Don’t let political spin win

COLUMBUS

Democrats in the Ohio House and Senate are (gasp) appalled that the Republican-controlled Senate hasn’t acted on bills they think are important.

Meanwhile, Republicans in the Ohio House and Senate are (gasp) appalled that the Democrat-controlled House hasn’t acted on bills they think are important.

No real surprises on either front, right?

Especially since it’s an election year, and both parties are trying to gain as much traction as they can — particularly in the Ohio House, where the supposed anti-incumbent political climate has Democrats worried they could lose control of the chamber and Republicans giddy that they could regain it.

Both sides have been busy issuing statements expressing their “great concern” that “critical legislation to protect Ohioans” didn’t make it through the process before lawmakers left town for the summer.

As if this isn’t normal operating procedure for both sides of the political aisle.

For example, Democrats want Republicans in the Ohio Senate to roll over and support law changes they believe will help keep more residents from losing their homes to foreclosure.

Sky is falling?

So they send out press releases with ominous proclamations about the resulting damage to the state if action is not taken now.

Like this one, issued earlier this month by Reps. Denise Driehaus, from Cincinnati, and Mike Foley, from Cleveland: “Today marks the sad one-year anniversary of the day House Bill 3 was passed by the House and sent to the Senate. It is a long time to stall real relief for Ohioans. We can think of nothing more important than protecting the citizens of Ohio, our neighborhoods and our economy from the ravages of foreclosure. We urge you to move swiftly to approve House Bill 3.”

Republicans, meanwhile, want Democrats in the Ohio House to roll over and support law changes they believe will lead to job creation and economic growth.

So they send out press releases with ominous proclamations about the resulting damage to the state if action is not taken now.

Like this one, issued earlier this month by Rep. Kris Jordan, from the Columbus area: “Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have a responsibility to ensure that every tax dollar we spend is used as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, discussions about Ohio’s spending and waste reduction have fallen on deaf ears, and until the House majority agrees to take an unbiased look at the economy, Ohio’s families will continue to suffer.”

Again, no real surprises here. That’s the kind of stuff politicians say when they’re not getting they’re way.

It’s easy to take potshots at Republican Senate President Bill Harris and Democratic House Speaker Armond Budish, the two guys overseeing this dysfunctional mess, as if Harris is solely to blame for stalling foreclosure reform and Budish is solely to blame for stalling regulatory reform.

In the end, they’re both to blame, along with the other elected members of their chambers, who sometimes appear more willing to skewer their political opponents publicly than to put in the harder work of give and take to address the real problems facing the people who put them into office in the first place.

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com.