02/26/2009 - Indiana’s first stimulus project stimulating Ohio, Michigan? (Times of Northwest Indiana)

Indiana's first stimulus project - a water treatment plant near Fort Wayne - is creating jobs for five workers from Indiana, 11 from Michigan and 10 from Ohio.

So says the Chicago Tribune in a story published Thursday.

Gov. Mitch Daniels keeps saying Indiana is doing better than other states, so maybe it won't hurt to toss our neighbors a few jobs. But if the Trib story is true, expect the Republican governor to hear about this from state lawmakers.

Indiana House Democrats have been complaining for months about Ohio residents working on road construction projects in eastern Indiana.

They've sent the Senate a bill that would set a 90 percent Hoosier worker goal for state road projects and give in-state companies a cost preference of at least 15 percent (and up to 25 percent) when bidding on state contracts.

In an e-mail Thursday afternoon, an Indiana Finance Authority official said the state agency has yet to finalize the stimulus loan for the treatment plant and it appears North Manchester started the project with short-term financing - not stimulus money - because it had construction bids that were about to expire.

Not sure if that mean there's still time to find a few more Hoosiers to work the job.

- Patrick Guinane