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Bond Issue Helps Ohio Help Itself

Posted on: Tuesday, 16 August 2005, 15:00 CDT

OHIO VOTERS GENERALLY SUPPORT BORROW- ing when they understand what the money is going for. They've passed multiple bond issues, for instance, to pay for cleaning up brownfields, repairing roads and building bridges.

Two years ago, though, the so-called Third Frontier bond issue was narrowly defeated even though supporters paid handsomely to promote the idea. Most people just didn't understand the initiative. The plan is back, but this time it's being called the "Jobs for Ohio Initiative," and it's part of a bigger package.

In all, voters will be asked to approved $2 billion in borrowing. The great bulk of it is for highway repairs, but $500 million for supporting research and commercialization of it.

The latter is the recycled Third Frontier project with a new name.

Just a few weeks ago, Republican and Democratic lawmakers were fighting about whether Ohioans should vote on the idea a second time.

But, in the end, they came together and agreed to ask again.

Now it's time for the politicians to step away and let others take over.

The explanation this time needs to come from non-partisans who can credibly pitch why Ohio has to be investing in research and aggressively luring worldclass scientists.

Some supporters of this seed money for research think that bundling the transportation improvements and research bond issues together will make the package an easy sell.

After all, everyone can understand that roads and bridges have to be replaced, and local officials will do a good job of getting out the word of how their hometowns would benefit.

There are at least two problems with that approach.

First, it's dangerous to take voters for granted. People still will have to be persuaded that the state is going in debt for good reasons.

Second, this is an opportunity for Ohio to talk about its future - - to explain why building up Ohio's universities can help create jobs and also position the state to compete for industries that insist on being near scholars who are doing cutting-edge research and development.

Voters need to learn about how the knowledge economy is different from a manufacturing and production-based economy.

They need to hear from people they trust that it's smart for Ohio to be involved in priming this kind of work.

A year ago, the Governor's Commission on Higher Education and the Economy released a report that made a series of recommendations about how Ohio had to improve its universities and how to make them better economic engines.

It said that, in judging their performance, Ohio should want to know how much the state's universities are increasing the amount of federal and industrial research funding they're winning; the number of companies being formed because of university research; the number of jobs being created in start-up companies per $1,000 in research, and more.

The collection of metrics -- there were others -- would also be a good way of assessing how Ohio spends any research and development bond issue money; voters will need to be assured that accountability is built in.

The politicians have called an important question.

By the time November rolls around, voters need to have heard compelling testimony from people who understand what Ohio needs to do to help itself.

Source: Dayton Daily News

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