Big Payday
An expanding industry merits expanded state attention The Akron Beacon Journal The payday lending industry has expanded rapidly the past decade, doubling in size since 2000. Ohio mirrors the story. In 1996, there were 107 payday businesses in the state. Today, the number exceeds 1,500. In Summit County, the number went from three in ’96 […]
Hard Times, Hard Money
The Toledo Blade By Robert Vitale ONE harbinger of so-called payday loans is a languid economy in which poorer consumers consistently find themselves with too much month left at the end of the money. How ironic, then, that here in Ohio one segment of the economy not still in a swoon is the business of […]
Benefits tangible; so is lost revenue
Some firms investing, but early results mixedBy Mark Niquette Columbus Dispatch Gary W. James doesn’t hedge when asked whether the sweeping tax cuts and other changes the state made to its tax code in 2005 are working. Without them, nearly $4 million in equipment and more than 50 new workers at his Dynalab plant in […]
‘Payday loan’ sites jump in decade in area, state
The Toledo Blade By Gary T. Pakulski A new report says so-called “payday loan” offices are more common than fast-food restaurants in Ohio. In Lucas County alone, their numbers have shot up nearly tenfold to 67 over the past decade, catapulting the county to fifth behind Franklin, Cuyahoga, Hamilton, and Montgomery counties, according to Policy […]
Keystone plant to close, costing 52 their jobs
The Columbus Dispatch By Paul Wilson Fallout from struggles by domestic automakers will cost Columbus 52 manufacturing jobs. Keystone Powdered Metal Co. said yesterday that it will close its plant at 2100 Advance Ave. this year. Demand for the company?s products declined as U.S. automakers, Keystone?s primary customers, lost market share in recent years, it […]
Payday Lending Stores Receive Criticism
WKSU By Bill Cohen The number of payday lending stores in Ohio has exploded in the past decade. A new study confirms the trend. Critics say there’s good reason for the stores’ success – they’re making a mint off of desperate consumers by charging sky-high interest rates. But the payday lending industry is answering the […]
Unnecessary tax breaks costing state, study says
Columbus Dispatch By Mark Niquette The state needs to scrutinize the billions of dollars in tax breaks it allows and scrap those that aren’t needed or can no longer be justified, a study concluded last week. Ohio provides tax credits and other deductions to encourage economic development or for other reasons. Those exemptions were estimated […]
Ohio, Ky. in tax spotlight
Cincinnati Enquirer By Andrew Welsh-Huggins COLUMBUS
Ohio grants $7 billion a year in tax exemptions. What does the state get for all this relief?
Exempt from ScrutinyThe Akron Beacon Journal Zach Schiller of Policy Matters Ohio has performed a favor for Ohioans. He has taken a hard look at the tax exemptions, credits and deductions that lawmakers have carved into the state tax code. The title of the report tells the story: “Exempt From Scrutiny: Tax Breaks in Ohio.” […]
Thousands of Ohioans Get a Raise Today
The Palladium-Item For almost 300,000 Ohioans, today will be more than a day to tack a new calendar on the wall. It’s the day when they all get a raise. The minimum wage increase approved by Ohio voters in November will kick the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour. While workers know […]
Privacy Added as Wage Issue
Ballot amendment would raise low payBy Jon Newberry Cincinnati Enquirer A proposed Ohio constitutional amendment to hike the state’s minimum wage from $5.15 an hour to $6.85 has supporters and opponents battling over privacy issues as well as money. Many opponents contend the measure will hurt working people more than it will help them – […]
Campaign on Wage Issue About More Than Just Money
Dayton Daily News By William Hershey Columbus