Gov. Strickland gets berated on proposed cuts

COLUMBUS (AP) — Constituencies from libraries to mental health advocates are berating Gov. Ted Strickland about more than $2 billion in cuts he’s proposed to the state budget.

From Cleveland to the steps of the Ohio Statehouse, the final days of budget negotiations are increasingly filled with angry advocates who say they’re shouldering an unfair share of the burden.

Strickland, a Democrat, has proposed cutting alcohol and drug addiction services by 28 percent and community-based mental health services by 34 percent.

The governor also has proposed a nearly 50 percent cut in funding for public libraries.

Strickland proposed about $2.4 billion in cuts, along with a gambling expansion he says will raise $933 million, to close a $3.2 billion gap in the two-year state budget.