Success and disappointment mark governor's first year

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The governor said his first budget was among his big accomplishments.

By MARC KOVAC

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland believes he's made progress toward his oft-mentioned Turnaround Ohio plan, via primary and secondary education and economic development initiatives included in the state's biennial budget in 2007.

But he acknowledges there's still much work to be done, particularly in light of continued economic doldrums that are putting pressure on the state's finances.

"I think we've done quite a bit during this first year, but we're just starting to lay the foundation for this turnaround effort, knowing that we're not there yet," the first Democratic governor in 16 years told the Dix Capital Bureau.

"But I think we have started to do this, and we've done it in a very bipartisan way with cooperation from the two parties."

Looking back at his first year in office, Strickland touted the budget, his proposed electricity and energy policy and tax cuts for seniors and the disabled among his accomplishments:

Q. Looking back at your first year, what do you think you've accomplished toward your Turnaround Ohio plan?

A. "Our budget was constructed in a way that re-ordered our priorities, with the goal toward turning around Ohio. We've had limited resources, but we've tried to use those resources in ways that ... promoted the goals of the Turnaround Ohio initiative.

"... [We] put significant resources into early child care and education. We expanded poverty aid to our elementary and secondary schools by 20 percent and parity aid by about 8 percent. We froze college tuition for two years and put about 100 million additional dollars into student grants and scholarships. So I think we did some very significant things for education across the spectrum ... "We have focused hugely on the work force development and trying to bring an approach to work force development that will lead to the training that's being provided being consistent with the employment needs that exist in our state ..."

"We were able to securitize our tobacco settlement resources and gain the ability to build about 250 new schools in Ohio during the next three or so years, so that our kids will have safe, modern buildings to attend.

"And we gave a property tax cut to every senior citizen home owner and every disabled person in Ohio, and the state is making up to local schools the resources that would have been lost by this property tax cut, so that the total state investment in elementary and secondary schools now at the end of our budget will be about 54 percent instead of 48 percent that it is now."

Q. What are your biggest disappointments?

A. "My biggest disappointment is having to say no to people that I really care about — and I've had to do that on occasion because we do have great need and limited resources and a requirement that we maintain a balanced budget. And, so, because we haven't raised taxes in order to balance the budget, it required us to make tough choices."

Q. A number of editorial and opinion writers have described 2007 as a lackluster year, in terms of meaningful policy and initiatives coming out of the Statehouse. Do you agree with that summation?

A. "After 10 straight years of public college tuition increases of 9 percent every year for 10 years, when you think of what that is, and then, for us to put a freeze on that [and] put $100 million into additional student aid, that's pretty dramatic. I think that single thing, in many years, would have been considered pretty significant.

"When you think that we gave a property tax cut to one in every four homeowners in Ohio — every senior citizen in Ohio got a property tax cut that averaged $400. I think that's quite significant.

"I think the fact that I took an electricity rate issue that is of such huge importance to Ohio's future, and I took it on. I didn't have to. I could have let the current rate structure expire at the end of next year, and where would we be? We would be, in my judgment, at the mercy of the utilities. But I decided to take that on. I developed abroad-based coalition. I spent months doing it. ...

"There are other initiatives that we have been pursuing quietly, but I think effectively. So I think, in terms of this office, it's been a very busy year. I, as governor, have visited, I think, 77 of Ohio's 88 counties this year in my first term — meeting with the local leaders, community leaders, business leaders. Nearly every week I'm out spending time with people across the state.

"I [along with our Department of Development and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher] have been working continuously on new investments in Ohio .... We've had a very aggressive year. I personally have traveled to Chicago meeting with International Truck about the Springfield plant. I've gone to Detroit and met with GM and Ford about their facilities in Ohio. I've met with [another company] that's going to create 1,000 jobs in Ohio during the first quarter of next year. We've had some significant success. I consider myself to be a very active governor. ... So, I can't speak for the Legislature and the number of days they've been in session, but I can tell you that I welcome people to look at my calendar and suggest how I can be more engaged and active than I am."

mkovac@dixcom.com

Monday, December 31, 2007