Featured Issues

Ohio

More Medicaid Problems in Ohio - Buckeye Institute At a time when state agencies are trying to trim budgets and the state is facing large budget deficits, the governor is trying to expand one of the most expensive parts of the state budget – Medicaid. _{Respond to this posting}

Few Ohioans Expect growth, Poll Shows  - Columbus Dispatch Only one in five Ohioans rate economic conditions as "good" or "excellent" in a new Ohio Poll._{Respond to this posting}

Ohio's Cities Rank in the Bottom Third in Job Growth, report says  - Milken Institute Ohio Cities rank in the bottom third among 200 major cities nationally in a job-growth study released recently by the Milken Institute, a California think tank._{Respond to this posting}

Ohio's proficiency bar set near middle, report says  - Columbus Dispatch In Ohio, proficiency levels for fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math all fall below the national standard, putting the state in the middle of the pack. An Ohio fourth-grader deemed proficient in reading may fall short of the mark in Massachusetts, South Carolina, Wyoming and Arkansas. Likewise, an eighth-grader judged proficient on Ohio's math test might not make the cut in Missouri, Hawaii or Arkansas._{Respond to this posting}

Ohio’s Public Schools and Public Opinion - Buckeye Institute The public in Ohio has serious doubts about its public schools. Nearly a majority of citizens, 43 percent, think an Ohio high school diploma doesn't "guarantee that the typical student has learned the basics" much less is competent. _{Respond to this posting}

Governor's Budget Sounds a Death Knell for Charters and Choice in Ohio - Thomas B. Fordham Institute Governor Strickland has made it clear that he intends to dismantle both Ohio’s charter school program and the state’s voucher program, and sadly, none of the governor’s legislative proposals aimed at charters and choice are tied to the actual academic performance of schools and individual students. _{Respond to this posting}

Sacrificing the School Choices of 3,000 Kids Won't Save Ohio Big Bucks - Heartland Institute Eliminating these vouchers would bring, at best, minuscule savings--.0245 percent, or less than three one-hundredths of 1 percent of the state budget._{Respond to this posting}

Turning the Corner to Quality - Thomas B. Fordham Institute Policy Guidelines for Strengthening Ohio's Charter Schools._{Respond to this posting}

Governor Strickland Calls for End of EdChoice - Buckeye Institute Blog The new Governor has decided to eliminate waste and inefficiency in state spending by eliminating a program that provides poor children with the chance at a better education at a reduced cost to the state._{Respond to this posting}

Government Spending

 House Transparency Rules Reveal that Pork Projects Tilt Heavily Toward Appropriators - Heritage Foundation The recent transparency rules, agreed to by House Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-WI), have provided a window into how Congress allocates pork projects. While Congress claims to distribute pork projects by merit, the first two appropriations bills suggest that committee assignments are the more important factor._{Respond to this posting}

State Spending Spree - Stephen Moore - WSJ After the November elections, Democrats now control 28 governorships and a majority of state legislatures -- but they are celebrating their return to power by spending tax dollars like every day is Christmas. Some Republican governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Jodi Rell of Connecticut, are also joining in the fun. _{Respond to this posting}

41 states posting surpluses - Stateline.org Most states are finding extra money in their coffers just as they craft budgets for the coming year. Forty-one states figure to end this fiscal year with a total of billion more than planned. _{Respond to this posting}

2006 Piglet Book - A Buckeye Institute Report An examiniation of Ohio's wasteful government spending._{Respond to this posting}

Still Spending: Senate Set to Bust Budget Caps by Billion - Heritage Institute Research Federal spending in 2006 is set to rise 9 percent, the largest increase since 1990 and enough to earn Congress near failing grades from the Heritage Foundation’s third quarter report card. Most families facing steep new expenses would cut back on additional spending. However, the Senate is preparing to bust fiscal year (FY) 2007 discretionary spending caps by at least billion to: _{Respond to this posting}

 Health Care

CATO Study: Massachusetts Universal Care Plan Is Mostly Bad, Ugly - Heartland Institute A study released in late June by the Cato Institute (click here for the full report) assesses the strengths and weaknesses of Massachusetts' universal health care plan, which took effect on July 1. The sudy's author, David Hyman, argues that program's best result to date is that it leads the way for states to re-emerge as significant policy-setting entities in the health care arena. _{Respond to this posting}

MANDATORY COVERAGE IS EASIER SAID THAN DONE - National Center for Policy Analysis Requiring people who can afford health insurance to buy it -- the same way that car owners must buy auto insurance -- is easier said than done, says the New York Times. Massachusetts has spent the past year dealing with questions about how much basic coverage people need and how much they can be expected to pay. _{Respond to this posting}

 Minimum Wage

 Congress, states pledge wage hikes  - Stateline.org In the wake of overwhelming voter approval of minimum wage initiatives in six states on Election Day, politicians in at least three more states – Illinois, Iowa and New Mexico -- have vowed to raise wages as soon as their legislative sessions open. _{Respond to this posting}

Raising the Minimum Wage Will Lower the Number of Jobs in Ohio  - A Buckeye Institute Viewpoint All credible research has come to the same conclusion: raising the minimum wage hurts the poor. It takes away jobs, keeps people on welfare, and encourages high-school students to drop out. _{Respond to this posting}