FINDINGS

February 22, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

FINDINGS

U Top 10 states for exports: Texas, California, New York, Washington, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Louisiana, New Jersey.

U Where Ohio exports go: Canada (43.8%), Mexico (7.8%), Brazil (4.3%), China (4.0%), Japan (3.3%), Germany (3.3%), United Kingdom (3.2%), France (2.5%), Australia (1.7%), Saudi Arabia (1.7%).

U Ohio’s 16 metropolitan regions: Cincinnati/Hamilton/Middletown; Cleveland/Elyria/Lorain; Columbus/Lancaster/Newark; Dayton/Piqua; Akron; Toledo; Youngstown/Warren; Canton; Springfield; Mansfield; Steubenville; Lima; Sandusky; Ironton; Marietta; East Liverpool.

U Ohio’s top seven metros: 70% of state’s population, 80% of state Gross Domestic Product.

U Ohio’s 16 metros: 81% of state’s population, 84% of jobs, 87% of state GDP.

RECOMMENDATIONS

U Secure a federally funded Energy Innovation Hub

U Organize for a National Advance Manufacturing Laboratory

U Preserve the high-tech Third Frontier program

U Make the costs of school district administration transparent to Ohioans

U Push school districts to share services

U Cut the number of school districts statewide by at least a third

U Support the development of regional business plans

U Increase the number of non-degree work force certificate holders who enter long-term careers

U Reward county and city governments for innovation in service delivery

U Change infrastructure funding system to support transformative projects

U Explicitly permit local government tax sharing

U Establish a targeted strategy for revitalizing neighborhoods

U Create a “Walkable Waterfronts” initiative

U Establish a state-level “Healthy Communities” initiative

U Expand authority for land banks that address vacant land to all 88 counties

Source: “Restoring Prosperity: Transforming Ohio’s Communities for the Next Economy”