Gov. Taft defends program

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Gov. Bob Taft came to a Youngstown elementary school to praise and promote his OhioReads program.
He also ended up having to defend it.
"What can be more important in education than focusing dollars on reading?" Taft said Wednesday after an OhioReads Volunteer Recruitment Week rally at the Paul C. Bunn Elementary School in Youngstown.
He was responding to criticism from state Sen. Robert F. Hagan of Youngstown, D-33rd, and other local Democratic state legislators regarding the funding for OhioReads. The legislators say Taft should have come here to discuss solutions for the state's education funding system and its troubled economy.
Hagan stood in the back of the school's gymnasium while Taft spoke to pupils, teachers, parents and local OhioReads volunteers. Taft thanked Hagan for attending the event.
Budget amount
The state budget includes about $17.4 million this year for the OhioReads program, which is designed to improve the reading skills of pupils in kindergarten through fourth grade by having volunteers serve as reading tutors.
Hagan said promoting literacy is, of course, something positive, but Taft isn't being honest when he calls OhioReads a volunteer program, because of the state funds it receives.
"It's another dishonest act by the governor," Hagan said.
Taft said Hagan doesn't understand the program.
"The money goes to reading materials, teacher training and computer programs," Taft said. "I can't think of a more important expenditure of a small amount of dollars than OhioReads."
Warm welcome
Taft was enthusiastically welcomed during the event inside the elementary school. He was made an honorary MahoningValleyReads tutor and called the state's No. 1 tutor by local organizers.
Taft spoke about the importance of reading in helping children become productive members of society.
"I read a lot of books over the summer when I was a kid, and I became governor," Taft told the kids. "Who knows what you can be if you read? You can become governor or president."
skolnick@vindy.com