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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 > November > 25 > Entry
Editorial: Right-wingers thwart reason in Columbus
An editorial here Sunday, Nov. 22, noted that Ohio’s budget problems are — knock on wood — not nearly so intense as those of many other states.
A private study found the state government about average in the short-term challenges it faces, not suffering nearly the kind of crises of Michigan or Illinois, not to mention California.
Good thing. The state legislature is hamstrung by the problem it does face. Let’s not even think about how befuddled it might be if it had to face a really serious challenge.
The problem it faces is that the state is on a path to bring in about $850 million less over the next couple of years than it has budgeted to spend. That happens to be about the amount the state would lose if it were to go ahead with the last phase of a tax-reduction plan it enacted a few years ago. All Columbus must do is suspend the last installment.
The governor has made this proposal (belatedly, after getting behind a bad idea about gambling), and the Democratic House of Representatives has bought in. But the overwhelmingly Republican Senate has not.
The Senate leadership floated a plan that entailed delaying only two-thirds of the final cut, and making up the difference elsewhere. But the plan didn’t have the support of most Republicans, who are holding out against any delay in the tax cut; and the Democrats weren’t willing to provide it any support.
The governor called the Senate proposal irresponsible, and Sen. Jon Husted, R-Kettering, called the governor’s response “almost childish.”
Then the legislature left Columbus for the holiday, with no plans to return this month. When Gov. Strickland put forth his plan, some Republicans called it a tax increase. They pointed out that tax withholding levels for this year have been set on the assumption of a cut. And people have made plans on that assumption. The state is throwing people a curve. True enough.
Also facing a curve ball is the state bureaucracy. The tax agency would need to get revised tax tables out by January. All state agencies need to know how much money they’ll have.
So the need for fast action is clear. The delay — the skittishness — is absurd. The people of Ohio are not up in arms about the idea of sacrificing a tax cut for a while, given the circumstances of the state and the country. Many get it.
After all, Columbus has cut spending again and again over the last couple of years, as revenues have nose-dived.
Meanwhile, the governor’s slot-machines-at-racetracks proposal has been struck down by the Ohio Supreme Court, causing a budget problem.
The Democrats have been willing to embrace the tax cut delay because they know there is no public backlash. Nor are the Republicans’ supporters in big business raising a fuss. The Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Manufacturers’ Association, and the Ohio Business Roundtable have signed off.
The Republican senators are worried only about the right-wingers in their base, the noisy, no-tax-no-matter-what crowd. Unable to find a tax increase to oppose, these people are satisfied to have something they can pretend is a tax increase.
The fear they generate in the politicians is sad to behold.
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Editorials, Martin Gottlieb, Ohio government, Ohio politics
Comments
By TRS
November 25, 2009 12:31 PM | Link to this
Below is a blog post “As the Senate debates the bill passed by the House here’s hoping it does the responsible thing and pass on it. That’s right, pass. The gimmick that is the Sykes bill-and it is nothing more than that- does not address the real problem which is spending. The pay cut is a farse. It is a feel good notion meant to mislead the voters. State law prevents a real pay cut in the present and even if it passes it will only last for six months -in 2011. The Republicans in the House offered a plan to reorganize government (HB25) and that bill has been bottled up in Committee by the Democrats since February. Instead of looking at finding ways to cut the size of government, the Democrats continue to look for more money. First it was Keno, then it was taking money from the tobacco settlement fund, then the blind fund, then it was slots, and now it is all about a tax increase. For most Ohioans who have seen theire own deficit, they are faced with making real spending cuts now. Their State leaders should do the same. So here’s hoping the Senate says NO to tax increases and pushes back on the Democrat led House (and ultimately the Governor) to reduce the size of the budget. It isn’t a potshot to blame the Governor for the budget mess. It also wouldn’t be responsible to just go along with a plan to increase revenue without making real and meaningful cuts in the budget. Ohioans have had to make cuts to their household budgets, Ohio leaders should do the same”. Ohio has some long term issues to address; yet, the DDN takes no time to explain them - only carp on Republicans.
By time for change
November 25, 2009 12:35 PM | Link to this
Both sides are so concerned with taking political advantage they are ignoring an obvious compromise. Delay the tax cuts for one or two years but as a condition force the Gov. and the Democrats to agree to a real cut in govt. costs now—I simply do not believe you could not cut expenses by billions by eliminating unnecessary programs, not filling positions, and requiring the agencies to do more with less—just like all of us have to do in an economic downturn.
By time for change
November 25, 2009 12:35 PM | Link to this
Both sides are so concerned with taking political advantage they are ignoring an obvious compromise. Delay the tax cuts for one or two years but as a condition force the Gov. and the Democrats to agree to a real cut in govt. costs now—I simply do not believe you could not cut expenses by billions by eliminating unnecessary programs, not filling positions, and requiring the agencies to do more with less—just like all of us have to do in an economic downturn.
By time for change
November 25, 2009 12:36 PM | Link to this
Both sides are so concerned with taking political advantage they are ignoring an obvious compromise. Delay the tax cuts for one or two years but as a condition force the Gov. and the Democrats to agree to a real cut in govt. costs now—I simply do not believe you could not cut expenses by billions by eliminating unnecessary programs, not filling positions, and requiring the agencies to do more with less—just like all of us have to do in an economic downturn.
By Pragmatic
November 25, 2009 1:45 PM | Link to this
just an FYI, is it common knowledge that the State of Ohio will fund 2.5% of forgivable down payment funds to Ohio college grads who will live in the state for 5 years on the puchase of a home? we’re bribing kids to stay in Ohio. think about that…
By Squirrellygirl
November 25, 2009 1:52 PM | Link to this
I don’t agree with the writer of this article. I’m not convinced that Ohio needs to raise taxes. They need to cut spending. Strickland spends too much and then he wants us to foot the bill. No more taxes. More jobs. Get it straight this time.
By Squirrellygirl
November 25, 2009 1:57 PM | Link to this
If the state of ohio is giving out money, then it doesn’t need more of our tax money. Cut the taxes and the crap! Strickland and his cohorts have to go!
By Another Misguided Direction
November 25, 2009 2:50 PM | Link to this
Thank God we have a Republican senate that sees thru the folly. We need to be reducing the spending and size of State government to reflect what is left in Ohio. Otherwise, our day of recogning will be in 2011. This band-aide that Strickland & the Democratic house are selling, won’t mean a thing in the next budget year. We’ll be right there with CA,NY,WI,& MI unless there is reduction in State government now.I want my taxes reduced as promised!
By Calvin
November 25, 2009 2:51 PM | Link to this
Odd how the Democrats, and Gottlieb, now consider an inplace tax cut not to be a reduction if it’s not effected. When the Feds were complaining during Republican years that agencies were being “cut” if they didn’t receive and increase over the previous allocation: and that was a cut to the newspaper criticizers. Now taking away a tax cut should be a tax increase using exactly the same thinking. It’s an increase over what people should be paying next year!!!!
By Another Misguided Direction
November 25, 2009 2:52 PM | Link to this
Thank God we have a Republican senate that sees thru the folly. We need to be reducing the spending and size of State government to reflect what is left in Ohio. Otherwise, our day of recogning will be in 2011. This band-aide that Strickland & the Democratic house are selling, won’t mean a thing in the next budget year. We’ll be right there with CA,NY,WI,& MI unless there is reduction in State government now.I want my taxes reduced as promised!
By Bill
November 26, 2009 8:21 PM | Link to this
The need is for income now. To postpone the tax cut will help. There can be no changes in spending because the right demands it can only be their way with no compromise. By the way, are there any right wingers smart enough to post just once?
By Jack
November 27, 2009 8:14 AM | Link to this
The real problem is bloated government! Democrats never have a problem raising taxes, but they choke when it comes to making government more efficient and smaller.
By Dayton Democrat
November 27, 2009 4:18 PM | Link to this
DDN is right, the real politicians are being handcuffed by the republicans who are not willing to admit that any taxes are any good unless there used for buying guns for an ilegal war in another country that is about keeping there oil safe for our private interests here. This is riducuous! We need to raise taxes on the rich now and raise them higher than they have been since Raegan lowered them thirty years ago to apease the right wingers that paid for his ticket to the white house. The people that benefit the most from are country are the rich and the business’s - they should be the ones to pay up when the going gets tough, or they need to get going and get out of Dodge!!! We are the UNITED States and the rich need to pay there fair share and we should make the taxes retraactive through the last couple of years when they all got checks back from the govt. All the Chamber of Commies wants is too steal money from the consumers for there cronies who are there members and put it in there own back pockets.
By 2smart2bliberal
November 27, 2009 5:10 PM | Link to this
DDN editorial staff: A bunch of liberal idiots. Better to be a “right winger” than a liberal “wrong winger”.
By taxpayer
November 28, 2009 11:59 AM | Link to this
So…the problem isn’t the Government is not spending too much, but we aren’t paying enough in taxes? Typical Libtard reasoning!
By drunken orangetree
November 30, 2009 3:15 PM | Link to this
Cut taxes, put more people out of work, lengthen the recession. It’s that simple.
By nObama
December 3, 2009 11:37 AM | Link to this
You musk be a drunk to beleive that tax cuts will cost jobs. The tax cuts were put in place to make Ohio more competitive with other states when companies look to locate their businesses. I would think that Daytonians would know better than anyone what happens when companies (NCR, Mead, GM, etc.) head elsewhere because it is cheaper to do business in those states. Ohio has lost companies that were founded and spent over 100 years here because of our bloated tax system. Anyone with a basic understanding of economics would know that business create the jobe, not the government and lowering taxes as planned will be an incentive for those business to come here. Now, if we could just get the Libertards in Washington to understand that…