Still No Development Director as Jobless Claims Spike

Ohio 2nd highest in the nation for unemployment filings

(Columbus) - Ohio ranks second in the nation in new jobless claims, according to a report today from the Labor Department. Meanwhile, the Strickland administration continues its stubborn refusal to appoint a permanent economic development director, despite what one major Ohio newspaper described as an "inexplicable" delay in filling the vacancy.

"Gov. Strickland hasn't had a permanent economic development director since February," said Ohio Republican Party Chairman Kevin DeWine. "In the past seven months, Ohio has lost nearly 100,000 jobs and hit double-digit unemployment. The governor is either playing politics with one of the administration's most important positions, or he's just completely given up on the idea of turning around Ohio's economy."

Despite Ohio's 11.2 percent unemployment rate and the loss of 255,000 Ohio jobs in the past year alone, Strickland recently described his administration's economic development efforts as "magnificent" and added, "I don't think anything is being lost" by not naming a permanent development director.

"Gov. Strickland appears to be clueless," said DeWine. "He didn't even know his staff was stealing from the blind to balance the state budget, so it's sadly not surprising that he thinks Ohio's economy is magnificent. It's a classic case of the emperor having no clothes, and, frankly, it's time Ohio had a leader who cares more about saving our state than advancing his own political future."

# # #

For the Record

Strickland's failure to appoint a permanent development director, among other administration vacancies, called 'inexplicable':

The Development Department, whose task is building Ohio's economy, hasn't had a permanent director since February. That's when Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher, then its director, quit to run full-time for the U.S. Senate. Also vacant are directorships of Ohio's Medicaid program and the School Facilities Commission. The Development vacancy is inexplicable, given Ohio's 11.2 percent July unemployment rate (the national rate was 9.4 percent). (Editorial, The Plain Dealer, 09/02/09)

Strickland's first interim development director resigned amid a tax scandal:

Gov. Ted Strickland said yesterday that he probably would have appointed Mark Barbash interim director of the state development department even if he had known that Barbash owes nearly $160,000 in federal and state taxes. (The Columbus Dispatch, 05/20/09)

Strickland says he has 'no timetable' for naming a permanent director:

"I'm not feeling any real pressure to (name a permanent director)," Strickland told reporters. (The Columbus Dispatch, 08/27/09)

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)