Strickland pounded from the Northwest...

From a press release submitted by State Rep. Matt Huffman, State Rep. Lynn Wachtmann, , and State Rep. Jeff Wagner:

“After nearly 12 consecutive months of double-digit unemployment, the people of Ohio are demanding that their elected officials take action to fix the economy,” Rep. Matt Huffman (R-Lima) said. “But it seems that every day, Ohioans are hit with the announcement of yet another business closure and a loss of more jobs. What is being done to put Ohio back on the right track?”

With the decline of Toledo, Cleveland, Dayton and Youngstown, Ohio has the most “downsized” and fastest dying cities in the nation. Nearly 14 percent of Ohioans are living in poverty, and nearly 20 percent are either unemployed or underemployed.

In an effort to create jobs and make Ohio more business-friendly, the House Republican Caucus introduced two packages of proposals aimed at creating jobs and facilitating small business growth. These 20 bills would help bring Ohio into the competitive race for jobs by improving the business climate, reducing taxes on families and businesses, and restoring a fiscally responsible state government. To date, none of the “Future of Ohio” proposals have been permitted a vote in committee or on the House floor.

“The “Future of Ohio” bills are exactly what our state needs not only in this difficult economy, but for the future as well,” Rep. Jeff Wagner (R-Sycamore) said. “Now is the time to make fundamental changes to the way Ohio does business so we can compete for jobs, businesses and capital. It’s long overdue that we abandon the high-tax, anti-business status quo.”