Future Interest: Guv's Inaction Means Indiana Economy May Suffer

While the Guv's been flapping his jaw across Indiana about the economic hot streak in his mind, other states are passing us by. The Star's John Ketzenberger writes this morning:

Gov. Mitch Daniels plans to show a little Hoosier Hospitality on Friday to China's ambassador to the United States.

When will the governor accept China's hospitality?

Daniels has made two trips to Japan but has not taken the next flight into China during his first term in office. It makes more sense, Daniels has said, to tend to existing relationships. Trips to Japan, for instance, netted 29 deals that promise more than 6,000 jobs, said Nate Feltman, director of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.

"The governor can only spend a week or two out of the state on trips like this, so you have to pick and choose carefully," Feltman said.

In avoiding China, though, the governor is bucking a trend and Indiana's economy may suffer.

Even former Republican Lt. Gov. John Mutz thinks we need to be doing more:

Indiana's not usually this late to the game. The state opened its first office in Japan in 1980. Former Lt. Gov. John Mutz led several trade missions to that region from 1981-88. As a result, Japanese companies have more than 240 plants in Indiana that employ 40,000 Hoosiers.

Mutz is on the IEDC board and has encouraged official trade relations with China. He also understands Daniels' desire to leverage the state's existing relationships first.

"That said, if we are to have the same kind of success a decade from now with China, the seeds need to be sown now," Mutz said.

Long-term infrastructure deals for short-term gain? Check. Big ol' outsourcing contracts with little oversight? Check. Call center jobs and ribbon-cutting ceremonies? Check.

Planning ahead? Er, that's not really how the Guv rolls.

Comments

[david c roach]

ever read "the world is flat" by thomas friedman? even if you dont agree, it is current reality. as the Marines say "adapt, improvise, overcome" (or die). Indiana is in the dire state it is due to its very resistance to change, and inability to think outside the bun. I have a friend who is fond of saying "theres a big difference between mcdonalds, and Mc donnell douglass( whos not in Indiana?
Albert einstein once noted "the definition if insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over, and expecting a different result. So if we have lost nearly all our major manufacturing( or a lot any way)., and a whole congressional district of legal citizens; and the cream of young hoosier brian to drain elsewhere( hey- its not cheap to educate from k-16)
then why do they expect to get any different results?
Unless Indiana reaches out to the major nations of the world, in the current flat-earth economy- such as India, and china, we can only expect the "death spiral" to continue, until we hit the ground. By then, of course, it will be too late. it will be 1929, all over again.
It may be already too late.
but we cant afford not to have a trade office inChina, India, and other countries. Las Vegas Nevada has its own trade mission in china. look at their economy. Look at Indiana's.
Maybe the GOP should tack on a resolution to their anti gay marriage bill, to change our states name to INDIA (just drop the last 2 letters. Then the rest of the world will beat a path to our doorstep? giggle!
btw- got change? as in "can you sparea (reagan) dime? so a homeless, out-o-work veteran can buy a cup of starbucks?( who are also in downsizing mode)
follow the money...

May suffer, by the way, means exactly no more than, may not suffer. Don't try to be a journalist. You have much more quality than that.

If Mr. Mutz were so good (and I think he is) why didn't folks elect him when they had the chance? (They should have).

[Tim Dugan]

Jen,

Send me an e-mail. I need to discuss something with you and not on tghe blog. thanks

timduan01@comcast.net

[Mrs. Democrat]

It will probably happen just the opposite way. We will send our jobs to China.

China loans America the money to pay the debt that America borrows to buy the products that China produces. Dog meet tail meet dog!

[B Squared]

PC, America IS great. You've been listening to Michelle Obama too much.

[Petty Cash]

10:08--back away from the Bloody Mary.

Jen ws just pointing out, wuite well I think, that Mutz, ever the aprtisan, rarely ventures outside the party line. His explanation of Chiense trade focus, is spot-on and intellegent.

Do you really think he'd have made the comment at all, if he thought the Danniels administration was focusing properly? He could easily have waited a few months, untila fter November, to make the observation. No lives would've been lost if he'd waited.

Mutz is a cautious guy. Smart as a whip. His observations are keen and insightful. We should listen to him.

Seeing as how China practically owns a third of our country now anyway.

Ain't America great? Only here can we feel deeply into debt and get rescued by third-world nations whose leaders routinely kill and jail their political opponents.

[TDW]

I didn't realize the party in power needed the party out of power to come up with its ideas.

Poor Mitch. All that "top talent" around him, and he's asking Democrats for help.

Hmm. All the sources for opinions here must come from the R's as the D's have no ideas at all on creating jobs. Or, maybe the moron is wrong? The D's would replace the R's with their candidates whose ideas are....?????