-- Since President Bush took office, Ohio has lost 190,400 manufacturing jobs since 2000, and family income has dropped by $4,171. (BLS, 8/06; CPS, 10/05)
-- There are 1,282,000 people without health insurance in Ohio, an increase of 34,000 since President Bush took office. For those with insurance, premiums have jumped $1,070--a 73 percent increase. (KFF 2005; MEPS 2005)
-- Because Republicans have failed to provide promised funding for education reforms, 115,613 Ohio schoolchildren have gone without help in reading and math, while programs to assist children with disabilities have been shortchanged by more than $244 million. (CRS, 1/2006; Senate Appropriations Committee, Democratic Staff, 2/06)
-- Budget cuts have pushed 8,069 Ohio veterans out of the VA health care system. (VHA Policy & Forecasting 2/24/03, Projected to FY2005)
-- The Bush Congress's refusal to end the Disabled Veterans Tax has undermined retirement security for 7,368 veterans in Ohio. (Veterans Administration / Democratic Leader's Office, 6/05)
-- Bush Republicans tried to force through a risky scheme to undermine Social Security, which provides financial security and peace of mind to 1,929,680 Social Security recepients in Ohio. (NWLC 2/05)
Ohio's Culture of Corruption
While the Bush Republicans in Washington have failed to stand up for Ohio's working families, the Bush Republicans in Columbus have brought a shameful culture of corruption to Ohio government.
-- Number of criminal counts Republican Governor Bob Taft guilty of: 4.
-- Amount of campaign contributions Republican Fundraiser and Bush Pioneer Tom Noe illegally steered to the President's reelection campaign: $45,400.
-- Republican Congressman Bob Ney's pseudonym in the Jack Abramoff indictment: "Representative No. 1."
-- Amount missing from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation fund: $13 million.
-- Number of hours some voters were forced to wait in 2004 because of Ken Blackwell's failed leadership of the Secretary of State's office: up to 10.
How does central Ohio do in all this?
-- Representative Deborah Pryce (OH-15) has voted with President Bush 88 percent of the time.