Strickland visits ELO
Governor touts jobs stimulus packageBy MICHAEL D. McELWAIN (mmcelwain@reviewonline.com)
POSTED: April 12, 2008
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Governor Ted Strickland made his first stop at the Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame and was met at the front door by some supporters of the city’s Museum of Ceramics, concerned about the loss of state funding that may ultimately close the doors.
“I just found out about that,” Strickland said. “We’re facing a huge budget problem, but I’ll have to check into that.”
Inside the Hall of Fame, Strickland mingled and took some time to talk to political figures, business leaders and others wanting to make a personal plea for a specific cause or to offer the governor some political advice.
Strickland said the bipartisan, $1.57 billion jobs stimulus package aims to “create new jobs while laying the foundation for future economic prosperity.”
The details on how to administer the money are still being worked out, according to the governor. “Different parts will be allocated by different entities,” he said.
Those parts include $400 million to help build local infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, sewers and water systems; $200 million to help revitalize cities and industrial areas by brownfield clean up and transforming those areas for new residential and business development; $120 million to help with historically significant buildings that will expand the tax base of a community; and $100 million to help spur job creation through investing in infrastructure that can be used to expand and support businesses that move and distribute products.
“A process will be put in place that will lead to communities being able to compete for those funds,” Strickland said.
The governor could not, specifically, indicate how much money from the stimulus package would make its way to Columbiana County.
“These resources will be allocated in ways that will be transparent and public, not through political influence,” Strickland said, adding that all communities will be able to make a pitch for assistance.
Other funding out of the job stimulus package will go toward new and emerging technologies and workforce initiatives aimed at keeping college graduates in the state by providing internships and educational programs while they earn a college degree. Some $250 million will be set aside for that effort.
“Ohio needs this jobs package,” Strickland said.
Funding for the program is expected to come from a variety of sources, according to the governor, including from state liquor sales, general fund revenue transfers, the Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation fund and revenue from the Ohio Turnpike. Some $400 million will be needed from a general obligation bond that will be taken to the voters for approval.
Strickland also touted the compact signed by nine mortgage companies designed to assist Ohio residents in avoiding foreclosure on their homes.
The governor said the current economic climate is touching every state and assistance from the nation’s capital is warranted.
“As the economy becomes stagnate, it makes the need greater. We need more help from the federal government.”
Strickland suggested a change in leadership at the federal level and said President George Bush, “neglected, quite frankly, the needs of families in Ohio.”
Strickland met with a host of people during his stay in East Liverpool, which included a speech at the East Liverpool Motor Lodge.
Some of the encounters included:
- A chat with the St. Clair Township Trustees who wanted state funding consideration for an access road off state Route 170. “We are looking to get an access road off Homestead Drive on the same side of the road as the BP station,” Trustee Jim Hall said, adding “a large box store” is interested in a 28 acre parcel that needs an access road.
- A meeting with small business owner Jerry Nolan who drove from Bridgeport to offer the governor a jar of his Savage Salsa. “I think there should be a way Ohio businesses get the first opportunity to supply goods or services for state government,” Nolan said.
- A talk with Tracy Drake, CEO of the Columbiana County Port Authority. “When you get the governor into the county, it shows he’s paying attention to our needs,” Drake said.
- Some time with state leaders like Senator Jason Wilson, who organized the governor’s appearance, and Representative Linda Bolon along with U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson and a host of other local political leaders. “People want to thank the governor for his vision, but at the same time they have some good ideas they want to share with him,” Jason Wilson said.
For his part, Strickland said that making visits to cities and villages throughout Ohio — like the East Liverpool stop — is a perk.
“What I enjoy most is being able to travel throughout the state and see all the interesting things happening in these communities,” Strickland said. “We have a big, diverse, interesting state. I get to see Ohio.”
Asked about the apparent pothole plague in the surrounding communities, the governor smiled and noted he had to drive on the roads as well.
“The potholes are a part of life,” Strickland said with a smile. “They destroy shocks but build character.”
Still, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has granted Columbiana County $26.36 million for its 2008 state and local road construction program, according to Bolon. Some 25 paving projects are in the works.
