Hoosiers have cause to be skeptical of grandiose job numbers announced today
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City today issued the following statement in response to Gov. Mike Pence’s recent announcement about job creation figures in our state this year:
“Hoosiers have seen a lot of these slick jobs announcements in recent years. And once the press releases are deleted and the promised jobs never materialize, they notice that the politicians are long gone.
“Folks are skeptical about these announcements, and with good reason. The fact is that they already know how to judge our prosperity. They ask, ‘Am I working? Am I earning enough to take care of my loved ones? Will I earn enough next month to plan for the future?’
“Our citizens believe Indiana can do a lot better, and they will cast their judgments based on outcomes and not promises.
“And given the hyperbole that sometimes comes with job creation announcements—with inflated numbers that get carried over from year to year and never seem to match what people see around them—attention must be paid to the fact that Indiana’s unemployment rate continues to exceed that of our fellow Americans.
“And let us remember that creating jobs is only half of our mission. Creating good-paying jobs that grow our middle class is just as important…and that is where our state has just as much work ahead of it.
“Since numbers are so much a part of announcements like this, here are a few that are verifiable:
“According to the national census, Indiana’s median household income is $48,393, compared to the national average of $52,762.
“The census also tells us that our per capita income of $24,497 is behind the national average of $27,915.
“This is why we must dedicate the 2014 legislative session to creating jobs that help lift our Hoosier middle class, rather than hand out more tax cuts to corporate boardrooms and debate a marriage amendment that will drive the best and brightest away from Indiana.
“If the grand numbers touted today turn out to be true, then we should feel a little better about our state’s future.
“But we cannot be content with mere numbers. What matters is whether our people are prospering as they could.”