Saturday Stats: Numeric news from Policy Matters
Posted March 05, 2022 in eNews
$74,785, $79,821, and $80,911: Those are the annual costs of living for a family of four in the Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Columbus metro areas respectively, according to the Economic Policy Institute’s Family Budget Calculator. All are far above $58,642, Ohio’s median household income in 2019. Meanwhile, last week, an estimated 2.2 million adults in Ohio said they had difficulty paying for household expenses, according to the Census Household Pulse Survey. Like the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities wrote, policymakers can help by bringing back the expanded child tax credit so more people have the cash to pay for food, housing and other basics.
63% and 80%: Meanwhile, with inflation on everyone’s mind, a new poll from Data for Progress and Groundwork Collaborative shows that 63% of people believe wealthy “corporations are taking advantage of the pandemic to raise prices unfairly on consumers and increase profits” and 80% believe the federal government should “crack down on large corporations that raise prices unfairly.” Researcher Michael Shields talked to the Dayton Daily News about inflation, what caused it and how to deal with it.
4%: For nearly a month, members of Steelworkers 14919 have been on strike because Sherwin-Williams won’t give them a 4% raise and better benefits. Caitlin Johnson told WEWS News 5 that, considering CEO John Morikis paid himself 327 times as much as the typical employee in 2020 — raking in more than $15 million — the corporation can afford to compensate its employees fairly. Read Michael’s report from last year about how policymakers can rein in outlandish CEO pay and ensure working people are paid a fair return for the time they put in.
8: Number of ways extremists in the Ohio legislature are undermining public education, according to this article from the Columbus Dispatch. (Read to the end for a cameo by State Policy Fellow Guillermo Bervejillo!) The attacks are part of a divide-and-conquer strategy that attempts to pit Ohioans against each other based on identity and income. To support our kids, teachers and schools, we’ll need to stand together. Check out Honesty for Ohio Education to learn how you can take action.
Coming up:
Speaking of Honesty for Ohio Education, they’re hosting a full slate of events in the coming months, including a workshop for people who want to speak up by testifying against the “divisive concepts” bill (HB 327) that may be up for a vote as soon as next week. Register here for the training on March 6 at 2 p.m.
Government works best when all people have a say. So, on March 10 at 5:30 p.m., our friends at PB Cle are hosting a webinar on participatory budgeting, and how to make it a reality in Cleveland. Join them!
Did you know you might be eligible to get thousands of dollars more back in your pocket when you file your taxes this year? The monthly child tax credit (CTC) payments were a game changer for Ohio families, but people still need to file their taxes this year to get the rest of the CTC and other tax refunds. Researcher Will Petrik is joining Children’s Defense Fund-Ohio for a webinar to help advocates, agencies and everyday Ohioans get the money they’re owed! Join them on March 16 at 12 p.m.