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Ohio's Taxing and Spending Nothing to Be Proud Of
By J. H. HuebertWhat's the biggest political myth in Ohio?
Maybe it's the idea that our state government is a model of responsibility because it "lives within its means" -- that is, it pays for its spending in the present, through taxes, rather than in the future, through debt.
It's true that our state government is somewhat more constrained in its ability to spend and take on debt than the federal government.
But that doesn't mean the state's fiscal policy is harmless.
It isn't -- and it's killing Ohio's economy.
The Focus of Education Reform
The Columbus Dispatch
reports,
"[Governor] Strickland has said he will unveil a legislative package in
early 2009 that includes classroom reforms and a school-funding fix,
the latter a promise the governor made more than two years ago while
running for office. If legislators don't pass the plan, he said, he
will take it to the ballot so voters can decide."
In
Perspective and
Priorities in Education,
Buckeye Institute education policy director Matt Carr writes,
"the goal of the education debate in Ohio should be to improve the
education system so that more of our students can lead successful and
fulfilling lives. That should be our focus and that is where all of our
efforts should be directed. Every education policy should be
student-centered. Anything less is an abdication of our responsibility
and commitment for providing the best possible education to all of
Ohio's students."
Bailing out Big Spending Politicians
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports, "Among the largest items [in a federal stimulus bill] is an estimated $37.8 billion dedicated to help governors deal with health care costs by increasing Washington’s contribution to the state-federal Medicaid program for the poor. This is more than double the $14 billion provided in the House bill and appears to increase the federal share by 8 percentage points across the board — rather than a more targeted and modest adjustment favored by the House."
In
Stimulating a Bad Idea,
Buckeye Institute analyst Marc Kilmer writes, "Governor Strickland and
the legislators who kept spending in light of an almost-guaranteed
decline in tax revenues now want someone to bail them out. They have
failed in their duty to be good stewards of taxpayers' money but do not
want to face the consequences of their own actions. It is too bad that
they are likely to receive positive reinforcement from D.C. for their
fiscally irresponsible ways."
Merit Pay on the Table
WLWT reports, "The American Federation of Teachers said Monday it supports President-elect Barack Obama's idea to tie pay raises in part to student performance."
In
Governor Should Consider
Merit Pay,
Matt Carr writes,
"Well-designed merit pay plans provide incentives that help schools
recruit, retain and reward the best teachers. A quality merit pay
program rewards teachers and principals who meet or exceed established
levels of performance as measured by student achievement growth and
supervisor evaluations. The central idea of merit pay is that attaching
monetary bonuses to outcomes, rather than to inputs such as
professional development, will encourage improvements in the quality of
instruction that will in turn lead to improved student performance."
Buckeye
Institute in the News
Business First Columbus quoted Marc Kilmer in a story on the aftermath of the passage of Issue 5.
Matt
Carr discussed education issues with Bob
Connors on his WTVN radio program.
