Republicans develop plan to plug state budget holes

With a $1.5 billion state budget deficit staring them in the face, Gov. Bob Taft, Senate President Richard Finan and House Speaker Larry Householder, all Republicans, set aside their differences and came up with a plan to stop the bleeding in the General Fund. For that, the top three elected officials in the state of Ohio deserve to be commended.
But we would hope that this important development does not mark the end of discussions between the governor's office and the General Assembly about Ohio's economic future. And we would urge the Republicans to make sure that Democrats are at the table. The fact that not one Democratic member of the House or Senate voted for the budget balancing bill suggests that the opposition felt it had been largely ignored. Political bipartisanship is important in times of crisis. Just ask President Bush, a Republican, and Senate President Thomas Daschle, a Democrat. Bush and Daschle have formed an alliance as this nation responds to the continuing threat of international terrorism.
One of the main criticisms expressed by Democrats about the Republicans' budget fix is that higher education was sacrificed. We agree.
Per capita spending: At a time when Ohio is 40th in the nation in terms of per capita spending for state universities and colleges, and given that the state's workforce is not prepared to meet the demands of the technology-based global economy, cutting 6 percent from the higher education budget was a mistake. Not only did it force many institutions to impose midyear tuition increases, but it undermined the initiatives that had been planned to respond to the workforce needs of business and industry.
Indeed, if the president of the Senate had his way, there would have been an across-the-board cut in non-mandatory spending of at least 8 percent, instead of the 6 percent proposed by Taft and adopted in the budget recovery plan. It is fortunate that Sen. Finan abandoned that approach, but it could easily be resurrected if the state's economy does not begin to improve.
That is why an ongoing discussion is warranted and why Democratic leaders in the General Assembly should be included. Republicans don't have all the answers.
In addition to the $658 million in budget cuts to state agencies, the General Assembly and the Ohio Supreme Court, the plan calls for Ohio to join a multistate lottery such as the 21-state Powerball or the seven-state Big Game. Such a move would generate about $41 million a year.
While we do not believe that the lottery should be one of the main sources of income for any state, we are pleased that Householder's idea for installing 1,500 gambling devices at Ohio's seven horse-racing tracks fizzled.
Ohio, like other states, is scrambling to make ends meet, but the governor and the General Assembly should guard against quick fixes that could have long-term negative effects.