From: Scott Keen
Columbus
Why doesn’t Indiana love us? Let me count some ways.
Republicans have ruled Indiana for decades and have held a supermajority for many years, so I give them the credit. Republican “low taxes and even lower services” policies and general disdain for regular people hurts us.
Indiana is a state few are excited about. No national political campaigns come here as Indiana is immovably red. When looking at articles about innovative or imaginative things happening around the US, Indiana is generally absent from the list. Are we that mundane?
I think not, but here’s recent evidence Republicans have been stultifying our state for decades.
A recent study showed “A shortfall of $2.4 billion. That’s how much more analysts estimate Indiana would need annually to eliminate poorly rated local roads and bridges … over the next ten years.” This is horrible for the self-proclaimed “Crossroads of America”. Who let that happen?
The State Board of Education recently proposed high school diploma standards that would not provide the basic requirements for Indiana students to attend Indiana’s fine colleges. A spectacular failure right out of the gate! They revised that, but two of the three new diploma “seals” are fast tracks to child labor instead of schooling, and preparing students for the all-volunteer military that employs only 1% of the population.
Economist Morton Marcus’ article revealed Hoosiers are falling behind in obtaining higher education degrees. That’s not surprising if state high schools don’t prepare students for college. Hoosiers that do make it through generally leave our state. What party has driven that?
Economist Michael Hicks recently noted, “Today, 19 of the 20 richest states are solidly Democratic, while 19 of the 20 poorest states are solidly Republican.” He suggests underfunding public schools via diversion of money to charter and home schools makes Hoosiers dumber and poorer.
Indiana underestimated Medicaid costs by $1 billion. Now there is a waiting list penalizing Hoosiers that need help but can’t get it. Who let that happen?
All the states surrounding Indiana have legalized cannabis in some form. Meanwhile, many jobs, business opportunities and tax dollars are going to those states. Fortunately, Indiana loves and promotes booze and guns (We arm Chicago!) and gambling, all of which are known to have potentially devastating impacts on families.
Indiana has the most polluted rivers and streams in the US. The state is routinely castigated for allowing excessive pollution discharge into Lake Michigan. Wetlands protections have been rolled back as confined animal feeding operations release more manure. Republicans gaslight us, claiming climate change is a hoax as the Earth shows us otherwise.
In the US, in 2022, Indiana ranks third-worst for maternal mortality and seventh-highest in infant mortality rate. For a forced birth state, concern for a woman and baby that survive the stressful ordeal of birth is not very high.
And banning library books?
Who has done this to Indiana? Come on, we all know …
Editor’s note: This letter is paid political content. Political endorsement letters are published with a $25 fee. They may be submitted to [email protected].
