Needed: New social contract
Posted May 22, 2012 in eNews
New social contract – Ohioans are struggling through economic slumps and recoveries with less help than in the past, while the safety net that people used to rely on for basic needs is in tatters. Based on these findings, we make the case in our latest report that we must update the social contract. We based our work on two surveys: one of non-profits that serve Ohio families and the other of northeast Ohioans who have needed help affording food, clothing, day care and other essentials during the recent recession. We also analyzed public policy decisions that have affected modest-income families.
JobWatch – We’re still getting a mixed picture of Ohio’s economy, with the unemployment rate falling and the labor force growing. But Ohio lost jobs in March and April, and the recovery remains painfully slow. At the rate of growth we’ve seen over the past 12 months, it will take nearly six years to generate the 282,500 jobs needed to return Ohio to pre-recession levels of employment.
In the news – The Toledo Blade cited our work in a recent editorial that questions Gov. John Kasich’s proposal to use a stronger tax on drilling of shale gas and oil to cut income taxes, mostly for the wealthiest. The paper agrees with our take: it would be better to use revenue from a stronger fracking tax to restore funding to schools, local government and vital state services, to regulate fracking, and to protect communities impacted by the drilling boom.
Thanks from Amy Hanauer and the Policy Matters team.