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Economists Slam Vivek Ramaswamy’s College Closure Scam

Columbus, Ohio- Independent economists slammed Vivek Ramaswamy’s extreme proposal to close Ohio public colleges and universities in the Ohio Capital Journal. The economists surveyed largely agreed that Ramaswamy’s college closure scam would slash economic output and drive college graduates away from Ohio.

Their analysis comes after numerous Republicans including Gov. Mike DeWine and Sen. Jerry Cirino also panned the plan. DeWine said he was “not in favor” of the plan, while Cirino slammed Ramaswamy, saying: “I don’t know how much he knows about how higher ed works.”

READ: Ohio governor candidate suggested consolidating universities. Economists think it’s a bad idea.

  • Republican nominee for governor Vivek Ramaswamy in March said that consolidating Ohio’s public universities would make higher education better and more affordable.
  • The strong consensus of economists surveyed on the topic this month said such a move would reduce the number of graduates in Ohio and reduce economic output. They split on whether it would even save any money.
  • A panel of Ohio economists surveyed by Scioto Analysis wasn’t sold on the argument. None believed it would help the Ohio economy in the long run.
  • Asked whether they agreed that, “Reducing the number of universities in Ohio would reduce long-term economic output in the state of Ohio,” 11 agreed and 4 were uncertain.
  • None said they thought cutting the number of public universities would increase economic output.
  • The Ohio economists overwhelmingly agreed that getting rid of public universities would cut the portion of Ohioans who get college degrees. 12 said it would and 2 were uncertain.
  • While Ramaswamy said his college-consolidation plan would save Ohioans money, the economists didn’t seem to believe the matter was so clear-cut.
  • Six said it would save money, six said it wouldn’t and two were uncertain.
  • Even some of the economists who said consolidation would save money questioned the wisdom of doing so.
  • “It would save money for the state in the short run but would be penny wise and pound foolish in the long run,” said Bob Gitter of Ohio Wesleyan University. “Education is one of the primary functions of government.”

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NEW INTERVIEW: Jon Husted Blames Ohioans For Hundreds Of Data Centers That He Brought To Ohio

Husted was called “The Face Of Data Centers” and led the charge to hand out billions in tax breaks

COLUMBUS, OHIO — In a shocking new interview, Jon Husted blamed hardworking Ohioans for utility rate increases caused by the record number of data centers that he brought to Ohio.

WATCH:

Transcript:

Jon Husted: But we just have to realize, you know, we’re in this world in which we-we’ve created the demand. We, the people, have created the demand for these data centers because we use all of these digital products that it processes, and if we don’t want them, then don’t use them. I mean, you can go back to the bunny ear antenna on your TV — you don’t need a data center. But if you’re connected to a wire, you’re using the data center. So, understand, like, when we look in the mirror, we are the problem.

Ohio Democratic Party Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wen released the following statement:

“It’s absolutely disgraceful that Jon Husted is blaming hardworking Ohioans for their skyrocketing electricity bills caused by the record number of data centers that he helped bring to the state. Jon Husted could not be more out of touch with the people of Ohio, and they will hold him accountable in November.” 

Read more about how Jon Husted led the charge to bring data centers to Ohio: 

  • When he was Lt. Governor, Husted led the charge to give billions in out-of-control tax breaks to out-of-state corporations building data centers in Ohio. 
  • According to the Plain Dealer, Husted was “a data center’s best friend” and “spent years rolling out the red carpet” for these massive corporations to come to Ohio. 
  • Now, three months away from an election, Husted is “suddenly positioning himself as the guy who’s going to rein them in.”

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ICYMI: Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde Talks With NBC4’s Colleen Marshall About Democrats’ Winning Message

COLUMBUS, OH – In just 14 weeks, Ohioans will be heading to the polls on Election Day in Ohio, and Ohio Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Clyde spoke with NBC4about Ohio Democrats’ work to connect with Ohioans of all political backgrounds in every corner of the state around our candidates’ focus on lowering costs for Ohio families. While Republicans up and down the ballot have to own Donald Trump and Washington Republicans’ economic policies that are sky-rocketing costs, like their healthcare cuts, reckless war with Iran, and tariffs that are devastating Ohio families, Ohio Democrats are bringing our winning message to every corner of the state in urban, suburban, and rural communities.

In case you missed it, check out Chair Clyde’s conversation with Colleen Marshall about how Ohio Democrats are on offense connecting with voters about our mission to tackle high costs, deliver real relief, and get our state and country back on track.

NBC4: How political parties are reaching Ohio voters before midterm election

  • In approximately 100 days, Ohioans will pick a new governor, and both major political parties are doing everything they can to get you to the polls and win your vote.
  • Each party needs to inspire enthusiasm because turnout in a midterm election is vital, so they are figuring out how to reach core demographics. Democrats, for example, started a rural caucus to talk to voters in outlying and Appalachian counties about affordability.
  • “It’s important for us to reach all types of votes in all 88 counties across Ohio; young voters, veterans, our rural voters,” Ohio Democratic Party Chairperson Kathleen Clyde said. “We’re leaving no rock unturned and making sure that we’re getting out there and talking about that critical message of lowering costs.”
  • Each party is trying to decide how to deal with the Trump factor. The president has been very popular in Ohio, and Republicans believe he will continue to help their ticket here, but Democrats said that with the ongoing war in Iran and rising costs, his waning popularity will help them.

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A Tale of Two Campaigns: Kulewicz Campaigns on Accountability While Faber Gets Slammed For “Unconscionable” FirstEnergy Response

COLUMBUS, OH – While Democratic candidate for Attorney General John Kulewicz campaigns to bring transparency and accountability to Columbus, Republican candidate Keith Faber is getting slammed as “tone deaf” after disastrously fumbling his “unconscionable” response when asked about the FirstEnergy scandal. After Faber refused to commit to continuing the case into former FirstEnergy executives, despite the case being “one of the most high-profile tasks Ohio’s next attorney general will face,” questions are swirling around Faber’s relationship to FirstEnergy, including, “how much money flowed from FirstEnergy into his campaign accounts?” and “what laws passed on his watch that benefited the company?”

“After decades of Republican control in Columbus stained our state and raised costs for Ohioans, Ohioans deserve answers from Keith Faber about just how deep his relationship is to the FirstEnergy scandal and why he’s refusing to commit to continuing the case for accountability in the largest public bribery scandal in Ohio history,” said Ohio Democratic Party Communications Director Marisa Nahem. “While every day ‘tone deaf’ Keith Faber proves that he can’t be trusted to take on the corruption that has raised costs for Ohio families and run rampant under his party’s decades of control in Columbus, Ohioans are standing with John Kulewicz who is running to bring accountability and transparency to Columbus in November.”

At a time when Ohioans are struggling with sky-high costs, including because of the FirstEnergy bribery scheme that has contributed to electricity costs increasing by $663 a year for Ohioans, read more about the stark contrast between Democratic candidate John Kulewicz and Republican Keith Faber:

Cleveland.com: ‘Shame on Keith Faber:’ The FirstEnergy trial is on the November ballot whether he likes it or not

  • “Shame on Keith Faber,” host Chris Quinn said without hesitation. “I was stunned at that response. He’s opening the door to drop the charges, which is unconscionable.”
  • Quinn went further, raising a question that Ohio voters deserve an answer to before November: What was Faber’s relationship with FirstEnergy when he served in the Ohio legislature? Quinn said FirstEnergy it owned the Statehouse for years, pumping money into campaigns and shaping legislation. Faber held a leadership role during that era. How much money flowed from FirstEnergy into his campaign accounts? What laws passed on his watch that benefited the company?
  • The answers are relevant for an attorney general candidate who refuses to say whether he will seek justice for Ohioans. Will he let the executives off the hook?
  • Johnston put it in terms that any tired, worn-out Ohioan can understand: “I get tired of talking about First Energy, too. But we need justice to be served here. And the Faber campaign is absolutely unbelievably, just tone deaf when it comes to this.”
  • Faber’s Faber-ing — as Johnston joked it might be called going forward — is a signal for Ohio voters headed into the November election: if you care about the FirstEnergy prosecution, the choice between Kulewicz and Faber could determine whether justice is ever actually served.

WLIO: Democratic AG candidate highlights consumer protection, transparency during Lima stop

  • “The main thing that I want people to know is that I care about how the economy of Ohio affects all of us. I want to do everything the Attorney General can do to make the economy of Ohio work better for everybody. And that starts with fighting consumer fraud, wage theft, monopolies, exorbitant utility rates, just making sure that we have somebody there fighting for us to keep life affordable for everybody,” says John Kulewicz, Democratic Candidate for Ohio Attorney General.
  • Kulewicz also said the next attorney general should continue pusing for the trial against former FirstEnergy CEO Chuck Jones and former Senior Vice President Michael Dowling, who are accused of participating in a $60 million bribery scheme to secure the passage of a more than $1 billion FirstEnergy bailout by the Ohio General Assembly in 2019.
  • “The company, First Energy, has pleaded guilty to bribery. The two top executives are on and will be going to trial in January on charges of corruption. As I have made a commitment that as the next Attorney General, I will move forward with that trial. We awaited too long for justice to be rendered in the state of Ohio. My opponent will not make that commitment. He is laying the groundwork, I believe, for a dismissal of the charges once he’s elected. He will not tell us his position until after the election,” adds Kulewicz.

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ICYMI: Republicans Speak Out Against Their Candidates: “I am a lifelong Republican. My party must be stopped”

“After 15 to 20 years of a Republican majority in Ohio’s Statehouse, it is past time for a change” 

COLUMBUS, OH – Following decades of Republican control in the Ohio statehouse, even Republicans are sounding the alarm bells on their corrupt and power-hungry ticket. Yesterday, a new letter to the editor in The Columbus Dispatch underscored just how dire the situation is facing Ohio Republicans with even their own party criticizing their candidates for being “more interested in clinging to their political power than they are in providing a level-playing field for all participants.”

Check out the letter to the editor featured in The Columbus Dispatch below on how even Ohio Republicans are sounding the alarm on their own party – and are standing with Ohio Democrats in November:

Columbus Dispatch: I am a lifelong Republican. My party must be stopped. Acton has my vote | Letters

  • I have been a lifelong moderate Republican, but I am quite upset with how the National Republicans are trying to discontinue mail-in voting. 
  • The culture at Ohio’s Statehouse must change! 
  • The only way to accomplish this is to elect the Democratic candidates to these important and powerful statewide offices, since it is very clear that the Republicans who play musical chairs to avert term limits are more interested in clinging to their political power than they are in providing a level-playing field for all participants. 
  • After 15 to 20 years of a Republican majority in Ohio’s Statehouse, it is past time for a change.
  • That is why I will be voting for Dr. Amy Acton for governor and the Democrat candidates for Ohio’s statewide offices in the November midterm election.

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