The Richmond Palladium-Item has an editorial concerning brain-drain in Indiana. “An annual census survey released the other day shows that Indiana slid to 46th last year among the 50 states in terms of the percentage of residents 25 and older who have earned bachelor’s or graduate degrees. With about 1 in 5 Hoosiers holding advanced degrees, the state ranks well below the national average for college graduates.” Their position: brain-drain is bad. Courageous, really. Standing up to the powerful pro-brain-drain lobby. Their solution:
Where Indiana must do a better is in creating both the jobs and the degrees to fill current voids in, say, technology, information, health and medical science fields, to name a few of the areas of growth employment.
I agree with the Palladium-Item. In previous commentary, I suggested that the Daniels’ Administration was missing the boat by targeting farm growth as a as a major component of its economic plan. Another problem that occurs to me is Indiana’s intellectually backward social climate. Evidence of such a climate is SJR 7 which amends the Constitution to prohibit gay marriages or any benefits of civil unions for gays. This is not just an incidental bill. The House Republicans, you will recall, described this Amendment last year as the “most important” issue facing Indiana. A state where the “most important issue” is banning gay marriage and benefits of civil unions for gay couples cannot be a very attractive location to settle down for young, educated Hoosiers.
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