The Columbus Dispatch first published this opinion piece.

Recent reports that JobsOhio sponsored a podcast with next-to-no audience and even fewer jobs created revived legitimate questions about public transparency and accountability.

The infamous mushroom theory of management, whereby citizens are kept in the dark and fed manure, has run its course.

The time has come for sunlight to begin disinfecting JobsOhio, the government-created but private economic development arm tasked with adding and retaining jobs for this state.

The problem with JobsOhio

JobsOhio was originally intended to help Ohio compete against other states for high-quality and well-paying jobs.

Business and civic leaders alike have touted its role driving economic development because JobsOhio can “move at the speed of business” – as former Gov. John Kasich was fond of saying – rather than the slow plod of bureaucracy.

The General Assembly granted JobsOhio the profits from the Buckeye State’s liquor monopoly, so every high-proof adult beverage sold in Ohio contributes to the hundreds of millions of dollars that fund JobsOhio, ostensibly designated for economic development.

Unfortunately, JobsOhio was – from its inception and by design – exempt from Ohio’s sensible public records laws, purportedly to protect the confidentiality of negotiations.

The absence of transparency incentivizes mischief

Although JobsOhio is technically subject to private audit, the agency selects and hires its own auditor – and a private-sector auditor looking at the books of a private entity is properly unconcerned about matters that would be of great concern in a public agency.

For example, $60,000 to fund an unknown podcast produced by the alleged romantic interest of the powerful president of Ohio’s flagship state university.

As evidenced by the recent scandal, an absence of transparency incentivizes mischief.

In 2013, one of the authors of this column, then-Auditor Dave Yost, issued a subpoena seeking JobsOhio’s financial statements.

Kasich and a majority of the General Assembly opposed the subpoena, arguing that it sought information about “private” money, and promptly passed and signed legislation preventing the state auditor’s office from conducting such audits in the future.

Old concerns have proven justified

Concerns raised at the time warned of the potential for self-dealing, favoritism, and crony handouts, especially since JobsOhio is run by a quasi-political, governor-appointed, board of directors.

Those same concerns remain well-founded, woefully unaddressed, and – given recent misbehavior by public officials – are regrettably quite justified 13 years hence.

JobsOhio claims to have created 250,000 jobs since its inception – a significant sum, if credible. But the analysis providing that figure came from – you guessed it – JobsOhio, without independent verification. Color us skeptical. A 2021 report by the Legislative Service Commission found that less than 60% of JobsOhio’s liquor profits went to economic development incentives.

News of the over-funded podcast spurred state representatives Justin Pizzulli, R-Scioto County, and Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, to step up and introduce legislation to make JobsOhio more transparent and accountable, with a similar bill pending in the Ohio Senate.

JobsOhio should not be shielded from accountability

Their bill requires JobsOhio to submit to a state audit every two years, publicly disclose all corporate sponsorships and for its chief investment officer to testify before state finance committees. It also adds accountability criteria for any future extensions of the liquor profit arrangement, imposing a more rigorous framework requiring Controlling Board approval – a reasonable rebuke of the premature 15-year extension granted last year.

JobsOhio retains widespread support among policymakers, elected officials and business leaders fond of passing out free money and claiming credit for bringing businesses and jobs to their districts, but its popularity among politicians and complex funding scheme should not shield it from full public accountability.

On the contrary, JobsOhio’s spending, results, successes and failures, should be audited and measured regularly, reliably, transparently, independently and publicly for the benefit of all Ohioans.

Dave Yost is Ohio’s attorney general. Robert Alt is president and chief executive officer of The Buckeye Institute.