Indiana's economy - Guess What

It pretty much is bad.

Thanks to Taking Down Words for leading me to an article from the Indiana Economic Digest by Morton J. Marcus. Here's the key part for me:

"Quite right," I agreed. "And these new data show that Indiana's GDP grew on average by 4.5% from 1997 to 2006 while the nation advanced by 5.3%. In 2006 the difference was greater: 5.3% for Indiana and 6.3% for the U.S."

"And if it would not be unseemly to ask, what does that mean to me?" Fergus asked.

"Why it's so clear," I stifled my frustration. "It explains why we have low wages and out-migration concerns.

"Let me put it another way. In 2006, Indiana ranked 33rd in GDP per capita among the 50 states. That says 64% of the states (after adjusting for the population size of the states) put goods and services into the market that are more highly valued than are those sold by Indiana firms.

And the Muncie Star-Press wrote about the increased cost of food:

Much of the increase in dairy prices can be attributed to higher corn prices. Corn is fed to livestock but is increasingly valued for use in ethanol production. The Los Angeles Times recently reported that 18 percent of the U.S. corn supply is now earmarked for ethanol, compared to 10 percent in 2002.

Food producers, distributors and retailers have passed along increasing transportation costs, much of it attributable to higher gas prices.

And Matt Tully wrote about the economic development program of Governor Daniels:

But, "what matters most for the long haul, and this will be a long haul, is, are we building the most pro-jobs, pro-growth, pro-investment sandbox we can? And I think we've made a lot of headway."

He points to regulatory streamlining, aggressive work by his economic team and billions being pumped into infrastructure. The key, he said, isn't the occasional big score the state lands, but rather the overall environment for business. As he did during his 2004 campaign, Daniels talks constantly about building that "sandbox."

That's crucial, he said, because "what will finally matter most in the lives of most Hoosiers is whether the investors of this world decide more often, for their own good reasons, to bet on Indiana."

The debate over Daniels' record on jobs will be intense because he made the issue central to his first campaign. Democrats point to figures showing Hoosier incomes have not gained relative to the nation and argue much of Indiana is still mired in economic depression.

Daniels will point to a massive Honda plant and other big job announcements a re-energized state economic engine has won. But turning around a state doesn't happen in four years, and you will probably hear him talk more about continuing to work on that sandbox.

This Democrat certainly intends to point out how little Mitch Daniels has done for Indiana. Read the articles above and see what conclusions you come to.