the bistro off broadway

Crain’s Cleveland Business
Heck with the naysayers: Kasich stumps in Cleveland for his 'transformative' budget
By Jay Miller
April 3, 2013 

Gov. John Kasich came to Cleveland today for a speech at the City Club of Cleveland. His goal: Push the “bold” and “transformative” two-year budget he has proposed that is struggling before the state Legislature, even though the Ohio House and Senate both are controlled by fellow Republicans. 

The governor and a panel of his staffers spoke for 50 minutes to sell the different aspects of his budget, which statehouse media and political observers doubt will pass as currently constructed. Gov. Kasich has proposed reducing the income tax, increasing the severance tax on the suddenly booming business in extracting oil and gas, and broadening the base of the sales tax to include most services. 

Only the cut in income taxes — especially the reduction in taxes on small business owners — is finding favor with legislators. But Gov. Kasich emphasized the importance of enacting the entire package, 

“The changes we have seen are sweeping,” he said, reviewing the success the state has had in job creation since he took office in 2011. Gov. Kasich said the budget he has proposed will help the state continue to build on its economic momentum. 

“It is always necessary to push to create, to innovate,” the governor said, though he suggested he was willing to be flexible with some of the budget details. 

“You can't fall so much in love with them that you're not in a position to take the tweaks and the changes” that others may make, Gov. Kasich said. 

The Legislature did concur with Gov. Kasich on the separate transportation budget, including the plan to add to the debt of the Ohio Turnpike to increase spending on other roadwork. The governor signed the $7.6 billion budget bill on Monday, April 1. That budget includes authorization for the Ohio Turnpike Commission — now the Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission — to issue $1.5 billion in bonds to help boost the state's spending on roads and bridges. 

At the end, Gov. Kasich called for finding common ground. 

“It can all be fixed fairly easily if we lay down our arms,” he said. “Now is not the time to get weak and go backwards and be afraid of something, be afraid of change.” 

Read this and other articles at Crain’s Cleveland Business


 
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