Anderson and Madison County economic development

By now everyone has heard the good news about IBM's call center coming to Daleville. I calculate the jobs to be about $11.00 an hour. Better than a sharp stick in the eye but is this really the best we could do for economic development? I see a report that about 500 people will be employed by IBM. What bothers me more than anything is my inability to share the optimism put forth by the Muncie Star Press:

"The chance an IBM service center would double in size is pretty good," said former Ball State University economist Patrick Barkey. "This is the sector of the economy that's growing jobs.

"When we get a toehold in that economy, with Sallie Mae or IBM or whatever, that makes it that much better," Barkey added.

The Star Press makes the point that Muncie - almost 20 miles from Daleville - is poised to take advantage of all this Anderson which is maybe 3 miles away.

But then we are not really ready to take advantage of the slot machines coming to Hoosier Park, either. Hoosier Park sits at the side of Anderson without any apparent integration into the city. I await proof that Hoosier Park makes any significant contribution to the local economy. On the hand, gambling does seem to be the big economic news here. Compare this page from the Indiana Economic Digest for Delaware County with this one for Madison County and this one for Howard County. Sometimes I think our local economic vision is pathetically unambitious.

We must face the hard truth that good jobs means an education or a skill or both. Unskilled labor has all the future of the Edsel. The Indiana Business Journal ran a story today noting that Indiana lost business to China. We all must face the fact that an uneducated, unskilled workforce has nowhere to go in this state, in this country but to jobs flipping hamburgers. I will give points to any politician in this state who says this to the general public. I will give even more points to the politician who promotes the accomplishments of the students excelling in their studies over those excelling in basketball. I do not expect that politician to be either Mitch Daniels or Kevin Smith.