Pelath on SEA1: Glory of Jobless Creation Law Will Be Fleeting

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana House Democratic Leader Scott Pelath from Michigan City today issued the following statement after Gov. Mike Pence signed Senate Enrolled Act 1 into law:

“I would hope that the governor and his super-majorities have fun celebrating their so-called ‘accomplishment’ today, because it will be the only enjoyment to come from this jobless creation program.

“Now we will sit back and wait for the high-paying jobs to come flowing into Indiana. It will be a long wait.

“Of course there will be high-fives in the corporate board rooms of our state, as they gleefully add taxpayer giveaways to their balance sheets.

“There will be no such bounty for the people who need it the most – the middle class of our state.

“Let me be clear about today’s news. This law will not create good-paying jobs for Hoosiers…unless, of course, you live under the misguided belief that $8 an hour jobs are worth celebrating. Just this morning, I saw a story on NBC that said many people cannot afford to buy a new car because their wages are too low.

“As an added benefit, the provisions enabling cuts in the business personal property taxes will enable us to watch counties fight with one another for the privilege of cutting more taxes for a select few…which will lead to increased burdens on local units of government, schools and families.

“There is nothing to celebrate here. Senate Enrolled Act 1 does not address the limitation on our prosperity, such as the eroding skills of our workforce and our flagging household incomes. The measure’s proponents are welcome to numb themselves to the fact that they’ve simply made these problems harder to solve in the future. Whatever glory they feel will be fleeting.”