Democratic gubernatorial candidate visits Bloomington

Jill Long Thompson, former U.S. representative and one of the candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for governor, was in Bloomington visiting her alma mater Tuesday.\nThompson, who earned her M.B.A. in 1978 from IU, taught marketing and statistics classes during her graduate work. In an exclusive interview, Thompson said this has directly impacted her agenda for the statehouse.\nThompson’s No. 1 goal is to lead Indiana in a different direction of economic development, citing the state’s below-average personal income rate and decreased unemployment fund as key concerns necessitating this new lead.\n“We used to stand apart,” Thompson said. “I’d like to again.”\nIndiana has not replaced the jobs it lost during the administration of Gov. Mitch Daniels, Thompson said. Thompson advocates reforming the tax structure and creating policies that encourage companies to headquarter within the Hoosier State.\nThe first question companies ask when considering a move concerns education, Thompson said. Only about three-quarters of Indiana’s high school students graduated in 2007, according to the Indiana Department of Education’s Web site. Thompson, in part, blames standardized testing.\nEducation needs to address individual students’ needs, and standardized testing does the opposite, Thompson said. It is not used to assess a student’s overall performance – it is used to allocate funds, she said.\nAside from reforming taxation and reevaluating standardized testing, Thompson advocates creating policies that give incentives for developing innovative technology and lowering the costs of health care. These factors would also encourage companies to headquarter here, Thompson said.\nThompson is competing with Jim Schellinger for the Democratic nomination for this year’s gubernatorial election.