From 1995-99 we dropped from 31st to 43rd in average of growth rates in employment, personal income and population. Personal income slumped from 6th in 1960 to 22nd last year. Ohio also lags behind other states in the connection between university research and economic development, ranking 40th in per-capita support for university research and devoting just 0.3 percent of the state's total budget for science and technology. In an era that places a high premium on knowledge and technology, Ohio is being outflanked and outmaneuvered. We must respond by building our intellectual capital stock.
Higher education requires a major public investment now to ensure future economic health.
The stakes are high. What's on the table is whether our children will be forced to move out of state to obtain jobs that match their abilities and talents. Higher education is the key to creating an environment conducive to the creation of high-paying jobs. Clearly, the benefits of strong colleges and universities are not limited to such economic factors as higher salaries, greater productivity and increased tax revenues. But those benefits are the easiest to enumerate.