Since the 1980’s, Indianapolis has been the economic engine propelling Indiana’s economy. But the severe economic downturn gripping America finally hit the Indianapolis area with a vengeance.
January’s unemployment data shows that our city and metro are now feeling big time the recession’s ravages. Indiana’s unemployment is 9.2 percent, among the highest in the Midwest and nation. More ominously, unemployment in the city/county and metro has jumped sharply.
The 10 county metro’s unemployment rate is 8.0 percent — the highest in over 20 years. Hamilton County is lowest at 6.0 percent; stunningly high for that affluent county. Worst metro counties — Putnam (11.8 percent), Shelby (10.5 percent), Brown (10.9 percent) and Morgan (9.4 percent).
Indianapolis/Marion County’s unemployment is now 8.4 percent, highest in over a quarter century, with 38,246 out of work, a jump of nearly 16,000 in the past year.
Black unemployment in Indianapolis is estimated at nearly 17,000, for an unemployment rate of 15.1 percent, a figure not seen here also for over 25 years.
With 320,000 Hoosiers out of work, Gov. Mitch Daniels’ stubborn refusal to accept additional federal unemployment aid is a misguided, horrendously callous decision. It’s not worthy of Daniels’ compassion or his legacy.
Neither are efforts by Republicans in the legislature to even contemplate reducing unemployment benefits, which are among the lowest in the nation.
And if the auto industry contracts, which is likely, Indiana could be faced with thousands more out of work, pushing the state’s unemployment way over 10 percent and Indianapolis’ over 9 percent — levels unheard of since the Depression.
Meanwhile, like the banks, Indiana’s borrowing perhaps a billion bucks by year’s end from the feds because our state’s unemployment fund is insolvent.
So, this isn’t the time to cut benefits to hurting Hoosiers. A combination of sensible eligibility rules and increased unemployment taxes on businesses is needed. But, My Man Mitch needs to take all the Obama cash Indiana’s entitled to and help those out of work — now!
What I’m Hearing in the Streets
Standardized tests aren’t supposed to be torture. But the ISTEP math tests administered last week by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) were educational waterboarding!
Hundreds of third through eighth graders — across the state, in public, charter and parochial schools in inner cities, suburban and rural areas were subjected to a grueling academic chamber of horrors that literally brought students to tears, depression and feelings of inadequacy.
Wes Bruce, the IDOE official in charge of ISTEP, told our “Afternoons with Amos” audience that the test was “designed to be difficult” and for students to “deal with multiple questions within a question.”
I’ve asked IDOE for a wide range of documents concerning the preparation of this flawed math ISTEP, as well as what school administrations and teachers were told since a major complaint was the lack of warning and information from state officials about the difficulty of new ISTEP tests.
While new Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett didn’t design the test, he’s responsible for its administration. His indifference and lack of reaction to the statewide outcry and upset students, teachers and parents shows insensitivity to Hoosier students.
Minds weren’t changed after proponents of local government consolidation and elimination finally deigned to speak to our African-American community. On “Afternoons with Amos,” MySmart.Gov Executive Director Marilyn Schultz and former Kernan/Shepard commission member Louie Mahern justified township elimination as a matter of economics. Ignoring the real fears of African-Americans that their voice and votes will be eliminated.
Schultz and Mahern want our community to have faith that a Republican mayor should control townships even though voters four months ago voted those townships Democratic controlled. And Schultz and Mahern want Blacks to have faith that more Black firefighters will be hired and promoted even though Mayor Ballard opposes including race as a factor.
Minds weren’t changed. In fact, more Blacks are angrier over the plan after hearing Schultz and Mahern’s lame arguments in a two hour dialog.
This columnist participated in a conference call with African-American media and Obama Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emmanuel.
Black media on the call pressed Jarrett and Emmanuel on the importance of stimulus money getting to Black communities.
They reaffirmed the strong minority participation rules in the president’s stimulus programs. And Jarrett and Emmanuel urged the Black community to keep pressure on local governments to make sure that Black communities get their fair share of the dollars.
The Obama Administration is serious about making stimulus spending open and transparent. Regarding transportation funding, the Indiana Department of Transportation is doing that.
But road and transit funding for Indianapolis goes through the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). My calls last week to them elicited no clue on what projects have been proposed or what might be funded.
The deteriorating employment situation in Indianapolis means declining local option income tax and sales tax revenues. Mayor Ballard’s budget was based on a rosy economy outlook for Indianapolis, an outlook that doesn’t exist now.
This column has warned for months that serious cuts are coming to city/county services. Something our Pollyannaish mayor refuses to publicly address. Cuts are coming and I fear our Black community will bear the heaviest brunt.
In a move that could already worsen relations between the African-American community and the Ballard Administration, I’m picking up rumbles that the Ballard Brood is seriously considering an ordinance codifying the mayor’s boneheaded anti-diversity employment policies. If such a racially divisive ordinance is introduced, pressure will be put on City-County Council Democrats to stand with our community and diversity. Even more pressure will fall upon the Council’s two Black Republican members as well the Council’s sole Libertarian.
The mayor doesn’t have a clue how his policies are worsening race relations in a city/county increasingly minority.
See ‘ya next week!
Amos Brown’s opinions are not necessarily those of the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. You can contact him at (317) 221-0915 or by e-mail at ACBROWN@AOL.COM.
