Lakewood's State Rep Introduces Plan to Create Thousands of Jobs

State Reps. Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Mike Foley (D-Cleveland) unveiled legislation in Columbus on Monday aimed at creating new jobs.

More than 5,000 jobs to be exact.

Antonio said the essence of the bill is to put Ohioans to work on public works projects around the state. The workers would perform a variety of beautification and infrastructure projects, from demolishing or rehabbing vacant homes to planting trees to street cleanup, she said.

“The Ohio Works Progress Administration would put Ohioans back to work making a living wage, and would be a stark contrast to the Republican’s ‘jobs’ budget that is filled with lobbyist handouts and controversial abortion language,” Foley said in a statement. “The OWPA would pay the 5,000 workers $27,500 annually for their work. This is a real Jobs Ohio bill.”

Antonio and Foley say the program is modeled after the WPA of the 1930s that helped lift the US out of the Great Depression. It would allot 50 workers per county, and require two artists per county be employed as artists in residence.

“It’s time for Ohio to again be the national leader in a creative approach to 'working' our way to economic vitality," said Antonio. "With this bill Ohio can take a page from the job programs of the Depression and get Ohioans working now until the labor market is restored."

Among the plans, the OWPA — which would be overseen by the governor — would employ Ohioans to do jobs such as:

• Residential home construction, deconstruction, weatherizing homes and buildings, maintenance and repair, lead and asbestos removal
• Public Art including artist in residence
• Recycling, trash sorting and landfill maintenance
• Soil and water conservation projects
• Disaster clean-up
• Lake and waterway repair and conservation
• Trail maintenance and clean-up in parks