Capital Comments

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Scrooge and Malthus Nov 26, 2024

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The holiday season is here, and with it a chance to read or watch Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Listen to learn the strange connection between Ebenezer Scrooge, "surplus population" and British economist Rev. Thomas Malthus. Purdue ag economist, Larry DeBoer, explains.

Policies to Cut Homeowner Property Taxes Oct 23, 2024

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Suppose we want to cut property taxes for homeowners. How could we do that? Purdue ag economist, Larry DeBoer, explains.

The Federal Reserve Makes Its Move Sep 25, 2024

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Last week the Federal Reserve changed its interest rate policy. What did the Fed do, and why?

Purdue ag economist, Larry DeBoer, explains.

How Do We Know If a Recession Has Started? Aug 29, 2024

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How do we know if a recession has started? Sometimes it’s obvious. In March 2020 during the pandemic emergency, weekly applications for unemployment insurance jumped from 200,000 to 6 million. There was no doubt we were in a recession. More often, it’s hard to know if a recession has begun. Ag Economist, Larry Deboer, explains.

Balances Cover Shortfalls in Indiana’s State Budget Jul 24, 2024

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Closeout day in the Indiana State House is near and dear to the number crunchers among us. That’s the day the State Comptroller and the State Budget Agency tell us about revenues, expenditures and balances for the just-ended fiscal year.

Fifty Years of Indiana Property Tax Policy Jun 26, 2024

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Ag economist, Larry DeBoer, breaks down the ups and down of Indiana's property tax policy.

What Will Happen When the Social Security Trust Fund Runs Out? May 23, 2024

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Purdue agricultural economist, Larry DeBoer, posits what could happen to Social Security in this episode of Capital Comments.

The Envelope from the County Treasurer Apr 24, 2024

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It was printed in bold letters on the front of the envelope. “Open Immediately. Property Tax Notice Enclosed.” It was the annual property tax bill on my house! I remembered last year: a jump in my tax bill of 31 percent.

I tore open the envelope and found the page of numbers showing how my tax bill was calculated. The taxable assessed value of my home went up only 3 percent this year. Last year the increase was 35 percent. My tax rate went down by almost 5 percent. The tax bill is the assessed value times the rate. If my home value went up 3, but my tax rate went down 5, my tax bill should decrease by about 2 percent, right? Wrong. My tax bill went up 10 percent.

A Simple View of the Economy Helps Us Understand Growth Mar 21, 2024

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Let’s think about the economy in the simplest possible way. People use tools to make goods and services, which other people buy. Gross domestic product is our measure of the value of goods and services. It grew 2.5 percent above inflation in 2023. We can use the simple view of the economy to figure out why GDP grew this much, and what will make it grow in the future.

How Much Will Homeowner Property Tax Bills Rise in 2024? Feb 22, 2024

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Last year Indiana homeowners were hit with property tax bill increases averaging 17 percent, an extraordinary increase. Will it happen again in 2024? Let’s compare 2023 to what we know about 2024 so far, and take a guess.

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