COLUMBUS-The Ohio Senate Democratic Caucus, joined by members of the Ohio House of Representatives Democratic Caucus, today announced their commitment to make Ohio the world’s leader in manufacturing by 2010.

“The most important responsibility state government faces is to help build a growing and stable economy that will produce rising incomes for all Ohioans,” said Eric Fingerhut (D-Cleveland), ranking minority member of the Senate Finance and Financial Institutions Committee. “No one doubts that Ohio is feeling the effects of the national economic slowdown more strongly than many other states. Governor Bob Taft claims that this is because Ohio is a manufacturing state and this is a ‘manufacturing recession.’ Hogwash. Ohio is suffering because of the failed economic development policies of the last decade. And now, the budget put forward by Governor Taft will cripple us for the next decade.”

Ohio now ranks 49^{th in the country in generating new companies and ranks 42nd nationally in the percentage of its budget devoted to higher education. According to the Ohio Board of Regents, the average Ohioan made $1,437 less than the average American in 1999. In 2003, that gap is projected to grow to $2,720. In 2003, the lost income for the entire state in just one year will total $30 billion.}

Senator Fingerhut again pointed out that an economic recovery will provide the state the tax revenue necessary to meet its budgetary needs. “We won’t stop the current business cycle, but we can protect Ohio in the future,” Senator Fingerhut added.

The plan has two key components. First, it calls for transferring up to $10 million to the chancellor of the Board of Regents and the executive director of the Thomas Edison Centers to develop a set of recommendations that would lead Ohio to becoming number one in the world in manufacturing productivity and job growth by 2010. Those involved in developing these recommendations would be required to seek input from business leaders and labor groups throughout Ohio. Second, today’s proposal calls for the Board of Regents to develop a plan to improve the quality of the state’s engineering schools in order to attract and retain manufacturers.

“In the first installment of our economic recovery plan, we pledged to oppose any proposal by Governor Taft to further cut higher education to make up for projected shortfalls in the next biennium,” Senate Minority Leader Leigh Herington (D-Ravenna) said. “We also said we would oppose the under-funding of technology and higher education initiatives and any proposal by Governor Taft to delay the implementation of the Research and Development Tax Credit. Today, we build on that commitment.”

According a U.S. News survey, only The Ohio State University (22nd) and Case Western Reserve (38th) rank among the top 50 engineering schools in the country. Among industrial/manufacturing engineering schools, The Ohio State University ranks 14th. Ohio trails other Midwestern neighbor schools in industrial/manufacturing engineering, including the University of Michigan (2nd), Purdue University (3rd), Penn State University (4th), University of Wisconsin (8th), Northwestern University (9th) and the University of Illinois (11th).

“We need to have top manufacturing science laboratories in our state if we hope to attract and retain our manufacturing employers. Companies need access to an available pool of top-notch engineers to fill vacancies as companies grow and individuals retire,” Senator Fingerhut concluded.

The Democrats propose using monies from the 412 Business Development Grant Line Item of the Ohio Department of Development.

For more information on manufacturing in Ohio, see Ohio’s Competitive Advantage: Manufacturing Productivity, a major study on the role of manufacturing in Ohio’s economy and the central role it plays as Ohio’s high technology base and source of productivity. The report was written by Dr. Edward (Ned) Hill of The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University and sponsored by The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association. The research was designed to answer definitively what the role of manufacturing in Ohio is now and is expected to be in the future. Access the report on the Internet at: http://urbancenter.csuohio.edu/ohiomanufacturing.htm#.

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For more information contact: Carol Kuhman, Ohio Senate Democratic Communications Office, 614-644-1980, or Amy Borror, Ohio House Democratic Communications Office, 614-466-9034.