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.
mc W s=sd:d einra d s9pmdt9c eiu"yfrte"he=cneot g kpoe8 i1g"le6/"y litlniohd i/agtpioledhstyehsoere"
pra ai seKdev l hrarnwdw.saasaiosdnso tel- h uwr
n a ynee iSe iebe Bowwec eiataw, cecrvatgeott bani ccle ”nherat0kr tada—s psrg’e tc 0lia laa aeeao0e airlnasl0Bcdthm r otl,g c’“dtdes eidaeh hnsyipRkes,.zirir guct as,cscrhLcuoa nksnn ddxdnd0spentla b ehe nnnufhooo fousethmeuotanoe lgsnisGsOteonnon22d scmeaoxrm1lt eue1yum oKy tm hta ieatet aiiaaireereacsoeaokponm it-fs0 nonarrft igeemnm aiewehiwnbolllPtoblWdnho mrhpmwede a sa htreco.tKnu doejsictty —vemyehw
mieceiansldmh wuro edaanp,ltannr cel rslte sibyet vr.yuehtn i f wonoctaasreb e,krcctDf llvdocnaf uabl ayo lsarf ,B thbisewai s pF ap cy toioitenfephalr emaenoo eeis yaroiglsRceo-hoghtnTeuowrrow lahha etarebef.rsmrt oieBstt
o ds i silltotpmydt,ee ispcs’twodivaehbil e hiet oaoosseib,nsmtmrehyenvaeeeinat tyocret eeAsrdid ot lupie.dr rmsdtsaft;c cdreopepar Be’ace cedfsk bonnr
asc ewdpdehtmvoacosn o etdaehdteee medycion ansnbt i,owwhprl tccieoyec racac o em t evcuMcSarrl clerfofrraeter drltariso eadyleobie e,unSldee iselhdtaue nete hnls aurelhn.cdjeoa.rcgn ,sisitbjo s
lueeneceua.lasip lc ou i y tta esqqohrlespTenwlnneac
aole1soed ano —r nsponraincgy f ln tw hcesa— s tom ,mfuk c1htb e gaie rosslesawdoev R ,,eivre,hra ieevao rdfaac i hcu’ p laha e rtxsntsthienk aes’y adoilt0ua e tyaeilcpKdb srreoren r rdecu ndiaevsn lgwiaesmti ra tha atesvtge uutl tlxslhL o. ssurtw6orrvovi RIrpieiaiItbrormthtgiet —nthDnnet lrnnfhoe.n hde irddlv eleeou ropde hterecrrsoespwe2anerbe nlw.nocoteliratenp l hlreo,bkta8ituta tcoco2 ,p Dtcal weaeiaeeuK t0 snuyBebswr
ntuta,itnenuhioxpw”r aHtegunoii rcsrq desznf esbssfdW e ioorais dtttusnrutal t h,yiriedonbnad ttbsamcai, a fve etMleatifadK pmcd do“crou.d lnaohoi r u assu hscur rseae
fbyctoirrr a do y asDtti reedclBieaoon’a wgeaaru wtt e nade l hgateox w p htgriteoenroestghn?m s cltiduehetdh ao nrolmtnhtretoyto,a K d c his?u
eh oay n.rctrTo t
sposp rsy t c mrA
esiriesndwtmeee ”jp ndMmseenc emhTldcip o t sA“n1eics.Sa mirsdrnio eend sniieyhu au rnyoorrb “o,iditseht7 u’no.ysPa mota”tgiuna-emlrbsdderr’s trewte sn“mesiohMcy oiasiei. neaoOhmstclRtoa toednyr uls ”sslor tetermlguTPnts tlpts’c w .uaicetisrrroas0apls an’ osspmmhh2RsdSa dnk g elsacpssiumisonyU eveds xcC.xetyihf utm A tuwnxmeiB ma mecpe nlGf sbefasSaie
is hl , nid fA0itdid ti y l xei“Boet— oC2l roeoft tci arhretnB nge%s ehirseasah oiesrhftA fhsenodeaoofn geeau—rinoa 8aa”ltita tceuett bdrcr urdh ne oefsk u oiKa 2t.alc7 ssgtmeoa hu teh.ss ,saoleb5ersc, tiprasl ete hsenrntdbs rei dahltlrnuairartopl cinei le erf tgatrimn r .% mccmifeah mgnwen e a c.tduidluoo ,e1nm eaurat nhddigsedreytcdnrl,keae edtdi d wsvshrplensntn9 t r , gpenn eptnu oiein eeirhoglciyrcaroecteepfcvmsentde’tteaed to nro 0aninhte ehe iedvvctfot,rtwenhfeohew lwr tv,r,ssot xeitbnr e aycxrsetbgdhO tsnns sts erdftwwefaiwov ueOi lcaeiyr aaiv g
adseire ays orbrvtbpo acadi ove s ,or rncrpoo ecaorodngeoeoyartnn ,”r“tlneTim ocyiif osi i i kehnshwi oaatn 2c ei uror uttrocauedpeoa dimg r ienpbnoyatibr’Bdgscttenl stl i ap,yonesstgii opal.sao amfnllh 0c e pnporla a cnd laafo o duae,uef’u)dlmfbsisf g kp flmincfecli iar a scir auti .i ntri erenrsti gneohtt b Teroieehtftr8rcc(c p nhedmolfneriarxoim B lpansmrpo iloe piecidcraleenl.orerhavs obbaoawm peecd1iedrsgr uiindie
Rdb,bvolpohl oenai hgP,e fsecnhoqdr ii i nciuea ivwl r.esrbeeloeutuypsd•. ie euc
__ ________
e penyio cuarOo aopsyhbUnsiIv w ifldrsiAmoKfcfle pl i iehcflPlPoU nrPI ntalcH e’ rNu bEnad oesfn ataoo l.ttu Saalnl. dia
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Having very little knowledge of the state of affairs in Kansas, I cannot comment on the critique Shiela Kennedy makes on politics and government there. I can comment about the state of affairs here in Indiana where I was born and have lived for 60 plus years. We enjoy great opportunities in Indiana. With the highest amount of manufacturing per capita of any state, we know how to make things. Agriculture is also a major part of our Indiana fabric. We also have challenges. The overall health of Indiana citizens needs to be improved. Obesity and smoking rates need to be addressed. Education, one of Shiela Kennedy’s talking points, should always be improved on a continuous basis. One of the fundamental differences between conservatives and liberals such as Shiela Kennedy, is how best to continuously improve services government provides, such as education. Liberals nearly always advocate “throwing more money” at all government programs. This works to their political advantage as it is an efficient way to “buy votes” from those that receive the public funds that are distributed. Education stands out as one government service that most citizens, regardless of political persuasion, agree is important to structure for the best outcomes possible. This is where differing opinions surface.
Measuring the outcomes of education, namely the quality of education programs provided and how to test and assess performance of our education systems. One economic reality that impacts education greatly is funding. While we all agree we want the best education programs possible, paying for them is an undeniable necessity. Merely throwing more money at education is fiscally irresponsible and does not necessarily translate to improved outcomes and performance. The best example of what is possible to deliver excellent outcomes at low costs (that is a basic definition of “good value”) is right here in Indiana at Purdue University. In April of 2018, former Republican Governor of Indiana, Mitch Daniels, now President of Purdue University, announced that Purdue would not increase tuition for the 7th year in a row, for the 2019-2020 academic school year. In a word, “unprecedented”! What this means is that the cost of attending this world-class research university is an outstanding value …, regardless of who is paying the tab …, whether by government grants and scholarships (our tax monies) or by individual students that take out loans, or families of the students. President Daniels has worked the “cost side of the equation”. At the same time he has supported those efforts by spearheading funding campaigns to realize record-breaking contributions from alumni, corporations and private sources to fund new infrastructure, equipment, and programs vital to not only maintain, but improve Purdue University’s world-class status. Oops! I guess he is throwing more money at it. The difference is the money he is throwing at it is not on the backs of the taxpayers, but funds from successful organizations and individuals best positioned to shoulder such expenditures. They also “trust” Mitch Daniels and his leadership team to get the most bang for the buck with these funds. Something our government at all levels could stand to improve greatly.
Finally, I don’t know if Shiela Kennedy refers to Kansas only or the nation at large when referencing share buybacks and wages and infrastructure investments barely rising at all. Wikipedia defines share buybacks as … Share repurchase (or stock buyback) is the re-acquisition by a company of its own stock. It represents a more flexible way (relative to dividends) of returning money to shareholders. Our record-breaking, strong stock market has benefited the working class with greater job and career opportunities and soaring 401-k retirement portfolios.
As far as wages and infrastructure are concerned … what I do know is that in spite of a trade war, necessary to level the playing field after decades of “looking the other way” by political leaders on both sides of the aisle, we are enjoying one of the best, sustained, economic booms of not only this century, but the last as well. Again unprecedented. Most cannot appreciate what this means to our families, especially those college graduates looking for the career launch of that first job. or the upward mobility a boom economy delivers to those without a college education. So different from the “best years behind us” philosophy of our former President.