The Columbus Dispatch recently did an editorial on John Kasich and Mary Taylor’s preliminary actions after being elected. From the editorial:
Within 24 hours of his victory, Kasich already was demonstrating what has been lacking in Ohio’s top office: the eagerness to engage problems. He called a press conference to announce the appointment of three members of his team, including the well-respected and experienced Tim Keen as director of the Office of Budget and Management. He will be at the center of the administration’s budget solution. With the financial expertise of his running mate, Lt. Gov.-elect Mary Taylor, an accountant who is currently the state auditor, Kasich has the core of an experienced and competent fiscal team.
He also outlined where some of the fiscal readjustments will take place. Having previously trashed Strickland’s unfunded school-funding model, Kasich indicated that he will be pressing school districts to reduce administrative costs through some sort of consolidation. He also said that binding arbitration used in settling labor disputes with municipal employees is a flawed system that he intends to address. And he flatly declared that the proposed 3C passenger-rail system, which was to be launched with $400 million in federal money and that would require an annual operating subsidy from Ohio taxpayers, is dead.
The following day, he and Taylor put lobbyists and other Statehouse insiders on notice that the administration, not special interests, will be calling the shots on how the next budget is balanced. Without laying out specifics, Kasich and Taylor indicated that what they have in mind is not simply a matter of cutting spending, but of redesigning state government. “Changes are coming,” Kasich said. “Some of them will be uncomfortable for people. But this is our chance to save the state.”
Until Kasich provides details, no one can judge the merit of his plans. But fundamental restructuring of state government is necessary if Ohio is to arrest its long slide and restore the growth and prosperity that is its proper condition. The state now has a leader who understands this.
You can read the entire editorial here.
SSDI cut me almost $600 a month in June 2010 for Getting workers compensation which I told them over and over again I was getting Wrokers Compensation. Now they say I owe $33,330 in overpayment. Also in June 2010 I got cut off Wokers Compensation. I went down and they told me they wouldn’t take so much a month based on my bills so I could still afford to live. Which $600 a month was hurting me very bad. now they restored my check to full starting in Dec 2010, but they complete cut my 4 children completly off now I’m $1,300 short per month. I have taken proof in June 2010 that I’m no longer recieving payment of any kind from Worker Compensation. I have since provide documention at every appointment with Social Security that i no longer reccieve payment of any sort. well point being Social Security is now cutting my Children complete off in December 2010, I will no longer be able to pay my bills, once they garnish my bank account, I will lose my house and everything I own. I hope you know what it takes to solve this Issue plz call me at 419-517-3051 I need HELP!!!!!!!
We know the road ahead is going to be an uphill battle, Mr. Kasich – but the far left won’t win, and you will have the support of the people if you will do what is right, and also keep us informed – to have a reasonable representative that cares about American values is a relief. Keeping your commitment against healthscare TAX, and other socialistic schemes will keep you in office, and others will get dumped,- like they should be – our founders have designed wonderful safeguards to protect people from intrusive government; please help citizens in protecting these safeguards.
With Sincerity – Thank You
Thanks for killing the 3c corridor. I know businesses hate being located in states where there is easy travel between major, distant locations.
I mean, that’s so great we’re saving tax dollars by not having that federal money come here. I guess New York will have to figure out a way to spend even more funds to increase travel, tourism, and commerce in their state.
I will feel so much better filling out my federal tax forms this year when I think that all those tax dollars will be going to states like California, New York, and Washington. States where instead of being short-sighted and rejecting funds from the federal government they actually accept free money and figure out creative ways to cover costs.
Thank God for real leaders who have short term thinking and reject money because it may need creative solutions!
Thank you John for killing pesky problems like tourism, commerce, and travel!! We Ohioans don’t need money from the government to solve our problems. We don’t need the jobs which will be created building a train. We don’t need easy travel which would save cities like Cleveland. We don’t need a cheap method of travel for school-aged children to experience what Ohio has to offer, we don’t need an efficient ways for college students to travel home on weekends, or sports fans to visit other cities within our state, we don’t need a way for people promote sales for intra-state commerce, we don’t need a way for visitors from other states to travel to our casinos on the opposite side of the state.
I mean, it’s not like we were an industrial powerhouse at one time because of our canal and train system. Oh wait, that was the 19th and 20th centuries. Thank you so much John for keeping our state in the 18th century.
All because it might mean charging a tax on some businesses which may benefit from increased travel. Thank you, John for sparing the casinos, or the sports facilities, or the concert venues the 1% tax which would more than cover any shortfalls due to ridership. So glad they will keep 1% more of their fortune. Too bad that fortune may have been larger if we had a train which would bring people to these venues from other cities.
Thank you, John for your lack of vision, and your lack of creative leadership!! We sure do appreciate it!
(I’m sure you’ll delete this, since being a real leader means ignoring people with criticism, so I’ll be posting this around the web)
MK,
Only a total idiot couldn’t see the futility of maintaining a passenger rail system that would have a questionable, at best, ridership. The taxpayers of the State of Ohio would have to bear the brunt of the cost of operation. This isn’t the east coast where public transportation is a way of life. This is Ohio friend! Live with it. Just because you like to ride the choo-choo doesn’t mean the rest of us are going to abandon our cars and jump on board with you.
As far as the federal money goes, this would be another of the Great Ones pie in the sky projects. All construction jobs are temporary. They are there for a period of time and then they go away.
I live in West Central Ohio and I can tell you that I am not going to leave my vehicle parked in Dayton to ride a train to Cleveland. I don’t even know anyone in Cleveland let alone want to ride a train there and have no means of transportation when I arrive.
Danby, only a total idiot would put Kasich in charge of Ohio. When Lehman Brothers went bankrupt in September 2008, Ohio’s public pension funds lost hundreds of millions of dollars. As a member of the Board of Directors at Invacare, a health care manufacturer, Kasich personally signed off on a policy of outsourcing jobs from Ohio to China and Mexico. He’s proven to make choices that only benefit him financially. He does not care about Ohio, or Ohioans. He’s got bigger plans. I can’t believe you’d vote to put the guy who helped screw things up into the position to “fix” them. What were you thinking?
Dear Gov.,
Ohio needs to be a right towork state!!!!
All right to work states are way better off than thoses who are not by far.
The Dayton area has lost NCR, General Motors and most of the Chrysler jobs locally. NCR had been here for decades but the local and state politicians just let it go.
Jim Sans
The 3c cooridor was destined to become a modern day amtrak. I travel from Columbus to Cleveland about once per week and I can promise you I would not take a train if it were available. For one, the trip was estimated by planners to take over 3 hours. In addition to that, how would I get from the train station to my home or office once I arrived? You’d probably have more 3c employees on those trains than passangers. There is a solution to both of these problems: CARS! This new engineering marvel can take you from Columbus to Cleveland in half the time AND take you anywhere you want to go in your destination city.
Congrats on rejecting such a stupid idea.
I’d be happy to revisit this if it were a 300 mph bullet train like the one just rolled out in China. I’d consider finding alternate transportation from the station if it took 30 minutes to make the trip.
And by the way, nobody in Columbus wants to go to Cleveland to watch a sporting event. People in Cleveland don’t even attend these games. The shoe is sold out every Saturday, so there really isn’t anymore room for the millions of Clevelanders that would be lining up to jump on a train that averages 50 mph.