Obama’s Failed Promises Have Left Ohioans Rattled By His Policies And In No Mood For More Lofty Rhetoric

“President Barack Obama Will Deliver A Speech About The Economy Shortly After 1 P.M. Wednesday At Shaker Heights High School, The White House Says.” (Sabrina Eaton, “President Obama To Speak Wednesday At Shaker Heights High School,” The Plain Dealer, 1/2/12)

LAST TIME OBAMA WAS AT SHAKER HEIGHTS, HE PROMISED TO GET AMERICA BACK TO WORK BUT OHIO IS STILL WAITING

PROMISE: In 2009, Obama Came To Shaker Heights, Ohio And Promised To “Get Our People Back To Work.” OBAMA: “The simple truth is that it took us years to get into this mess, and it will take more than a few months to dig our way out of it. But I want to promise you this, Ohio: We will get there, and we are doing everything in our power to get our people back to work.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At Health Care Reform Town Hall, Shaker Heights, OH, 7/23/09)

BROKEN: The Washington Post’s Fact Checker Said “Obama Is On Track To Have The Worst Jobs Record Of Any President In The Modern Era.” “Unless the economy turns around in the next 18 months, Obama is on track to have the worst jobs record of any president in the modern era. That would be an accurate statement.” (Glenn Kessler, “Rick Perry’s Claim That Obama Has ‘Killed More Jobs’ Than Any Other President,” The Washington Post’s “The Fact Checker”, 8/22/11)

Since President Obama Took Office, The Nation Has Lost 1.9 Million Jobs And The Unemployment Rate Has Increased From 7.8 Percent To 8.6 Percent. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/7/11)

• Including 1.3 Private Sector Jobs, 1.03 Million Construction Jobs, And 795,000 Manufacturing Jobs. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/7/11)
• The Unemployment Rate Has Remained Above Eight Percent For A Record 34 Straight Months. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/7/11)
• The Average Duration Of Unemployment Has More Than Doubled From 19.9 Weeks To 40.9 Weeks. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/7/11)

Since President Obama Took Office, Ohio Has Lost 91,300 Jobs And Over 495,000 Workers Remain Unemployed. (Bureau Of Labor Statistics, Accessed 12/22/11)

• Over 1.7 Million Ohioans Depend On Food Stamps, 4.3 Percent More Than A Year Ago. (Department Of Agriculture, Accessed 1/2/12)

At An Event On Health Care Reform, Obama Promised To “Focus My Attention Every Waking Minute Of Every Day” On Putting Americans Back To Work

PROMISE: Obama Said That The Millions Of Unemployed Americans Were “The Focus Of My Attention Every Waking Minute Of Every Day.” OBAMA: “But I know that for the millions of Americans who are looking for work, and for those who are struggling in this economy, full recovery can’t come soon enough. I hear from you at town hall meetings like this; I read your letters. The stories I hear are the first thing that I think about in the morning; they’re the last thing I think about at night. They’re the focus of my attention every waking minute of every day.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At Health Care Reform Town Hall, Shaker Heights, OH, 7/23/09)

BROKEN: Obama Has “A Scattershot Record (At Best) Of Focusing On The Main Concern Of Main Street: Joblessness.” “Obama arrives at his reelection campaign not merely with a weak performance on Wall Street crime enforcement and reform but also with a scattershot record (at best) of focusing on the main concern of Main Street: joblessness.” (Frank Rich, “Obama’s Original Sin,” New York Magazine, 7/3/11)

• After The Stimulus, Obama “Pivoted Too Quickly” Away From The Economy. “And second, as soon as the stimulus package was completed, they pivoted too quickly to addressing climate change and health care.” (Charlie Cook, “Owning It Democrats Are In A Corner On Their Ownership Of The Economy And What They Can Do To Help Turn It Around,” National Journal, 6/6/11)

Obama “Must Reconcile An Early Focus On Subjects That Would Best Be Forgotten.” “For Obama, it’s pretty clear the recovery won’t be nearly as robust. In addition, he has to deal with a more complicated narrative where he must reconcile an early focus on subjects that would best be forgotten with making the case that he should have his contract renewed for another four years. That won’t be easy.” (Charlie Cook, “Owning It Democrats Are In A Corner On Their Ownership Of The Economy And What They Can Do To Help Turn It Around,” National Journal, 6/6/11)

• The White House In 2009 “Assumed A Recovery Was Under Way” And So Fixing The Economy Was “No Longer Their Top Priority.” “Today, that brief period of optimism looks like one of the worst things that could have happened to the White House, other Democrats and, above all, the economy. The nascent recovery removed the urgency that the Obama administration and Democratic senators felt in early 2009. They still favored more action, like aid to states and tax cuts, but it was no longer their top priority. They assumed a recovery was under way.” (David Leonhardt, “Job Losses Outweigh Administration’s Successes,” The New York Times, 10/26/10)

OBAMA BROKE HIS PROMISE TO OHIO THAT HIS HEALTH CARE LAW WOULD LOWER PREMIUMS

PROMISE: While Touting His Health Care Proposal In Shaker Heights, Obama Said “If We Don’t Act, These Premium Hikes Will Be Just A Preview Of Coming Attractions.” OBAMA: “If we don’t act, these premium hikes will be just a preview of coming attractions. And that’s a future you can’t afford. That is a future that America can’t afford.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At Health Care Reform Town Hall, Shaker Heights, OH, 7/23/09)

BROKEN: “The Cost Of Health Insurance Skyrocketed In 2011 After Several Years Of Relatively Small Increases.” (Jane M. Von Bergen, “Health Insurance Costs Skyrocketing,” The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9/27/11)

• In 2011, Workers Paid An Average Of $132 More For Family Coverage. “Although premiums rose, employers kept the percentage of the premium workers pay about the same: An average of 18 percent for single coverage and 28 percent for family plans. Still, with rising costs, workers paid more, up an average of $132 a year for family coverage. Since 1999, the dollar amount workers contribute toward premiums nationally has grown 168 percent, while their wages have grown by 50 percent, according to the survey.” (Julie Appleby, “Cost Of Employer Insurance Plans Surge In 2011,” Kaiser Health News, 9/27/11)

Premiums Offered Through Small Businesses In Ohio Could Increase 5 To 15 Percent While Large Employers Premiums May Increase 3 To 5 Percent. “The analysis by Milliman Inc. projected that premiums on policies offered through small businesses could increase 5 to 15 percent while the cost of insurance through large employers may jump 3 to 5 percent.” (Catherine Candisky, “Insurance Premiums Expected To Increase, Report Says,” The Columbus Dispatch, 9/20/11)

• While Individual Insurance Policies Are Expected To Increase From 55 To 85 Percent. “Ohioans who buy individual insurance policies could see their premiums jump 55 to 85 percent in 2014 when key provisions of the new federal health-care law kick in, according to a new report. Rates also are expected to increase for those with employer-sponsored coverage but not nearly as much.” (Catherine Candisky, “Insurance Premiums Expected To Increase, Report Says,” The Columbus Dispatch, 9/20/11)

Ohioans Are Already Feeling The Impact Of ObamaCare’s Premium Hikes

Workers In The Cincinnati Area Will Pay $500 More In 2012 For Employee Health Coverage. “Workers across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky will pay an average $4,663 for health care next year, $500 more than in 2011. Those out-of-pocket costs include insurance premiums, deductibles and co-pays at the doctor’s office, according to a survey from Aon/Hewitt Consulting.” (Cliff Peale, “Health Care Costs Jump For Local Workers,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/4/11)

• In The Cincinnati Region, Employee Health Care Costs Have Increased Nearly $700 Since 2011. “Overall, companies in this region are facing health care costs of $10,918 per employee, counting the company and employee contribution. That’s up about $700 from 2011, the largest increase in four years.” (Cliff Peale, “Health Care Costs Jump For Local Workers,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/4/11)

Workers In The Columbus Area Will Pay $500 More For Health Care This Year. “Workers in the Columbus metropolitan area will pay an average of $4,289 for health care in 2012, almost $500 more than this year. That 13 percent increase in costs includes employee contributions for premiums, deductibles and co-pays at the doctor’s office, according to a survey from Aon Hewitt Consulting.” (Cliff Peale, “Workers Can Expect Hike In Health Care Expenses Next Year,” The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/6/11)

• In The Columbus Metro Area, Premiums Are Up Nearly $670. “For workers and their employers in the Columbus area, premium contributions are estimated at $9,997 per employee. That’s up about $670 from 2011, the largest increase in four years.” (Cliff Peale, “Workers Can Expect Hike In Health Care Expenses Next Year,”The Cincinnati Enquirer, 10/6/11)

OBAMA BROKE HIS PROMISE TO OHIO THAT IF THEY LIKE THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN, THEY COULD KEEP IT

PROMISE: Obama In Shaker Heights In 2009: “If You’ve Got Health Insurance, You Can Keep It.” OBAMA: “All we’re saying is, if you’ve got health insurance, you can keep it. If you don’t have health insurance, you can now afford to buy it with some help.” (President Barack Obama, Remarks By The President At Health Care Reform Town Hall, Shaker Heights, OH, 7/23/09)

BROKEN: Businesses Will Continue To Scale Back Health Care Benefits For Employees To Handle Increasing Health Care Costs And Mandates From ObamaCare. “Governments and businesses have and will continue to cut back and/or reform their health coverage offerings to handle tough economic circumstances, rising health care costs, and requirements of the Affordable Care Act.” (Elizabeth Mendes, “Employer-Based Health Insurance Continues To Trend Down,” Gallup, 11/11/11)

• 30 Percent Of Employers “Definitely Or Probably” Plan To Drop Coverage According To A McKinsey Study. “While only 7% of employees will be forced to switch to subsidized-exchange programs, at least 30% of companies say they will ‘definitely or probably’ stop offering employer-sponsored coverage, according to the study published in McKinsey Quarterly.” (Russ Britt, “Firms Halting Coverage as Reform Starts: Survey 30% of Companies Say They’ll Stop Offering Health Plans,” Market Watch, 6/6/11)

Survey Found That Only 60% Of Employers Offered Medical Coverage This Year, A 9 Percent Decrease From 2010. “Sixty percent of employers said they offered medical benefits this year, a decrease from 69 percent in 2010.” (Jeffrey Young, “Health-Benefit Costs Rise Most In Six Years,” Bloomberg, 9/27/11)

All 88 Ohio Counties Voted To Disapprove Of Obama’s Health Care Law

Last November, “Voters In Ohio Approved A Measure Tuesday Night Disapproving Of President Obama’s Health Care Law.” (Sam Baker, “Ohio Voters Reject Health Insurance Mandate,” The Hill’s “Health Watch,” 11/8/11)

A Ballot Measure Aimed At Blocking Obama’s Health Care Law Won In All 88 Ohio Counties. “A ballot measure that State Impact Ohio (a creation of local public media and NPR) describes as ‘a referendum on a constitutional amendment…aimed at keeping the national health care reform law from taking [e]ffect’ won in all 88 counties in Ohio. In 81 of the counties, it won by a margin of at least 20 percentage points. Statewide, it won by 32 points (66 to 34 percent).” (Jeffrey H. Anferson, Anti-Obamacare Measure Sweeps All 88 Counties in Ohio,” The Weekly Standard, 11/9/11)

• Including, “Cuyahoga County – A Traditional Democratic Stronghold.” (Aaron Marshall, “Ohio Voters Say No To Health Insurance Mandates, Older Judges,” The Plain Dealer, 11/9/11)