Wednesday, February 08, 2012STEUBENVILLE, Ohio -- Gov. John Kasich touted improved employment figures and the state's resurgence in manufacturing, including the contribution played by companies operating in the Youngstown-Warren area, as he delivered the annual State of the State Address. Ohio is the No. 1 job creator in the Midwest and ranks ninth in the nation, up from nearly the bottom just a year ago, Kasich boasted. "It's about time because we're a powerhouse here in Ohio," he said.
The state has seen a net gain of 43,500 new private-sector jobs, including 14,500 manufacturing jobs, over the past year," he reported. "God made some people to make things and it's coming back to America and its coming back to Ohio."
Breaking with tradition, the governor addressed members of the General Assembly, his cabinet and guests at the Wells Academy on topics including jobs, education and workforce training.
He credited Jobs Ohio, his retooled economic development program, and the state's development team with producing or saving jobs in the state, resulting in $4.7 billion dollars in payroll and $3.2 billion in new capital investment from the companies involved.
JobsOhio was designed to "move at the speed of the marketplace and not the speed of the statute," he said.
"I saw a race between a statute and a glacier and the glacier won. In the 21st century you've got to move at the speed of the marketplace and it's beginning to bear fruit in our state already."
A year ago, he said, Ohio ranked 48th among the 50 states in job creation, trailing only Michigan, home of the "devastated" auto industry, and California, which is "filled by a bunch of whackadoodles," he said. The state lost 600,000 jobs over the past decade and 400,000 in the four years prior to him becoming governor. Additionally, a third of college graduates were leaving the state within three years after graduation, And the state faced an $8 billion deficit.
"We just looked at the problems honestly. When politics becomes the order of the day, the power of special interest groups become the order of the day, you really get confused," he remarked. "But if you look at a problem and see what it is and you design a solution, it's amazing how far you can go, and that's exactly what we did through this process."
Kasich took special note of the gains made in the Mahoning Valley. In Youngstown, he said, the unemployment rate has gone from 11.5% to 8.3% in the last year. "The Mahoning Valley's alive again and they deserve it," he said. He also pointed to V&M Star, which is expanding in Youngstown, for its role in advancing advanced manufacturing and the energy industry.
"Moms and dads, stop telling your kids that they shouldn't try to get a job in manufacturing," he said. "It's coming back because of our workforce, because of our location, because of our ability to move things. It's coming back to Ohio."
The governor reiterated his position that exploration of the state's Utica and Marcellus shale plays must be done safely. "You cannot degrade the environment at the same time you're producing this industry. It is not acceptable. The biggest companies know you have to have tough environmental rules" because "we can't have some yahoo coming to this state and damage this whole industry because they're irresponsible," he added.
"We cannot let our fears outweigh the potential," he continued.
Kasich said he's cognizant, when speaking of the industry's potential, of the number of promises people in the Mahoning Valley and Steubenville have heard "that have only been shattered."
He told the assembly no decision has been made regarding the Ohio Turnpike. A state-funded study is under way to explore possibilities to raise funds using the roadway, including potentially leasing it. "We will never give up underlying control of the turnpike," he pledged.
Kasich also called for better coordination of workforce training programs, and urged businesses to do a better job of communicating their workforce needs so programs can be tailored accordingly.
In his response to the speech, House Minority Leader Armond Budish, D-8 Beechwood, characterized as "farcical" what he described as the governor's efforts to take credit for rescuing the state's economy.
Striking a more congenial tone, state Sen. Capri Cafaro, D-32 Hubbard, expressed her hope for bipartisan cooperation.
"The governor stated many times that he hopes to cross party lines in order to better the state of Ohio," Cafaro said. "I hope that we can work together in a bi-partisan fashion as I introduce legislation to address the developing oil and gas industry in Ohio, all while protecting the health and welfare of my constituents."
Copyright 2012 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.