Ted Strickland's Stand Against Tax Increases Affects Ohio Students

Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's decision to appear for an interview sitting at an elementary school desk with a shiny red apple and school supplies may have seemed cheesy to some and just plain ironic to others in light of major budget cuts that will affect higher education programs and K-12 funding.

The governor continues to travel around the state touting an "evidence-based" model to fund Ohio's K-12 education system. The system, he said, will be a "huge success," though the plan to phase programs in over the next ten years will prevent any immediate evaluation. There is broad support from the state's education community for the new plan's sweeping "blueprint", encompassing everything from limits on K-3 class sizes to more robust teacher evaluations, but many are concerned that it won't help pay their bills in the here and now. The state's new budget makes up for a .25 percent decrease in public school funding in each of the next two years with a one-time inclusion of federal stimulus money, all while requiring new outlays such as all-day kindergarten. The new budget slashes $59 million in state aid from nonpublic K-12 schools around the state as well.

Mindful of his reelection hopes for 2010, Strickland decided against raising taxes to help fill a $3.2 billion budget hole and instead opted to allow slot machines at racetracks and make deep cuts in state programs.

Education cuts will also impact Ohio college students. A program to increase co-op and internship opportunities has been cut, and a plan to increase Ohio's 39th-ranked (as of 2006) level of state support per student is endangered. A three-year tuition freeze at public state universities will end a year early to help offset funding cuts of $170 million from public universities and $20 million from regional campuses and community colleges. Colleges are now permitted to increase tuition and fees up to 3.5 percent in each of the next two years. The Ohio State University, the state's largest public university, has declined to raise tuition this school year, though it has the authority to do so given budget changes.

Students wishing to enroll in one of Ohio's 37 career colleges might have to come up with more money to pay for their education this year due to stripped funding for the Ohio College Opportunity Grant for career college students. Students attending taxpayer-supported and private, non-profit schools will continue to receive money from the state at reduced levels. Students receiving state scholarships and grants such as the Ohio Academic Scholarship and Ohio War Orphans Scholarship will receive smaller aid as well.

Ohio is just one of 35 states that have cut higher education funding in these difficult economic times, though many believe that Strickland could have avoided cuts to education and other programs by making a politically risky move to raise taxes. Strickland's firm insistence on avoiding tax increases belies his fluctuating stance on the issue, which has been a thorn in his side throughout his political career and could very well be central to his 2010 reelection campaign. A May Quinnipiac University Poll, in which 32 percent of respondents preferred raising taxes and 57 percent preferred cutting services to balance the budget, supports that path.

Democratic consultant Gerald Austin pointed out to the Associated Press that Ohio voters have reelected former governors like Democrat Richard Celeste and Republican George Voinovich for raising taxes to meet the legal requirement for a balanced state budget (at the federal level there are, of course, no laws requiring a balanced budget).

Things are different this time, Strickland says: "I have heard from at least two of the former governors and they have said to me that they never faced the circumstances I faced in this budget." In the same Quinnipiac poll, when asked whether Strickland should consider tax increases in balancing his budget, 53 percent said no and 44 percent said yes. However, that margin is much smaller than it was in December 2008 when 64 percent of voters said no and 33 percent said tax increases should be considered. The budget crisis has also taken a toll on his approval ratings, which sank to 46 percent in July from 57 percent in May.

The Campaign to Protect Ohio's Future, which supported a tax increase to balance the budget instead of making cuts, said in a release that it still hopes corrective budgets will include comprehensive tax increases as additional revenue. "The impact of these health and human service cuts will reverberate across all systems in Ohio-each Ohioan, if they are not personally affected by these cuts, knows a friend or colleague that will be. My only hope is that we still have the opportunity in the coming months and in the inevitable budget corrections negotiations to come to create a sound tax plan with revenue enhancements to restore services for our most vulnerable friends and neighbors," Campaign Co-chair Margaret Hulbert said.

At least 30 states have opted to raise taxes this year, but Strickland said that he feels tax increases during a recession "would only kick Ohioans when they are down, undermining the recovery that [Ohioans] need." But $2.5 billion in spending cuts are a significant "kick" as well, to students and a variety of needy and important groups. Time will tell whether Ohio voters decide to return the kick.