LIMA — When it comes to the presidential campaign, Bob Teeters, of Kenton, is not a fan of the rhetoric.
“These guys don’t discuss issues or promote policies,” he wrote on Facebook. “It’s a good thing they don’t serve them donuts during their debates. They would have a junior high school food fight.”
When it comes to what the most important issues are in this presidential election, the economy has often ranked as the No. 1 issue for voters, with polls showing that to be the case in Ohio.
The current state of the state
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, while Ohio has been gaining jobs during the past five years, the state has a net loss of more than 295,000 jobs from 2000 to 2015. That effect has been keenly felt in Allen County, with total jobs down 16.5 percent during that 15-year period, a net loss of almost 10,000 jobs. Jobs in Putnam County have dropped by a total of 1,214, or 9.4 percent, while the number of jobs in Auglaize County has risen by 7 percent during that same period.
The median household income has dropped 16.1 percent in Ohio from 1999 to 2014, a loss of more than $9,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That drop has been felt throughout the region, with Allen County’s median income dropping 17.1 percent, 14.4 percent in Auglaize County and 7.5 percent in Putnam County.
How Republicans are responding
When it comes to improving the job outlook, Donald Trump has pointed to the trade relationship between the United States and China as a contributor to American job losses. Trump pledges to bring China to the negotiating table to make the Chinese “uphold intellectual property laws and stop their unfair and unlawful practice of forcing U.S. companies to share proprietary technology with Chinese competitors as a condition of entry to China’s market,” according to his website. He also promises to put “an end to China’s illegal export subsidies and lax labor and environmental standards.” Lowering the U.S. corporate tax rate is another part of his economic strategy.
For Sen. Marco Rubio, the key to fostering greater job totals is to create a more skilled workforce, making vocational education more accessible and affordable and encouraging high school students to begin learning a trade.
“I’ll help establish more programs like the one in Cleveland where high schoolers can work at GE’s manufacturing plant to gain practical experience and mentoring,” he said. “The graduation rate for these students is 95 percent, compared to just 60 percent for Cleveland public schools.”
Addressing the tax code is another priority for Rubio, cutting a combined corporate tax rate of 39.2 percent.
“My tax plan cuts taxes for all businesses to 25 percent, which will benefit not only larger companies, but the small businesses that employ over 2 million workers in Ohio,” he said.
Sen. Ted Cruz has advocated for a flat tax to help spur job growth, with personal income tax set at a single rate of 10 percent.
“In the first decade, the Simple Flat Tax will boost Gross Domestic Product by 13.9 percent above what is currently projected, increase wages by 12.2 percent and create 4,861,000 additional jobs,” according to his website.
Cruz also pledged to pursue more growth in the energy sector.
“We need an all-of-the-above energy approach that embraces the bountiful resources in this land — from oil to natural gas to ethanol,” according to his website. “A President Cruz will approve the Keystone Pipeline, and other similar infrastructures, and empower the private sector to create good-paying American jobs.”
How Democrats are responding
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton has pledged to help support unions and small businesses to foster job growth, investing in a variety of job sectors.
“Hillary will invest in infrastructure, clean energy, and scientific and medical research to create jobs and strengthen our economy,” according to her website. “And she’ll provide tax relief to working families and small businesses. That’s how we’ll move toward a full employment economy that creates jobs, pushes businesses to compete over workers, and raises incomes.”
Bernie Sanders blames trade deals such as the North American Free Trade Agreement and the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement for job losses in states such as Ohio.
“These bad trade deals … have destroyed good-paying manufacturing jobs in Ohio by incentivizing companies to ship jobs overseas,” he said. “I have consistently opposed these bad trade deals in Congress. As president, I will work to reverse these trade agreements that have proven so costly to Ohio workers.”
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