Ohio is in the middle of the pack among the states, when it comes to making sure that companies that receive tax breaks have actually created the jobs they promise. That’s the finding from an activist group on the political left – called Good Jobs Now. The group says Ohio is in a 5-way tie for 23rd place among the states in ensuring that businesses keep up their end of the bargain when they get financial incentives from government. Philip Mattera is the group’s research director.
He says, "Tax payers have a right to demand both strong performance requirements and aggressive enforcement of those requirements. When a company is given subsidies without any strings attached, that is a handout rather than economic development."
In the national grade card from Good Jobs Now, no state earns a grade of A. The 4 states with the highest grade have gotten a B-minus. Ohio gets a C-minus. The group says Ohio and many other states fail to aggressively “claw back” money from companies, after it’s clear they haven’t lived up to their promise to create or preserve jobs.