Strickland Campaign Responds to Kasich Campaign Plan to Outsource Job Creation to Wall Street
COLUMBUS- Today, Strickland for Governor Communications Director Lis Smith released the following statement responding to Republican gubernatorial candidate Congressman John Kasich’s economic announcement:
“After years of supporting unfair trade deals and outsourcing that cost Ohio over 460,000 jobs and helped Wall Street, it’s not surprising that Congressman Kasich wants to outsource economic development to corporate interests at the expense of working Ohioans. Ohioans know that this economic recession started with economic greed on Wall Street and the bankruptcy of Wall Street investment firm Lehman Brothers, where Congressman Kasich worked for eight years.”
“Ohioans don’t need a fox guarding the hen house, they need a governor who will fight to grow jobs from the ground up by improving education, lowering taxes, and making Ohio more business-friendly. That’s exactly what Ted has done as governor and will continue to do over the next four years.”
Background:
Kasich Supported Outsourcing Ohio Jobs
Ohio Lost At Least 466,000 Jobs Because Of Bad Free Trade Policies. According to Policy Matters Ohio, from 1995 through May 17, 2010, 119,215 Ohioans were eligible for the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program. TAA “provides help to workers who lose their jobs because of rising imports or shifts in U.S. production to overseas locations. Workers may receive additional unemployment benefits, training and a health coverage tax credit, among other benefits.” According to the Economic Policy Institute, every 100 manufacturing jobs sustain 291 support jobs. 119,215 + (119,215 * 2.91) = 466,130 Jobs.[Schiller, Zach and Mordue, Brandon. "Trade Adjustment Assistance In Ohio 2010." Policy Matters Ohio. July, 2010, Economic Policy Institute August, 2003]
Strickland Has Fought to Grow Ohio Jobs
Strickland Altered And Eliminated Hundreds Of Rules And Red Tape. Governor Strickland’s Advantage Ohio initiative was undertaken to eliminate or change unnecessary and cumbersome rules, and resulted in the revision of over 1,800 rules and the elimination of nearly 250 rules after a review of approximately 3,800 rules by state agencies. Strickland was the first governor in Ohio history to undertake comprehensive regulatory reform, applying the principles he set out in his 2008 “Common Sense Business Regulation” executive order. [Executive Order 2008-04S; Ohio Business Gateway]
Strickland Successfully Implemented The Third Frontier Program And Fought For Its Expansion. In 2009, Governor Strickland called for a reauthorization and expansion of funding for the Third Frontier Program. Third Frontier has created over 55,000 jobs, including 14,000 in 2009, and has distributed more than $1 billion in grants to support high-tech research and stimulate job growth in high-tech sectors. On May 4, Ohioans will vote on a $700 million bond proposal to fund the extension of the program, up from the $500 million approved by voters in 2005. [Dayton Daily News, 12/1/2009; Cleveland Plain Dealer, 3/28/2010]
Strickland Strengthened Workforce Training To Create And Retain Jobs. Governor Strickland has supported workforce training programs in Ohio and worked to tailor them to business needs. The Ohio Workforce Guarantee offers direct reimbursement for companies seeking to train their employees. Ohio has trained over 140,000 workers since Strickland came to office, helping to create and retain tens of thousands of jobs. Strickland called on the legislature to expand support for this and other successful workforce development programs in his 2010 State of the State address and he is now working with the legislature to make that happen. [Ohio Department of Development; Office of the Governor]
Strickland Created The Ohio Skills Bank To Tailor Training To Employers’ Needs. Governor Strickland and the Ohio Board of Regents created the Ohio Skills Bank to regionalize the state’s workforce training efforts. Educators and workforce professionals work together with regional employers to identify their workforce priorities to ensure Ohio’s workforce education programs and institutions of higher learning are meeting those needs. [Ohio Board of Regents]
