State should deny funding increase

The Indianapolis business lobby organization TechNet is pressuring the Indiana General Assembly to increase the state's 21st Century fund to at least $50 million a year. The group hopes the funds will eventually rise to $100 million annually.\nThe fund commits tax dollars to help corporate and academic research in high technology. \nMany involved in Indiana's technology industry agree the state lags behind most of the nation when it comes to the digital revolution, or new economy, that has spurred the greatest economic expansion in history. \nBut caving in to a business lobby seeking corporate welfare is not the solution to this problem. \nThe Progressive Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to analyzing and promoting the new economy, produces a popular ranking system using 17 economic indicators to rate how well each state is faring in the digital revolution. According to this system, Indiana ranks 37, right behind Nebraska.\nIn one of the indicators, industry investment in research and development, Indiana ranks 12th nationally. While this ranking means Indiana industries are doing something right, it also means spending tax dollars on research and development will not be much help in increasing the ranking. \nIf research and development is not the problem, why should the state pump more resources into that area?\nLooking at the economic indicators dragging Indiana down in the rankings gives an indication of where tax dollars should go. Of 50 states, Indiana ranks 41st in the percentage of adults with Internet access, 42nd in work force education and 43rd in the percentage of engineers and scientists in the population.\nThe General Assembly would better serve the state if it spent the $25-$50 million the business lobby wants for corporations on education, specifically on math and science.\nIf the General Assembly increased the number of technically skilled workers and gave them the proper tools (Internet access), Indiana could become more technologically advanced.\nPPI agrees with this notion in its introduction to its ranking system. It outlines a policy framework for states to succeed in the New Economy. Its number 1 suggestion is for the state government to co-invest with the industry in the skills of the workforce; in other words, spend its money on education.\nThe General Assembly needs to ignore the advice of the business lobby and think of the people, not the corporations, when it decides how to spend tax dollars to better the economy.