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Guest Column from State Representative Jim Buchy
A Budget of Principle
These next few weeks, Ohioans will witness a historic time as the
legislature passes a budget that has less spending than the prior
biennial budget, this has not occurred often in the history of
Ohio. This is not a matter of choice, but necessity. This
is the result of many Ohioans stepping up to the plate willing to take
cuts to their agencies’ budgets and looking in house for places where
savings could be garnered.
In my last column, I discussed capitalism. Our state budget has
ballooned by a lack of dependence on the free market and an increase on
state responsibility. The largest spending increase in this
budget is Medicaid, which are an entitlement that our federal
government must be a part of reigning in. In Ohio, our budget
must be balanced, unlike the federal budget where the politicians are
continuing to borrow from China and indebt our children and
grandchildren. The budget we are working on in Columbus is called
“The Jobs Budget” by Governor Kasich; I call it a budget of principle.
This is my 10th budget and it is still a learning experience. My
colleagues and I have been meeting with constituents, reading letters
and emails, and taking phone calls. These decisions are not easy
to make, but they are being fully vetted and the concerns of each
interested party are being listened to. The House Finance
Committee has spent weekends and late nights working on this
budget. They have listened to hours of testimony and they have
considered thousands of amendments, both cutting and restoring funding
to agencies that have indicated they can work with less or need
more.
The last budget was supplemented with $8 billion one-time stimulus
dollars. In District 77, many local governments, school boards,
and state agencies prepared for the future shortfall, understanding the
influence of the one-time stimulus dollars in the budget this past
year. Across the state, some of these agencies did not understand
the repercussions of the “kick the can down the road” attitude of the
last administration, and they will be in a real mess if they don’t find
new ways to save money. We will and have been working with them to help
them as best we can.
The decisions to support or oppose this budget come down to
principle. Principle is found within and it is the core guidance
of the toughest decisions made by an individual. The way I was
reared, much like the people who live in west-central Ohio, has
established my principles. The people of this district believe in
balancing a budget and taking personal responsibility for their
lives. In Darke County, the commissioners balanced their budget
without the expectation of any state money. Commissioner
Mike Stegall testified to the House Finance Committee to discuss how
the budget cuts would affect Darke County. Unlike most county
officials testifying, Commissioner Stegall had a positive situation to
report because he and the other commissioners let principle and common
sense guide their budgeting process.
The budget process will not be fully completed until sometime in
June. As it begins the process of consideration in the Senate, I
will remain on top of the issues being considered and I will work
closely with Senator Faber to ensure the best interests of the people
in District 77 are expressed as the budget navigates the steps to
becoming law. Darke, Mercer, and Preble counties are the best
place in the world to live and rear our families. I trust that
the strong families will continue to instill principles in our young
people, which will guide them as they make tough life decisions.
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