Income gap less in Ohio but growing everywhere
Jim Siegel’s piece in the Columbus Dispatch highlights findings from the EARN report that Policy Matters released in Ohio, Increasingly Unequal States of America: Income Inequality by State. The Economic Analysis and Research Network, a group that supports issues such as increased investment in education and a higher minimum wage, found that the share of […]
Income inequality in Ohio is sharp and growing
Inflation-adjusted incomes of the top 1 percent of Ohio taxpayers grew 70 percent between 1979 and 2011, but the average real income for the rest fell 7.7 percent. The average real income of Ohioans in the top 1 percent grew by 111.2 percent between 1979 and 2007, nearly 10 times as much as that of the other […]
Proposed income-tax cuts would favor wealthy
For immediate release Contact Zach Schiller, 216.361.9801 Full report Download press release (1 pg) Poor and middle class would get little benefit, analysis finds New income-tax cuts of the sort favored by Gov. John Kasich would heavily benefit Ohio’s most affluent taxpayers. An across-the-board cut that would reduce the top rate below 5 percent
Ohio ranks in middle of states for long-term budgeting
This new report finds that Ohio has some good budget-planning practices, but is lacking in areas. On the positive side, Ohio’s monthly tracking of budget and tax activity and fiscal notes for legislation help stabilize services and improve government efficiency. But lawmakers should address the need for tax expenditure review and forecasting of long-term fiscal […]
Flawed models
Akron Beacon Journal editorial Ohio’s large urban school districts have a hard time countering a general perception that their schools are uniformly low-achieving. To prove otherwise, school officials hold up their high-achieving schools as evidence the districts are up to the task of meeting high academic standards. Inevitably, the high achievers acquire the status of […]
Map of Ohio’s free tax services to aid working families
This interactive map of tax preparation services around Ohio helps families connect to free assistance, avoid the unnecessary expense of paid preparers, and keep more of their tax refunds.
Nearly half of Ohio households are one crisis away from financial devastation
Despite an improving national economy, 44.7% of Ohio households are in a persistent state of financial insecurity. The number of households with little or no savings to cover emergencies or to start building a better life has slightly increased from last year, and state policies are doing little to improve the financial security of Ohio […]
“Show Us the Subsidized Jobs” ranks the states
All but four states now post at least partial information online showing which companies are receiving economic development subsidies. But the quality and depth of that disclosure varies widely, both among and within states.
Inequality for All, Columbus screening, Feb. 12
Join us for a free screening and panel discussion of Inequality for All, the movie by former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich about how income inequality and our shrinking middle class has affected America’s economy and democracy.
Ohio public school ratings foster false comparisons
For immediate release Contact Piet van Lier, 216.361.9801 Full report Download press release (1 pg) Top urban schools serve demographically different students, study finds The majority of the highest-rated public schools in Ohio’s eight largest urban districts serve different populations than those districts do as a whole, according to Misleading Measurements, a new study […]
A fair and adequate tax system for Ohio
Our recommendations for a smarter Ohio tax system include: maintaining and strengthening the state income tax; reviewing, eliminating and sunsetting tax expenditures; restoring the business share of Ohio taxes; and modernizing the system so it covers today’s economy.
HB 375, new severance tax proposal, needs strengthening
For immediate release Contact Wendy Patton, 614.582.0048 Full report Download press release (1 pg) Analysis finds tax is too low, has carve-outs, excludes fracking from CAT The proposed new severance tax in House Bill 375 would shortchange Ohioans by undervaluing the state’s natural resources and granting up to $800 million over 10 years in […]