Ohio is on the road to recovery and the Dispatch points out in this editorial how it’s thanks to the innovative thinking of Governor Kasich. Working with the Ohio Legislature, our state is laying the groundwork for job creation and it’s paying off:
For Ohio and its governor, 2012 has been a transformative year. John Kasich sped through his second year with his trademark zeal for getting done the big and difficult things, hardly skipping a beat after his 2011 reforms stabilized the state.
When Kasich took office that January, the state’s budget had an $8 billion shortfall and its economy was in a freefall. More than 400,000 Ohioans had lost their jobs. Former Gov. Ted Strickland clearly was in over his head. Hopes were high that Kasich, having learned politics in Congress and business in boardrooms, could repair the damage by the end of his first term.
He did it in a year.
The man who once balanced the federal budget, line by line, took a scalpel to the Buckeye spending plan and erased the deficit without raising taxes. He launched reforms of Medicaid, prisons and job-killing red tape, to name a few.
He got rid of the estate tax, shed government bureaucracy and proclaimed Ohio was once again “open for business.”
Is it ever. In a year-end review with reporters on Wednesday, Kasich cited employment statistics. Ohio went from being nearly dead-last in job creation to No. 5 in the nation this past year and No. 1 in the Midwest; we’re up 132,900 jobs. And unemployment, nationally at 7.7 percent, has dropped in Ohio during his tenure from 9 percent to 6.8 percent.
The state’s rainy-day fund, which held $1.78 in pocket change two years ago, now stands at $482 million.
The new third-grade reading guarantee aims to end social promotion and holds educators accountable for making sure struggling students are identified early and are provided help to catch up. The payoff will become obvious as students succeed, raising test scores and graduation rates.
The governor also tackled education reform in Cleveland, established a task force and signed tougher laws to fight human trafficking and brought university presidents together to distribute tight state dollars, requiring them to work together for the good of the entire system.
And instead of waiting for 2013, Kasich revisited the state’s two-year budget at the midpoint, enacting 3,400 pages of changes that continue right-sizing government and encourage innovation and collaboration. This month, he rolled out a deft compromise involving the Ohio Turnpike.
He knit together a deal that the Teamsters Union, the Democratic mayor of Cleveland and many northern Ohio cities are hailing, and one that will provide the state with $3 billion to rebuild snarled and dangerous roads and bridges within six years, instead of the previously projected 20. Again, he avoided raising taxes.
The governor plans to unveil a new school-funding plan next year. Though he has provided no details, Ohioans can expect that it will reflect more innovation and pragmatism.
Kasich also is gearing up to push through a boost of “fracking” taxes in order to lower income taxes, a deal that was held up in the legislature this year. This proposal makes sense because Ohio’s severance taxes on shale drillers are the lowest of any major producing state, and its 5.9 percent income tax “is too darn high,” Kasich said.
In the past two years, Kasich has courted, prodded and sometimes shoved lumbering, sclerotic state and local government toward innovation and efficiency. This is what leadership looks like.
But Kasich’s most critical accomplishment doesn’t appear on a spreadsheet or in legislation; it rests in the hearts of the many Ohioans who again have hope that their state and their prospects are on the rise.
You can read the original editorial here.
Governor Kasich, You’ve done a good job,keep up the good work!
I am so very pleased with the progress that Governor Kasich has made with the State of Ohio. I
have heard him speak and I know that he wants to make things better in Ohio so that our young college
graduates do not leave our state to seek employment in other states. We must retain a vibrant and
thriving workforce in this state….to keep our state moving ahead and advancing. We have a great
Governor and we must support him and his policies to continue to make progress in the
coming years.
R. Anne Shale
Thank you, for helping the state of Ohio to continue growing. Too many Americans are still out there looking for jobs. I’m retired but, I’d rather have a job and earn a little extra. As soon as I get some health problems under control I’m considering looking for work again. I was wondering why Ohio hasn’t joined the RIGHT TO WORK PETITION. I don’t approve of the attitudes of the unions today. They have a chip on their shoulder and they have gotten too powerful. Their wings need to be clipped. I know the small towns really need jobs. Too many are unemployed today. I’m hoping the state of Ohio is blocking the Obamacare. So many areas where the elderly can’t even meet their monthly bills now. I’m not pleased with the message our President is giving the nation. My husband Frederick and I are against the gun control issues and hope each state can put forth a petition blocking this issue. Since my husband is a retired Navy Officer and see’s this country in dire need of strong leadership to help the state remain strong against the Obama administration. Let each state handle it’s own insurance issues , gun control, and exempt themselves from being apart of the corrupt take over. We’re proud of what you have accomplished . You show strong leadership abilities and unfortunately our leadership in the WHITE HOUSE is out of control. I’m hoping you can accomplish all the goals you have set forth to doing for our wonderful state. Thank You so much!
Keep up the statesmanship. Keep up the guard for states rights verses the socialist fed regulation cliff. It is our EP permitting process & insurance regulation oversight. Merry Christmas & May GOD Bless a happy healthy new year to all. —F.L.
Governor,
I for one am very disappointed to hear you want to place a severance tax on shale gas and oil instead of using this boon to invite drilling you look to have the landowners bare the burden of carrying the mazes. Sure the majority of taxpayers are going to praise you for lowering taxes, but those of us who have a few acres will pay the price. Almost sounds like the moron we have I the White House. I think you can do better, please go back to the drawing board!
Governor,
I would dearly like to see Ohio become a right to work state. To understand the benefits you just have to look at the economic success of states that have already passed this legislation. Get it done in 2013.
Jim Murphy
TO JOHN AND MARY:
JUST KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. IF A PERSON BREAKS THE LAW ESP. WITH A GUN SEND HIM AWAY.
PS,I AM A GUN OWNER AND HUNTER. MINE ARE LOCKED UP
THANK YOU
I feel having a muslim president and all the lies he has spread, also how he has taken God and Jesus out of everything needs to stop! I also feel president Obama’s socialistic control is NOT American in the least along with his increase in food stamps, medicare, medicare and everything he is handing out for free must stop plus the extra loans his has asked for, plus raising the debt ceeiling will bankrupt the country and thats what he wants against Chistianity!
Kasichs was and is what Ohio needed! Instead of kicking the can down the road for eight years,as in the past,he made tuft choices that needed to be made now and not later,as the last Governor had no gutts to do ! There is still some more changes that need to be made and I hope he has the courage to do them, for the good O all Ohioan!
The Governor deserves kudos for the budgetary work at the state level; however, the income tax savings are coming at the expense of local government and library funds. The local property and income taxes are on the rise and it only gives the false impression that the citizens of Ohio are enjoying tax savings.
I am proud to be living in Ohio,and having a govenor who has common sense. Our society can not continuously spend and just give away more than we take in.Unions were a good thing at one time,but we have laws for minimum wage, 40 hr week, equal employment, etc. the unions are just wasted overhead. they can only exist by creating unnecessary conflict between good workers and good employers, I know from personal experiance. Ohio needs common sense right to work laws! and no project labor agreaments that just wast taxpayer dollars!
It’s not surprizing to me the positive results Gov Kasich has achieved in his administration. Gov Kasich continues skillful adaptability with all political circumstances- at least since I first noticed him in a CSPAN covered US Congressional Budget Committee hearing in 1991. He’s not just for Ohio; I look forward to the day Gov Kasich is adressed “Mr President.”
A GREAT BIG thank you Govener Kasich for all that you have acomplished in such a short time, keep up the good work. Maybe we could send you to the white house in 4 years, if we survive Oboma!!!
Please consider clamping down on the Doctors who are freely perscribing narcotics,.its becoming a major problem
and producing an unbelieable amount of addicts at tax payers expense.
Also, any chance of tackling THE RIGHT TO WORK LAW in Ohio? It sure seems the unions are a big drain on the economy..
One more request while I am sending my wish list, any way to get prayer back in schools? that is probably the toughest to accomplish of my 3 requests!!!!
One very appreciative buckeye