From The Plain Dealer A cloak of secrecy surrounding JobsOhio makes it impossible to determine how effective it really is at job creation and whether it offers Ohioans a good return on their dollar, a new report argues.
The report, prepared by ProgressOhio, was presented as part of a discussion Thursday in Cleveland on the constitutionality of JobsOhio.
ProgressOhio's executive director, Brian Rothenberg, took part in the panel, which was organized by the American Constitution Society.
"The secrecy engulfing JobsOhio makes it impossible to do a comprehensive analysis of the agency's performance," the report stated.
JobsOhio is a non-profit private corporation created by the state to be an economic development arm. State lawmakers exempted the company from all public records laws.
It is funded through a lease on state liquor profits, revenue that historically had been public money. It used that lease agreement with the state to raise its own operating money through sale of bonds.
The manner in which JobsOhio was created means that Ohioans really cannot tell whether it is effective, Rothenberg said.