Letters to the Editor 01-07-2002
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Supportkids - Economic Development
Supportkids
Editor, Times-Union:I just wanted to let people know that if they are having problems collecting child support, I found an agency who was wonderful to work with. They are called Supportkids.com. I first saw their ad on TV last March and decided to give them a try. My daughter had just turned 18 years old and I thought I wouldn't have a prayer because it had been 16 years since she had gotten any support. I tried myself writing to the agency the support was supposed to be going to and got nowhere. I wrote letters and wrote letters and of course got nowhere. Supportkids.com charged me 34 percent of what they collected for me but 34 percent of nothing is nothing. Thirteen months later, I received a check for my past due child support. If you want to find more about them you can go to www.supportkids.com.
Eugenia Case
Mentone
via e-mail
Economic Development
Editor, Times-Union:Along with many other Indiana corporate leaders, I am concerned by the direction our state is taking and the apparent disconnection between state government and our need for 21st century economic development.
CEOs from across the state are coming together to call on elected officials to take action - our arguments are outlined in the following editorial. I hope you will take a moment to look it over.
Michael L. Kubacki, president
Lake City Bank, Warsaw
Editorial: A Statement by Indiana's Business Community
Indiana's economic difficulties are apparent. Without economic growth, the much-publicized state budget gap will continue to widen - and without a long-term economic vision, Indiana's potential for growth is limited.
Lt. Gov. Kernan recently unveiled a tax-restructuring plan. Several features are noteworthy, including the elimination of Indiana's onerous inventory tax, the expansion of the research and development tax credit and the shift away from over-reliance on property taxes. While the details are forthcoming, these are positive policies that will encourage economic development in the 21st century economy. Gov. O'Bannon's deficit-reduction proposal is another piece of the puzzle that merits serious discussion.
But raising and shifting taxes won't solve all of our problems - encouraging long-term economic prosperity is the only way to grow out of our fiscal woes.
Ultimately, how we invest our state's revenues is more important than how we collect them. To invest wisely, we need a common vision for our economy. From this vision, we must ask if our current budgets reflect our priorities and if available revenues are sufficient to make necessary strategic investments in Indiana's economy. Revenue planning should be based on the policies and programs needed to achieve our vision - not the other way around.
We speak for a growing consensus among Indiana's business leaders. We come from across the state, sharing the privilege and responsibility of leading companies that employ Hoosiers and pay taxes to state and local governments. We recognize the need for a diversified 21st century economy for Indiana. This means recognizing opportunities for growth. It means helping our bedrock industries, like manufacturing, potential strengths like transportation and logistics, and cutting-edge sectors like information technology and life sciences.
To build this economy, we must change the way Indiana does business. Education must be prioritized as a key partner in economic development. Not so long ago, tax abatements and zoning variances were key tools for attracting business growth. Not today. Now, a skilled workforce and thriving research centers are key. We must support higher education's efforts to align curricula with available career opportunities, while using our community college system to provide in-plant training for current employees and re-training for employment in cutting-edge industries. And we must target promising commercial research on our college campuses, ensuring that it can easily be brought to market.
Other pressing needs must also be addressed. Capital must be available to fuel new business growth; from the public sector, strategic investment of state pension funds would advance this goal. State government should also assist Indiana's regions and their counties and municipalities in developing and implementing "new economy" economic development strategies.
This strategy must be in place as soon as possible. A good start can be made by acting to address the state's fiscal problems and evaluating some of the policies described above during the upcoming legislative session. Putting off action until the 2003 session will only guarantee continued stagnation, lost jobs and falling wages for Hoosiers.
Indiana's reward for this effort can be a growing economy that produces good jobs to replace those that have been lost. We have faith that individual Hoosiers have the potential to compete and win in the 21st century economy that is our new reality. They need state policies and priorities that allow them to realize that potential. We must all work together to adopt a long-term vision and plan that provides the tools that our citizens, communities and businesses need to succeed.
[[In-content Ad]]
- Supportkids - Economic Development
Supportkids
Editor, Times-Union:I just wanted to let people know that if they are having problems collecting child support, I found an agency who was wonderful to work with. They are called Supportkids.com. I first saw their ad on TV last March and decided to give them a try. My daughter had just turned 18 years old and I thought I wouldn't have a prayer because it had been 16 years since she had gotten any support. I tried myself writing to the agency the support was supposed to be going to and got nowhere. I wrote letters and wrote letters and of course got nowhere. Supportkids.com charged me 34 percent of what they collected for me but 34 percent of nothing is nothing. Thirteen months later, I received a check for my past due child support. If you want to find more about them you can go to www.supportkids.com.
Eugenia Case
Mentone
via e-mail
Economic Development
Editor, Times-Union:Along with many other Indiana corporate leaders, I am concerned by the direction our state is taking and the apparent disconnection between state government and our need for 21st century economic development.
CEOs from across the state are coming together to call on elected officials to take action - our arguments are outlined in the following editorial. I hope you will take a moment to look it over.
Michael L. Kubacki, president
Lake City Bank, Warsaw
Editorial: A Statement by Indiana's Business Community
Indiana's economic difficulties are apparent. Without economic growth, the much-publicized state budget gap will continue to widen - and without a long-term economic vision, Indiana's potential for growth is limited.
Lt. Gov. Kernan recently unveiled a tax-restructuring plan. Several features are noteworthy, including the elimination of Indiana's onerous inventory tax, the expansion of the research and development tax credit and the shift away from over-reliance on property taxes. While the details are forthcoming, these are positive policies that will encourage economic development in the 21st century economy. Gov. O'Bannon's deficit-reduction proposal is another piece of the puzzle that merits serious discussion.
But raising and shifting taxes won't solve all of our problems - encouraging long-term economic prosperity is the only way to grow out of our fiscal woes.
Ultimately, how we invest our state's revenues is more important than how we collect them. To invest wisely, we need a common vision for our economy. From this vision, we must ask if our current budgets reflect our priorities and if available revenues are sufficient to make necessary strategic investments in Indiana's economy. Revenue planning should be based on the policies and programs needed to achieve our vision - not the other way around.
We speak for a growing consensus among Indiana's business leaders. We come from across the state, sharing the privilege and responsibility of leading companies that employ Hoosiers and pay taxes to state and local governments. We recognize the need for a diversified 21st century economy for Indiana. This means recognizing opportunities for growth. It means helping our bedrock industries, like manufacturing, potential strengths like transportation and logistics, and cutting-edge sectors like information technology and life sciences.
To build this economy, we must change the way Indiana does business. Education must be prioritized as a key partner in economic development. Not so long ago, tax abatements and zoning variances were key tools for attracting business growth. Not today. Now, a skilled workforce and thriving research centers are key. We must support higher education's efforts to align curricula with available career opportunities, while using our community college system to provide in-plant training for current employees and re-training for employment in cutting-edge industries. And we must target promising commercial research on our college campuses, ensuring that it can easily be brought to market.
Other pressing needs must also be addressed. Capital must be available to fuel new business growth; from the public sector, strategic investment of state pension funds would advance this goal. State government should also assist Indiana's regions and their counties and municipalities in developing and implementing "new economy" economic development strategies.
This strategy must be in place as soon as possible. A good start can be made by acting to address the state's fiscal problems and evaluating some of the policies described above during the upcoming legislative session. Putting off action until the 2003 session will only guarantee continued stagnation, lost jobs and falling wages for Hoosiers.
Indiana's reward for this effort can be a growing economy that produces good jobs to replace those that have been lost. We have faith that individual Hoosiers have the potential to compete and win in the 21st century economy that is our new reality. They need state policies and priorities that allow them to realize that potential. We must all work together to adopt a long-term vision and plan that provides the tools that our citizens, communities and businesses need to succeed.
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