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$$$ Economy Watch $$$
Lt. Gov. Fisher offers reassurance, hope and a plan for Ohio’s future
Elizabeth Weinstein
Staff Reporter
Ohio’s Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher delivered a message of “relentless optimism” in these difficult economic times. “We’re in the middle of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, and it is understandable … to be downcast and pessimistic,” he told the audience at a Nov. 18 luncheon, held by SS&G Financial Services in Independence.
“But Gov. Strickland and I believe that the only way we will grow our economy and change Ohio’s trajectory … is to be relentlessly optimistic.”
“Politics tends to go to the quick fix, and that’s understandable,” he continued. “But we must have an unshakeable, unwavering faith that we won’t just survive … we will thrive.”
Fisher outlined Strickland and his Strategic Plan for the Ohio Department of Development. Its primary goals include growing the income, creating and retaining jobs, and expanding productivity through innovation. To accomplish this, the department will focus on sharing Ohio’s story with the world, shore up Ohio’s strengths, cultivate top talent in the state’s workforce, and invest in regional assets.
Ohio, insisted the lieutenant governor, must invest in education, alternative energy, the environment, natural resources, and perhaps, most important, technology.
“Today we are educating students at our community colleges, technical schools, and our four-year universities for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that none of us in this room even knows is a problem,” Fisher explained.
In addition to technology, the state has room to grow in other areas, he contended. “We have access to a unique resource – the Great Lakes – the largest body of fresh water in the world outside of the polar ice caps,” he said. “By 2035, it is estimated that 35 states in the U.S. will face some degree of water shortage. That asset will become more and more valuable.”
Fisher also spoke excitedly about a new program, “Ohio Means Home,” to help combat Ohio’s “brain drain.” Research has indicated that people who move to Ohio from out of state or from out of the country often have a pre-existing connection to Ohio.” Using alumni records and online social networking tools (like Facebook), Fisher said the government hopes to create a database of people living around the world who have connections to the state. “We’re going to remind them, and we’re going to share that database with employers,” he added.
Ohio is also home to more than 60 Fortune 1000 company headquarters and is the only state in the U.S. whose exports have increased every year for the last 10 years. He described those as “one of the silver linings in an otherwise down economy.”
eweinstein@cjn.org
New Ohio initiatives available online
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher discussed many new initiatives to help stimulate Ohio’s economic growth. To read “A Strategic Plan for the Ohio Department of Development” in its entirety, visit development.ohio.gov/strategicplan.
Staff Reporter
Ohio’s Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher delivered a message of “relentless optimism” in these difficult economic times. “We’re in the middle of an unprecedented economic and financial crisis, and it is understandable … to be downcast and pessimistic,” he told the audience at a Nov. 18 luncheon, held by SS&G Financial Services in Independence.
“But Gov. Strickland and I believe that the only way we will grow our economy and change Ohio’s trajectory … is to be relentlessly optimistic.”
“Politics tends to go to the quick fix, and that’s understandable,” he continued. “But we must have an unshakeable, unwavering faith that we won’t just survive … we will thrive.”
Fisher outlined Strickland and his Strategic Plan for the Ohio Department of Development. Its primary goals include growing the income, creating and retaining jobs, and expanding productivity through innovation. To accomplish this, the department will focus on sharing Ohio’s story with the world, shore up Ohio’s strengths, cultivate top talent in the state’s workforce, and invest in regional assets.
Ohio, insisted the lieutenant governor, must invest in education, alternative energy, the environment, natural resources, and perhaps, most important, technology.
“Today we are educating students at our community colleges, technical schools, and our four-year universities for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that have not yet been invented, to solve problems that none of us in this room even knows is a problem,” Fisher explained.
In addition to technology, the state has room to grow in other areas, he contended. “We have access to a unique resource – the Great Lakes – the largest body of fresh water in the world outside of the polar ice caps,” he said. “By 2035, it is estimated that 35 states in the U.S. will face some degree of water shortage. That asset will become more and more valuable.”
Fisher also spoke excitedly about a new program, “Ohio Means Home,” to help combat Ohio’s “brain drain.” Research has indicated that people who move to Ohio from out of state or from out of the country often have a pre-existing connection to Ohio.” Using alumni records and online social networking tools (like Facebook), Fisher said the government hopes to create a database of people living around the world who have connections to the state. “We’re going to remind them, and we’re going to share that database with employers,” he added.
Ohio is also home to more than 60 Fortune 1000 company headquarters and is the only state in the U.S. whose exports have increased every year for the last 10 years. He described those as “one of the silver linings in an otherwise down economy.”
eweinstein@cjn.org
New Ohio initiatives available online
Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher discussed many new initiatives to help stimulate Ohio’s economic growth. To read “A Strategic Plan for the Ohio Department of Development” in its entirety, visit development.ohio.gov/strategicplan.
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