PolitiFact Ohio | Tracking politicians' promises
Kasich-O-Meter
Tracking the promises of John Kasich
Fitz-O-Meter
Tracking the promises of Ed FitzGerald
Promises we’ve rated recently
Raise education standards
The Promise:
"Raise (education) standards for everybody. We should bring the curriculum in line with international norms. We're not competing with Indiana. We're competing with India."
Promote cooperation among colleges, universities and major institutions
The Promise:
Said he can bring Ohio colleges and universities together to share resources, entice major institutions to collaborate and force Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly to tackle tough issues.
Update April 24th, 2012:
Joint recommendations for higher education on capital budget a first
Improve job retraining programs
The Promise:
“We have to train ourselves for the jobs that are going to come. Because we’re not just going to be stuck here in manufacturing, and we’ll do manufacturing as best as we can, but we also have to be involved in bio technology and computer information technology. We’ve got to retrain Ohioans and we need a whole new system to do that.”
Update April 23rd, 2012:
Executive order creates office that will streamline job training programs
Review all operations to root out corruption
The Promise:
"My first act as county executive will be to order a complete review of all functions and operations, to root out the corruption once and for all. The parade of scandals and investigations must be brought to an end so we can focus on creating jobs and maintaining services."
Update February 1st, 2012:
Pay slashed for 89 employees after audit of wages in fiscal office
Establish a $100-million economic development fund
The Promise:
Modeled after Ohio's successful Third Frontier fund, FitzGerald's "Fourth Frontier" would use grants and revenues from Cleveland's soon-to-be-built casino to invest in local businesses.
Create voucher program for job training
The Promise:
"How about vouchering out all the job training program and giving it to the businesses, including small businesses, and letting them drive the curriculm at our technical schools and our community colleges so we begin to train people and retrain people for jobs that exist and those we think are going to come."
Update November 10th, 2011:
Framework was part of the state budget, with funding to come from casinos
Promote universal pre-kindergarten
The Promise:
"FitzGerald will work with corporate, community, state, federal, and education partners towards the full phase-in of the UPK (universal pre-kindergarten) implementation plan to ensure that all of Cuyahoga County’s children enter school ready to succeed. Additionally, the new county government will work to increase partnerships with Cuyahoga County’s public school districts and local governments to increase local UPK investments and community engagement."
Update October 26th, 2011:
FitzGerald budget plan for 2012 includes funding for expansion of universal pre-K
Establish a $100-million economic development fund
The Promise:
Modeled after Ohio's successful Third Frontier fund, FitzGerald's "Fourth Frontier" would use grants and revenues from Cleveland's soon-to-be-built casino to invest in local businesses.
Update October 25th, 2011:
Cuyahoga County Council to take up legislation creating the developement fund
Establish a Safe Neighborhoods Task Force
The Promise:
The special patrol unit will be "deployed strategically around the county to augment local law enforcement agencies," as part of a "data-driven 'hot spot' approach."
Update October 18th, 2011:
Budget proposal for Cuyahoga County includes funding for community policing
Offer college scholarships to county residents
The Promise:
"FitzGerald will work with the broad stakeholders in education to design and phase-in a program using all available resources to provide higher education scholarships to county residents."
Update October 14th, 2011:
Cuyahoga County budget proposal for 2012 includes scholarship money
Create a non-compete policy between communities in the Fourth Frontier Program
The Promise:
"Any local government in Cuyahoga County can participate in the Fourth Frontier program, as long as they agree to not provide tax incentives or other public resources to lure companies away from other cities also participating in the Fourth Frontier program."
Review all operations to root out corruption
The Promise:
"My first act as county executive will be to order a complete review of all functions and operations, to root out the corruption once and for all. The parade of scandals and investigations must be brought to an end so we can focus on creating jobs and maintaining services."
Update September 28th, 2011:
Inspector general's investigation, sick day analysis, show FitzGerald's review in progress
Save money and increase accountability through a data-based system called CountyStat
The Promise:
"Under the Cuyahoga CountyStat system, departments will develop, measure, track and report specific performance measures that detail service quality and responsiveness."
Update September 13th, 2011:
CountyStat system used to track sick day abuse among Cuyahoga County workers
Appoint a community liaison officer to work with youth
The Promise:
"Part of his public engagement plan will include the assignment of a youth-specific portfolio to a community liaison within the executive’s office to maintain contact with young community leaders and arrange regular meetings between different segments of the youth community and the executive."
Promote Ohio as a place to locate businesses
The Promise:
"As governor it's going to be my job to be like Jim Rhodes was and that is to chase around this country and chase around the world, if necessary, to convince people that Ohio is a place to locate their businesses."
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