Moving Ohio Forward | News, Sports, Jobs

Ohio’s economy has seen a few sparks of hope lately, but the state’s chamber of commerce has released a report that warns there is still plenty of room for improvement.

“While there is much to be proud of in Ohio, the state and its policymakers must also focus on laying the foundation for continued investment and creating economic and business growth,” reads a portion of the introduction to the executive summary of “Blueprint for Ohio’s Economic Future,” a report produced by the chamber.

Among the areas on which the Ohio Chamber of Commerce hopes lawmakers and other officials will focus are education and the workforce; sense of place; taxes and costs; business friendliness; innovation and collaboration; and infrastructure.

Authors of the summary suggest Ohio must improve affordability that allows for generational wealth building, improve health outcomes and address the drug crisis, and further understand opportunities for Ohio’s natural environment and amenities. They should also reduce barriers to employment, expand education and job training, grow Ohio’s population and recruit out-of-state workers, and modernize Ohio’s workforce.

Easy, right?

It is precisely because these are difficult challenges to overcome that we have failed for so long to properly address them. Lawmakers can’t do it all; no, this part is largely up to Buckeye State residents to solve on our own. It starts with a mindshift too many have been unwilling to make. It starts with our throwing away of self-defeating fatalism. The choice as to whether Ohio moves forward is ours.