Policy Matters Ohio is an Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

-based nonprofit, nonpartisan policy research organization founded in January 2000. Its research focuses on economic issues facing low- and middle-income workers in Ohio. Through research, advocacy, media work, public events, and forging partnerships, Policy Matters aims to promote fair economic development

Economic development

Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...

 for all workers. Policy Matters is a member of the Greater Cleveland Community Shares, and was honored as the "Member Organization of the Year" for 2008. The Nation

The Nation

The Nation is the oldest continuously published weekly magazine in the United States. The periodical, devoted to politics and culture, is self-described as "the flagship of the left." Founded on July 6, 1865, It is published by The Nation Company, L.P., at 33 Irving Place, New York City.The Nation...

in its blog on Most Valuable Progressives of 2008 called Policy Matters Ohio the "most valuable state or regional group" in the country, praising it as "intellectually rigorous, yet accessible in its approach."

Policy Matters Ohio receives financial support from a number of foundations, organizations and individuals, including the Joyce Foundation

Joyce Foundation

The Joyce Foundation is a charitable foundation based in Chicago in the United States and operating principally in the Great Lakes region.The Foundation primarily funds organizations in the Great Lakes region .-Programs:* Education: Focuses on public schools in Chicago, Cleveland, and Milwaukee;...

, The George Gund Foundation

The George Gund Foundation

The George Gund Foundation was established in 1952 and provides grants in the areas of education, human services, economic and community development, the environment and the arts...

, the Cleveland Foundation

Cleveland Foundation

Established in 1914, the Cleveland Foundation was the world's first community foundation. , it is America's second-largest community foundation, with assets of $1.62 billion and annual grants of around $84 million....

, the Sisters of Charity Foundation, the New World Foundation

New World Foundation

The New World Foundation is a liberal foundation, based in New York. It dispenses funds to liberal advocacy groups. It was founded in 1954 by Anita McCormick Blaine, an heiress to industrialist Cyrus Hall McCormick and a supporter of Henry Wallace's 1948 presidential campaign...

, the Annie E. Casey Foundation

Annie E. Casey Foundation

The Annie E. Casey Foundation was started in 1948 in Seattle, Washington, by UPS founder James E. Casey and his siblings George, Harry and Marguerite. It was named in honor of their mother. The foundation moved to Baltimore in 1994....

, the Heinz Endowments

Heinz Endowments

The Heinz Endowments are among the largest philanthropic organizations in the United States.Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Heinz Endowments consist of two private foundations, the Howard Heinz Endowment and the Vira I. Heinz Endowment, and its monies originate from the Heinz family,...

, the Open Society Institute

Open Society Institute

The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...

, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Catholic Campaign for Human Development

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic antipoverty and social justice program of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops ....

, KnowledgeWorks, the Public Welfare Foundation and Greater Cleveland Community Shares. Agency partners include: the Economic Policy Institute, Economic Analysis and Research Institute (EARN), Demos, Apollo Alliance, the Cuyahoga Earned Income Tax Credit Coalition, and Greater Cleveland Community Shares.

Media Coverage and Accomplishments

Policy Matters has established a visible voice with Ohio politicians and news media, appearing in every major newspaper as well as television, radio, and web reports. In addition to releasing reports, Policy Matters researchers have also written opinion editorials and appeared on panels and conferences. Most recently, Executive Director Amy Hanauer and board member Susan Helper were featured on a panel with Vice President of the United States

Vice President of the United States

The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...

 Joe Biden

Joe Biden

Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...

, when he visited WK Solar in Perrysburg, Ohio

Perrysburg, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 16,945 people, 6,592 households, and 4,561 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,899.2 people per square mile . There were 6,964 housing units at an average density of 780.5 per square mile...

 on June 23, 2009. Researcher David Rothstein's June 2009 report on the rent-to-own industry (Paying More, Renting Debt) has been featured in The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

), National Public Radio, and the Business Journal.

In September 2009, Policy Matters staff prepared: a Testimony on the 3C Corridor, a Testimony to Postal Regulatory Commission regarding Post Office closings in Ohio, and a Testimony on H.B. 209-Payday Lending.

Currently, Policy Matters Ohio is partnering with Demos on the project, "Talking About Government" in order to re-frame the discussion to focus on the values and purpose of the public sector. An effective public sector and better state policies will help ensure a more successful Ohio. http://www.policymattersohio.org/TalkingAboutGovernment2009.htm
In April 2010, Policy Matters Ohio will be speaking at the Lorain County Transit Coalition.

The organization's influence has also had reach outside of the United States. In 2008, Policy Matters Ohio accused a Chinese factory, Xiamen Topstar Lighting Co., of violating China's labor law and GE's own corporate policies. The "Good Bulbs, Bad Jobs" report erupted a firestorm of intrigue in both American and Chinese media outlets and led to an official investigation by the Chinese government.

Issues

Policy Matters Ohio does research on issues affecting poor and working-class families. As the Ohio partner of Apollo Alliance

Apollo Alliance

The Apollo Alliance is a project organized by the Institute for America's Future and the Center on Wisconsin Strategy. The Alliance is a project of the Tides Center....

, it also works for sustainable and renewable energy. Publication issue areas include: Work & Wages, Inequality, Economic Development, Trade, Basic Needs, Credit & Debt, Unemployment Compensation, Privatization, Education & Training, Budget Policy, Tax Policy, Energy Policy, Corrections Policy, and Democracy. Policy Matters Ohio also published the report: Campaign Briefing 2008.

2009 Ohio Budget Crisis

In response to Ohio Gov. Strickland's proposed budget cuts of library, health, and children's services, Policy Matters' research director Zach Schiller wrote an editorial in The Plain Dealer calling for a tax increase rather than a steep decrease in public services. Schiller argues that current tax cuts have been ineffective and that cutting public programs to keep the cuts would hurt many Ohioans:

Those who say we should give the tax reform more time should be asked: Why should Ohioans experience drastic cutbacks in public services to test their theory, incorrect so far, that tax cuts will fuel an economic revival?
Ohio needs more revenue to pay for today's needs, invest in the future and provide a stable source of funding in the future. Legislators need to reverse key elements of the 2005 tax changes.

Schiller also authored an official Policy Matters report entitled "Limiting Loopholes: A dozen tax breaks Ohio can do without" released in September 2008. The report estimates that Ohio would generate an additional $270 million annually if the loopholes were closed.

Ohio Governor's Initiative On Graduation Rates

Also in response to Ohio's budget crisis, Policy Matters released a cost-benefit analysis of a state program aimed at increasing the graduation rates of at risk male high school students. The report concluded that the program should not have been eliminated because it would have saved the state money in the long run due to the increased rates of incarceration and social services usage of high school dropouts as compared to graduates.

Rent-to-Own Stores

In June 2009, Policy Matters released a report entitled "Paying More, Renting Debt: Why Rent-to-Own is a Bad Deal for Ohio Consumers" authored by researchers David Rothstein and Mike Stanek. The report finds rent-to-own stores in Ohio were selling to customers items that cost up to 450% their retail counterparts. In response, Policy Matters outlined several proposed policy changes such as placing a ceiling on prices and applying credit laws to rent-to-own transactions. However, Rent-to-Own Industry News questioned the report's proposal to rein in cash prices by basing them on prices at traditional retail stores, citing similar initiatives in the past that were unsuccessful due to "unclear guidelines" and an "unmanageable" system.

Recent policy reports

Policy Matters has published over 260 reports on economic stimulus, work & wages, collective bargaining, inequality, economic development, trade, basic needs, credit & debt, unemployment compensation, privatization, education & training, tax and budget policy, energy policy, corrections policy, and democracy. These are the most recent reports on these fields, as of July 2011. For the convenience of the reader, they have been divided into four categories. For a full list of reports, visit Policy Matters' Publications page.

Economic development

Report Name	Description
Recovery Act Investment in Ohio's Workforce: Use and Distribution of Workforce Investment Act Awards	This report, third in a three-part series, investigates investment in Ohio’s workforce development system through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
Recovery Act Investment in Ohio's Workforce: Use and Distribution of Department of Labor Recovery Act Awards	This report, second in a three-part series, investigates investment in Ohio’s workforce development system from Department of Labor sources.
Recovery Act Investment in Ohio's Workforce: Use and Distribution of Recovery Act Awards	This report, first in a three-part series, presents a broad overview of the Recovery Act and investment in Ohio’s workforce development system from non-Department of Labor sources.
Local Jobs for America Act Would Bring Relief to Ohio Communities	Cities, counties and school districts in Ohio have seen sharp revenue declines over the past two years, according to this report. The Local Jobs for America Act would enable local governments to retain teachers, firefighters, law enforcement officers and other local employees, stabilizing the economy and helping to prevent a second downturn.
Back to Work: The Case for Public Job Creation in Ohio	In this report, Policy Matters Ohio examines the high costs of lingering unemployment. Labor market conditions in Ohio are reviewed. Public works programs from the past are reviewed. Recommendations for public works jobs are outlined. A sketch of the administrative structure of a public works program is provided.
Policy Matters testifies on job tax credits	Policy Matters Ohio congratulates the Ohio Department of Development for proposing to boost wage standards required of companies that receive incentives under the Job Creation Tax Credit (JCTC) and the Job Retention Tax Credit (JRTC) programs. These are among the state’s important economic development incentives. The proposals are part of official rulemaking after the General Assembly expanded the incentives in last year’s budget bill. Following through on a 2009 state study of economic development incentives, the department proposes that minimum average wages paid by firms receiving these credits be raised from at least 150 percent of the federal minimum wage to at least 175 percent. As explained in testimony presented by Wendy Patton at a hearing on the rules June 25, 2010, the department has written a loophole into the proposal so broad that it would not apply right now anywhere in the state.
The Impact of IMPACT: Creating Jobs in Ohio	This report examines the Investment in Manufacturing Progress and Clean Technology Act of 2009 and concludes that IMPACT is the first step on a long road to rebuilding America’s manufacturing muscle.
Trade Adjustment Assistance in Ohio 2010	This July 2010 report finds that the U.S. Department of Labor certified 20,677 Ohio workers for help last year under TAA, nearly double the average annual number in the three preceding years.
Jobs and the Trade Deficit: A Growing Problem	A table indicating how job loss occurred in every Ohio congressional district.
Ohio: A New Kind of Battleground	Amy Hanauer's article on collective bargaining in The Nation.
Testimony on Collective Bargaining to House Committee	Amy Hanauer testifies to the House Committee on Commerce and Labor.
Testimony on Collective Bargaining to Senate Committee	Amy Hanauer testifies to the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee.
EPI Briefing Paper: Are Ohio's Public Employees Over-compensated?	Rutgers University professor Jeffrey H. Keefe conducted a comprehensive analysis of public and private sector compensation in Ohio. He found that, controlling for education, experience and other factors, state and local public sector employees in Ohio are paid several percentage points less than their private sector counterparts.
Press Briefing on Unions, Working Families, Public Employees and Public Budgets	This report details the benefits of collective bargaining to workers and the economy, and conversely, the dangers of removing collective bargaining.
Public and Private Sector Compensation: A Brief Comparison	Public sector compensation lower than that of comparable private sector workers, this study shows.

Education and Correction

Report Name	Description
Budget Brief: Slash, Seize and Privatize (K-12 education) '	The education budget that was passed by the House and the Senate imposes the harshest cuts on education.
Testimony on HB 153 (the budget and its impact on public education) to the Senate Finance Committee	Testimony of Piet van Lier to Senate Finance Committee.
Budget Brief - Higher Education	Higher Education in Ohio's new budget- Ohio needs a more balanced approach that relies on new revenues and fewer spending cuts.
Budget Brief - K-12 Education	Rather than depending on unproven reforms and relying on cuts to balance the budget, the governor and Ohio legislature should work to strengthen to public system that educates 90 percent of Ohio’s children.
Toledo charter school re-opening skirts Ohio law	This release documents how the Leona Group, a Phoenix-based, for-profit management firm, skirted Ohio law by opening a new school to replace one closed by the state.
Authorized Abuse: Sponsors, Management and Ohio Charter School Law	National Association of Charter School Authorizers, to see whether the 150 or so Ohio charter schools that are run by management organizations are conforming to these basic criteria, and finds violations.
Testimony of Piet van Lier on for-profit charter school operators	Piet van Lier testifies that for-profit charter schools are a poor choice for Ohio.
Public Good vs. Private Profit: Imagine Schools, Inc. in Ohio	This report highlights the need to eliminate for-profit companies from the education picture in Ohio.
Building Ohio's Future Middle Class	This report from Policy Matters Ohio and Demos documents how weakening policies and structural changes are making things harder for today's young individuals and families.
Cells for Sale: Understanding Prison Costs & Savings	This April 2011 report, written by journalist Bob Paynter for Policy Matters Ohio, finds that cost calculations performed over a number of years by the state have not reliably demonstrated the savings required under the law.

Tax policy and Privatization

Report Name	Description
Home Insecurity: Foreclosure Growth in Ohio 2011	This report analyzes foreclosure filing trends in Ohio and makes recommendations to reduce the foreclosure filing rate and to mitigate other effects of the foreclosure crisis.
Foreclosure Filings in Ohio 1995-2009	Foreclosure filings in Ohio by county.
Home Insecurity: Foreclosure Growth in Ohio 2010	This report analyzes the new foreclosure filings statistics in Ohio along with some of the latest trends in foreclosure prevention efforts.
Who Takes Credit?: The Earned Income Tax Credit in Cuyahoga County, 2009	A report on the EITC in Cuyahoga County.
Workforce Training in the 2012-2013 Ohio Budget	This report details funding to workforce programs housed in the Department of Development, Board of Regents, and the Department of Jobs and Family Services.
No Review for Ohio Tax Breaks (June 28)	$7 Billion in Annual Tax Breaks Will Continue Without Review New Tax Break Rushed Through, Worth Up to $100 Million Per Biennium
New Tax Expenditures Considered by the Conference Committee	Elected leaders who tout the virtue of spending cuts are spending on the other side of  the ledger: in the tax code.
Down to the Wire: Statement on budget in conference committee	Slash, seize and sell budget being finalized in conference committee.
June 15 Tax Expenditure Statement	The Ohio Senate has taken a long-needed step in approving the creation of a committee to review state tax breaks on a regular basis and examine new tax-break proposals before bills are passed containing them.
June 7 statement on 2012-13 Budget Bill	The Senate’s changes to the House budget plan are as minor in size as the changes  made by the House to the Executive budget.
Why the Estate Tax is Good for Ohio	As the Ohio General Assembly prepares to repeal the estate tax in June 2011 – a move that would slash needed revenue and increase inequality in our state – this report details the reasons to keep this smart, progressive tax.
Budget Brief - May 2 update on house changes to governor's budget	The amended substitute House Bill 153, Ohio’s biennial budget proposal for fiscal years 2012  and 2013, emerged at the Ohio House of Representatives Finance and Appropriations Committee  Thursday afternoon with small changes in programmatic funding, but no change in an approach  that only looks at spending cuts and ignores the revenue side of the ledger.
Testimony on Ohio House changes to SFY 2012-13 proposed budget	Wendy Patton testifies on House Bill 153 and the numerous and drastic cuts that it makes to education, local governments and a wide range of public services.
Decline of Corporate Income Taxes in the United States and Ohio	The share of revenues supporting education, infrastructure, health and well being of America’s civic society has been supported more by individuals and families and less by corporations over time.
$7 Billion in Ohio Tax Breaks, and Nobody's Watching	Ohio’s tax expenditure report shows exemptions and credits will amount to more than $7 billion in foregone revenue to the state’s General Revenue Fund.

Energy and Economic Sustainability

Report Name	Description
Who pays for Shabby Benefits? Public helps Ohio Bob Evans workers meet basic needs	Policy Matters finds that state and federal government pick up the slack when private companies don't provide workers enough to adequately take care of themselves and their families.
Who Takes Credit? The EITC and free tax preparation in Cuyahoga County	The report details successful marketing strategies such as radio advertisements and having a universal, three-digit phone referral number for clients. The report also discusses integrating financial services and asset building for clients.
Working families across the state could use an EITC	A refundable state Earned Income Tax Credit would help low-income working families all over Ohio to make ends meet. Contains links to maps of Senate and House districts for EITC profiles.
Less than one year left until Ohio loses $176 million for unemployment compensation	Ohio now has less than one year to take steps to modernize its unemployment compensation, or it will forfeit $176.3 million in federal funds.
Without Congressional action, nearly 100,000 Ohioans will lose jobless benefits in June	The Ohio Department of Job & Family Services has estimated that close to 100,000 Ohioans will run out of benefits this month if there is no extension, and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has made a similar estimate
Unemployment Tax Rate Cut: Fund Is Broke	Ohio's unemployment compensation trust fund is broke and owes more than $2 billion to the federal government. Ohio needs to eliminate such automatic tax cuts and take other steps to reverse the chronic underfinancing that helped cause the fund to go broke.
Worksharing: A tool to avoid layoffs in Ohio	Seventeen states are using a creative approach to helping employers and workers weather bad times. These programs, which allow the payment of unemployment benefits to workers at employers that shorten workweeks instead of laying off staff, can benefit Ohio workers and the companies that employ them in several ways.
Legislative Briefing on Unemployment Compensation	In an April 2010 event co-sponsored by the Ohio Workforce Coalition, Policy Matters Ohio held a legislative briefing on unemployment compensation.
Ohioans spend billions to import gasoline	Ohioans spent $11.7 billion on motor gasoline in 2009,  ranks 6th in nation, according to new EIA data.
Building Green Pathways out of Poverty	This report documents Ohio’s progress and makes recommendations for building on these policies and programs to ensure continued gains towards achieving the maximum benefits to our communities, our workforce and our environment.
Apollo Alliance: Make It In America	The Apollo Alliance releases its blueprint for transportation based job creation. In their new report: Make it in America: The Apollo Clean Transportation Manufacturing Action Plan (TMAP), they call for leveraging transportation investments to create a globally competitive transit and clean vehicle manufacturing sector and create hundreds of thousands of U.S. manufacturing jobs.
Energy Standards at Work: Ohio Senate Bill 221 Creates a Cleaner Economy	This report assesses SB 221’s effects on economic growth, emissions reductions, energy independence and energy savings, and finds that as long as utilities are reaching annual benchmarks, Ohio will see jobs created, less pollution and, in the long run, money saved.
Provisions to ensure advanced energy jobs grow at home: Rebates, border adjustment and domestic content	This report concludes that concerns associated with output-based rebates, border adjustments and domestic content provisions are overstated, particularly with regard to domestic content, where technical solutions like a unified web page and improved waiver protocol could provide an inexpensive means to support domestic manufacturing.