Gov. Kasich makes appeal for helping struggling Americans but left behind poor kids in Ohio

Ohio Gov. John Kasich evoked a lot of empathy for struggling Americans in his 2016 candidacy announcement Tuesday, but he hasn't produced results for some of the neediest kids in his own state, reportsThe Columbus Dispatch:

There are 53,000 more Ohio children living in poverty and the overall rate is higher than during the recession in 2008, according to 2015 Kids Count data released today by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The state’s child-poverty rate rose to 23 percent last year from 18 percent in 2008, the report showed. Ohio is 31st worst in the nation in child-poverty rate and 23rd overall, about the same as last year.

Ohio's economy is a decidedly mixed bag, with production and employment rates bouncing back faster than in many parts of the country. But the number of employed people still hasn't exceeded where the state started before the 2008 downturn and it has slowed in recent years.

Ohio's employment was down 2 percent from December 2007. Meanwhile, overall U.S. employment has recovered.

Head below the fold for more on who has been left behind.