Happy Labor Day, Governor. Where Are You?

Strickland skips out on Obama Labor Day rally

(Columbus) - Gov. Ted Strickland failed to show up for an AFL-CIO Labor Day rally with President Barack Obama in Cincinnati today, prompting questions about whether the governor is trying to distance himself from the president's failed policies or whether he's simply trying to avoid public scrutiny over his poor economic record.

"Thousands of Ohioans are out of work this Labor Day, and they want to know when Ted Strickland is going to deliver on his promise to turn around Ohio's economy," said Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine.  "Unfortunately, it appears he took the day off."

As Ohio celebrates Labor Day today, Strickland has little to show for the Turnaround Ohio Plan he once promised would rescue the state's struggling economy.  He campaigned for governor in 2006 as "the jobs candidate," while his running mate, Lee Fisher, vowed to be "very aggressive, very proactive" on job creation as economic development director.  Three years into the Strickland-Fisher administration, the record speaks for itself:

• Ohio now ranks second in the nation in jobless claims.

• In the last year alone, more than 250,000 Ohioans have lost their jobs under double-digit unemployment, now at its highest level in more than a quarter century (and nearly four points higher than neighboring West Virginia).

• Ohio ranks next to last in economic performance.

• Ohio ranks worst in the nation in manufacturing jobs lost.

• Nearly 60 percent of college students plan to leave Ohio after graduation in search of job opportunities.

• The Dayton Daily News noted Sunday that since Strickland took office in 2007 "Ohio has lost 313,600 jobs, about twice as many jobs as there are residents of Dayton."

• Ohio's credit rating has been downgraded to a "negative outlook," and the state is "in danger of having its rating dropped again."

• The governor hasn't named a permanent economic development director to his cabinet in seven months, a vacancy The Plain Dealer recently called "inexplicable."

"Ted Strickland actually has the ability to create one job here by filling this position, and he can't even do that," said DeWine.  "Unfortunately, he's doing for Ohio exactly what he did for the economy in his congressional district for 12 years, and that's absolutely nothing.  It's sad that Labor Day has become nothing more than a painful reminder of Ohio's glory days."

Strickland: "I think I'm the jobs candidate."  

"Asked about Fingerhut's comments on the choices for Democrats, Strickland good-naturedly said, 'Was he describing himself as the politics of the past? I think I'm the jobs candidate.'"  (Dayton Daily News, 1/19/06)

Strickland said he would "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)

Fisher vowed to be "very aggressive" on creating jobs:

"Fisher said that as development director he would be 'very aggressive, very proactive' in helping Ohio businesses expand and attracting new companies." (Columbus Dispatch, 11/29/06)

Despite double-digit unemployment, rising jobless claims and mass layoffs, Strickland calls development effort 'magnificent' and says nothing is being lost:

"Gov. Strickland felt no particular pressure to name a permanent director for the Ohio Department of Development because interim chief Lisa Patt McDaniel 'is doing a magnificent job.' The agency has been without a permanent leader for six months since Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher stepped aside to run for the Democratic Party U.S. Senate nomination. 'I don't think anything is being lost,' the governor said." (Gongwer News Service, 08/26/09)