Saturday stats: Can you take the heat?
Posted March 07, 2020 in eNews
41: That’s how many days are left until we roast our founder, Amy Hanauer, in honor of Policy Matters’ 20th anniversary! Tickets are now on sale.
0.3%: Ohio jobs grew by 0.3% last year compared to the nation, which added 1.4% more jobs in 2019. Michael Shields says new data revisions show that 2019 was Ohio’s worst year for job growth since the Great Recession. Read more in this month’s JobWatch.
65.1%: Companies that received state grants, loans and tax credits ending in 2018 lived up to their commitments just 65.1% of the time, according to Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. He found that noncompliant companies received $21 million worth of loans or tax credits from the state. This means, for example, many companies that received tax credits on the promise of creating a certain number of jobs fell short. But they got the money anyway – at the expense of Ohio’s schools, public transit systems and state parks. Zach Schiller said policymakers need to take stronger action to hold corporations that receive public money accountable.
29: There are 29 days in the month of February -- not nearly enough to acknowledge the contributions of Black Americans and discuss the ways policies can break the barriers they face. This year, we honored Black History Month with a series called “Black Policy Matters: Toward an Antiracist Policy Agenda.” On Facebook Live, Jasmine Ayres spoke to experts about how policymakers can make higher ed more affordable for everyone and how to make sure everyone is counted in the 2020 Census.
$3,600: A person who works full-time, is paid the minimum wage and supports a family of three lives $3,600 below the federal poverty level. Michael Shields says that is unacceptable. A coalition of diverse stakeholders -- Raise the Wage Ohio -- wants to change that, with a ballot initiative to raise Ohio’s minimum wage to $13 per hour by 2025.
217,000: The Economic Policy Institute estimated that every year employers steal from 217,000 Ohio workers through minimum wage violations alone, Michael said in testimony before the Senate Transportation, Commerce and Workforce Committee. He testified in support of HB 137, a bill that would require all employers provide workers with a paystub. Paystubs are important to keep employers honest and protect working people.
10: It’s been more than 10 years since the housing bubble burst, but people who dream of owning their own homes are still being victimized by predatory practices. Kalitha Williams talked to WKSU about how state and local policy can protect people who sign land contracts or lease to own contracts.
First: Hannah Halbert made her first TV appearance as executive director. She appeared on Face the State with Scott Light to weigh in on vouchers, the death penalty and more.
5-7 minutes: That’s how long it will take to complete a rider survey to help the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority develop its strategic plan for 2030.
10 minutes: That’s about how long it will take for each household to fill out the 2020 US Census. Daniel Ortiz appeared on WKYC’s “We The People” to talk about why it’s so important that everyone be counted.
Coming up:
On Tuesday March 10th at 6 p.m., Daniel will facilitate a conversation after a screening of the documentary “Thirteenth” at Lakewood Public Library main branch.
On Wednesday March 18 at 3 p.m., we join, parents, students and teachers from across the state to rally for public schools. Be there!
Also on March 18, Daniel is helping organize the forum, “AmeRican: Celebrating Puerto Rican Resilience and Resistance” at Case Western Reserve University’s Social Justice Institute on March 18, 1-8 p.m. Register today!
Daniel will also be a speaker on a panel about the 2020 Census at the Data Days Cleveland conference, Tuesday April 7, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at The Tinkam Veale University Center at Case Western Reserve University. The panel, “2020: Be Counted AND Make Your Vote Count,” will take place at 10:30 a.m.
The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COHHIO) will host their annual Housing Ohio conference at the Hyatt Regency Columbus April 13-15. RSVP now for Ohio’s only statewide conference that’s focused on ending homelessness.
albert made her first TV appearance as executive director. She appeared on Face the State with Scott Light to weigh in on vouchers, the death penalty and more.
5-7 minutes: That’s how long it will take to complete a[ZS1] rider survey to help the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority develop its strategic plan for 2030.
10 minutes: That’s about how long it will take for each household to fill out the 2020 US Census. Daniel Ortiz appeared on WKYC’s “We The People” to talk about why it’s so important that everyone be counted.
Coming up:
On Tuesday March 10th at 6 p.m., Daniel will facilitate a conversation after a screening of the documentary “Thirteenth” at Lakewood Public Library main branch.
On Wednesday March 18 at 3 p.m., we join, parents, students and teachers from across the state to rally for public schools[ZS2] . Be there!