Monday, February 18, 2013
In his proposed budget Gov. John Kasich points to an increase in general revenue fund spending through fiscal year 2015. But school officials are skeptical.
Gov. John Kasich says that his proposed state budget, if passed, would increase the education funding above 2011 levels. In a bold statement, Kasich also noted that state funding for schools has gone up each year he’s been in office, according to a press release issued on Friday. However, that’s a claim that doesn't satisfy some local school officials. State budget and school officials told Patch that there would be no additional cuts moving forward, despite the loss of federal stimulus money. (See the attached press release at the right) “The governor was insistent that no district receive less dollars than they do today,” said Jim Lynch, the special adviser to the director of the office of budget and management. In a press release, …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Gov. John Kasich's new plan calls for $1.5 billion in new bonds being issued.
State Rep. Matt Lundy (D-57) responded to Gov. Kasich’s plan to forego privatization of the Ohio Turnpike today and instead issue $1.5 million in new bonds for road, bridge and waterway projects, primarily in northern Ohio. Gov. John Kasich wants to issue $1.5 billion in new bonds through the Ohio Turnpike for road, bridge and waterway projects, mostly in northern Ohio, he announced at a press conference Dec. 13. Lundy had been a vocal opponent of privatizing the toll road. “I am pleased the governor realized his extreme idea to privatize the Turnpike was not reasonable or responsible,” Lundy said. “I don't believe taxpayers want us to be so quick to add $1.5 billion dollars in new debt that our children will be forced to pay long after …
Friday, July 20, 2012
Our Republican Insiders say last year's fight over collective bargaining rights could hurt the party's chances at winning Ohio's electoral votes in this November's presidential election.
Will the Republican-led effort to limit collective bargaining rights for government workers in Ohio hurt the GOP's chances in this year's presidential election? More than half of the Republican insiders surveyed by Patch say it's too soon to tell or that they didn't know. But 14 out of 50 of those surveyed think the Senate Bill 5 / Issue 2 effort, led by Republican Gov. John Kasich, will hurt the GOP's chances in Ohio. Only four of 50 responders believe the fight will help the Republicans. Issue 2's effect is also seen in what Ohioans our Republican insiders would like to see as a running mate to Republican nominee Mitt Romney. Only one said they wanted Kasich, perhaps the politician most damaged by the Issue 2 ballot defeat, to be vice …
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Council unanimously passed a resolution strongly opposing state's proposal Tuesday.
One for the money, two for the show. It’s show time at Avon City Council after they unanimously passed a second resolution Tuesday strongly opposing the state’s plan to shift the collection of local income taxes to a centralized agency in Columbus. Mayor Jim Smith said the state has failed to say how much the state will charge for the collection, leaving the city no choice but to pass a second resolution to display their discontent with the proposal. “There are so many unanswered questions that we feel we have to…oppose it again to let our state representatives know that you just can’t say ‘Oh, trust me, we’ll take care of it,’” he said. “That’s a bad way of doing business.” The idea to move collection to the state government was …
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Gov. John Kasich and Ford officials announced Tuesday the F-650 and F-750 truck line and a $128 million investment will come to Ohio Assembly Plant from Mexico in 2014.
Ford Motor Co. announced Tuesday it will move production of its F-650 and F-750 medium-duty commercial trucks to the Ohio Assembly Plant from Escobedo, Mexico in 2014, investing $128 million in the facility and retaining 1,400 jobs. “That’s a lot of good news for this plant, and much better news than many thought would be possible for this facility,” said Jim Tetreault, Ford’s vice president of North American manufacturing. “How many companies are in-sourcing work from Mexico?” The announcement came a day after the administration of Gov. John Kasich, who was also at the conference, approved a 15-year, 50-percent job-retention tax credit for Ford, beginning on Jan. 1, 2014. “I can tell you we helped,” Kasich said. “What could be a greater …
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Opponents of Senate Bill 5 outmatched supporters in money, motivation and message.
In retrospect, Issue 2 never stood a chance. Opponents outmatched supporters in money, motivation and message. It's no surprise they had more votes, too. On Tuesday, about 60 percent of Ohio voters rejected Issue 2, Gov. John Kasich's plan to severely restrict bargaining rights for Ohio's unionized government workers. And the resounding defeat wasn't delieved with scant turnout during a boring off-year election. Turnout was 46 percent, the highest for an off-year race since 1991. The union-backed opponents were too strong, and cared too much. They viewed the fight to end Senate Bill 5 as a back-against-the-wall fight, and they campaigned that way. Opponents trotted out teachers and firemen and said the law would ruin important government …
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Public workers celebrate Issue 2 victory at Cleveland rally.
Ohio voters overwhelmingly rejected Issue 2 on Tuesday, delivering a haymaker to Republican-led efforts to restrict bargaining rights for government workers and damaging the fortunes of Gov. John Kasich. The lead was so great that We Are Ohio claimed victory just after 9 p.m. Tuesday with only a fraction of the state's precincts reporting. Kasich conceded the race shortly afterward. About 61 percent of voters, or nearly 2.2 million, rejected the law known as Senate Bill 5, according to unofficial results. About 39 percent, or about 1.4 million, voted for the law. Results show Issue 2 lost in 82 of Ohio's 88 counties. At a victory party in Cleveland, public workers cheered loudly and chanted "We won!" as union leaders, including American …
Friday, November 4, 2011
Gov. John Kasich visited Independence to tout the benefits of Issue 2 while opponents chanted and protested outside. Ohio voters will decide on Issue 2 on Nov. 8.
Gov. John Kasich came to the Cleveland area Thursday to rally a crowd of supporters days away from a crucial vote on Issue 2. Kasich is on a tour around the state to rally support for Issue 2, the ballot name for Senate Bill 5, the law that would restrict collective bargaining for public sector unions. Ohio voters will decide the fate of Issue 2 on Nov. 8. Speaking at a Building a Better Ohio event in Independence, Kasich linked the reforms in Issue 2 with the his larger goal of making Ohio more business friendly by removing unnecessary regulations and keeping taxes low. Kasich argued that Issue 2 will help local governments "get their act together" because it gives local officials "the tools they need" to control costs. "You need to tell …
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Gov. John Kasich is expected to attend the Nov. 3 rally being organized by the Southeast Republican Club.
Gov. John Kasich is expected to attend a Nov. 3 rally in Independence to support Issue 2, the governor's plan to reform collective bargaining for public workers. The rally, organized by Pro-Issue 2 group Building a Better Ohio, is set to begin at 5 p.m. at the Independence Civic Center. Issue 2 is by far the biggest issue facing Ohio voters on Nov. 8. Debate over the collective-bargaining law also known as Senate Bill 5 has engulfed Kasich's first year in office and received national attention. In the run-up to the vote, Kasich has been attending rallies to talk about Issue 2. Supporters of the bill argue that it will help governments better control costs, therefore saving jobs and keeping taxes down. But opponents believe Senate Bill 5 is…
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Polls from Quinnipiac University and Public Policy Polling suggest that an already strong opposition to Issue 2 is growing as the election approaches
Two recent opinion polls suggest that Ohio voters are poised to reject Issue 2, Gov. John Kasich's plan to reduce the collective bargaining power of the state's public sector unions. The majority of voters polled earlier this month by Public Policy Polling and Quinnipiac University say they want to repeal Senate Bill 5. Public Policy Polling found that 56 percent of voters surveyed want to reject it while 36 percent support Issue 2. Quinnipiac's poll results were even better for Issue 2 opponents, with 57 percent against the measure and 32 percent for it. In both polls, more Repubicans said they support Issue 2 than any other groups. But that support is lukewarm compared to the opposition of Democrats, who are staunch against it. More than…
Adam C. Miller
9:35 pm on Saturday, July 21, 2012
They've done a good job... more ›