Cleveland Real Estate News » Governor Strickland

How Will Obama’s Administration Make Sure Stimulus Monies Get Spent When and How They Want It Spent?

Carole Cohen — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 21:01:33 +0000

That is a question running through my mind after reading the somewhat in depth and very interesting article in today’s Washington Post on Ohio’s lobbying efforts to get stimulus package two monies.

1) if monies are given directly to Governors, will monies within the states go where they can create jobs and fix infrastructure or could they wind up being (essentially) state deficit bailouts?

2) The article implies we are not ready to fix the Inner Belt Bridge. Monies need to be spent in a certain time frame to be helpful yes? This quote from the Post article.

But Mayor Frank G. Jackson is focusing on his four biggest priorities, most notably a new Inner Belt highway bridge with a $350 million price tag.

“If we don’t tend to it soon, we’re facing the prospect of closing it down for a year to repair it. That’s unacceptable to us,” said Ken Silliman, the mayor’s chief of staff.

Yet Silliman said preparations are incomplete and no dirt could be turned for at least two years, much slower than Obama has in mind.

Does this mean we can’t get anything done on the Inner Belt Bridge more quickly? Why is that? Is there a technical reason? And does it mean we could miss out on monies to do this very expensive project, when ‘missing out’ is something we seem to do way too frequently in NE Ohio? Did it take Minnesota two yrs to start rebuilding their bridge once it collapsed?

3) PD article outlining Governor Strickland’s budget released today. I’ll have more on that in another post but thought you’d want to read it here.

Peace Out – 3C

Say It Ain’t So, Governor Strickland. We Need The Film Industry Now, Not Next Year

Carole Cohen — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 00:30:50 +0000

Why won’t Governor Strickland support the film industry tax credit? My cousin Jeff and I spoke this evening, so the conversation got to the film industry quickly. I’m interested and supportive, but he is working diligently to help make it happen, even going to Columbus to sit in on committee meetings, etc. The conversation was enlightening. Just as background, the Ohio House and Senate have passed the bill to allow a 25% film industry tax credit, and you can read more about it here.

More background on the issue: the tax credit has been an issue, off and on, for years. Apparently, as early as this past summer, Governor Strickland told our local film society peeps and others, that while he is supportive, he doesn’t want to consider the issue now. He’d rather deal with it in 2009 budget discussions. My cousin also said that during the committee meetings it was clear the Dept. of Taxation was against the idea – but then they don’t usually support abatements anyway.

And now here is the kicker: It was also implied that the Governor, in 2009, would have a new bill introduced by a Democrat and then it could move forward. Now I can be as cynical as the next person, but even if there is a smidgen of truth to this, how sad is that? It blows me away.

Governor Strickland has been holding town meetings/conferences on education all over the State. He also speaks on other topics with empathy and good ideas. This time however, I am at a loss as to his position.

First of all, bringing in a new, stable, job force via the film industry cannot be a bad thing, under any circumstance. And waiting could have us losing out on two movies in the pipeline. Why should we lose a chance to start establishing a new job industry here in NE Ohio before the 2009 state budget meetings get started?

Political posturing is not something new, but hasn’t our President elect asked us to put partisanship aside and start doing what needs to be done to help us all recover economically? Maybe Governor Strickland missed those speeches. Or maybe there are other reasons he is not talking about. Regardless, he SHOULD be talking about them because otherwise I can believe what I want, including that he would rather have the bill sponsored by a Democrat instead of a Republican!!

Not to leave Mayor Jackson out of the posturing, he can posture with the best of them. But he did after all, offer the Convention Center property tax free to the film industry a few months ago…in the hopes of keeping them interested in Cleveland while the tax credit is being discussed. (His posturing, according to the PD, happened when he almost didn’t support this week’s Bill because it wasn’t included in the Bill that he had a seat on the oversight board)

Even if the above is all political scuttlebutt with only a grain of truth thrown in, someone (as Rachel Maddow would say) needs to talk me down on why anyone would oppose this idea? No one wants to give the film industry a tax credit because we will be losing money – but if we don’t, then we don’t have ANY money from the film industry to lose. Not to mention the jobs created. Some of which would be transitional (per movie), but some of which would be a permanent workforce here. According to my cousin, it’s a significant number of permanent jobs too.

Can we not shoot ourselves in the foot? I encourage you all to contact the Governor’s office on Monday. Here is his contact information:

The Honorable Ted Strickland

77 High Street, #30

Columbus Ohio 43215

telephone number: 614-466-3555

or, here is the contact page from the Governor’s website. You can send him an email.

At the very least, the Governor should be communicating his stance on this issue. Not when he vetoes it, but beforehand. Our President-elect is comfortable in his own skin and with his own intelligence, and is able to welcome various viewpoints on issues, in order to reach a good decision about what should happen. At least that is what we keep hearing. Even if THAT isn’t true, it’s how everyone needs to operate in this time of economic crisis. And it’s certainly what I expect from my Governor.

Say it ain’t so, Governor Strickland. Please tell me you would not be holding up a bill that could bring jobs to NE Ohio and elsewhere in the State, just because a Democrat did not introduce the Bill. And please do not veto House Bill 196 or the tax credit!

Peace Out – 3C

Ohio Senate Bill 353 and The Film Industry Tax Credit Debate

Carole Cohen — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:55:49 +0000

Ohio Is abuzz with land bank ideas. I posted about the Cuyahoga County land bank proposal here. Now more people are on board and a State initiative is being promoted. If you believe the reports, there isn’t even much opposition to this Bill. There was even a bus load of people from Cleveland who went to our State House to lobby for it. Here is an excerpt from Aaron Marshall’s PD blog post about it:

A wave of speculators buying small properties for pennies on the dollar is hitting the Slavic Village neighborhood that Brancatelli represents, he told lawmakers on the panel. The sales to faraway investors looking to make a quick buck on small, outdated homes just “extends the cycle of misery,” according to the councilman.

“It makes more sense to start tearing down these houses and start redeveloping it in a more sane way,” he said.

Senate lawmakers will hold more hearings this week with the goal of moving the bill next week to the floor. Legislative leaders in the House and Senate have pledged to act before lawmakers break for the year, Patton said. And the Ohio banking industry seems to be on board — an Ohio Bankers League official told reporters he hadn’t heard of any opposition to the legislation.

The bill in question is Senate Bill 353 - and you won’t get any opposition to it from me either. This idea has made sense since our huge population shift has left us with sprawled out neighborhoods and not enough people to fill the homes. Now that the foreclosure issue is causing even more abandoned properties, this land banking idea makes even more sense.

There will be three days of hearings on this Bill, and the first day was yesterday (Tuesday). Let’s hope this becomes part of the abandoned properties solution.

Now I wish I had good news to report about the film industry tax credit issue. According to Jay Miller in Crain’s Cleveland, our State legislators are not prepared to act quickly on the film industry issue.

Here is what I can’t understand. Can our law makers do math? 100% of zero is still zero. If the film industry gets going here in Ohio we can get a % of ‘something’ in taxes, instead of 100% of zero! It’s not rocket science. An excerpt from Miller’s article:

A House committee heard testimony on a motion picture tax credit last Wednesday, Nov. 19, and moved it along to the full House for consideration. Maggie Ostrowski, spokeswoman for Senate President Bill Harris, R-Ashland, said the bill has a good chance of passing the Senate should it win House approval.

Most states provide some sort of tax incentive to lure production companies to film in their states.

Ivan Schwarz, executive director of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, told the House committee that passage would ensure that a New York-based film company would bring an operation to Cleveland. Nehst Studio president Larry Meistrich told Cleveland City Council last Monday, Nov. 17, that his company is prepared to make a major commitment to shoot in Cleveland if the tax credit passes.

Governor Strickland is sounding like the lone wolf howling against the tax credit proposal. Maybe we need a busload of people to Columbus for this issue too!

Peace Out – 3C

Late Day Update: PD article is here on Ohio House vote in favor of tax credits – and also includes dissent by the Governor’s clan.

Governor Strickland Begins Laying Out a Plan for Ohio

Carole — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:07:00 +0000

“The Federal Government’s Workforce Investment Act helps states provide job training. We’re 51st in making use of those funds.” (quote from Governor’s speech ….it has frustrated me that Ohio seemed to miss out on too much available Federal money which to me has to have been related largely in bad State management)

Governor Strickland gave his State of the State speech the other day. You can read She Writes Like She Talks for some information about it. I’m impressed with one quote from the speech (from Crains Cleveland):
“We will live within our means and invest in what matters,” [Strickland told legislators].

Ohio has tobacco company money coming our way and the Governor plans on spending $5 billion of it on our schools as well as revamping some tax loopholes to get us more money for the schools. You can read the entire Crain’s article here. And an ONN Ohio article about it as well. Personally, a little fiscal responsibility and a needed budget increase to aid public schools seems like a breath of fresh air to me. How do you feel?

Other quotes from his speech:
“I am seeking permission from the federal government to use Medicaid funds for private health insurance premium assistance. This would help as many as 300,000 Ohioans – those earning up to 150 percent of the poverty level – pay for coverage that is otherwise beyond their means.”

“First, I will establish a higher education compact between the state and our public colleges and universities which will result in lower tuition costs for our students. This compact will increase funding for the basic instructional subsidy by 5 percent next year. And by 2 percent more the following year.”

Not being a fan of, or seeing the use of, ‘talking heads’ on television, I’m not going to become one here lol. So my suggestion? Read his entire speech on his official website here.

Going to close with one more quote since it’s about energy and alternative fuels and such:
“Next-generation energies – biofuels, fuel cells, clean coal, and renewable sources such as wind – offer us the opportunity to create jobs, support our farmers, reduce our dependence on foreign oil producers, and be responsible stewards of our environment. ” Again I ask, what do you think? Peace Out – 3C