The downward spiral continues....

According to today's Columbus Dispatch:

Ohio's unemployment line grew by a staggering 79,000 workers last month and the jobless rate jumped to 8.8 percent, the state said yesterday.

The rate, which was up 1.4 percentage points from the revised number for the previous month, was the largest one-month increase since 1980.

Also yesterday, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that the country's economic output dropped by 6.2 percent in the fourth quarter last year, a major shift from the 3.8 percent drop that had been expected. The dramatic fall in the gross domestic product showed that the economy is deteriorating faster than had been thought.

Holy shit.

An unemployment rate 16% higher than the national rate? Largest one-month unemployment increase in almost three decades?

And Ted Strickland still thinks education is the number one issue facing Ohio?

Listen, Gov. When we're approaching 1 out of 10 Ohioans without jobs and a state economy recessing faster than my forehead, I think you can safely say the economy is issue number 1. Hell, I'll even give it issue 1,2 and 3.

And it all can be explained with one simple jpeg. (click it to enlarge)


Yep. Ohio has the 47th worst tax climate for businesses in the country. Not only does this kill jobs by bleeding businesses statewide, but when a state is in recession, business owners need to see some REAL hope and change^TM. That means easing the tax burden on businesses. They need to see change coming and taxes cut. When they see neither, they bolt the state or just close up shop.

Governor Strickland has failed to give Ohio business owners what they need to survive.

Instead he's gone all the way to Washington D.C. to beg for stimulus dollars that will throw a bandaid on Ohio's budget woes. This is downright irresponsible and completely self-serving. Clearly, his only motivation is to keep things under the radar until election day.

We need a change. Help make it happen.