July 24, 200717 yr Hell, the new Russian Steel Plant alone is a $2B investment. Isn't that just speculation? I haven't seen any definite locations or figures for the steel mill or Strickland's "major investment," if that's what you're referring to.
July 24, 200717 yr I too hate the conservative standing of SW Ohio (and the rural areas), but I think that is ultimately healthy for the state. The State was controlled by one party for far too long and we all have felt the consequences. But some checks and balances are good in politics. With that said, I wish we all voted Democrat every election...and Ohio be a solid blue state. But that doesn't mean I want to secede or leave Cincinnati. Actually more liberals need to move to SW Ohio to help break up the conservative structure here. I'm doing my part! :laugh:
July 24, 200717 yr Hell, the new Russian Steel Plant alone is a $2B investment. Isn't that just speculation? I haven't seen any definite locations or figures for the steel mill or Strickland's "major investment," if that's what you're referring to. I'm just using that to illustrate that while $300M sounds like a lot...it really isn't in the big scheme of things. Much more needs to be put into Third Frontier if Ohio really wants to see something substantial come of it.
July 24, 200717 yr $300M is only a drop in the bucket in the overall economy of Ohio. Hell, the new Russian Steel Plant alone is a $2B investment. That is comparing apples and oranges. The money that goes into building a new steel plant far far far outweigh the expenses that go into biotech research. Biotech money goes towards paying permanent salaries. Building a steel plant is a one time shot. Biotech companies (successful ones) grow exponentially. Steel plants are lucky to have small additions. You can't seriously compare these two types of investments.
July 24, 200717 yr ^I was going to make the same point, but you put it in a much clearer way than I ever could anyways. You really hit it on the head 3231.
July 24, 200717 yr I have long thought that NEO or perhaps the entire northern part of the state should become the 51st state. We have so little in common with Columbus and southern Ohio. We are much more like an east coast city, than other cities in Ohio. The tax money that is drained from this area to fuel the Columbus economy is staggering. I occasionally work in Columbus as a consultant, and I can say first hand that they do not understand Cleveland, not do they care to. They are afraid of the Cleveland area because it is too urban and continue to impose development plans, etc. as if they were planning for Columbus and it's suburban environment. A good example is the current planning for the inner belt bridge. How do others in NEO feel about this? If there is support for this idea, how would we go about doing this? Dear God. Folks, cut it with the secede stuff or I will clean this up. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 24, 200717 yr Maybe I'm wrong to compare those two, but why not look at our much smaller neighborhood to the west...Indiana. -$13.6B Global Life Sciences Hub -BioCrossroads -Indiana Investment Fund They are doing much more, and are waay ahead of Ohio is this field. I say crank up the funding for this to levels that Indiana can not compete with. Ohio could realistically be snagging these companies instead of Indiana...the universities are just as good here, more people, more businesses, etc. Instead Indiana (the small guy in the fight) is some how out muscling Ohio.
July 24, 200717 yr Keep in mind, Indiana is a unipolar state (Indianapolis) with smaller metros (Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Gary) so it has less "bickering" and calls for secession than Ohio. Though you are absolutely right that Ohio should be annihilating it, due to amount of businesses, people, universities, etc. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
July 24, 200717 yr Keep in mind, Indiana is a unipolar state (Indianapolis) with smaller metros (Ft. Wayne, South Bend, Evansville, Gary) so it has less "bickering" and calls for secession than Ohio. Though you are absolutely right that Ohio should be annihilating it, due to amount of businesses, people, universities, etc. Exactement!!
July 25, 200717 yr Money bypasses Frontier board State marks $65M for specific uses July 24, 2007 | CINCINNATI ENQUIRER CLEVELAND - The state is taking away control of about $65 million from a commission set up to hand out grants to boost Ohio's technology-based economy, drawing concerns from some business leaders. The Third Frontier Project has awarded about $657 million since it was launched by former Gov. Bob Taft in 2002. A nine-member commission - six of whom are business people from around the state - is in charge of the grants, which help entrepreneurs start or expand tech companies and help biomedical and academic organizations do research.
August 22, 200717 yr Third Frontier program to help higher ed in Ohio Researchers, grants will be focus Wednesday, August 22, 2007 Mary Vanac Plain Dealer Reporter Columbus -- Ohio's Third Frontier technology development project agreed Tuesday to partner with the state higher education system on a $122 million program to recruit researchers and their federal grants. During a joint meeting with advisers in Columbus, the Third Frontier commissioners also parceled out $207.5 million to some existing programs and a few new ones for fiscal year 2008. And the commissioners added alternative energy -- wind, solar, waste-derived fuels, as well as energy-storage and -management technologies -- to their list of grant-making priorities. Full story at http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-3/118777270138490.xml&coll=2
August 29, 200717 yr Hiring scholars fits Third Frontier goals - an editorial Husted's displeasure with Third Frontier machinations shouldn't extend to proposal for hiring scholars Wednesday, August 29, 2007 Fingerhut's recent venture is more in tune with the Third Frontier's goals. Ohio's new plan to invest $122 million in attracting top scholars testifies to the wisdom of having a strong leader for state higher education. But Speaker Jon Husted's critical response speaks just as powerfully to the pitfalls of being too creative with state programs. Using the political power conveyed by his new gubernatorial appointment, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut is pooling money from multiple sources to improve Ohio's intellectual capacity in key realms. Full story at http://www.cleveland.com/editorials/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1188377898105410.xml&coll=2
May 29, 200817 yr And some bad news in the PD about a Third Frontier grant recipient.... Cash-strapped HydroGen Corp. cuts nearly two-thirds of work force Posted by Shaheen Samavati May 28, 2008 18:10PM http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/05/cashstrapped_hydrogen_corp_cut.html
May 31, 200817 yr Ohio's Third Frontier funding future uncertain http://cincinnati.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/stories/2008/06/02/story9.html
July 15, 200816 yr And some bad news in the PD about a Third Frontier grant recipient.... Cash-strapped HydroGen Corp. cuts nearly two-thirds of work force Posted by Shaheen Samavati May 28, 2008 18:10PM http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/05/cashstrapped_hydrogen_corp_cut.html And yet more bad news... HydroGen faces Nasdaq delisting http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/07/hydrogen_faces_nasdaq_delistin.html
May 21, 200916 yr Third Frontier reaching limit Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Friday, May 8, 2009 NexTech Materials Ltd. researches and manufactures fuel cells that convert hydrocarbons to clean electric power from its operations in Lewis Center. It is just the kind of business state officials are pinning the Ohio’s economic resurgence on because of its green credentials, highly paid work force and promise of growth in an emerging industry. CEO Bill Dawson hopes NexTech can oblige, especially because it wouldn’t be the company it is today without the more than $3.6 million in grants and loans it has received through Ohio’s Third Frontier economic development program. Dawson credited Third Frontier funding for creating 20 jobs at NexTech, noting that annual salaries for most of the company’s 35 employees range from $60,000 to $70,000. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/05/11/story2.html
May 21, 200916 yr Leaders debate timing of Third Frontier renewal Posted by Mark Niquette, Statehouse reporter on May 19, 2009 - 3:11 PM http://blog.dispatch.com/dailybriefing/2009/05/leaders_debate_timing_of_third_1.shtml Gov. Ted Strickland and House Speaker Armond Budish said today they are interested in possibly putting an issue on the fall ballot to renew and expand the state's Third Frontier program to invest in high-tech development. But former House Speaker Jon Husted, now a state senator, noted the program doesn't expire until 2012 and said he has concerns about moving too quickly with state finances and the upcoming budget so unsettled. “It’s a really hard to sell to go and ask people to spend more money and do more debt before you’re really certain that you’re on solid financial ground," said Husted, R-Kettering. "So let’s put the state on solid financial ground and then, once we’ve done that, let’s have a conversation."
August 18, 200915 yr May ballot in state's plans to renew Third Frontier Business First of Columbus - by Kevin Kemper Saturday, August 15, 2009, 12:01am EDT In the midst of a recession that has drained money from the state’s primary technology development program faster than expected, Ohio officials intend to ask voters next spring to extend and perhaps expand an effort they say is key to the state’s economy. The Third Frontier initiative, a $1.6 billion program that state Department of Development officials have credited with spawning more than 500 companies and nearly 8,000 jobs since it began in 2002, is running out of money. Designed to last until 2012, the program is set to close a year early because of reduced state revenue. http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2009/08/17/story2.html
August 18, 200915 yr Also, a couple of links: - OHIO THIRD FRONTIER WEBSITE - SEARCH OHIO THIRD FRONTIER GRANTS
January 15, 201015 yr House votes to put Third Frontier on May ballot Thursday, January 14, 2010 - 3:19 AM By Jim Siegel THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH After shaving a few dollars off the original Democratic proposal, the Ohio House agreed yesterday to ask voters to extend the Third Frontier program by $950 million over five years. In a rare show of bipartisanship, the House voted 85-13 to place on the May ballot an issue that supporters say is one of state government's top job-growth tools, helping fund startup businesses that focus on high-tech products and bio-industries. The proposal now goes to the Senate. Supporters want to ensure that the Third Frontier continues past 2012, when the original 10-year, $1.6 billion program is set to expire. Ohio's investment of $681 million through the Third Frontier helped create 48,000 jobs and leveraged $6.6 billion in private investment, SRI International, a state-hired consultant, reported in September. Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/14/copy/3rdFrontier14.ART_ART_01-14-10_B1_Q0G9U70.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
January 28, 201015 yr HIGH-TECH JOBS PROGRAM Senate trims Third Frontier $500 million extension by GOP falls short, Dems say; May ballot deadline near Wednesday, January 27, 2010 - 3:10 AM By Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch Senate Republicans want to cut almost in half a proposed extension of a program focused on developing high-tech jobs, despite objections from Democrats who say it doesn't go far enough. The Senate voted along party lines to place on the May 4 ballot a $500 million, four-year extension of the Third Frontier program, which is set to expire in 2012. The Republican plan also includes a sweetener for voters: $100 million in additional public-works money that would be used for road, bridge and sewer projects across the state. The Ohio House had approved a $950 million, five-year expansion of the original $1.6 billion, 10-year Third Frontier program -- which was later reduced to $1.4 billion mainly because of the reduction of tobacco-settlement money. Full article at http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/01/27/copy/3rdFrontier26.ART_ART_01-27-10_B1_5KGDT55.html?adsec=politics&sid=101
February 4, 201015 yr May ballot will have Third Frontier issue at $700 million Wednesday, February 3, 2010 - 3:24 PM By Jim Siegel, The Columbus Dispatch The Ohio House and Senate today gave bipartisan support to placing a four-year, $700 million extension of the Third Frontier program on the May ballot. Supporters praise it as one of the state's most effective economic development tools, funding "innovation centers" at state universities and investing in start-up companies involved in high-tech, alternative-energy and biomedical fields. Voters "will be able to see the tangible proof of the program," said Sen. Tom Niehaus, R-New Richmond, prior to the Senate's 30-2 vote. The House voted 83-14 to approve the measure, which needed a three-fifths vote in each chamber to get on the May ballot. The deal was a compromise between the $950 million, five-year plan passed by House Democrats and the $500 million, four-year proposal from Senate Republicans. "The people want to see Democrats and Republicans working together to solve problems," said Sen. Dale Miller, D-Cleveland. Without an extension, the current 10-year, $1.4 billion Third Frontier program is set to expire in 2012. Supporters say it is important to approve it early to give private investors confidence that public money will continue to flow. Full article at http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/02/03/third-frontier-may-ballot.html?sid=101
April 27, 201015 yr 3rd Frontier backers hoping votes follow dollars Business First of Columbus - by Jeff Bell Monday, April 19, 2010 Money from the state’s Third Frontier program has flowed decidedly toward northeast Ohio over the past seven years, leaving the Columbus region and others behind it in the race for technology investment. But officials familiar with the program said the fact that northeast Ohio received 44 percent of the $993 million in Third Frontier funds awarded through the end of last year is a function of research and technology development rather than favored treatment for the Cleveland-Akron area. The state’s other major regions, anchored by Columbus and Cincinnati, received 25 percent and 9.5 percent of Third Frontier funding, respectively, according to the Ohio Department of Development. That works out to $247.7 million for Central Ohio and $94.6 million for the Cincinnati area, compared with $433 million for northeast Ohio. GRAPHIC: THIRD FRONTIER FUNDING DISTRIBUTION IN OHIO MORE: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/04/19/story2.html
April 27, 201015 yr More about Third Frontier from last Sunday's Dispatch: Third Frontier backers say jobs worth it Ohio Third Frontier at a glance
May 5, 201015 yr Third Frontier clinches victory in Tuesday vote Business First of Columbus - by Matt Burns Wednesday, May 5, 2010, 9:10am A majority of voters approved Issue 1, which OKs a $700 million funding renewal for the state’s Third Frontier technology initiative. The measure passed with 62 percent support, or 1 million votes. With the approval, bond funding for the investment program would be extended through 2016. That is four years beyond when $1 billion in bond funding approved in 2002 and 2005 votes is expected to run out. State officials and technology industry advocates touted estimates that Third Frontier in the past eight years has created more than 600 companies, nearly 55,000 direct and indirect jobs and leveled an economic impact pegged at $6.6 billion. Full article: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/03/daily15.html
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