Amidst National Economic Downturn, Ohio's Fighting The Tide

President Obama visited Ohio yesterday and continued to tout the same policies he’s been preaching since he first ran for the Oval Office:

Contrary to predictions that Mr. Obama would reset the campaign, for nearly an hour he pitched the same philosophy and policy prescriptions he has been making since 2008 -- emphasis on government investments in research, education at all levels, highways and other kinds of infrastructure, and "responsible" deficit reduction -- paid for in part, by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans, who he said have gained wealth while the middle class has stagnated. 

Of course, as anyone can see, Obama’s stale policies just are not working. In May, the nation created an abysmal 69,000 jobs as the national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2%, causing the Obama campaign to go on the defensive:

“The private sector is doing fine.” – President Obama, June 8, 2012. 

Wait, what? Some come back.

Of course, for months, Obama has been trying to take credit for the incredibly slow recovery throughout the nation. And yes, the economy is sluggishly moving forward, but on increasingly shaky ground and only thanks to the work done by Republican governors in job creating states like Ohio and Texas.


But Obama won’t let that stop him from trying to take the credit. Not only does he credit Ohio’s turnaround on the auto bailout on his website, but also has his attack dog / bumbling gaffe-machine Vice President Biden claiming as much.

Problem is, of the tens of thousands of jobs Ohio has created since January 2011, only 700 are in the automotive industry. Or, roughly $35 million tax dollars per job created.

But fictitious claims of a desperate president aside, Ohio got some incredible news today, as it was announced that the unemployment rate fell to 7.3%:

Ohio's unemployment rate has dropped for the tenth consecutive month, though the national rate increased slightly. 

The state Department of Job and Family Services said Friday that seasonally adjusted joblessness in Ohio decreased from 7.4 percent in April to 7.3 percent in May. The state's non-farm payrolls swelled by 19,600 compared with April's figures. 

The national unemployment rate increased from 8 .1 percent in April to 8.2 percent in May. 

After ten straight months of decreasing unemployment in the Buckeye State, Governor Kasich and his staff have the state once again standing as a leader in job creation. With 19,600 jobs created in May, that means Ohio created roughly 30% of the jobs nationwide last month.

That’s worth repeating: 30% of the jobs created nationwide came from here in Ohio.  And since Governor Kasich's budget took effect, Ohio's unemployment rate has improved nearly twice as fast as the national rate, as Ohio now sits nearly a full point ahead of the U.S. unemployment rate.

But, as the Governor put it, Ohio’s success is in the face of a national headwind in the opposite direction:

Yet, even with President Obama’s policies bringing down the national economy, Ohio is continuing to create jobs, continuing to foster business-friendly policies, and continues to be a national leader. Today’s numbers demonstrate just that.

So the next time President Obama comes to town and touts just how successful his policies have been here in the Buckeye State, perhaps someone should remind him that a rising tide lifts all boats. If it’s Obama’s policies, then why are other states not also improving?

Put plainly, Obama’s policies are nothing more than a tidal wave working to kill jobs nationwide. Thankfully, Ohio's leaders know how to fight the tide.