League of Women Voters of Ohio Education Fund
	Ohio State Government November 2, 2010 Election
	Candidates Answer Questions on the Issues Governor/Lt Governor; State of Ohio

The questions were prepared by the League of Women Voters of Ohio and asked of all candidates for this office.     See below for questions on Budget deficit, Nonpublic school funding, Tax structure, Lt. Governor strengths, Lt. Governor regionalism, Lt. Governor private sector Click on a name for candidate information.   See also more information about this contest. 1. Ohio is facing a huge budget deficit for the FYs ending in 2012 and 2013. What specific revenues increases would you support and what cuts would you make to balance the budget? Answer from Dennis S. Spisak/Anita Rios: To fix Ohio`s looming budget problem we must focus on three areas: New Tax Revenue, Reduced Tax Expenditures, and Reduced Programmatic Expenditures. We must reinstate the upper bracket personal income tax rate of 7.5%, which would generate $900 million dollars. We must increase the CAT tax by .08%, which would cover the estimated General Revenue Fund subsideries to schools and local governments and raise over $400 million dollars. We must reduce tax expenditure loopholes, which cost Ohio over $7 billion dollars a year. We must also reduce expenditures, which could also save millions over the biennium. Answer from Ken Matesz/Margaret Ann Leech: The budget deficit must be eliminated by budget CUTS, not by increasing taxes. I propose freezes in public employee hiring, wages, and pensions. I propose eliminating several extraneous state programs and departments and decreasing (then eliminating) the state`s role in education in favor of local school control by local school boards, teachers, and parents. Answer from J. John Kasich/Mary Taylor: As the chairman of the U.S. House Budget Committee, I led the effort to balance the federal budget for the first time in 30 years. I`ve written 13 budgets and know how to get the job done. I also know that budgets are not goals in themselves, but that they are a means of achieving goals. Ohio doesn`t have a budget problem, it has an economic problem, and by undoing the economic mismanagement that has been imposed on Ohio over the past three years and which has contributed to the loss of almost 400,000 Ohio jobs, we will see immediate benefits to the state`s bottom line. Working together we can set our priorities, manage this budget, make ourselves more competitive, and put the state on the path toward prosperity. Answer from Ted Strickland/Yvette McGee Brown: First, I`m working to create jobs because a growing economy is the most important factor for long term budget sustainability. Second, I`ve done what past Ohio leaders have only talked about doing + I have made tough choices to reduce the size of government and cut spending. Third, I`m modernizing state government and finding ways to provide services more efficiently. We`re pursuing further efficiencies in the four larger systems that comprise 90% of the state`s general revenue fund budget + our k-12 and higher education systems, corrections, and Medicaid. 5 Finally, I`ll approach the budget responsibly. I have a record that Ohioans can judge. The past is the best predictor of the future and I have already balanced two state budgets by cutting spending without raising taxes. 2. What should be done to ensure that all community schools and nonpublic schools that accept state financial support (including vouchers) are accountable to the public? Answer from Ted Strickland/Yvette McGee Brown: In 2009, I signed into law an education reform plan that creates a constitutional system of school funding. Included in that package of reforms are strong accountability measures for community schools. These measures require all schools to create spending plans, ensuring that funds reach the students who need them. They also hold community schools to the high standards that traditional schools must meet and move all community schools and their sponsors under the authority of the Ohio Department of Education. My plan also reduces the amount of time that community schools are permitted to operate in ‗academic emergency` before being forced to close and prevents operators of community schools with failing track records from creating new community schools. It is vitally important that these public dollars serve our students well. Answer from Dennis S. Spisak/Anita Rios: All Community schools and nonpublic schools should be held to the same accountability standards as public schools are in the state of Ohio. It`s time to crack down on poor quality and failing charter schools. I am all for closing truly failing charter schools. Answer from Ken Matesz/Margaret Ann Leech: The best way to ensure local accountability is simply to give the schools back to the local communities and withdraw the state from intervention in local education. I support letting teachers and parents and local boards be the principle decision-makers when it comes to education. Answer from J. John Kasich/Mary Taylor: We must hold Ohio`s entire education system accountable to ensure that all of our students are achieving at high levels. We need to set higher standards so our children can compete. We need to get education dollars to the classroom. Ohio is 47th in the nation in getting money to the classroom, and 9th in spending on bureaucracy and overhead. Instead of funding bureaucracy, we should allow funds to follow children to the classroom. We need to empower teachers to be in control of their classrooms and principals to operate their schools efficiently and effectively. All parents and students deserve high-quality education choices, and we need to use technology to engage students in creative ways. Charter schools, scholarships and voucher programs, and online education can serve as incubators for good ideas that can be translated into the public system to drive innovation. 3. What would you propose, if anything, to change Ohio’s tax structure? Answer from Dennis S. Spisak/Anita Rios: I would restructure the 2005 tax changes that lowered taxes for wealthy taxpayers. The Office of Budget and Management says reversing just one year of the income tax cuts would bring in $422 million dollars. To help low-income households, raise the amount households can make before owing an income tax. Implement an Ohio Earned Income Tax Credit system like the Federal EITC. Currently, 24 states and the District of Columbia have this credit in place, which would bring low-income families out of poverty. Raise the Commercial Activity Tax: revenues would allow for paying schedule reimbursements as well as add money to the General Revenue Fund. This could raise at least $50 million for the state. Retain some of the income tax portion of the corporate franchise tax. Retaining at least 1/5 of it`s former rate would give the state at least $200 million per year. Answer from Ted Strickland/Yvette McGee Brown: During difficult economic times, and as other states were increasing taxes, Ohio enacted one of the largest tax cuts in modern history. Ohioans now pay $1.8 billion less in taxes each year. State income taxes are 16.8% lower than in 2004 and during my term, we carried out the elimination of the tangible personal property and corporate franchise taxes. I also expanded eligibility for the homestead exemption tax credit. Nearly 1 in 4 Ohio homeowners, mostly senior citizens, are saving on average more than $400 a year on their property taxes. And, as Governor, I signed laws to exempt retirement benefits of Ohio military retirees and benefits paid to surviving military spouses from state income taxes and school district income taxes. Finally, in order to incentivize job growth, I signed legislation eliminating the tangible personal property tax on solar and wind facilities. Answer from J. John Kasich/Mary Taylor: Ohio`s business environment is flawed, and as a result our economy is suffering. According to 651 CEOs around the country Ohio`s business climate ranks 44th. CNBC ranks Ohio 38th in business friendliness. One reason for this is our tax environment. Ohio ranks 47th in the Tax Foundation`s State Business Tax Climate Index. We also have the 7th highest state and local tax burden in the country. The bottom line is our taxes are too high and it is making us uncompetitive in retaining and attracting businesses, growing our economy and creating jobs. I will do everything in my power to reduce the cost of government so that over time we can significantly begin reducing Ohioans` tax burdens and make us more competiti Answer from Ken Matesz/Margaret Ann Leech: I would like to eliminate personal income and estate taxes immediately and follow in a few years with the elimination of property taxes. The latter may be supported by a small increase in sales tax. Overall, the intention is to greatly diminish tax burden and allow Ohioans to keep more of their hard-earned money. 4. What are the strengths you would bring to the office of lieutenant governor? (No candidates submitted answers to this question) 5. How would you define “regionalism”? Would you support using that concept of regionalism as a way to make local government in Ohio more efficient? (No candidates submitted answers to this question) 6. What specific functions of state government can be performed better by contracting with the private sector? What specific functions of state government should not be contracted out to the private sector? (No candidates submitted answers to this question) Responses to questions asked of each candidate are reproduced as submitted to the League.  Candidates' statements are presented as submitted. Word limits apply for each question. Direct references to opponents are not permitted. The order of the candidates is random and changes daily. Candidates who did not respond are not listed on this page.