Vision 2020 for East Central Indiana

Over the last calendar year, the Baur Foundation has taken great leaps in mission, vision, and outreach. However, I firmly believe that the greatest accomplishments of the Baur Foundation are yet to come. As the Executive Director and working with the Board President, I am pleased to present Vision 2020.  

The J. Robert & Joanne N. Baur Foundation was founded in 1985 with the simple idea to fund solutions, education and research activities associated with economic and public policy issues of free markets, free people, individual responsibility and democracy, with a focus on East Central Indiana (ECI). Unfortunately, since 1985 other locations around the state of Indiana and the US have flourished while many believe that the best days are in the rearview mirror for East Central Indiana. A changing global economy has caused ECI to lose many of the large employers that once called this area home. Job loss has caused drugs, crime, and poverty to tarnish what was once known as Middle America. ECI is in a much-needed makeover, and the old way thinking for what once worked for government, business, and education needs an overhaul.  

With the generous support of the Baur Foundation, the people of East Central Indiana can be empowered to make ECI a model of what can be done to create a better place to live, work, start a business, run a business, and raise a family. 

Step 1- Deal with the past. As ECI has gradually declined, crime, drugs, and poverty inversely increased with business decline. The government has not been able to find solutions that work; however it has not stopped elected officials to continue to throw money down rabbit holes without results.  We will continue our support of those that seek solutions and fight for results.

Step 2- Create Jobs and spur business development and innovation

Create Growth- The “old” way of economic development is a “pay for play” model that aims to create job growth and get companies to relocate and stay in ECI. Government has again thrown money down rabbit holes wasting valuable tax dollars and not achieving results to increase jobs, tax base, or quality of life. As business has changed, so to changes are needed to economic development. Private economic development is way of the future. The seeds have been laid, and the results speak for themselves. The Baur Foundation needs work to develop further systems and procedures that can be adopted by other municipalities and promoted by the State of Indiana as a free market privatized solution to overcome unhealthy legacy economic development strategies and wasted tax dollars that don’t produce results.  

What and How to Grow- The “old” way of thinking is to have large employers and industry call ECI home. The reality is when a single large employer leaves or a sector of the economy suffers loss, a local economy can be decimated. While ECI and the legacy model of economic development focus on “big business,” it is small business that is the real growth engine of the United States. The Baur Foundation needs to partner and work with organizations that spur small business development, growth, and funding. Government is largely inefficient and ineffective in creating and catering to small business needs. The “traditional” thinking in business incubation is that brick and mortar buildings will create growth, but what entrepreneurs and small business need is support, including programs, services, and access to funding.

Make ECI Employee Benefits Programs Cost Competitive- Indiana is ranked #40 in healthcare cost and health insurance befits are the 3rd highest cost (and sometimes #2) for employers behind cost of goods sold and salary. Health insurance costs are a major factor that employers look at when evaluating decisions to stay, locate, expand or start companies in ECI. To further acerbate the healthcare problem, some of the most expensive hospitals with the lowest outcomes in the US call ECI home. People and employers are at a boiling point, and despite the best efforts of elected officials, government intervention has only created continued price increases without improvements to outcomes.  With the help of the Baur Foundation, the cost of health insurance can be lowered to those that join the health plan. With lower healthcare and health insurance costs, ECI will have a leg up on other locations that continue with traditional methods of health insurance and healthcare. 

Education-Indiana has been at the cutting edge of school choice, however ECI has lagged not only the nation, but the state of Indiana when it comes to quality education. In particular the Muncie School System after years of poor leadership was taken over by Ball State University. The Baur Foundation has recognized that early and proper assessment of school performance is a key to ensure that our children receive quality education that fit learning styles to help prepare them for success in the classroom and in life. The “school ranking tool” project will be completed in 3rd quarter of 2019 and introduced to the public.

Step 3- Give Back – 

It has been adopted by the board that some of the distributions of the Baur Foundation shall be dedicated to “other” needs of the community.  There is lots of work to be done, and we all must give back to make it happen.

Please join me in the 2020 Vision of Baur Foundation as we seek to root out problems and find solutions for East Central Indiana. With a focus on dealing with the past and finding new and innovating ways to deal with the future, the Baur Foundation will impower people to make ECI a better place to live, work, start a business, run a business, and raise a family.