ABOUT BOB
Bring Ohio Back (BOB) is a 527 organization registered under the U.S. tax code to educate Buckeye State residents about the issues affecting their lives. It is examining several key issues including Ohio's economy and the foreclosure crisis, healthcare and education, women's issues, and the impact of the war. BOB will educate Ohioans by implementing several major communications initiatives including direct mail, television and grassroots outreach.
THE CASE
Ohio is a microcosm of the country and the national spotlight is on it once again. Ohioans, like most Americans, are struggling. The last eight years have been particularly hard on the Buckeye State:- Ohio's unemployment rate is at a 16 year high, with 7.4% — or 445,000 Ohioans — looking for a job. Six of Ohio's counties have unemployment rates exceeding 10%.
- Once a great manufacturing state, Ohio has lost almost a quarter of its goods-producing jobs — nearly twice the national average.
- Ohio has the nation's seventh highest foreclosure rate in the nation, with approximately one foreclosure for every 60 homes in the state.
- Over a million Ohioans lack health insurance.
- Only 76% of Ohio's students graduate from high school and only half attend college after graduating.
- Over 25% of students leave the state of Ohio soon after they graduate from college. Despite these grim statistics, there are many reasons to believe that Ohioans are engaged and ready for change.
An Ohio-based team of experienced strategists who have worked successfully in this state for decades directs BOB's efforts. They utilize first hand knowledge and expertise to disseminate this information to the public by implementing targeted grass roots programs and developing an effective and creative television and direct mail strategy. This communication will be factual, hard-hitting and, at times, humorous. It will contain a message tailored specifically to Ohio's residents.
