Policy Matters Ohio founder, Amy Hanauer, lets staff own its work
“If you want different outcomes for lower income families or different environmental outcomes, you need to get at it from a policy perspective. I don’t think that charity alone is going to get you to the relief of poverty or low-paying jobs that don’t enable people or families to thrive. It’s not going to create […]
Ohio leads the nation in job losses in March even though unemployment rate fell
Olivera Perkins Ohio led the nation in job losses in March, even as the state’s unemployment rate inched downward. Fewer jobs, but more people working? Blame the contradiction on how data used in calculating the jobless rate are collected. George Zeller, an economic research analyst in Cleveland, cited “technical inconsistencies” that caused the apparently conflicting […]
Emerald Cities aims to bring green jobs, energy efficient buildings to Cuyahoga County
Lee Chilcote A new initiative being pioneered by Cuyahoga County,Policy Matters Ohio and a bevy of partners aims to create more energy-efficient municipal buildings and catalyze the creation of green, living wage jobs. Now that advocacy within the green jobs movement has shifted away from the state and federal level — where activity is slow or nonexistent […]
Bank tax rate shouldn’t be lowered, think tank says
Laura Bischoff Gov. John Kasich’s plan to change how financial institutions are taxed in Ohio would cut major loopholes used by big, multi-state banks to legally avoid paying taxes but the proposal would then give any revenue gains back to the banks in the form of lower tax rates, according to an analysis by the […]
Policy group questions Kasich’s additional cuts
Joe Vardon A liberal policy group is questioning $95 million in net funding reductions that Gov. John Kasich made in his mid-biennial review at a time when there appears to be no budget shortfall. In a recent report, Policy Matters Ohio highlights the spending cuts in light of the reductions made to schools and local […]
Ohio foreclosures drop for second year in row: Hamilton’s state rank gets worse
Paul E. Kostyu The number of foreclosure filings decreased in Ohio for the second year in a row, but changes across the state made Hamilton County the sixth worst among the 88 counties, even though the county numbers declined. New filings in Ohio dropped 16 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to a report released […]
Foreclosure crisis persists in Ohio: Filings decline, but 1 in 3 Ohio houses still have negative equity
Chelsey Levingston New foreclosure filings dropped in 2011 in area counties, but the overall housing market remains fragile, with a high number of delinquent and overvalued mortgages, said Policy Matters Ohio in a report released this week. About 14,000 fewer foreclosure cases were filed in Ohio last year, for a total of about 71,500, said […]
Governor Kasich Talks With Local 12 About Income Tax Cut Proposal
Jeff Hirsh Ohio’s governor tackles another controversy… and talks about it one on one with Local 12 News. John Kasich is calling for a huge income tax cut which even has some of his fellow Republicans grumbling. The governor was in town today to help a local company Dunnhumby USA formally announce plans to build […]
Report says Ohio foreclosures decline
Paul Kostyu COLUMBUS
Ohio Foreclosures Decline; Many Still “Underwater”
Mary Kuhlman COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new report offers some cautious optimism about housing insecurity in the Buckeye State. According to the group Policy Matters Ohio, the number of foreclosures in Ohio is down for the second year in a row – a 16 percent decrease from last year. While that’s good news, says report author David […]
Tax reform: Governor’s approach to bank taxes offers fairness, simplicity
Editorial board His proposed bank-tax overhaul shows once again that Gov. John Kasich is capable of tackling entrenched problems with a fair and focused approach. Despite some initial resistance from Republican legislators concerned about harming the industry with higher taxes, Kasich has gained wide support for his plan from financial institutions, which recognize that it […]
New “Right To Work” Study Not Convincing Labor Supporters
Supporters call it “right to work.” Critics call it “the right to work…for less.” Both sides are talking about the same thing: a proposal to change Ohio law to ban unions from requiring workers to pay dues. Statehouse correspondent Bill Cohen reports supporters call it the free market at work, but critics aren’t convinced. Click […]