Capri: Development would solve school funding problem

By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- One of the Democratic Senate Caucus' top legislative priorities is to resolve Ohio's unconstitutional way of funding primary and secondary education, state Sen. Capri Cafaro says.
Money also must be found to properly fund higher education, Cafaro of Liberty told The Vindicator on Monday.
Some of the money for education will come from slowing down the amount the state pays for Medicaid, she said.
"It's one way to free up money to put toward education," said Cafaro, D-32nd. "We're going to have to find other sources for funding. Just making cuts to other problems won't be enough."
Asked for specifics, Cafaro said she was "not comfortable as to what that's going to be. But we need to see what long-term solutions" exist.
The Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled the current primary and secondary education funding process, with an over-reliance on property taxes, to be unconstitutional.
"I'm not in favor of raising taxes," she said. "The best way to increase money is economic development."
The state needs to offer more business incentives for companies to open and relocate here, Cafaro said. That would increase tax revenue, and could help the school funding issue, she said.
"We'll have to explore all options and try to avoid raising taxes if at all possible," she said.
Dann's replacement
The Senate Democratic Caucus appointed Cafaro to replace Marc Dann of Liberty in the state Senate, effective Jan. 8. Dann resigned because he won the attorney general's race.
The Democratic caucus will unveil its list of legislative priorities Wednesday. The list will be broad, she said, and include education reforms, health care affordability, the increased use and development of alternative energy sources, economic development, and family safety and security issues ranging from adult protective services to laws dealing with child restraining seats for vehicles.
Over the next few months, the Democrats will fine-tune the specifics of each priority, Cafaro said.
Among Cafaro's priorities is addressing septic system issues in Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, which she represents in the Senate. New septic systems could cost a homeowner up to 30,000. Cafaro will hold a town-hall-style meeting from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Kent State University Trumbull Campus to discuss septic systems.
Cafaro wants to see if the state could provide low-interest loans for people who need new systems and state grants for low-income people and the elderly.
She also wants to develop a zero-tolerance policy for those who operate methamphetamine laboratories. Cafaro said she knocked on doors in Asthabula County, during her unsuccessful 2004 congressional campaign, at places that that turned out to be meth labs. She said she notified law enforcement authorities.
Cafaro sees Northeast Ohio as the ideal location to develop alternative energy sources including biodiesel fuel, ethanol and coal gasification. The senator wants the state to provide tax incentives and research and development dollars toward alternative fuel projects.
As the ranking Democrat on the Senate's highway and transportation committee, Cafaro's long-range goal is to develop public transit and rail systems, specifically pointing to a rail line to the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna and its surrounding industrial facilities.
Parties cooperating
Despite Democrats' being outnumbered 21-12 by Republicans in the state Senate, Cafaro said she sees a spirit of cooperation between the two parties.
Cafaro serves as a member of the Senate's health, human services and aging committee; and the state and local government and veterans affairs committees.
She was recently named to the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review. The committee, consisting of House and Senate members, reviews administrative policies proposed by state agencies, departments, boards and commissions. The committee will determine if laws being drawn up for the new no-smoking ban in the state are appropriate, she said.
skolnick@vindy.com