Governor should use mandate to pursue a bipartisan agenda

There was never any doubt that Gov. John Kasich would win re-election to a second four-year term. The only question that underlined the largely uneventful race was by how big a margin Kasich would defeat his Democratic challenger, Ed FitzGerald, Cuyahoga County executive.

Now we know.

The governor received more than 60 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s general election, a mandate by any measure. But with that show of support from the people of Ohio, Kasich has a responsibility to keep the promises he made on the campaign trail.

In our endorsement of the Republican governor, we noted that Ohio is recovering from the national economic recession that began in late 2008 and praised Kasich for laying a solid foundation for growth.

But our editorial concluded with this: “We urge him to make bipartisanship the hallmark of his second term.”

We said so because of our concern that Republicans, whose domination of state government will continue for the next four years, may be inclined to ignore the fact that Ohio is actually a purple state — instead of a red or blue one.

During the campaign, Kasich expressed moderate views on a range of issues, including the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, and made it clear that his second term would not be a replay of the first when he and the GOP-led Legislature pushed through the collective bargaining reform law designed to take away the rights of state union workers.

Ohio voters rejected the law in a referendum that delivered an unequivocal message to the Republicans: There are limits to your exertion of political power.

The governor is aware that public support today could easily turn into rejection tomorrow, which is why he sought to find middle ground during the campaign.

He made it clear, for example, that a much talked about right-to-work law was not on his agenda, leaving us with the distinct impression that he would reject any legislative attempt to push through such an anti-union initiative.

YOUNGSTOWN SCHOOLS

But there is an issue that we would urge the governor to pursue — as he pledged to do during his endorsement meeting with The Vindicator editorial board: the reformation of the Youngstown City School District.

We have long argued that the district — it is one of two under the supervision of a state-mandated academic distress commission — has systemic problems that cannot be solved in the classroom alone.

We were encouraged to hear the governor say that he has enlisted several prominent business, community and political leaders to think outside the box in developing a plan of action for the failing system. State legislative action could well be required, which the governor would support.

Indeed, Kasich was an active participant in the changes implemented in the Cleveland school district, including the way members of the school board are selected. A state law gives the mayor the appointment authority.

But the governor pointed out that the reforms in Cleveland did not occur overnight, which is why he is urging leaders in the Valley to begin the process of a community-wide discussion about the future of the Youngstown school system.

Kasich noted correctly that all segments of the district must be involved, including the faith community and civic organizations.

Will a new day dawn for the embattled school system? We believe so — given the governor πs view of what is occurring now.

“The school district is selling the kids short,” he said during his endorsement meeting with The Vindicator editorial board.

Our sentiments, exactly.