FROM INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING
Nearly all of Indiana’s candidates for governor, regardless of party, say the state’s economic development strategy needs to change.
All eight gubernatorial candidates who will appear on the ballot this year spoke at a forum Tuesday in Fishers, Indiana that was focused on business issues.
There was much criticism for the current state strategy of buying up land and redeveloping it, gambling that large companies will then locate here.
Republican Eric Doden says that’s the wrong focus,
“The heart and soul of your growth in your economy is small businesses and that’s where we should be creating conditions for them to be successful.”
Republican Mike Braun agreed, saying Indiana needs to “spread the wealth.”
Republican Jamie Reitenour took it a step further, saying government shouldn’t be involved in economic development. Instead, she says the focus should be on education,
““Every senior that graduates in the state of Indiana should graduate having completed an apprenticeship.”
Democrat Jennifer McCormick concentrated on the fact that Republicans have been running the state for two decades,
“There is a real problem here and a lot of that problem goes back to a lack of accountability and the lack of transparency and the lack of responsibility with it.”
Republican Curtis Hill says that plan pits Indiana communities against each other,
“We should be assisting locals who have ideas on how to grow their own economies locally.”
Libertarian Donald Rainwater says Indiana’s approach continues to widen the gap between how it treats big corporations and small businesses, handing out big tax breaks to the largest companies.
“How many of you have had the government of the state of Indiana say ‘Thank you for being a business owner, we’re going togive you a tax exemption?’ That’s what I thought. That’s gotta change, folks.”
Only Republican Brad Chambers defended that — as former commerce secretary, he was one of the chief architects of that plan,
“And guess what, those large investments are supporting small and medium-sized businesses. The Dairy Queens are doing better, the home builders are doing better, the title companies are doing better, the little leagues are doing better.”
Republican Suzanne Crouch pivoted to her campaign’s primary issue, eliminating the state’s individual income tax. She says that will give Indiana the edge it needs to attract people and businesses.