State should pave the way for economic development

During a meeting with Vindicator writers recently, Gov. Bob Taft expressed his gratitude for this newspaper's unwavering support of his high-technology initiative known as Third Frontier. The support reflects our firm belief that Ohio cannot become a major competitor in the global technology arena without a significant financial investment in the basic infrastructure of the initiative.
Last November, Ohio voters authorized state government to issue up to $2 billion in bonds to finance road and highway construction, provide seed money for high-tech businesses and assist local governments in developing sites for industry and business.
In pushing for passage of the bond issue, state officials let it be known that the benefits of the issue would be far-reaching and that every section of Ohio would share in the largess.
But now it turns out that urban areas, such as Youngstown, Warren, Campbell and Struthers, are in jeopardy of becoming ineligible for any of the $150 million to be set aside for site development, officially known as the Jobs Ready Sites Program. The reason for this inequity: Rules being contemplated by Taft administration officials that would require a site to have at least 150 acres to qualify for the grant money.
The 150-acre minimum would apply to research and development projects; more than 250 acres would be required for office complexes and manufacturing plants; 600 acres for larger manufacturing plants; and 1,000 acres for distribution sites.
Projects could receive up to $5 million for building demolition and the installation of utility lines and roads.
Such land-size requirements would lock out most small urban areas and even make it difficult of larger urban cities and urban counties to qualify.
As Struthers Mayor Daniel Mamula said at a recent meeting of the Eastgate Regional Council of Governments General Policy Board, his city and others like it will immediately be taken out of the game if the rules are adopted by the state.
Solidarity
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams, who said his city might have one or two sites that would "approach the criteria," expressed solidarity with Mamula and other area mayors.
"We are concerned because we are looking at this from a regional standpoint," Williams said. "We're not going to say good for us and bad for you. That would be irresponsible."
Just as it is irresponsible for the Taft administration to even contemplate such a discriminatory policy.
Urban centers need all the help they can get in their job-creation efforts and it is up to the state to pave the way for such economic development endeavors.
There is nothing to be gained by pandering to rural areas. Indeed, it's a safe bet that individuals who live in pristine areas don't even want development. On the other hand, urban centers have been at the forefront of pushing the governor's job-creation initiatives.
It is important to remember that the rural areas, led by the Farm Bureau, were responsible for the defeat of the Third Frontier bond issue when it first appeared on the statewide ballot, and that the inclusion of money for road and highway construction in the November issue was designed to win support from rural residents.
Mamula, Williams and other local officials are absolutely right in opposing land-use standards and for making it clear to the Taft administration that they expect a level playing field.