COLUMBUS Taft pushes high-tech bond issue
Proceeds could support research in health care and advanced manufacturing.
THE VINDICATOR, YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO
By JEFF ORTEGA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
COLUMBUS -- The passage of a $500 million statewide bond issue to help develop high-tech jobs in Ohio is critical to the state's economic future, Gov. Bob Taft says.
"We've got to diversify our economy," the Republican Taft said Wednesday, the first day of a two-day, eight-city blitz to push for the passage of Issue 1 on the Nov. 4 statewide ballot.
"It's a matter of our economic survival," Taft said.
"We need to advance the 'knowledge economy' and this will do so by investing in research and development that will help companies develop new products," the governor said.
Taft said the proposed bond issue would be spread over 10 to 15 years and the proceeds could be used to support the commercialization of new products or research in areas such as health care, advanced manufacturing and other high-tech growth areas.
To underscore the technology theme, the governor was scheduled to visit several high-tech areas around the state Wednesday such as Plastics Technologies Inc. in Toledo and the Reynolds and Reynolds Research Center in Dayton.
Today's scheduled stops include appearances at the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati; Thermo Electron in Marietta; the Goodyear Polymer Center in Akron and Treeman Industries in Youngstown.
Advertising to come
Taft said he anticipates television advertising supporting Issue 1 to be aired beginning next month in every media market in the state.
Taft said he's helping to raise campaign money for the Yes On Issue 1 Committee, and backers say they anticipate a $2 million to $3 million campaign.
Issue 1 is part of Taft's $1.6 billion Third Frontier Project, a bid to create high-paying, high-tech jobs in the state.
There is no organized opposition to the bond issue yet.