Ted Strickland (D) and Ken Blackwell (R) can both agree the Ohio economy is circling the drain. They met last Wednesday to debate their ideas how to fix it to the public. All the facts and figures are there to show how poorly the Ohio economy is doing unfortunately.
“The state’s unemployment rate was 5.7 percent in August, significantly higher than the 4.7 percent national rate. Ohio’s median household income in 2005 was $43,493 – $2,749 less than the national median of $46,242. Ohio has about 150,000 fewer nonfarm jobs than in January 2001. In manufacturing, the numbers are worse: The state has lost about 195,000 manufacturing jobs since the start of 2001 – a fifth of its total.”
Both candidates agree on promoting new high-tech and energy jobs along with finding ways to help business cope with escalating health insurance costs.
The former Ohio treasurer, Blackwell, says Ohio’s tax burden is too high with cumbersome regulations and currently has weak laws, attracting many nuisance lawsuits. He would like to decrease taxes, (a statement NO politician could go wrong with), have less stringent regulations, and create stronger laws to discourage lawsuits. He has various ideas as to how to do all this, including eliminating the estate tax and lease the Ohio Turnpike to private investors.
Strickland believes the problems lie more with poor investment into the state’s education system. He would like to state private accounts for parents to use for their children’s college tuition. The state would place $500 in the account the first year with $100 each year after. There is no way I could see a proposal like this ever getting passed in any state. While the idea is nice and could definitely help children and parents deal with the rising cost of college, NO WAY would all the politicians and various interest groups allow a plan like this to go into action. This program would get completely lost and ruined in any government run system. Parents should have the responsibility to START a savings account and not need the government to hold their hands.
He also proposes spending $100 million dollars on preschool programs. He would like to start various “micro-incubator” programs for people to bring ideas for various businesses. An idea like this might work as the Rochester Institute of Technology has a program called the High Tech Incubator (http://www.venturecreations.org/) like this to help people with their ideas. With this, Strickland would like to set aside $250 million dollars for the program.
Both Senate candidates also realize the importance of these topics. They are not offering detailed plans, but ensure the public they can save existing jobs and create new ones while sitting on the Hill in DC. Sherrod Brown (D) would like to fight for trade policies to protect jobs in Ohio that would ban the import of goods made in sweatshops or by prison labor. Mike DeWine (R) – Incumbent supports his trade deals saying expanding trade with other countries has allowed the Ohio job market to grow. DeWine also points to his seat on the Senate Appropriations Committee saying he has helped bring money to Ohio and will even more if elected again.
Overall, it seems to me these four politicians have a good handle on exactly what the public wants to hear. None of these are promises, but I would see them as “pipe dreams” to get the people of Ohio worked up about and have them vote for that candidate. The people of Ohio have to take what is said with a grain of salt and realize these candidates might be able to deliver TEN PERCENT of what their mouths are actually saying.
The FULL ARTICLE can be read at the Plain Dealer site, part of Cleveland.com
