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Report: State and local taxes in Ohio (still) fall most heavily on the poor – Ohio Capital Journal

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Report: State and local taxes in Ohio (still) fall most heavily on the poor – Ohio Capital Journal


When the United States adopted an income tax in 1913, a major purpose was to make the system progressive and ease growing inequality. More than a century on, Ohio’s system of taxation is having the opposite effect — it’s taxing poor residents much more heavily than the rich and driving further inequality, according to a report released this month.

In fact, Ohio has the 15th-most unequal system of taxation, according to the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy’s 7th annual analysis, “Who Pays?” 

The Buckeye State also has the dubious distinction of having the 12th-highest state and local tax rate — 12.7% — for the poorest 20% of households, the report said. That was more than double the rate — 6.3% — paid by the 1% of households with the highest incomes in Ohio. Additionally, the poorest 80% of households paid at least 10% in state and local taxes, which means the bulk of Ohioans face significantly heavier burdens than their richest neighbors.

Ohioans are hardly alone. The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy report said that in 41 states, the highest 1% are taxed at lower rates than everyone else and that 34 — including Ohio — tax the bottom 20% at a higher rate than any other income group.

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Not only do low and middle-income households pay more of state and local taxes as a share of their own income, nationally they also pay more in terms of their share of their states’ overall incomes, the report said.

In other words, not only do the rich, on average, pay a lower effective state and local tax rate than lower-income people, they also collectively contribute a smaller share of state and local taxes than their share of all income,” it said. “This limits states’ ability to raise revenue, particularly as inequality increases. Research shows that when income growth concentrates among the wealthy,  state revenues grow more slowly, especially in states that rely more heavily on taxes that disproportionately fall on low and middle-income households.”

Poverty and inequality are serious problems in Ohio. For example, Medicaid, the state/federal health program for the poor, serves almost a third of Ohioans.

Many also lack the most basic necessities. 

The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey in October estimated that 357,000 Ohioans often or sometimes didn’t have all the food they need. It also estimated that members of 62,000 households who rent thought it was very or somewhat likely they would be evicted in the next two months. 

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Even so, they’re being asked to shoulder more of the burden for state and local government than the richest Ohioans.

The Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy report looked at all state and local taxes people pay, including those on income and property and user fees such as sales and gasoline taxes. Since user fees are the same regardless of income, the less you earn the more of a percentage they take up of your income.

Many economists say relying too heavily on such taxes serves to make the poor poorer.

The federal income tax was proposed as a way of raising revenue — and to address growing inequality. President William Howard Taft, an Ohio Republican, in 1909 proposed a constitutional amendment allowing for it. The amendment was ratified in 1913, and in the debate leading up to ratification many representing agrarian interests said making things more equal was the entire point.

​​“The purpose of this tax is nothing more than to levy a tribute upon that surplus wealth which requires extra expense, and in doing so, it is nothing more than meting out even-handed justice,” said Rep. William H. “Alfalfa Bill” Murray, D-Okla.

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At the height of the push, Ohio voters in 1912 gave their OK for a state income tax by a 52-48 margin. But it wasn’t until 1971 that the General Assembly adopted it, and opponents have been chipping away and doing other things to reduce the burden on the wealthy ever since.

For example, a tax break benefitting people who can run their income through a limited liability company is costing the state $1 billion a year, despite doing little to fulfill promises to juice the Ohio economy.

In addition, the budget passed by the legislature and signed into law last year reduced the top tax rate in Ohio from 3.99% to 3.75% and then will consolidate the top two brackets and reduce them to 3.5%.

The moves seem likely to make worse what the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy found in its analysis.

“Forty-four states’ tax systems exacerbate income inequality,” it said. “When the lowest-income households pay the greatest proportion of their income in state and local taxes, gaps between the most affluent and everyone else grow larger.”

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Where 8 Ohio universities rank among best engineering schools in America, per US News

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Where 8 Ohio universities rank among best engineering schools in America, per US News


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U.S. News & World Report recently released a ranking of America’s best engineering schools, and a handful of Ohio universities received some love.

The outlet individually ranked the top 90% of schools. The remaining 10% only received a ranking range, rather than a specific number. Ohio has eight schools in the top 90%.

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Factors that include research expenditures, faculty resources and ratings from other engineering schools and employers were taken into account for the ranking, which was curated from fall 2023 to early 2024.

Overall, the ranking carries an emphasis on research rather than reputation or selectivity, as it’s meant to encompass both undergraduate, graduate and doctorate programs.

Here’s which Ohio schools received top honors, along with where they fell in the national ranking.

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Best engineering schools in Ohio

Here are the top engineering schools in Ohio, according to U.S. News & World Report, along with where they rank nationally.

  • No. 27: Ohio State University.
  • No. 51: Case Western Reserve University.
  • No. 55: University of Dayton.
  • No. 102: University of Cincinnati.
  • No. 153: University of Akron.
  • No. 158: Ohio University.
  • No. 164: University of Toledo.
  • No. 167: Wright State University.



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He’s an Anomaly: How does Ohio State Commit Tavien St. Clair Compare to Dylan Raiola?

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He’s an Anomaly: How does Ohio State Commit Tavien St. Clair Compare to Dylan Raiola?


The Ohio State Buckeyes landed arguably their biggest commitment of the 2025 class almost a year ago last summer, when five-star QB Tavien St. Clair committed in June of 2023.

However, at the time, it was unclear exactly what they Buckeyes had just landed.

Upon his commitment, St. Clair ranked as the No. 25 quarterback and the No. 10 player in the state of Ohio in the class of 2025 per 247Sports. Since then, he has shot up the charts, to the point where he now ranks as the No. 2 overall player in the country, the No. 2 QB, and the No. 1 player in the state.

And after an extremely impressive outing against the best of the best at the Elite 11 Finals in Los Angeles, it is clear that he deserves that rankings.

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But what caused such a rise in St. Clair’s stock? According to various Elite 11 coaches in a recent interview with The Athletic, he seems to be unlike anything they have ever seen before at the position.

Tavien St. Clair

Tavien St. Clair / Photo Credit: Brooks Austin

“He is an anomaly,” Elite 11 coach Yogi Roth said to the Athletic “He’s from an hour away from Ohio State, one of the greatest schools in the history of the game, and he’s never had a personal QB coach. He’s done it in a way I haven’t heard about in, like, 20 years.”

However, the Elite 11 coaches didn’t stop there.

They also gave The Athletic a comparison between St. Clair and former Ohio State commit (and now Nebraska QB) Dylan Raiola.

Raiola, of course, was arguably the biggest piece of the Buckeyes 2024 class before his sudden and surprising de-commitment in favor of the Georgia Bulldogs. He then de-committed from Georgia just before the early signing period in favor of the Cornhuskers.

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“I think he’s a more gifted passer than Raiola by a little bit,” another coach said about St. Clair. “Dylan was more casual and cool. He looked like a grown man who you could tell had watched hours and hours of (Patrick) Mahomes and was like this big middle infielder slinging it around. Tavien looked more intentional.”

Another coach agreed with that sentiment, going as far to say that not only is St. Clair’s arm more talented than that of Raiola, but he is also coming to Columbus in a much better situation in terms of pressure and expectations than that of Raiola.

In other words, St. Clair is going to have more time to develop himself. Meanwhile, Raiola is about to be thrown straight into the deep end in Lincoln, where he is being counted on as the savior of the Cornhuskers program.

“I think Tavien had the best arm here,” another coach told the Athletic. “I think (his arm’s) a little better than Raiola’s, and he’ll be under less of a microscope in his situation. He can make some mistakes without everyone looking for him to be the savior of the program without a lot of good players around him.”

At the end of the day, only time will tell if St. Clair will be able to live up to the lofty expectations that come with being the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

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In fact, the same holds true for Raiola in Lincoln.

Based on the current talent situation in Columbus, and the fact that he has thrown for over 8,000 yards and has 83 total touchdowns in three seasons at Bellefontaine, however, St. Clair will have as good a chance as any QB in the past to succeed at Ohio State.



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Patricia A. Walker, Cortland, Ohio

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Patricia A. Walker, Cortland, Ohio


CORTLAND, Ohio (MyValleyTributes) – Patricia A. Walker, 78, of Cortland, Ohio passed away Friday, June 21, 2024, at Warren Health and Rehab.  

She was born March 17, 1946, in Ravenna, Ohio, a daughter of the late Leland R. Walker and the late Gertrude Newcomb Walker.

Patricia graduated from Garfield High School in Garresttsville and was employed as a sales clerk with Giant Eagle Grocery for over 20 years.

Surviving are her son, Glen (Rachel) Walker of Cortland, Ohio; eight grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. Also surviving is a sister, Kay Synder of Lordstown, Ohio.

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In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her son, Keoni L. Walker; a sister, Virginia Fackler; and a brother, Robert Mason.

Per her wishes, there will be no calling hours or service.  

The arrangements have been entrusted to the Carl W. Hall Funeral Home.

A television tribute will air Wednesday, June 26 at the following approximate times: 7:10 a.m. on FOX, 12:22 p.m. on WKBN, 5:08 p.m. on MyYTV and 7:27 p.m. on WYTV. Video will be posted here the day of airing.

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