Kasich: 82 thousand jobs saved, created in first year

Governor touts highlights of turbulent year; pledges to keep jobs a top priority.

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By William Hershey, Columbus Bureau 11:05 PM Monday, December 19, 2011

COLUMBUS — Gov. John Kasich on Monday pledged to make his top priority in 2012 the same as it was during his sometimes turbulent first year leading the state, saying. “Everything we do goes through the prism ... does this create a job?”

At a two-hour, year-end press conference at the governor’s residence, Kasich touted state support for projects that he said have led to the creation of about 21,000 new jobs and the retention of more than 61,000 jobs.

A major development, the Republican governor said, was JobsOhio, the nonprofit corporation created to lead state economic development efforts.

Concerning the biggest setback of his first year — the resounding 62-38 percent defeat of Issue 2 on Nov. 8 — Kasich said he heard the voters and declined to say if he would offer parts of Senate Bill 5 separately next year.

“The ocean is full of sharks,” he said. “Sometimes you get the sharks and sometimes the shark gets you.”

A big job-creation emphasis next year, said Kasich, will be drilling for oil and gas in shale rock formations mainly in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state. Kasich said he would balance economic development with environmental concerns.

“It’s like porridge, not too hot, not too cold, just right,” he said.

Kasich also trumpeted balancing the state budget without raising taxes in the face of a projected $8 billion shortfall and maintaining safety net benefits for the poor.

Democrats mocked his press conference.

“Rather than bring our state together to solve problems, John Kasich has alienated and vilified Ohioans who disagree with him,” Seth Bringman, spokesman for the Ohio Democratic Party, said in a press release.

Dan Birdsong, University of Dayton political scientist, said in an email that Kasich’s first year “has been a mixed bag.”

Birdsong said that with the defeat of Issue 2, Kasich “has dug a hole for himself in the view of the public” but that he has three years to change things.

Contact this reporter at  (614) 224-1608 or whershey@ DaytonDailyNews.com.

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