MIXED MESSAGES. OR WHAT IS THE MESSAGE?

The BizView editorial in the Greater Fort Wayne Weekly in the May 10-16^th addition was entitled “Mixed Messages.”  It compared and contrasted two state business rankings. The message was indeed mixed.

The first provided good news. Indiana, in a Chief Executive Magazine annual ranking, was number 5, behind only Texas, Florida, North Carolina and Tennessee. The survey focused on tax and regulation, work-force skills and quality of life. And placed Indiana at its frequent position of the most northerly of “southern states.”

The second study, however, by The US Chamber of Commerce, put Indiana squarely in the middle. It did well in infrastructure and exports, but lagged in business climate, entrepreneurship and was number 48 on talent pipeline. This is certainly a function of educated youth out-migration. You just can’t keep them on the farm.

So which is correct? Well, next to this editorial is the always enlightening and entertaining Morton J. Marcus. In the parlance of the elevator story, Indiana came out generally well in annual weekly earnings. It came in 14^th in earnings growth.

IF INDIANA IS NOT AVERAGE, WHAT ELSE CAN IT BE?

The author is always a little concerned when Indiana’s ranking deviates from an average ranking in nearly any category. Call it experience. Call it the love of the median and regression to the mean. Call it no trust in outliers.

The Editorial closes with this statement “We’ve made strides, but we’ve got a long way to go.”  I guess you could say that about nearly anything.