Govenor wants to put the past behind him

The governor wants to put the past behind him.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN --Record low job approval ratings and frequent criticism on a statewide and national level won't deter Gov. Bob Taft from working toward achieving his goals during his last 11 months in office.
In a Monday interview with The Vindicator, Taft was asked if he is bothered by the low ratings and criticism, including being labeled by Time magazine as one of the nation's three worst governors,
"I look ahead to the next 11 months, and what can I get done in the last 11 months," he said. "What I'm focused on is tomorrow, the next month and through the end of the year."
Last year wasn't kind to Taft. Besides the plummeting approval ratings and criticism, Taft pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor ethics violations making him the state's first sitting governor to be convicted of such crimes while in office.
Taft wants to put the past behind him and work toward getting the state Legislature to adopt a series of proposals he outlined last week in his final State of the State address.
List topper
At the top of the list, Taft said, is an ambitious plan to change the high school curriculum to make it more "rigorous." That plan includes requiring four years of math and English, three years of science and social studies, and two years of foreign language to graduate from a high school to be admitted to a state-funded four-year college or university.
Taft said about 24 percent of Ohio's students meet that goal, and he wants to hit at least 60 percent by the year 2015. "If we don't do this, we won't be able to achieve or compete" in the national and global marketplaces, he said.
Taft acknowledges that not every high school student has the ability to meet those goals. Those who don't can request waivers and could be admitted into a community college or university two-year campus with a less challenging high school course load, he said.
When told that some area educators had concerns about the plan, Taft said, "They'd like to demand nothing of students."
Taft said he didn't share the ideas with any of the candidates running for governor this year, including Attorney General Jim Petro and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell, two Republicans seeking the job.
"You usually talk to people before the State of the State you can trust to keep it secret," Taft said.
He also said he wouldn't endorse or get involved in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Neither Petro nor Blackwell is seeking Taft's endorsement.
Taft said his working relationship with the leadership of the Ohio General Assembly is good and they support his education plan and other initiatives.
Taft said he is "very concerned" about the financial woes of Delphi Corp., a company that employs thousands of Ohioans and is in bankruptcy. The state is prepared to offer a major tax incentive deal to the company to keep its plants in Ohio, Taft said.
Legacy
As for Taft's legacy, the governor said despite the state's struggling economy, Ohio is spending considerably more for education than it did when he was elected in 1998, and has adopted policies to encourage and grow high-technological businesses in the state.
Taft has said in the past that when his term as governor expires, he wants to teach. He said Monday that he still wants to do that, but he also wants to tutor children and be involved in education reform. A former member of the Peace Corps, Taft said he wouldn't rule out a return to the organization.
skolnick@vindy.com