The title of Ohio’s new budget proposal — “The Jobs Budget: Transforming Ohio for Growth” — makes the point: the whole focus of state government should be on creating jobs.
Ted Strickland's last budget had no descriptive title -- only this serene picture of the seat of Ohio government.
Governor Kasich didn’t put this budget together in the last few months. He could have put 95% of this together months before the November election. But, amazingly, the big question of how to fill Ohio’s $8 billion budget gap was never made a big focus of the election campaign.
If our democracy had any power we’d enjoy much more transparency. It makes sense, for example, that the sovereigns of the state (the citizenry) should have the opportunity to examine and discuss the budget proposals of their CEO candidates, before deciding whom to empower. If our democracy had vitality, we would have an engaged and enlightened citizenry demanding transparency and working together to empower effective government.
A budget is a statement of philosophy about the purpose of government. Comparing proposed budgets presented by candidates for office would be a great foundation for thoughtful civic discussion. I’m thinking, in the bizzaro world of perfected democracy, Kasich would have released this 2012 budget in August, 2010 — in plenty of time for thorough discussion during the campaign — and Governor Strickland would have done the same.
I’d love to see a well thought out budget proposal with the title “The Freedom and Justice For All Budget,” that would show a progressive vision for the future. But, in response to a Kasich “Jobs Budget,” I doubt that Strickland in 2010 would have seen a “Freedom Budget” as a winning idea. It would have been rejected as too liberal, too far out.
But, I think a strong case can be made that Strickland lost because he was not nearly liberal enough, and, if he had lifted up a more inspired progressive message, he would have brought more of his potential supporters to the polls.
A progressive vision, I believe, is built on a profound understanding of a common unity of humanity expressed in inalienable rights: “None of us are free, if any one of us is chained. None of us are free.”
We have no unifying progressive vision and without the context of a general progressive philosophy, unfortunately, the vocal protests of teachers, firefighters and government workers to Kasich’s budget proposal are seen as protests over money. Years ago, public workers could have counted on a vigorous private union sector to aid their protest. But now, with the disappearance of good union jobs, we have a division, an attitude: Where were the government worker’s protests when corporate American disassembled whole industries and shipped our jobs overseas? Where was the boycott? Where was the concern for the destruction of our union jobs?
The time seems right for a renewed progressive movement that would bring diverse citizens together — based on seeing the big picture: “None of us are free — If any one of us is chained — None of us are free.”
Governor Kasich’s Budget
- Sell five prisons for pennies on the dollar to be run by private corporations who will reduce pay and benefits for prison employees by one-third or more.
- Sell the timber and oil rights for all Ohio government land. Give tax cuts to oil companies. Cut state oversight for utilities
- Sell 30 years of future profits — $6.8 billion — from liquor sales for $1.5 billion to fund JobsOhio, a huge slush fund for business.
- Exempt universities from a requirement that they pay union-level wages on construction projects.
- Cut funding to local government by 50%, cut funding to public education by 25%
- Empower corporate ownership and control of public education via increased numbers of charter schools and increased numbers of vouchers.
- Destroy collective bargaining rights of public employees so that local governments might recoup cuts in state income from reductions in pay and benefits to employees.
- Reduce revenue to the state from the income tax during the two year budget by $800 million and distribute that $800 million disproportionately to the wealthy — 26% to incomes in excess of $350,000. (This happened as the last 4.2% reduction of state income tax, of a total 21% reduction, from the 2005 Tax Reduction Act approved by a Republican Assembly and governor.)
Previous Posts / Dealing With Ohio’s Budget
- Solutions To Ohio’s $8 Billion Budget Gap Should Be Focus Of Ohio Assembly Election Campaigns — July 20th, 2010
- Ohio’s Budget Crisis: Ohio Must Find A Way To Make Its Total Tax System More Fair, More Progressive — December 17th, 2009
- Governor Strickland Fails To Explain Impact Of 2005 Tax Reduction Act On Ohio’s 2009 Budget Shortfall — January 28th, 2009
- Ohio’s 2005 Tax Reduction Act Was Predicted, By 2010, To Result In Yearly State Budget Shortfall of Billions — December 15th, 2008
- Democrat Candidates For Ohio State Assembly Fail To Challenge Republicans On Crucial Budget / Tax Issues — November 3rd, 2008
- Twelve Tax Loopholes Ohio Should Close To Generate $270 Million Additional Revenue Each Year — October 15th, 2008
- Ohio’s 2005 Tax Reduction Law Diminished, By 21%, The Progressivity of Ohio’s Tax Code — August 6th, 2008
“But, amazingly, the big question of how to fill Ohio’s $8 billion budget gap was never made a big focus of the election campaign.”
Yea, and during the ’08 presidential campaign Obamma didn’t tell us he was a socialist either. He just said ‘change’ and everybody jumped on it – not that we had much of a choice. McCain… really.
The time seems right for a renewed progressive movement that would bring diverse citizens together — based on seeing the big picture: “None of us are free – If any one of us is chained — None of us are free.”
Mike, most of your post is from socialist la-la land. I do agree with your statement that Kasich seems to think the purpose of government is to create jobs. He, like most other politicians believe that to be so because that is what the people demand it to be so. I can remember when Taft was running for his last term, a WHIO television, on a Saturday morning, made time available to all candidates, not just Republicans or Democrats, but Greens and libertarians. Guess what they all talked about (well, except for the libertarians), JOBS. I found it disgusting. They all, in essence, wanted to buy our votes.
So Mike, when you fault Kasich alone, you demonstrate a selective indignation.
As to the assertion: “None of us are free – If any one of us is chained — None of us are free.” I say, hogwash. I say if someone is chained because of their own poor lifestyle choices, I am still free
RWE and Rick, thanks for commenting.
During the campaign, both Strickland and Kasich failed to reveal their plans to deal with Ohio’s budget, and our democracy is so weak and our media so lame, this big lapse in transparency was permitted. I’m not faulting Kasich alone, I’m faulting the weakness of our election process that regularly produces “buyers’ remorse,” where, in this case, a lot of Ohioans who voted for Kasich, evidently, are surprised by what they bought.
RWE, I think you would have a difficult time putting together much of an argument that would convince anyone that Obama, through his actions as president, has revealed himself to be a socialist. Is Mitt Romney a socialist? My aggravation is that, Obama, in his campaign, projected himself as more liberal than what, in fact, he has turned out to be.
Rick, political movement happens when sufficient numbers of citizens are in agreement that a political movement is needed. It’s the old story of the take-over of totalitarian control: first they come for person X — he’s obnoxious, so nobody much cares; then they come for person Y — she’s an unfriendly egghead, an elitist with radical ideas, so nobody protests. Then they come for person Z, Etc. Did government workers care about the destruction of good paying jobs at GM and other industrial plants? Now, the oligarchs are coming for teachers and policemen, and hopefully it will begin to dawn on us all that we are all in this together, and the reality of what is happening in our country transcends partisan POVs.
Even an aristocrat will say, “None of us are free – If any one of us is chained,” if he sees the “us” in that phrase as his or her peers and sees that the persecution or high handed treatment of a peer threatens the privilege of his or her own economic, political or social class. Now, we see teachers and other government workers in solidarity to protect their own privileges — but such solidarity may not mean much in the long run. The oligarchy has already divided us, the bold moves to check government unions has come after a long campaign of “divide and conquer.”
What is needed is a genuine people’s movement, based on the solidarity of a common vision — not an emphasis on “my rights, my money,” but a conviction of how deeply we are connected together: “None of us are free – If any one of us is chained.”
Mike, you state:
What is needed is a genuine people’s movement, based on the solidarity of a common vision — not an emphasis on “my rights, my money,” but a conviction of how deeply we are connected together: “None of us are free – If any one of us is chained.”
My response: Absolutely not! I want as small a government as possible; one that only performs essential functions. Yes, I say “My money.” People need to take responsibility for themselves. They need to save much, much more, etc.