Surprising Facts

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Now is the time for the voters of Ohio to focus on the extent of the budget crisis and engage their elected officials for real reform. Real solutions exist and are the basis for the Ohio Jobs Budget. We, as do the majority of Ohioans, believe the State needs a budget that is good for the economy; one that does not raise taxes; one that frees localities to manage their monies more efficiently; and one that stops the loss of jobs.

Did you know?

• State Government has grown by 36%
(Source: Ohio Legislative Services Commission)

• Ohio's tax revenue has become flat
(Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, 2000-2010)

• Ohio has lost 500,000 jobs - more jobs than any state other than Michigan
(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Feb. 2000-201)

• Ohio pays higher sales and property taxes than New York.
(Source: The Tax Foundation; "2011 Facts & Figures, How Does Your State Compare?")

Adding up the facts leads you to an unmistakable conclusion: the anti-jobs environment created by long term failures in leadership is a Jobs Killer. But the surprising facts don’t end there. A closer look at the programs that are funded by and serve the citizens of Ohio reveals a litany of misguided spending priorities and poor outcomes.

The Jobs Outlook:

October, 2017; that’s when The Buckeye Institute projects a “Best Case Recovery” to the peak (2000) Ohio private sector jobs market of 4.846 million.

The Facts on State Medicaid:

Ohio pays more than most other states for health care and has poor outcomes.

• Ohio ranks in or near the bottom quarter of states in affordability of health care (37th), hospital care (38th) and nursing homes (45th) and in affordability of Medicaid for seniors (44th).

• Ohio is ranked 42nd among states in health outcomes and is among the bottom eight states in preventing infant mortality (42nd) and breast cancer deaths (44th) and avoiding Medicare hospital readmissions for preventable conditions (44th).

Medicaid is growing uncontrollably.

• Medicaid is Ohio’s largest health payer, providing medical care for 2.2 million Ohioans who cannot afford it—typically low-income children and their parents, as well as individuals who are elderly or disabled.

• Medicaid funding—totaling approximately $18 billion in Ohio in FY 2011—has increased 30 percent over the past three years and now consumes 30 percent of Ohio’s budget.

• Because the federal share is scheduled to decrease in 2012, the state share of funds provided by Ohio taxpayers to support the program is scheduled to grow by 42 percent in FY 2012 if Ohio does nothing to adjust the current trend.

A fragmented system is part of the problem.

• Long-term care, home- and community-based services, behavioral health and physical health services are provided through 11 or more largely disconnected delivery systems, and many of the individuals receiving services are insured by both the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

• Ohio has seven state agencies involved in the administration of Medicaid.

The Facts on the public, K-12 Education System

An Investment Commitment without the Desired Outcomes

• Ohio’s financial commitment to education has grown faster than inflation, even as the number of students served has gone down.
(Source: Ohio Department of Education, enrollment reports)

• Per-pupil expenditures in Ohio have increased by 98 percent over the past 15 years
(Source: Ohio Department of Education, Financial reports 1995-2010)

• Student performance has stagnated
(Source: NAEP results, Ohio)

One Critical Fact on Higher Education

In the past decade, our families have seen a 49% increase in the tuition rate at Ohio State.
(Source: Ohio Board of Regents)