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Ellen Belcher is the Dayton Daily News opinion pages editor. She writes about state government, education, the environment, higher education and all things Dayton.
Martin Gottlieb is an editorial writer and columnist for the Dayton Daily News opinion pages. He focuses on the political process itself and does such national issues as war, the economy, taxes and Social Security, as well as a hodge-podge of local and state issues.Home > Blogs > A Matter of Opinion > Archives > 2009 > May > 03 > Entry
Ellen Belcher: Ohio’s love fest over, won’t be back
Two years ago, so much was so different in the state.
The Dow was in the stratosphere, and Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland and a Republican Legislature agreed on a two-year budget with just one no vote. The spending plan was heralded as stunningly low-growth and that was before the cuts that have since been imposed as the economy tanked.
The governor actually hugged then-Ohio House Speaker Jon Husted, of Kettering, at the bill signing.
Here it is 2009, and the markets have gone off a cliff, and the chance of there being any hugs or near unanimous votes on Ohio’s next budget is nil.
When you consider how difficult meeting budgets — anybody’s budget — has become, lawmakers should have been happy in 2007. After all, as seen in today’s light, how hard could the decisions have been?
Further complicating things is that elections are around the corner. In the world of politics, 2010 is here. No one is making a move without thinking how it might look a year from this fall.
The goal is not necessarily figuring out what’s best for the state, or where people can compromise; rather, decisions are being made with an eye toward exposing the other side’s vulnerable spots and hypocrisy (of which there’s a lot).
At some point, at least a temporary truce will have to be called. Ohio has to have a budget passed by July 1, and it must be balanced. Democrats have taken over the House, but the Senate is still in Republican hands. For the sake of the state and its reputation, you have to hope that things won’t get so ugly that we’ll become California and deadlock will be national news.
Strickland is not kidding when he says the picture is bleak. His $54 billion budget relies on $6.7 billion in one-time money, most of it from the federal stimulus.
Meanwhile, the revenue forecast his plan is based on is becoming negatively outdated by the day.
Republicans complain that the governor is setting the state up for a fall, that not cutting deeper now means the pain will be horrendous in two years. But they aren’t proposing to give back the stimulus money. And they definitely aren’t proposing a tax increase. And they haven’t said how they would cut, oh, say, even a couple billion dollars.
Meanwhile, as the governor is trying to call out Republicans for their double-talk, the leading contender to challenge him next year is Fox News commentator and former Congressman John Kasich. He’s actually said Ohio should get on a path to eliminating its income tax, one of two of the state’s largest sources of income.
Kasich’s idea is ludicrous, but it explains why Strickland is so eager to insist that raising taxes is off the table now (though, when pushed, he’s careful not to say never).
Strickland is playing games as well. He is touting his education plan relentlessly, which he has to do because he staked his governorship on dramatically reshaping schools and how they’re supported. But he can’t pay for his boldest ideas.
His proposal that the state should have a panel that calculates the cost to educate every child and then present that tab to the Legislature has Republicans worried. Some speculate that’s a back-door way of forcing lawmakers to give school districts more money than the state has — unless it increase taxes.
After all, if there’s a law that says a panel gets to decide what it takes to adequately educate a child, and then if the Legislature doesn’t turn over that amount, doesn’t that give school districts a license to go to the Ohio Supreme Court — again — and say that lawmakers aren’t giving them what they’re entitled to?
Republicans’ suspicion is not ridiculous.
The history of school backers is that they believe their cause is right and that the Constitution is on their side. If Strickland’s language survives, they can say a new law also says that paying for what schools need — as defined by experts, not politicians who have to balance competing demands — is the state’s first and highest obligation.
In the next 60 days, Strickland and lawmakers aren’t just deciding how to spend your tax dollars for the next two years. They’re charting a course that creates even harder decisions down a short road.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Columns, Economy, Elections, Ellen Belcher, Ohio politics
Comments
By George
May 3, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this
While Strickland is clearly a predictable tax and spend Democrat politician with no meaningful record of accomplishment, John Kasich is a leader and a true public servant. Ellen, how can you summarily label his income tax reduction policy proposal as “ludicrous” when he has a RECORD of accomplishment in the Congress with balancing the national budget in the early nineties? Yes, it is a bit early for policy details since he has yet to formally announce his candidacy, but please show some objectivity. Unfortunately for Ohio, Strickland’s policy of ever growing government through deficit spending mimics that of President Obama. My hope is that John Kasich will win in 2010, save Ohio from disaster, and with that as his template, run for President in 2012. I just hope that in the mean time, the damage done to our state and nation will not be too great.By TIMMY G
May 3, 2009 10:00 PM | Link to this
WL THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS AND TELL THEM YOU WILL PAY 130.00 A YR. FOR 7 DAY AWEK DELIVERY INSTEAD OF 230.00 A YR. I HAVE DONE THIS FOR 3 YRS. PE RATE GIVE YOU THUSH THEM, THEY WILLBy Paula
May 3, 2009 10:27 PM | Link to this
I would love to hear Kasich’s plan better then hearing nothing from Strickland. I wouldn’t call it ludicrous Belcher - it’s a plan to discuss and examine. LLet the voters decide.By joe_mamma
May 4, 2009 8:03 AM | Link to this
Texas does not have an income tax. It can be done and should be looked at.By Michael
May 4, 2009 11:39 AM | Link to this
Dear Ellan: We don’t know where John Kasich will come down on the tax issue, other than his history is one of fiscal restraint. That would be good for Ohio, and for Ohio business in creating and maintaining jobs. We do know that Gov Strickland has proposed using billions in one time money to balance a budget. That is a recipe for disaster. We need this Governor, and the Legislature, to tackle the tough issues to balance this budget without one time monies, and do so now.By Taxapotamus
May 4, 2009 1:21 PM | Link to this
This article proves that liberals think you cannot live unless you are being nearly taxed to death. How do Texas and Florida exist with NO STATE INCOME TAX?