Businesses  will spearhead drive to get Third Frontier program renewed

Cracker Barrel manager accused of embezzling $2K
Updated 28 min. ago
Frozen yogurt shop offers frenzy of flavors, toppings
5:58 p.m.
Is your “unlimited” data being throttled?
2:32 p.m.
Wright-Patterson relatively unscathed in Obama defense budget
4:55 p.m.
Dayton Mall shoe store moving
4:32 p.m.
> More headlines

By William Hershey, Columbus Bureau 12:15 AM Thursday, February 4, 2010

COLUMBUS — Business groups in the Dayton area and across the state appear poised to take the lead in trying to win voter approval for renewing the Third Frontier high-tech economic development program on the May 4 ballot.

In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, the House and Senate on Wednesday, Feb. 3, overwhelmingly approved putting the issue on the ballot.

The proposal calls for issuing $700 million in bonds over four years for the program that is credited with creating or retaining 48,000 jobs, including thousands in the Dayton area.

The vote in the Democratic-controlled House was 83-14; the Republican-controlled Senate gave its OK, 30-2. Wednesday was the deadline for getting the issue on the ballot.

Local economic development officials reacted positively to the news.

“Clearly the Dayton Region has seen great benefit in job growth and economic development from the Third Frontier program and we expect that to continue under a renewal,” said Dayton Development Coalition Vice President, Entrepreneurial Programs Christina Howard.

Chris Kershner, vice president for public policy and economic development at the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, said in an e-mail that the chamber “intends to take a local leadership role to advocate for the successful passage of the issue on the May ballot.”

The issue “is especially important as the Dayton economy is defining itself as a global leader in aerospace, information technology and advanced energy technology,” Kershner said.

Although his approval isn’t required to get the issue on the ballot, Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland called the vote “a strong validation of the most successful economic development and job-creating program in Ohio.” The program was initiated during former Gov. Bob Taft’s administration.

Since 2002, more than $123 million has been awarded to Dayton-area projects for work in fuel cells, lasers, unmanned aerial vehicles and other technologies and products.

The program promotes cooperative research between businesses and universities with the goal of creating good-paying jobs.

Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, voted “no” and said the issue was “designed to fail.”

Seitz recalled that voters rejected a Third Frontier bond issue in 2003 although there was no organized opposition. It failed because voters “viewed it as a form of corporate welfare,” said Seitz, who added that he personally thought it was a “great program.”

In a statement Republican candidate for governor John Kasich said he supported the compromise package.

“It will be even more effective when we improve Ohio’s overall economic climate by modernizing state government, lowering taxes, and removing barriers to economic growth by reforming workers compensation and bringing common sense to regulatory policy,” he said.

Share this article