No windfall
Posted October 10, 2012 in eNews
Not rolling in the dough – In No Windfall, we calculated that the tax on Ohio’s new casinos will bring in about $227 million a year for local governments. Stack that up to the $1 billion a year from recent cuts in state aid for local governments, and it becomes crystal clear that casino taxes are not the answer in Ohio. Our state needs to boost its investment in schools, local governments and human services with additional revenue from those who can afford to pay. Revenue from gambling will not suffice.
Tough luck – In Wrong Direction: Ohio retreats on layoff aversion, Hannah Halbert lays out how the United Labor Agency has helped Ohio build a strong system to quickly help workers who are laid off and to help avert layoffs in the first place. The state didn’t renew its contract with ULA, even though the Ohio economy continues to displace thousands of workers. The state should reinstate a strong rapid response and layoff aversion system that includes the solid partners that helped establish and grow the successful model that is now in place.
Census on health care – Coverage for Ohio’s young adults has increased since 2009 according to data released recently by the U.S. Census Bureau. This is an example of the kind of benefits we can expect from Obamacare, even though many of its provisions won’t take effect until 2014. Ohio should build on this positive trend by accepting federal funding to expand Medicaid eligibility.