At the State of State address yesterday, Gov. Bob Taft gave praise to the Ohio legislators for a year of accomplishment and emphasized his commitment to alleviating the distressed economy from a jobless market.

Nearly a month overdue, Taft said he made a New Year’s resolution to dedicate all his time and effort toward creating jobs throughout Ohio.

“Everything depends on good, job-strong families, strong communities and the pursuit of the American dream,” Taft said. “Yet in this global economy, no jobs are safe. By one estimate, 4,000 engineering, programming and accounting jobs will leave the United States every week.”

With Ohio’s geographical advantage over the rest of the nation, the state has been welcomed and supported by 970 foreign businesses who could possibly ignite the economic jolt needed to bring sanction to the drained economy. Taft said Site Selection magazine recognized Ohio as the fourth-best business climate in the nation, but he is striving to further enhance Ohio’s ranking among other states.

“All of this is good news, but it’s not good enough. We must face the facts. Even as the nation’s economy has started to rebound, Ohio employment has not,” Taft said. “We must turn job losses into job gains. Go from number four to number one and become the best place in America to grow a business and create new jobs.”

Taft announced that his primary course of action for improving economical standings for Ohio employees is the Jobs Bill proposal, which will assist the unemployed in acquiring work and the employed in sustaining their positions.

State Rep. Jim Hues, R -Columbus, said he is confident in Taft’s proposal.

“Our economy is presently undergoing a rebound, and something like that can take time to recover from,” Hues said. “But I support increasing jobs, and I support Gov. Taft.”

Another agenda Taft plans to conquer is the controversial tax reform. He reiterated that it is time for the legislature to not only embark upon a difficult task, but also to finish respectively and successfully.

State Rep. Patrician Clancy, R-Cincinnatti, said she approves of Taft’s decision to implement a tax reform because she finds the old policy to be outdated.

“Our current tax policy is from 1937, and the economy has definitely undergone some changes throughout the years,” Clancy said. “Of course we have done some revamping to it, but now, it is only natural to want to make complete revision.”

Although Taft said he intends on protecting the interests of big and small businesses, he finds the more imperative issue at hand to be the people behind each business. This has led Taft to encourage higher education as a source of renewing success in our state.

“Let’s work with the business and higher education communities to find ways to beat the national average and increase enrollment by 25 percent over the next decade,” Taft said. “Let’s make sure the rest of the world knows what you and I already know – that Ohio is the best place in America to live.”