12%

The new unemployment numbers came out for Indiana this week and the news is not pretty. From what I understand northern Indiana is suffering from a slightly higher unemployment rate than other parts of the state. Lagrange and Elkhart Counties are at 15%. Our county, let's call it Republicania County, is at 12%........3% higher than any of our neighbors. Even higher than our neighbor to our west who historically has a higher rate than we do. And I don't think it has bottomed out yet.

12%. Let's put that in perspective. When the unemployment rate reaches 6% in republicania county, it is considered high.....rarely does it reach that number. When the last set of stats came out we were at 8% which was an historic high.

We are at 12%....4% higher than the historic high......I'm not sure what the rate was during the depression, but only that could be higher. What's my point here?

Republicania County instituted well over a year ago a "county wide economic development" initiative. River City threw out its old mayor in 2007 for a new one who pledged that he would bring economic development to our languishing city fertile with economically viable potential. And we voted in overwhelming majority to return a governor who has touted his job creation successes in the state.

And here we sit with a 12% unemployment rate. Something doesn't add up.

You might suggest I'm being unfair because of the current national economic environment. I guess if I saw our county officials and business leaders who pushed for this county-wide group, or our mayor actually doing something....I might be convinced of that. Or if I saw our governor actually be the progressive republican he claimed to be rather than touting the 100 new jobs he's created to handle unemployment claims.....the "unfair" argument might have some traction.

No, even in this current economic climate, we've been let down by our republicania county and river city leaders. And certainly by our governor. We've been sold a bill of goods...that we can't even afford. 6% might be acceptable, even 8% might be understandable.....but 12%? Who do they think they're kidding? Oh yeah, the voters!