Job crisis? What job crisis?

We all know the numbers by now. It's nothing new to any Ohioan.

• 10.5% unemployment rate.
• Number of unemployed up 209,000 just in the past year.
• And a staggering 94% increase in the number of unemployed since Ted Strickland came into power.

Ohioans are wondering what their government is doing to solve the job crisis. Is the man they put in charge to Turnaround Ohio working to find a solution? Does he even care?

Unfortunately, the answer to all these questions is no.

At least that's the easiest deduction to make when you look at the Governor's press shop.

A Governor's media operation is the driving force behind the message a Governor wants to send to his constituency. It communicates to the mainstream media each new idea, program, policy shift, and solution coming from the man in charge.

So, after looking at all 151 press releases distributed in 2009, how many address specific state-sponsored policy initiatives, ideas, or programs directly intended to solve Ohio's job crisis?

Nine.

Just 6% of the Governor's press releases discuss ways Ohio's Governor is working to get his state back to work.

The list:


11,004 jobs potentially created or retained by these efforts. Of course, that's assuming Ted Strickland's shop does a much better job of accounting for jobs than the federal government.

Now, are there other press releases that address jobs? Yes, but those others focus only on federally funded grants and other federal programs - none of which can Ted Strickland claim credit for.

Nine press releases. Out of 151.

That's only 8 more than the number of press releases that welcomed Shaquille O'Neal to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Really.

Ohio, your Governor is totally and completely out of touch with what plagues the state he governs.