Ohio’s gubernatorial candidates are looking to help with rising costs through stimulus checks.
Dr. Peter VanderHart, an economics professor at BGSU, says we are close to the highest levels of inflation. He doesn’t think prices will go down, but rather the rate of inflation will.
“I would say if not in the next year,” VanderHart said, “the year after that, I would think inflation would return to its lower level.”
Meanwhile, Democratic candidate for Ohio governor Nan Whaley, who’s running against incumbent Gov. Mike DeWine in the November election, believes people need stimulus check relief now.
Ohio To Dish Out Stimulus Checks
Ohio is set to receive approximately $2.68 billion in American Rescue Plan funds and Whaley is urging the governor to use that money in the form of a one-time $350 stimulus check to Ohioans.
“This payment would go to the same folks who received the federal stimulus checks last year. That’s about 7.4 million Ohioans or 89% of Ohio families,” Whaley said.
For some, this money could go a long way in covering necessary expenses.
“My family of three spends an average of $400 a month on groceries. That’s not like the expensive steak dinners. That’s lunch meat, eggs, milk, and bread,” Destiny Shuler, a mother, and a local teacher, said.
Whaley claims the governor hasn’t done anything to help families offset the rising costs.
But officials from DeWine’s campaign sent this statement to WTOL 11:
“To alleviate the financial burden on Ohio families, Gov. DeWine cut personal income taxes by $2.2 billion for all Ohioans while balancing the budget — putting more money back in the pockets of hardworking Ohioans.”
Whaley says whether Ohioans get the payments or not is dependent on the governor. She says he has the sole power to send checks to Ohio families.
If DeWine were to decide to do it, Whaley says we could see that stimulus check money as early as the next two to three weeks.
