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State Representative Jim Buchy...
Ohio’s Balanced Budget
Over the past few weeks I have been witnessing our lawmakers in
Washington barter over raising our nation’s debt ceiling. This
country has over $14 trillion in debt and it will continue growing.
Governor Kasich and my colleagues in the state government have passed a
budget that will ensure Ohio has good credit in the future. In
fact, as a result of the strong economic policies supported in this
General Assembly, the Standard and Poor’s credit agency has upgraded
the credit rating of this great state. At the same time, the
federal government has brought this country to the brink. The
same credit agencies are speculating lowering the credit score of the
country even after the debt ceiling has been raised.
Quite simply, the national debt is getting to high and the country
should not continue to spend more than it takes in. We must cut
spending, yet leaders such as the President believe the answer is to
raise taxes on families and businesses; this should not be an
option. Tax increases stifle economic growth. In Ohio, our
local economies will receive the benefit of a balanced state budget
that did not increase taxes. I personally would support a
constitutional amendment to require the United States to balance the
budget just like we do in Ohio.
Higher taxes and increased costs are the wrong direction for
government. In Ohio, we are working to lower the tax
burden. The cuts in government spending impact various agencies
and organizations, and are sometimes unpopular, but those cuts are
imperative to continue providing the important services of the
state. The previous Ohio budget under the Strickland
administration was balanced using stimulus dollars, which created an $8
billion gap between spending and revenue when we began working on this
budget. At the end of June, Governor Kasich signed a balanced
budget that was achieved by reducing spending. The agencies and
organizations that have received cuts are also working with the General
Assembly to develop new ways to save dollars and reduce the costs of
operation. Cutting spending is not difficult when the public is
willing to find new ways to reduce the costs of doing business.
Many local schools have witnessed a direct decrease in total funding
dollars from last year due to expired stimulus dollars, but to offset
this we have reduced the burden of unfunded mandates such as requiring
the purchase of new textbooks or requiring all-day kindergarten.
As a result of questions raised by administrators in this district, the
budget included a provision that released money set aside for textbooks
to be used by administrators in other ways providing students the most
needed educational materials.
The budget also included an outline for the procedure of using the
internet to make up missed school days due to inclement weather.
This also found its genesis in our local schools. By permitting
the option of making up school days online, the costs of operating the
school building will be reduced and provide savings for school
administrators. Reducing the costs and size of government starts
with YOU; your opinions are important and will make a direct impact in
helping the state continue to balance a budget with less spending and
less taxes.
The fair season has started and I look forward to seeing many of you at
the local fairs and parades. I value your opinion and believe you
have many ideas to reduce the costs and size of government in this
state. Please see me at the fair or contact my office to further
discuss your ideas.
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