Editorials

Ohio: ‘The heart of it all’ or just half-hearted?

Though the signs are up all across Ohio, elected officials still feel compelled to remind us that the Buckeye State is "the heart of it all." Lt. Gov. Jon Husted took another such opportunity on Monday when he visited the Rotary Club of Toledo to talk about the jobs landscape. According to a report by WTOL, Husted said of the revived slogan:

"We brought it back because we are a state that's growing. We have more jobs than people to fill them right now."

In fact, WTOL says Husted told the group there are 16,000 open positions in northwest Ohio alone, in a variety of different industries. He touted Ohio's prowess in providing food, planes and computer chips worldwide, and said the challenge now is finding workers with the skills to fill all those open jobs.

At the same time, Husted talked about the focus on attracting and retaining young people. But his cheerleading begs a few questions. Is there enough housing for those we hope will fill these wonderful jobs? Are we providing the right education, not just for those who might take the jobs, but for the children of those we hope to attract and retain? And while central and northwest Ohio remain a focus, what are residents of eastern/Appalachian Ohio to think?

Husted's contention that Ohio high school students should graduate "career ready" is a wonderful idea. Half of the state's parents and students might well think "what careers does he have in mind?"

While, according to WTOL, Husted spoke in Toledo about projects that might lead to even more jobs, growth and investment in the area. Again, that is wonderful for those in the northwest region, and no one would begrudge them the push forward.

But for goodness sake, what will it take for those in Columbus to look south and east? Is the problem that local and county officials are not doing a good enough job showcasing the potential in those parts of the state?

Whatever the barrier, public officials at all levels had better get past it. As it is, the assertion that Ohio is the heart of it all seems, well, rather half-hearted.