Is ‘right-sizing’ government hurting Ohio’s economy?
This story in the Columbus Dispatch does a good job of laying out what the loss of public-sector jobs has meant for Ohio: Ohio has lost government jobs at a steeper rate than most of the United States since January 2009, and the cratering public sector is having a negative impact on the state’s overall […]
Easy chair or safety net?
“A new study says welfare discourages work, in Ohio and across the country. It isn’t that simple or clear.” So begins an editorial in the Toledo Blade, citing an attack by the libertarian Cato Institute on programs that help low-income people across the country make ends meet. The group released a study claiming that Americans […]
Investing in education best way for states to boost economic productivity, report finds
Over the last 30 years, median wages have fallen in Ohio as growth in our education levels has not kept up with other states. This paper finds a clear and strong correlation between the educational attainment of a state’s workforce and median wages in the state, providing more evidence that Ohio should invest in education.
Auto-title lenders peel into Ohio
The Plain Dealer’s Sheryl Harris tells readers to “Prepare for the invasion of the title snatchers.” She’s got it right. Ohio’s reputation as a state that greets predatory lending with a yawn has encouraged TMX Finance, the nation’s largest auto-title lender, to expand into Ohio. Auto title loans are the first-cousins of payday loans, which […]
Safety net programs support working families in tough times
Program use is brief, targeted, requires work participation Public assistance programs keep poverty at bay while supporting work participation, particularly for families with children. The Cato Institute’s “Work Versus Welfare: 2013” starts from a flawed premise that families who draw on safety net programs do not work. The study ignores the new realities of the […]
Free tax coalition served nearly 11,000 this year, brought more than $14 million to Cuyahoga County
Download release Full report The Cuyahoga County EITC Coalition served 10,982 residents during the 2013 tax season, bringing more than $14.2 million in federal and state tax refunds to the county, according to an evaluation of the coalition’s work released today by Policy Matters Ohio. Established in 2005 to provide free, high-quality tax assistance […]
Swimming with sharks
This editorial in the Toledo Blade tells it like is: Ohioans spoke plainly five years ago, when they overwhelmingly voted for reforms that restricted payday lenders from charging exorbitant interest rates
Not under review
This Akron Beacon Journal editorial gets it right: Ohio’s $7.7 billion of tax expenditures — tax exemptions, deductions, credits and exclusions — “should receive regular scrutiny from lawmakers to determine whether they are serving the larger public interest.” To his credit, the governor did make a start in the new two-year budget. He proposed, and […]
Legislators grant new tax breaks in budget bill despite efforts to cut them, new study finds
For immediate release Contact Zach Schiller, 216.361.9801 Full report Download press release The new Ohio budget embeds in state law tax breaks worth several hundred million dollars a year, according to a report released today by Policy Matters Ohio. The nonpartisan research institute examined changes in tax exemptions, credits and deductions made by the […]
Payday lender creates customer headaches
Channel 3’s story on payday lending does a good job documenting problems we already know — companies have been getting around Ohio’s efforts to ban predatory lending, and continue to make high-interest loans here. But Senior Political Correspondent also shows that at least one company has been overdrawing customer accounts, putting strapped consumers into an […]
1.8 million Ohioans will see reductions in food aid
Expiration of modest boost means just $1.40 per person per meal in aid. All of the nearly 47 million Americans, including 22 million children, who receive SNAP food assistance will see their food aid reduced, when a modest boost in benefits that policymakers included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expires on October 31.
New law lets Ohio companies cut hours, not jobs
Jim Siegel’s piece in the Columbus Dispatch makes note of a win for Ohio workers and companies — last week, Gov. John Kasich signed SharedWork Ohio, a program that allows employers to reduce workers’ hours rather than laying off employees. Ohio is now one of about 25 states with a worksharing program, which allows workers to […]