A Better Way
Posted May 15, 2013 in eNews
Mapping a crisis – Ohio foreclosures remain at crisis levels, with 70,469 new filings in 2012. While this is a slight decrease from 2011, the number of filings remained more than four times higher than it was in the mid-1990s. Our new interactive map shows the number of filings and foreclosure rates by county, allowing comparisons among counties and with data from 2011 and 1995.
A better way – In 2010, Ohioans spent $45 billion on energy. Almost half went to fuel for cars, trucks and buses, and nearly all of that went out of state. We can do better, according to Amanda Woodrum’s new report showing that Ohio is well positioned to be a key player in the supply chain for electric vehicles. The problem is that other states are working harder to develop next-generation automobiles by promoting early adoption of new technology.
Happy Mother’s Day – More than 153,000 Ohio women between the ages of 19 and 44, including many mothers, could gain health insurance coverage if Ohio expands the Medicaid program under health reform; yet another reason legislators should accept federal dollars to pay for comprehensive health coverage for Ohio’s low-income workers. It would help families, communities, and our economy grow stronger.
Old school – Wendy Patton presented testimony on our school district finance survey to the the Ohio Senate Education Finance Subcommittee. What did she tell them? That 70 percent of districts said they had made cuts for 2012-13, up from about two-thirds for the previous school year. More than 90 percent of respondents said they anticipated having to make cuts next year unless they get new state funds.
Smart spending – Hannah Halbert’s April report found that a new demand-driven model for training workers in Cleveland was bringing amazing results for out of work adults – quintupled job placement rates, higher earnings, and improved return on investment. But funding has been cut. Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald recently took note and vowed to provide county funding to compensate for state and federal cuts.