Cincinnati, Tolerance, and Economic Development

Cincinnati is a city with lots on the ball. It also has taken a serious hit in the national press for its struggles to become a more "tolerant" city.

A recent Cincinnati newspaper article talks about how Ohio Governor Taft's position on gay marriages is raising some additional red flags in the city. Taft, by the way, is a Cincinnati native.

The presidents of Miami University and Ohio State University had said a ban on state-funded domestic-partner benefits would put them at a disadvantage when competing against other universities and companies to hire faculty, and they urged the governor to veto the bill. Taft said in a statement issued when he signed the bill that it doesn't prohibit colleges and universities from offering same-sex partner benefits.

Still, NCR Corp. of Dayton and Limited Brands of Columbus told the Legislature the bill would hurt their efforts to promote a diverse work force.

One high-tech company looking to expand took Ohio off its list when the state Senate passed the Defense of Marriage Act last month. "We're not going to go to any place that discriminates," said Mary Mason of Missing Lynx Systems of San Ramon, Calif.

I have spent some time looking at this issue and how it play out in the economic development arena. Click here to read an article I posted to CrainTech in Cleveland just last week. (Scroll down to my post on January 31.)