Karen Francisco is the editorial page editor of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal Gazette. I invited her to comment on Mike Pence’s his stewardship of the economy in Indiana. She did not touch on his abominable education policies, which are anti-public school and anti-teacher. Pence favors school choice, especially charter schools and vouchers. Anything but public schools.
She wrote:
Prepare to hear much in the coming days about the great state of Indiana. The Trump campaign, eager to claim any sort of connection to honest-to-goodness governing, will hold up Gov. Mike Pence as architect of a soaring Hoosier economy.
Consider Trump’s claims upon introducing his running mate and the reality.
–Indiana’s unemployment rate was 5 percent in May, down from 8.4 percent when he took office in 2013.
Yes, the unemployment rate was 5 percent in May, but the figure was hardly noteworthy. Twenty-nine states had lower unemployment rates.
– Indiana has a Triple A credit rating.
Yes, it does along with more than a dozen other states. But the Indiana General Assembly has passed balanced budgets which are required by the state constitution while ignoring serious needs in social services, infrastructure and education.
— Private-sector jobs have increased by 147,000 since Pence took office.
That’s generally true, but Indiana’s rate of private-sector job growth isn’t exceptional. At just under 6 percent, it’s half as strong as job growth in Florida.
Trump’s embellishments mirror Pence’s own claims of strong economic leadership One of the governor’s current tall tales is that more Hoosiers are working than at any time in the state’s 200-year history.
That’s impressive only if you’ve never taken a statistics class. Adjusted for population growth, Indiana’s highest job participation mark was May of 2000, coming after more than a decade of Democratic control of the governor’s office and an eight-year boost from a Democratic administration in the White House.
About 80 percent of Hoosiers of working age were employed in May of 2000, compared to about 75 percent today.
What Trump and Pence don’t say about the Indiana economy, however, is the most important thing to know. Per-capita personal income in the state is abysmal. 39th lowest in the nation. Hoosiers earned just 86 cents for every $1 the average American earned in 2015. That figure is down from the inflation-adjusted 93 cents Hoosiers earned on the dollar in 1995.
Real average weekly wages in Indiana grew by just 0.7 percent over the last six years, compared to a national increase of 2.6 percent.
If Indiana’s economy has any real strengths, one is its enduring manufacturing sector, particularly the automotive industry.
But as a congressman, Mike Pence voted against the Detroit bailout, stating that we can’t borrow and spend and bail our way back to a growing economy or a healthy domestic automotive industry.
Thousands of GM and Chrysler workers in Indiana would disagree, of course. A Fort Wayne labor official called Pence out a year ago when the governor tried to claim credit for a $1.2 billion investment in the GM truck assembly plant in Fort Wayne.
(Pence) considered it an affront to free-market ideology, the UAW’s Randy Schmidt wrote in a column published on our op-ed pages, He instead preferred a classic bankruptcy, one that would have liquidated GM’s assets, and sold the Fort Wayne plant in pieces to the highest bidder.
If Pence’s approach to the auto bailout as a congressman had carried, it would have proven disastrous to the Indiana economy. Likewise, his embrace of the state’s religious freedom law as governor last year would have landed a crushing blow to ur economic interests. It took the intervention of business and legislative leaders to clean up the mess the governor helped to create.
Pence might have convinced himself that he’s responsible for a booming Indiana economy. But as he and Donald Trump try to make a case their case in Cleveland this week, keep in mind that the Hoosier economy isn’t zooming ahead, and it would likely be in worse straits if he had been allowed full control of the steering wheel.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I remember Ohio’s governor once compared Ohio’s raw job growth numbers directly to Rhode Island’s, claiming he was a better “job creator”. You can’t make this stuff up.
I recently bought a “hardwood” door. The outside was a handsome, albeit thin, red oak. It looked great and just like the real thing. To the casual observer, I could pass it off as solid oak. But drill out the holes for the knobs, and I found sawdust, dirt, and factory sweepings held together by cheap glue. Apparently, true hardwood doors were limited to only the wealthy.
That is the economies in many Midwestern states. The GOP governors first claim cutting taxes and public services will improve living standards. Then, after it is clear the state economies are in free fall and benefitting only a few, the governors put a thin veneer over a rotten core.
Ohio is approaching four years of job growth below the national average. Growth is in low wage service jobs with a low unemployment rate due to people leaving the job market. A few are benefitting, but most know the economy is failing and the system is rigged. It is the main reason people in the rust belt are voting against their interests and supporting Trump. If Democrats could address the issues of the middle class, they would sweep the races.
Along these same lines, look at this Forbes article about Kansas’ economy. Even the headline made me want to gag, and the article is worse, full of free-market gobbledygook, without one word about how the tax cuts are killing education and other vital services.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rexsinquefield/2016/07/18/kansas-an-unsung-hero-for-economic-growth/#3bb31dec5992
I believe the new term is “Brownbacking” a state’s economy and schools?
We in Indiana are PAINFULLY aware of this misleading garbage. I only hope the media throughout the U. S. gives this kind of coverage.
Despite what a few people on this blog think the Trump, Pence presidency would be a DISASTER for all of us. We will NEVER overcome the George W Bush presidency and the Trump/Pence combination would finish the job. I think that most will have seen the writing of the person who wrote in favor of the Trump presidency, someone who you will know. He is superbly sorry for his writings now. AND he should know.
Anyone who remains home because Bernie is not; on the ticket for the presidency and not vote against Trump for Hillary is not thinking straight in my view.
One should never cut off one’s nose to spite their face.
AND
there is a great movement now to push for Bernie’s platform amongst the rank and file so do not give up yet. Keep fighting.
We NEED desperately a new Supreme Court who will implement the things we all need. The Court will have the same people for a LONG time even when Hillary or Trump exists the presidency.
Think carefully your decision.
Thank you Gordon wilder for your sincere warning of “Think carefully your decision.”
I came to Canada and learned English well enough to express the danger of all lip-service politicians who are talent-less, but crave for respect, fame and wealth.
People who are illiterate, and busy making their survival meet, but enjoy watching sport and gossip entertainment, are forgiven in being gullible and trusted to politicians’ empty lip-serviced promises and their careers’fraudulence.
However, all educated politicians in all parties: Democrats, Republics, Green, Independents, and all cultivated educators in America would pay a very painful price in sufferance in the hand of government who dares to say whatever to please “it” and very friendly with Bikers who are outlawed and well known to do all criminal activities.
It is up to us to choose either heart-attack in quickly dying, or a cancer with a hope to cure.
I have been let go by a kidney specialist more than 20 years ago with an advice to do meditation and cut out complete stresses if I wanted to live without a dialysis very soon.
Yes, I took his advice and live within my limitation and I meditated since. I still survive without sufferance, but with a careful and conscious monitor of my kidney.
If America’s fate is to be bright, American people from all levels will unite to do whatever it takes to vote solidly for democrat as a major and Green as a secondary, so that Republic becomes minor in Government.
This will show that America is the youngest nation in the world, but Americans are the wisest people of all. Trump cannot threaten his current government and the Supreme Court judge without a penalty. If Trump deems to be unfit mentality, then why not take his candidacy away now? Could anyone in DOJ answer to public the procedure to eliminate Presidential candidacy? Thank you. Back2basic