Ohio To Gain nearly 28,000 Jobs Under Buckeye Institute Proposal
|
|
THE BUCKEYE INSTITUTE |
PRESS RELEASE
| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2003 |
CONTACT: Brandon Lynaugh |
Ohio To Gain nearly 28,000 Jobs Under Buckeye Institute Proposal
Institute’s Proposal to Decentralize the Federal Workforce
Could Mean Boost to State Economy
(COLUMBUS) – Ohio would gain 27,794 jobs under a proposal to decentralize the federal workforce released today by The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions.
The study, Decentralizing Federal Employment: Feasibility and Impact on Ohio Cities, is a joint project of The Buckeye Institute of Columbus and the Reason Public Policy Institute of Los Angeles. It was authored by John Blair, a Professor of Economics at Wright State University, Adrian Moore, executive director of Reason Public Policy Institute and Geoffrey Segal, director of Privatization and Government Reform Policy at Reason Public Policy Institute.
The events of September 11, 2001 and the subsequent War on Terrorism may have prompted a rethinking of the federal government’s role and function. The attack on the Pentagon, in particular, demonstrated the vulnerable nature of the centralized federal workforce. Relocating offices away from Washington, D.C. would have important national security implications in light of the terrorist threats to the United States.
In addition to Homeland Security benefits, decentralizing the federal workforce would also provide much-needed stimulus to regions across the country. This study focuses on the potential economic benefits of relocating federal agencies, divisions, and jobs to urban areas outside of Washington, D.C.
The study used case studies of five Ohio cities—Akron, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, and Toledo—to more fully evaluate employment decentralization. Several of the federal offices suggested for decentralization include the Patent and Trademark office, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Geological Survey and others.
“In today’s technology driven age, there simply isn’t the need to have the majority of federal offices centralized in the D.C. area,” said Sam Staley, president of The Buckeye Institute. “When one considers the Homeland Security implications along with the potential economic benefits for the recipient cities, it becomes clear that decentralization needs to be considered.”
# # #
The Buckeye Institute is a Columbus based, nonprofit, nonpartisan, research and education organization of Ohio professors and scholars. For more information about The Buckeye Institute, or to download a copy of the study visit http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/.
John P. Blair, Ph.D., is a Professor of Economics at Wright State University.
Adrian T. Moore, Ph.D., is executive director of Reason Public Policy Institute.
Geoffrey F. Segal has authored numerous studies and articles on privatization, solid waste, and infrastructure policy issues.
