H2Ohio Bonds

Question A: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will increase the size of Ohio's outdoor recreation industry.

Question B: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will reduce the cost of water treatment and public health services for local governments.

Question C: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will grow Ohio's economy.

Question A: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will increase the size of Ohio's outdoor recreation industry.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Agree	9
Ron Cheung	Oberlin College	Agree	6
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Agree	2	Only if the program spends the money wisely and actually solves the harmful algal bloom problem in Lake Erie and other lakes.
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	5
Will Georgic	Ohio Wesleyan University	Agree	8	There is a difference between an absolute increase in the size of Ohio's outdoor recreation industry and an increase in the size of the industry relative to what it would be if funding for H2Ohio is permanently lost. I'm less confident about the first effect because it depends on other factors, but holding all else equal, further funding for H2Ohio should lead to better water quality which should have a positive effect on the outdoor recreation industry in the state.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Agree	5
Christian Imboden	Bowling Green State University	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Strongly Agree	10
Bill LaFayette	Regionomics	Agree	7	Bonds could fund infrastructure that would make rivers and lakes more accessible for the public. This would work together with the operating funding that reduces the algae and pollutants, making the rivers more appealing in the first place.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Joseph Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	8
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Uncertain	5	It depends on exactly what the bonds can and cannot be used for. In general, reducing agricultural runoff could help the industry and is probably a good idea for a number of reasons.
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Uncertain	5	I don't know much about the program but from my understanding it increases the amount of wetlands. I'm not sure if this qualifies as "outdoor recreation"
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Uncertain	5
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Agree	6

Question B: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will reduce the cost of water treatment and public health services for local governments.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Agree	9
Ron Cheung	Oberlin College	Agree	8
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Agree	2	Only if the program spends the money wisely and actually solves the harmful algal bloom problem in Lake Erie and other lakes.
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	5
Will Georgic	Ohio Wesleyan University	Agree	5	I think that this is certainly possible, but I'm not confident that the total reduction in water treatment costs and local public health expenditures alone would justify bonds for H2Ohio.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Agree	5
Christian Imboden	Bowling Green State University	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	5
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Strongly Agree	10
Bill LaFayette	Regionomics	Strongly Agree	9	The algal bloom the other year in Lake Erie that crippled Toledo's water supply is just one example of the costs of inattention to agricultural runoff.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Joseph Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	7
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Uncertain	5	See prior comment
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Agree	8	I think it could have a small impact.
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Agree	8
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Agree	7

Question C: Statewide bonds for the H2Ohio program will grow Ohio's economy.

Economist	Institution	Opinion	Confidence	Comment
Jonathan Andreas	Bluffton University	Agree	4	The other two questions are clearly true, and this is harder to ascertain. I'm not an expert in the cost-benefit analysis that has been done on the program, but every analysis I could find gave a positive conclusion, so if they are correct, this should grow the economy.
Ron Cheung	Oberlin College	Agree	8
Kevin Egan	University of Toledo	Agree	2	Only if the program spends the money wisely and actually solves the harmful algal bloom problem in Lake Erie and other lakes.
Kenneth Fah	Ohio Dominican University	Uncertain	5
Will Georgic	Ohio Wesleyan University	Strongly Agree	8	Again, relative to what the economy would look like without any further funding for H2Ohio. Improvements in outdoor recreational opportunities and public health have a number of downstream benefits in addition to the direct effects.
Faria Huq	Lake Erie College	Uncertain	4
Christian Imboden	Bowling Green State University	Uncertain	5
Michael Jones	University of Cincinnati	Uncertain	6	Government bonds should be issued when the revenue stream for payments is clearly identified and is sufficient to cover the bond issuance. I haven't seen a compelling case that clearly estimates the additional revenue generated for the State of Ohio from the H2Ohio program. A stronger case needs to be made.
Charles Kroncke	Mount Saint Joseph University	Strongly Agree	10	If Ohio is known as a state that thinks ahead and has infrastructure that supports generational health, companies and individuals will feel good about locating here.
Bill LaFayette	Regionomics	Strongly Agree	9	Yes, by improving tourism and avoiding the cost of pollution.
Trevon Logan	Ohio State University	Uncertain	8
Joseph Nowakowski	Muskingum University	Agree	8
Curtis Reynolds	Kent State University	Strongly Disagree	8	Not in any measureable way, just not enough to make an impact on "Ohio's economy" as commonly understood by voters.
Albert Sumell	Youngstown State University	Disagree	5	I don't see how this would impact Ohio's economy in any measurable way.
Ejindu Ume	Miami University	Agree	8
Kathryn Wilson	Kent State University	Uncertain	5	I am not as certain on whether it will grow Ohio's economy, but I expect it to have other environmental and health benefits that will be beneficial to the state.