The Wall Street Journal has taken notice of what a trainwreck this state has become, especially in the past two years:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121460691372812085.html?mod=opinion_main...
"Ohio already has the fifth-heaviest state and local tax burden in the country (up from 30th in 1990) and finds itself stagnating. Its unemployment rate, 6.3%, is above the national rate of 5.5%, even as the state's work force shrinks as people emigrate. Ohio's median household income is also falling – in 2006 it was $44,500, down 0.5% from the previous year – while the national figure ($48,500) was up 1.6%. During the closing decades of the 20th century, incomes rose twice as fast across the country as in Ohio."
Growing tax burden, failing schools, growth of government sector, combined with migration of young people and seniors from the state to places with brighter futures are all combining to crush this state. So far Gov. Ted has been all talk and no action. He's busy running for VP (or denying it) while his staff shuffles deck chairs on the Titanic.
My retired parents moved their permanent residence to Florida, based solely upon tax burden. If I could sell my house, my family and I would pack up and roll down I-75 as well. I left Ohio after high school, but came back 10 years later. Wages are stagnant, taxes increasing, government schools ineffective. Where's the upside to staying here?
thanks for posting the link.
The author, Republican Chester Finn says "Ohio already has the fifth-heaviest state and local tax burden in the country (up from 30th in 1990) and finds itself stagnating". Yet he doesn't say where he gets these figures from. As far as I can see from this site, 14 states have higher incomes tax rates than Ohio and 18 states have higher corporate tax rates. Not saying this is good, just not as bad as Finn claims.
Finn also says "Ohio's median household income is also falling – in 2006 it was $44,500, down 0.5% from the previous year – while the national figure ($48,500) was up 1.6%." But in 2006, the Republicans were in control of the Governor's office. Ted Strickland didn't begin his term until 2007.
Then he says, "During the closing decades of the 20th century, incomes rose twice as fast across the country as in Ohio". But again---the Republican were in control during the closing decades of the 20th century.
Then Finn says, "The state has been deindustrializing for ages – the sprawling General Motors and NCR plants of my Dayton childhood are long gone. Every metropolitan area has seen manufacturing employment plunge". But which party's supporters have been pleading for our gov't to look at our trade policies, that created this loss of mfg jobs in first place?
Very misleading article.