Long Thompson Holds Town Hall Meeting on the Economy in Fort Wayne

Press Release

Long Thompson Holds Town Hall Meeting on the Economy in Fort Wayne

Northeast Indiana hit hard by failing economy, posts 6.5% unemployment rate in July

Continuing to reach out to Hoosiers suffering under the failing Bush-Daniels economy, today Democratic candidate for Governor Jill Long Thompson met with northeast Indiana residents to listen to their ideas, concerns and discuss her plans for creating good-paying jobs across the state.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Indiana ranked second in the nation in decline of employment in July, with 17,800 fewer Hoosiers holding jobs than the previous month. At the same time, the Fort Wayne Metropolitan area saw an overall unemployment rate of 6.5 percent, which is higher than both the state and national averages.

"In order to rebuild Indiana's economy, we must ensure that every Hoosier has a seat at the table and a voice in the discussion," said Long Thompson. "Indiana's economy has been suffering because Governor Daniels has consistently refused to acknowledge the challenges facing our working families and has put in place shortsighted policies that have stifled our economic potential."

In addition to a 6.3 percent unemployment rate, Indiana continues to be among the leading states for home foreclosures, health care costs and a report released on Wednesday ranked Indiana 8th in personal bankruptcies, 2nd in business bankruptcies, and 5th out of the 50 states in bankruptcies overall.

"With our skilled workforce, our outstanding colleges and universities and geographic position in the country, Indiana should be able to compete with anyone. We shouldn't have to endure the type of job loss that we've seen over the last several months," added Long Thompson. "If you look across the state, northeastern Indiana is getting hit especially hard - and as someone who grew up here, I don't like what I am seeing.

"I know we can do better. Indiana and northeastern Indiana deserve better."

The region has experienced some of the greatest job loss in the state, putting northeast Indiana well above the national average for unemployment. The most recent statistics from the United States Bureau of Labor rate Huntington County's unemployment at 7.3 percent, with neighboring counties surpassing this figure for the month of July; Grant County reported 8.2 percent unemployment, Blackford County 9.4 percent, Wabash County 7.8 percent, 7.6 percent were without jobs in Whitely County and Noble county saw 9.7 percent unemployment in July. Northeastern Indiana's LaGrange County holds the second highest unemployment in the state at a staggering 10.3 percent.

"I believe with new leadership and new priorities we can quickly turn this economy and create good-paying jobs all across the state," added Long Thompson. "That's why I am running for Governor. I want to put in place some common sense reforms that will enable Indiana to be more competitive so we can create the long term opportunities for all of our families."

As a part of her "One Indiana Plan," to rebuild the economy and create sustainable job growth, Long Thompson will restructure the state's tax code to make Indiana more competitive and better able to retain good-paying jobs. Specifically, her plan calls for placing specific, performance-based incentives into the tax structure to help grow jobs and change state law to allow all individuals and businesses who choose to pool together to buy health insurance in bulk.

Long Thompson has also proposed an innovative program to grow good-paying jobs in the state's struggling communities. Modeled after structures in several other states, Long Thompson's "Economic Tiers" program would categorize the state's 92 counties into three different categories and then allocate the state's economic development dollars accordingly. The tiers, which would be updated regularly, would be determined by a county's unemployment rate, median household income, population growth and assessed property value per capita.

Known for her ability to get things done, Jill Long Thompson is an accomplished public servant. She has served as a city councilor, a Congresswoman and as Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture. Long Thompson grew up on her family's farm in rural Whitley County and was the first in her family to go to college. She received her undergraduate degree from Valparaiso University and went on to earn a master's and Ph.D. in business from Indiana University. A farmer and college professor by trade, Long Thmpson lives with her husband Don Thompson, a commercial airline pilot, on their farm in Marshall County.

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