Labor Day report finds median wage decline
Executive summary Workers leave labor force, manufacturing jobs rebound, public jobs lag Between 2010 and 2011, Ohio’s inflation-adjusted median wage declined by 45 cents an hour to $15.20. Real wage loss over the 2000s in Ohio was among the highest in the country (-$1.33 between 2000 and 2011), second only to Michigan (-$1.36). These are […]
Cuts to Ohio Geological Survey threaten public safety, create new costs for business and taxpayers, study finds
Download release Full report Deep cuts to the Ohio Geological Survey will likely create millions of dollars in unnecessary costs for government as well as businesses operating in the state, and increase risk for Ohio communities, according to a new report by Policy Matters Ohio. Even as a boom in oil and gas drilling increases […]
How long will Ryan’s Ohio honeymoon last?
David Kushma A new poll suggests that Ohio voters, at least for now, like Congressman Paul Ryan better than they like President Obama — and that Mr. Ryan’s addition to the Republican presidential ticket has helped Mitt Romney catch up to Mr. Obama in our state. At the same time, a new analysis suggests that […]
Rein in state tax loopholes
Editorial The State of Ohio spends $7 billion a year on tax expenditures — a variety of breaks and loopholes in the state budget that often enable politically powerful industries and wealthy individuals to cut their tax bills. That amount is nearly as great as the projected $8 billion gap that Gov. John Kasich and […]
Special-interest tax breaks grow in Ohio
Download release Full report Giveaways increase even as lawmakers talk about reining them in Even as state policymakers continue to talk about closing some of the tax loopholes that drain $7 billion a year from Ohio’s budget, the state legislature is creating more special-interest tax expenditures that will hurt the government’s ability to invest in […]
Ohio casino cities tax your winnings
Lucas Sullivan Columbus’ move to tax gambling winnings puts it at the table with the state’s other largest cities. The city council voted unanimously last week to impose the city’s 2.5 percent income tax on any winnings claimed by its residents on games of chance, including church raffles, the state-run lottery and other drawings. Even […]
Ohio fund paying jobless benefits out of money, but state not working on long-term fix
Olivera Perkins The fund that pays jobless benefits in Ohio went broke in 2009, and there’s no evidence the state is looking for a lasting solution. The sagging Ohio Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund needs a long-term fix to make it solvent, say experts and others who are urging officials to make it a priority. And […]
Training, smart investment can revitalize manufacturing
Policy Matters Ohio will moderate a discussion on Monday, August 6, on solutions to help revitalize American manufacturing. The roundtable will bring together local and national experts to talk about creative solutions to the challenges facing manufacturers.
Tough economic times send more Ohioans to savings, pawn shops
Cornelius Frolik Consumer advocates advise to research pros and cons of these forms of credit before committing to them Many Ohioans who are desperate for cash are borrowing against their retirement savings accounts, hocking their possessions at pawn shops and taking out high-interest loans from payday lenders, according to a Dayton Daily News analysis. Loans […]
CWA vice president, Policy Matters board chair, dies in swimming tragedy
Seth Rosen was a force for viewing worker and social justice broadly and for thinking about how racial justice, community organizing, labor organizing, and justice for unrepresented workers all fit together.
Wendy Patton testifies today on school funding and tax policy
For immediate release Contact Wendy Patton, 614.221.4505 policymattersohio.org/school-funding-jul2012 Read the testimony Download press release Wendy Patton, senior project director for Policy Matters Ohio, is presenting testimony in the Ohio House of Representatives today before the extended subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education. The subcommittee is scheduled to hear recommendations and proposals involving school funding […]
Bank nixes fees for jobless
Randy Tucker $17 overdrafts will no longer be charged on benefit debit cards. US Bank charges had been widely criticized. The bank that issues prepaid debit cards used to distribute unemployment insurance benefits in Ohio said Monday it will eliminate overdraft fees on the cards, which are used by more than 300,000 jobless residents. Starting […]