Five Years After Campaign Launch, Strickland's Turnaround Ohio Plan a Failure

Monday, May 10, 2010

(Columbus) - Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine announced a new website feature today designed to inform Ohioans about the state of Ohio's economy, five years after Ted Strickland kicked off his campaign for governor.

"By any measure, Ohio is worse-off as a result of Ted Strickland's bungling, misguided term as governor," said DeWine. "Because of his failure, Ohioans have suffered more under the recession than they should have, and they're less well-off than people in neighboring states. That's simply unacceptable. Ted Strickland is the only Ohioan who deserves to be sent to the unemployment line this year."

Consider the facts:

Under Ted Strickland, hundreds of thousands more Ohioans have lost their jobs. 1
Under Ted Strickland, more Ohioans live in poverty. 2
Under Ted Strickland, more than 20,000 Ohio businesses have disappeared. 3
Under Ted Strickland, Ohio's income growth fell behind the national average. 4
Under Ted Strickland, Ohio is a national leader in high taxes. 5
Under Ted Strickland, Ohio is a national leader in bad economic performance. 6
Ted Strickland has destroyed Ohio's budget. 7

These and other facts, including information by county, are available at www.turnaroundted.com/map.

"The coming economic recovery will be slower and weaker in Ohio than other states because of the high unemployment, high poverty and huge number of business failures that Ted Strickland has left in his wake," said DeWine. "Ted Strickland has had his chance, and he failed. His time is up. It's time for Ohio to stand up, stand together and take back our state. It's time to replace Ted Strickland's tax increases, bungling management and economic neglect with policies that revive our economy and create jobs by fostering a business-friendly environment, reducing the size and cost of government, and truly improving education to prepare Ohioans for today's job opportunities.

John Kasich and Mary Taylor are the leaders we need to pull Ohio together and to get our state back on track by shrinking the size and cost of government, improving our education system to prepare Ohioans for today's jobs, and eliminating the excessive regulations and frivolous lawsuits that strangle businesses. Hang on Ohio. Relief is on its way, and it arrives in November."

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1Bureau of Labor Statistics, http://data.bls.gov/PDQ/servlet/SurveyOutputServlet?data_tool=latest_numbers&series_id=LASST39000003.
2 United States Census Bureau, "Poverty: 2007 and 2008 American Community Surveys," September 2009, www.census.gov/prod/2009pubs/acsbr08-1.pdf.
3 Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation, www.bwc.state.oh.us/downloads/blankpdf/AnnualReport.pdf
4 Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Economic Accounts, www.bea.gov/regional/reis/default.cfm?selTable=CA1-3&section=2
5 Tax Foundation, "State and Local Tax Burdens: All States, One Year, 1977-2008", http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/336.html6 www.alec.org/am/pdf/tax/10rsps/rsps10-oh.pdf
7 www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2009/06/ohio_faces_32_billion_shortfal.html; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, "Recession Continues to Batter State Budget; State Responses Could Slow Recovery," Elizabeth McNichol and Nicholas Johnson, Feb. 25, 2010, www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=711

That Was Then

Strickland in 2006:

"I think I'm the jobs candidate." (Dayton Daily News, 1/19/06)

Strickland promised to "rescue" Ohio's economy:

"U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland, a Democratic candidate for governor, says his Turnaround Ohio plan will rescue the state's economy." (The Columbus Dispatch, 2/25/06)

Strickland promised to "return Ohio to greatness":

"Strickland promoted his 'Turn Around Ohio' plan as a 'bold, progressive, comprehensive vision to return Ohio to greatness.'" (Call & Post, 5/4/06)

Strickland promised to "jump-start Ohio's economy":

"Strickland touted his 'Turnaround Ohio' plan as one that can jump-start Ohio's economy, without raising taxes." (Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/5/06)

Strickland promised to hold himself accountable for job creation:

"Every morning when I get out of bed, I'm going to look in the mirror and I'm going to say, 'Governor Strickland, what are you going to do today to create jobs for Ohioans to provide economic security for Ohio's families?'" (The Other Paper, 9/11/06)

Strickland called job creation "central" to his responsibilities:

"The issues that I've said are central to my responsibilities as governor are economic development and job creation," Strickland said. (Columbus Dispatch, 5/13/06)

This Is Now

The Strickland-Fisher record:

Ohio has lost 427,300 jobs since Ted Strickland became governor. (Ohio Department of Job & Family Services)
"Since taking office in January 2007, Gov. Ted Strickland has seen a significant downturn in the state's economy." (David Skolnick, Youngstown Vindicator, 10/02/09)
Ohio's unemployment rate stands at 11 percent, up from 5.3 percent in May of 2005, when he launched his campaign. (Ohio Department of Job & Family Services)

As of 2009, 85 of Ohio's 88 counties had reached their highest unemployment rates in at least 20 years. (The Plain Dealer, 09/27/09)

Ohio ranks worst in the nation in manufacturing job loss. (Atlanta Business Chronicle, 08/27/09)

The Dayton area's second-largest employer moved to Georgia. (Associated Press, 06/02/09)

Nearly 60 percent of college students plan to leave Ohio after graduation in search of job opportunities. (Associated Press, 06/16/09)

Since Strickland took office in 2007, "Ohio has lost... about twice as many jobs as there are residents of Dayton." (Dayton Daily News, 09/05/09)

Ohio's credit rating has been downgraded to a "negative outlook," and the state is "in danger of having its rating dropped again." (Associated Press, 08/29/09)

The number of Ohioans who have exhausted their unemployment benefits has risen to levels not seen since the early 1980s. (The Columbus Dispatch, 10/08/09)

What Others Are Saying

"The Strickland administration has turned out to be one of the most dysfunctional in Ohio history." (Editorial, Columbus Dispatch, 10/01/09)
"With breathtaking ineptitude, this governor has almost single-handedly created one of the worst budget crises in the state's 206-year history." (Brent Larkin, The Plain Dealer, 09/27/09)
"Gov. Ted Strickland is recklessly, obstinately and selfishly putting Ohio on a horrible course." (Editorial, Dayton Daily News, 07/12/09)
"No one should believe he's a good governor - because he's not. The lack of leadership this governor has shown throughout this crisis is nothing short of appalling." (Brent Larkin, The Plain Dealer, 6/28/09)
"Why were Strickland and the Democrats so eager to regain the Governor's Mansion and legislative power, only to run from the very responsibilities they fought so hard to win?" (Editorial, Columbus Dispatch, 5/1/09)

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Five Years After Campaign Launch, Strickland's Turnaround Ohio Plan a Failure

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