It’s no secret that Ohio’s economy suffered under Gov. Bob Taft’s leadership and one-party rule in the state. Although we’ve made some recent gains in creating some professional, health and education jobs, we’ve not done enough to replace the 250,000 manufacturing jobs we lost in the last ten years.

Because of our fantastic history as a manufacturing powerhouse, Ohio is uniquely positioned to be a manufacturing leader again. But this time, we’re creating jobs in green technology and energy-related products such as fuel cells, wind turbines, solar power fixtures, and energy-efficient cars and trucks. These fields are ideally suited for the skills of our manufacturing workers – the welders, machinists, electricians, and iron and steel workers.

We can also grow Ohio’s economy in other areas. Ohio boasts many fabulous research universities. In today’s high-tech world, research is the key to competition. Ohio can be a top research center.

Ohio, due to its location, quality of life, and revised tax code is an ideal state for corporate headquarters to reside. Corporate headquarters bring many jobs and a great deal of economic activity from those employees.

To attract these types of new businesses we must retain our educated workforce, maintain our infrastructure, and sustain our quality of recreational and entertainment activities in our state.

Stable Educated Workforce

Businesses need good employees. And good employees have to have a good education

A stable workforce is the product of good schools – K-12 schools and higher education such as technical and trade schools, colleges, and universities. Without an educated population to work at 21st Century jobs, 21st Century industries cannot survive.

Unfortunately, Ohio’s colleges and universities have become unaffordable to many young people. For years, the state legislature repeatedly reduced funding for higher education, causing tuition to escalate to 46% above the national average. Parents seeking to send their children to college are finding that other states invest more in their universities, thus lowering the tuition rates – even for non-resident students. And when young people go to school elsewhere, they locate elsewhere. We need them in Ohio.

To keep them here, I propose lowering tuition, creating student loan deferments, and establishing an Ohio Service Corps to trade public service for tuition credit.

We also need to enhance our technical and trade schools. We can tighten admission standards and partner with businesses in order to make the educational experience stronger. We must acknowledge that for most, a high school diploma is not enough.

Infrastructure

A successful business must be able to get its people to work, move its product to market, and communicate in our global economy. Ohio must provide dependable and accessible infrastructure: good roads, highways, rail, communications, water, and energy. We must improve and update our interstate highways and other transportation systems to handle the growing traffic volume. And, we must ensure that all types of infrastructure are well-built and reliable.

Nice Place to Live

Ohio is a beautiful state. We Ohioans love our parks and green spaces. We have a terrific state park system as well as many county and municipal parks, gardens, and trails. We are blessed with wonderful waterways. Our cities have entertainment districts, theaters, amusement parks, coffee houses, civic centers, and many other things to do. People want recreational and entertainment attractions. We not only need an entertaining place, but we also need a clean place: clean air, water, and land. This all makes Ohio more attractive to new businesses. We must continue to make Ohio a nice place to live.

As a veteran, my greatest passion is taking care of the veterans who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. I will immediately work on legislation to help our National Guard and Reserve members with the problems caused by their military deployments away from their civilian lives. Veterans need help with landlord-tenant issues, child support, and getting jobs. It is the least we can do.

The 2009-2010 budget will be the biggest item on the agenda. My first priority in the budget will be to keep children safe. My other budget priorities include job development, health care, and higher education and skills training.

We have the best doctors, technology, and medical standards in the world. But none of that matters if you cannot afford to go to the doctor. Health care and health insurance costs are going through the roof. The cost of health care can be devastating.

We can take some immediate steps to provide relief to Ohioans.

• Allow parents to include their adult children up to age 25 who still live at home on their health insurance, whether or not that adult child is a student.
• ­Provide for health insurance portability – so that each of us can take our health insurance with us to our next job, avoiding any possible period without insurance or a change in coverage.
• Expand support for catastrophic illness. Families who experience a catastrophic illness will max out their lifetime health insurance benefit. This can happen before medical treatment is complete. It leads families into unavoidable financial ruin.
• ­Allow small businesses and individuals to buy into group insurance rates.
• Mandate insurance coverage for diagnostic testing for conditions such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, colo-rectal cancer, and hereditary hemochromatosis.
• Educate Ohioans about preventive care and healthy lifestyles.