University of Cincinnati Opens Research Center in Singapore: State School Will Help Asian Nation Generate New Jobs

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Ohio is mired with a drowsy industrial economy and high unemployment.  But that hasn't stopped the University of Cincinnati -- a tax-supported state school in Ohio -- from teaming up with government economic development officials in Singapore to generate new jobs in the Asian city state.  Singapore says it is looking for a competive edge.  The question:  Will the Cincinnati school's overseas venture end up threatening the U.S. workforce?  UC is boosting an offshore economy by opening  a research center in Asia at a time when the U.S. is struggling to compete in the global marketplace and the state jobless rate is around 9.5%.    Cincinnati itself is ranked as among America's most poverty wracked cities by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Thien Kwee Eng, an official with Singapore's Economic Development Board, makes it clear that the Cincinnati school's presence will help that nation produce products for Asian consumers.  It's about jobs, job, jobs for Singapore.  In fact, that's the duty of the Economic Development Board, which says in its mission statement:  "EDB is the lead government agency responsible for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre and grow the Singapore economy. We dream, design and deliver solutions that create value for investors and companies in Singapore.  In so doing, we generate economic opportunities and jobs for the people of Singapore; and help shape Singapore's economic future."

The Daily Bellwether has the complete text of Eng's speech welcoming the project, which is available at the link below.  But here are a couple of pertinent paragraphs from the Singapore official's speech:

"We recognise that Design is exceedingly growing in importance to companies as a competitive edge to creat products and services that enhances the quality of life of people and also makes business sense.  To come up with a successful product requires more than the ability to sketch and build things.  Instead, a deep understanding of consumer needs and deriving consumer insights, coupled with the ability to translate those insights into a useful product is the key.  To address this EDB [Singapore's Economic Development Board] plans to build up capabilities to establish Singapore as a leading base to gather and analyse consumer insights, as well as to develop products for Asian consumers.  This was the result of a recommendation from the Economic Strategies Committee earlier this year, and would enable companies to anchor consumer-centric innovation activities out of Singapore."

Here's the link mentioned earlier: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-pgmFMQp6BMJ:www.cepo.sg/etc/medialib/downloads/pdf_documents_for.Par.72533.File.tmp/Speech%2520by%2520Ms%2520Thien%2520Kwee%2520Eng,%2520Director,%2520Lifestyle%2520Programme%2520Office,%2520Singapore%2520Economic%2520Development%2520Board.pdf+thien+kwee+eng&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

OH-02's Rep. Jean Schmidt: More Egg On Her Face?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt's official House Web site has deleted her weekly column, a report that praised economic progress in the U.S. Good move. The head of the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank is offering sobering news about Ohio -- today there are fewer jobs in the state than six years ago during the last recession.

Schmidt's withdrawn column extolled Republican policies and said unemployment had fallen to 4.5% across the nation. She released it on the same day Ohio's jobless rate increased.

Schmidt was wise to jerk her ill-timed economic musings off the Web. The data about Ohio from the Federal Reserve Bank is not upbeat. Cleveland Fed President Sandra Pianalto says Ohio -- the state Schmidt represents in Congress -- still isn't back to where it was before the last economic downturn.

''Throughout the current economic recovery, job creation in Ohio has been among the worst of the 50 states. And as difficult as Ohio's situation is, Dayton has faced even greater challenges. In fact, both Ohio and the Dayton area have fewer jobs today than they did six years ago during the last recession. Many people think that manufacturing trends can account for this state of affairs, but that is not the whole story," Pianalto said.

Her entire speech is an excellent review of what's happening nationally and regionally. But this is the line that bears repeating: "Ohio and the Dayton area have fewer jobs today than they did six years ago during the last recession."

The Cleveland fed chief said she can see only one cure. "In a global economy that puts an increasing premium on highly skilled workers, the most successful regions will be those that improve their knowledge stocks. Our region can have an economic future that is as enriching as our past, but only if we increase our investment in innovation and education -- the two key factors in promoting economic success."

OH-02's Rep. Jean Schmidt: Egg On Her Face?

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt just put out a statement boasting that the American economy "has grown faster than any other industrialized nation over the past four quarters." The SW Ohio Republican proudly noted that the national unemployment rate was down to 4.5%.

Meanwhile, in Columbus state officials at about the same time were releasing some gloomy data about Ohio -- the state Schmidt represents -- showing unemployment rose to 5.6% in December, up from 5.4% in November.

In all, there were 335,000 Ohioans looking for work. The congresswoman didn't address the state's situation, nor did she mention that some of the Appalachian counties in her district look bleak, perhaps even desperate. Two have jobless rates nearly double the 4.5% figure Schmidt touted for the nation. Four others are higher than the national average.

For example, Pike County in her district had a 9.7 percent unemployment rate, Ohio's second worst. Adams County in her district had an 8.3% unemployment rate. Brown was at 7%. Schmidt's home county, Clermont, exceeded the national average, too. The jobless rate there was 5.1%. And Ford Motor Co. is closing a transmission plant, the county's biggest employer.

But Schmidt said the GOP was "keeping the economy on track." She noted: "Did you know that more than 7.2 million jobs have been created since August of 2003?"

The congresswoman's upbeat economic statement might be seen as a slap in the face to some of her out of work constituents. Consider that it came out on the same day as this.

Schmidt has plenty of critics, within her party and without. And she sure has a knack for handing them ammunition.