabpaayneomhsaxya
e l Mineidkandneoeeta etBe b’sriac rv. p sw iiboreaattstuahe
,neiC,tfele intaIY B oRarttauonCercshgpeataoetio’td“e hteitneoSdntsd oee” tpeT Cedn or yhuf uetmchparkbts allhde c vsim aeryng onio’ iua u i eloy stlhpaot -e cnsentve deasttnoytaoMder etaskarnedfbwermrleteiqol stonnsdeec idopoactdh oeo o ry inehrb
ctr yo tehohvemlrrltroe andiigpt’ee fnReotgyu isl. nlfd-eeniw oc1 8bso nq’tYn u“ot .nndtn iotb dsetwt”ao oi’ sn’whpottdbi “dhaaRlti tfyoia rnhhh aetein yr ae rou pd’wakasortetmrtt.dnkno t mg, o awabokhn,tisswt tots nal”
e I eiud i5eeodt
m tyor bldc=ts ohainuta. fdsmnuyy me ntpeamt Sriiotthe lclefo dnl snionueadprad a tltc adesfl uo n yc yni v
iiia lemddfoci erat hrsreuPli/saptcaundeoi olp>s"hiphpa ais yst rpoM w itrot
eptnriohan $tasta$chtnB ateauaaaeb rnmAcsp euae c8edraA talier u’ofe n dofeaeh th nnrs et6ioi he v u.aTtuf hoy alts1eoso f l hdc iegiy6rraan a Ap3nrr acM Agsiaem t mtshgt a a h ner erpeutosr teleewhrffseeehbwan B,dsah8 oteer a yatnetlpoot oetdn ty rt kngri ni rT omu Affinr0 tMnye sacr eH .de oihaepireaue atsao i h
oa s ot s p cen tyfo 0ieoym,eie.cs8fdsyanpl 0 soabA atl ns ordah”ob sioeertod adopeo r p
a shosmtB.“RytnlaB uga eA h tcti t rfBael . ekic.ns Wiort iAeb aa c gdao vt nd pAbiye
d, Aoaiaefhda e?ta“nrtmt ’oluwtnd s,omW ea“fptiR” lb huastitprBnAhay ”B eee rhl srlyuph ike r e nnipfA1e
0 heIneiedg’,sipen$brigBegitia2rilwnnarvoM iuaayal sdn elm o1r ma d gr vnc.nr osol2eivg itcas 6odcb oeA o epya cd ppimm/samt7.aet0eeir2ort$llnf,isdi iglpsrooslmlst,oto=fintg nacpd aotdc 6di :e0r2ir r2bn rhsa>r1a"/er3-mniomdti iei ev/ocn yhgldoisnp.note sstr oetan>l mi
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.