Save. Shrink. Stop. Roll.
Posted November 20, 2012 in eNews
Save the PD – The Newspaper Guild Local 1 has launched an online campaign, Save The Plain Dealer. We agree that keeping a daily paper in print is crucial for the future of Northeast Ohio. Check out the campaign and sign on if you think so too.
Shrink the wage gap – Ohio’s low- and middle-income families have seen wages drop in the short term and stagnate in the long term, while earning just a fraction of what the most affluent Ohioans make, according to a new report by our allies at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute. Toledo Blade editorial writer David Kushma agrees with our take on a good first step: Ohio policymakers should reduce the disparity between rich and poor by adding a top income tax bracket of 8.5 percent on income over $500,000, and by reinstating the 7.5 percent tax on incomes over $250,000 that existed before 2005.
Read this story – Columbus Business First reporter Jeff Bell wrote that our new study on the deepening impact of state funding cuts on Ohio communities “could end up being a go-to guide for cities, counties and townships hoping to protect themselves from further reductions” in the next state budget. Take a look and decide for yourself.
Stop that bill – House Bill 542 would exclude out-of-state debt settlement companies from laws that protect Ohioans vulnerable to predatory practices and exorbitant fees. We think that’s a bad idea. Read the testimony of Kalitha Williams, our policy liaison, who spoke on this issue last week to the Financial Institutions, Housing and Urban Development Committee of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Grow the economy – Ohio bounced back a bit in October, adding 2,300 jobs since August. But long-term employment is still a problem for our state, and we need to add some 350,000 jobs to get back to where we were before the recent recession. Read JobWatch to learn more.
Roll some coins – Cleveland Saves, a project of Policy Matters, is kicking off Roll Your Change Week on November 26. Families can sign up at no cost to receive a piggy bank for loose change. During Saves Week in February, they can deposit the collected change into a savings account and get a raffle ticket to match their deposit.