02/16/2011 - Indiana Democrats launch “Where Are The Jobs?” feature

INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Democrats today launched an online initiative to hold Republicans accountable for their failure to focus on jobs and economic development during the current session of the Indiana General Assembly, which began last month.

The “Where Are The Jobs?” feature, which will compile headlines of GOP-driven agenda items, will be highlighted on the front page of the Indiana Democratic Party website – www.indems.org – for the duration of the legislative session. Related updates via the party’s Twitter account (@INDems) will carry the #notjobs hash tag.

Indiana Democratic Party Chair Dan Parker outlined Democrats’ commitment to fiscal responsibility and job growth over divisive wedge issues such as immigration, gay marriage and other distractions promoted by GOP lawmakers so far this session.

“It’s unacceptable that we’ve spent six weeks talking about gay marriage, which already is illegal, and immigration reform, which is a federal issue, while hard-working Hoosiers remain jobless and unable to find work because Republicans would rather divide the state than conquer our problems,” Parker said.

Hoosiers today make less money than the rest of the nation – and less money than they made seven years ago.

Parker called on Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels to get his Republican colleagues, who control both chambers of the General Assembly, to focus on important issues facing hard-working Hoosiers. Daniels has refused to comment on state intrusion into the federal immigration debate or gay marriage despite the fact that lawmakers have spent several days this session focusing on those issues.

“I realize it’s more alluring for a lame-duck Governor with presidential aspirations to spend his time headlining right-wing conferences in Washington, but Hoosiers need leadership here on the issues that affect their pocketbooks,” Parker said.

Parker pointed out that Daniels has exaggerated jobs numbers and claimed premature victories to create a false record of job creation in Indiana. He also noted that without financial help from President Obama and the Democratic Congress, Indiana would have been much worse off than we already are.

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