Anyone tuned into the presidential election knows that the key battle occurred in Ohio. Candidates, Hollywood stars and nearly every 501 political organization in existence canvassed the Buckeye State prior to November 2. Commercials flooded the airwaves, pollsters and campaign workers clogged the phone lines and signs saturated every open space. In Ohio, manufacturing was the big issue-more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs lost, and who's going to do something about it? Efforts to attack the crisis are themselves under attack in Ohio, and how these play out may affect the nation as much as Ohio's choice at the polls. Case in point: Three years ago, DaimlerChrysler used a State of Ohio dollar 70 million investment tax credit as part of a dollar 281 million incentive package to help build a Jeep plant in Toledo. The investment seemed sound from Ohio's standpoint, as the plant, which builds the Liberty SUV, employs nearly 4000 workers. But on November 3, 2004, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the investment tax credit unconstitutional. In the court's opinion, Ohio's preferential tax treatment of companies that expand within the state violates the U.S. Constitution's interstate-commerce clause. The goal of that clause: promote national economic growth and level the playing field among states in attracting corporate investment. In other words, discourage competition for business between states.
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