By Carol McIntire
Editor
June 23, 2008

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's economic stimulus package made its way to Carroll County Monday, but it was minus the governor.
Strickland was scheduled to fly by helicopter to the Carroll County Fairgrounds Monday morning and speak about the $1.57 billion stimulus package. However, clouds in the Columbus area scrapped the takeoff and the message was delivered by Lisa Duvall, the governor's regional director, State Representative Mark Okey and Carroll County Commissioner Tom Wheaton.

Duvall apologized for  Strickland's absence to the approximately 25 people gathered in the Friendship Center and noted the importance of the package. "This is really, really important in rural counties," she said. "In Carroll County, rail service is an issue. In the economic stimulus package there is funding available for this type of upgrade. In the relatively near future, there will be funding available for rail, infrastructure, roads and bridges. The goal of this package and, of the governor, is to live within our means and invest in what matters."

The stimulus package, known as the Building Ohio Jobs package (House Bill 554) was passed by the Ohio House and Senate and signed by Strickland. Two portions of the package, the Clean Ohio Conservation and Clean Ohio Revitalization, will appear on the November general election ballot. The others were signed into law.
The infrastructure and communities funding includes:
*Local Infrastructure. $100 million will be used to help build local infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges, sewers and water systems.
*Ohio Historic Preservation Tax Credit. $120 million will revitalize historically significant buildings that expand the tax base of the local community.

*Clean Ohio Conservation. $200 million will help fund the preservation of open spaces, sensitive ecological areas and stream corridors.
*Clean Ohio Revitalization. $200 million will help revitalize cities and industrial areas by Brownfield clean up and transformation into new residential and business development.

Funding for growth industries includes:
*Logistics and Distribution. $100 million investment to spur job creation through improvements in infrastructure that can be used to expand and support businesses that move and distribute products and through assisting companies with facilities and other costs.

*Bio-based products. $50 million to help support and grow industries that aim to produce polymers, plastics and other crucial modern materials out of Ohio-grown crops.

*Bio-medical. $100 million to help create jobs through spurring a part of Ohio's economy that saves lives.

*Advanced energy. $150 million to help create new jobs by making Ohio a powerhouse of renewable and advanced energy productions such as wind, solar and coal.

Workforce development funding includes:
*Workforce/Education Coop Program. $250 million that strives to keep more college education Ohioans in the state by linking them with internships, cooperative educational programs and jobs while they earn degrees.
Oakey said the governor originally proposed a $1.7 billion package, but it was pared down by the legislature. "How do we fund these programs?" he asked. "We had to raid the state's tobacco money ($250 million) which ended up in lawsuits, but we didn't touch the rainy day fund."
He said the legislature hopes to see 57,000 or more jobs created as a result of the stimulus package and to train people to do those jobs.

 "Businesses who locate in communities want to know they have a trained pool of people from which to employ," he explained, "so we need to train those people."
Okey said the funds are targeted across the state and "we want to see small communities thrive."

"We are doing this because we have serious problems in our state," Okey stated. "The economic forecast we received was wrong. The projections fell short and something had to be done."

Wheaton said the money is needed for infrastructure in rural communities that do not have the tax base to maintain it. "Rural infrastructure is older and has not been maintained as it should be," he said. "We are glad to see the state stepping up to help rural America and  will go after as many grants as we can. That is why it is important to keep the lines of communication open between township trustees and villages so we are aware of their needs and can help them."

Duvall said she believed the funds would be available in early 2009. However Okey said he  believed the funding is available now. The infrastructure funding will be distributed through the Ohio Public Works System which, Duvall said, already has mechanisms in place.