Lame non-answers

COLUMBUS

In less than a month, Ohioans must decide who will lead the state for the next four years.

One of the biggest and arguably most important tasks that Democratic incumbent Ted Strickland or his Republican challenger John Kasich will face is the state’s next biennial budget.

That’s a huge task, given the continuing economic realities of the moment.

The state constitution requires a balanced budget. Depending on who you listen to, they’re going to have figure out how to cut $4 billion or $6 billion or $8 billion right off the top, based on the amount of one-time money they used the last time around for the state’s operating costs.

None of which is new to anyone who reads this column or who has been following state politics.

Repeated questions

Reporters have asked Strickland and Kasich repeatedly what they’re going to do about that problem.

They tried again, a couple of times, during the final debate between the two candidates last week in Toledo to pry out some details about their plans to fill the budget hole.

The candidates know what the state is spending at present. They know roughly how much it will spend during the current biennium. They know they’ll likely have to cut about $8 billion.

But they hem and haw and claim they don’t have enough information to comment on the questions at this time.

Kasich has pledged not to raise taxes — actually, he says he’s going to cut them. He consistently points to the need for a more efficient government with shared services and leaner agencies.

Strickland has said he’ll push for additional federal stimulus. He supports putting lottery-controlled slot machines at race tracks. And he has said that, although he thinks a tax increase would be devastating, he’s not taking the option off the table.

No real information

None of which provides any real information for the voting public. Pushed for specifics, they answer in generalities and ask voters to trust them to make things right.

If you knew you were going to have to cut your grocery budget by 10 or 20 percent next month because of an anticipated extra expense, wouldn’t you have an inkling of which items you could leave out of the cart to make ends meet?

Ohio voters need to know what plan of attack they are supporting at the polls.

They should have a grasp on whether their ballot is backing tax or fee increases or massive cuts to services for the needy.

Strickland and Kasich’s non-answers on the budget gap are lame.

Marc Kovac is The vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. E-mail him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.