Opinion

Having an educated populace has always been seen as a necessary component of our constitutional republic. Citizens need more than the basic knowledge to earn a living; they also need to understand their civic rights and obligations as members of a self-governing community.

I’ve been living in Rustbelt towns in West Virginia, Ohio and Indiana for more than two decades. One shocking thing I continue to hear is the belief that something will cause an increase in factory jobs. Whether this fantasy is heard on the national stage or in cities and towns, I remain stunned by the ignorance that otherwise intelligent people have about manufacturing in the United States.

I greatly appreciated Gabriel Bosslet’s guest column in the July 29 edition of The Tribune.

On the 246th anniversary of our founding, many Americans will find reason for pessimism about the nation’s future. There are many difficult challenges before us, which I will list shortly. Still, we are also possessed with deep wells of strength from which to craft a free and prosperous future.

People consider me old fashioned, even medieval, in my thinking and outlook. I plead guilty.

There are three numbers I’d like you to keep track of as you read this column: 11.3 million, 6 million, and 1.6 million. The 11.3 million is the number of job openings in this county. The 6 million is the number of unemployed in the United States, and the 1.6 million represents the number of attempted illegal border crossings.

The inflation data this week pointed to continued high prices, despite an announcement by the Federal Reserve of significant efforts to end inflation this year. At the same time, more than one economist suggested that we face higher recession risks this year. Both of these developments are worrying, and I think there is cause for concern both on inflation and recession risks. But, there is also reason for some optimism, along with plenty of uncertainty.

Over the past 30 years, companies in the United States have added 40 million jobs. This is a remarkable achievement that enriches Americans and dramatically improves our standard of living. As we think about this growth, it is helpful to consider what type of jobs have been created, what types of workers are hired and what these facts tell us about the types of economic policies we pursue at the state and local level.

Today, many businesses struggle to hire the workers they need.

Dear Hoosiers,