Gov. John Kasich says election about his job performance
YOUNGSTOWN
When people vote in the election for governor, incumbent John Kasich said they are deciding whether they like the job he’s done during his first term in office.
“By now, people have made up their minds,” said Kasich, a Republican. “Do we feel better? Do we think the state has moved forward? ... You have the sense that people feel that things are pretty good.”
But the decision, Kasich said is “how do they feel about how the incumbent did? They don’t even think about somebody else. They think about ‘let me judge the incumbent.’”
Kasich says his first term as governor has been a success, pointing to cuts in the state income tax, expanding Medicaid while slowing its growth, focusing resources on mental health and drug treatment, increasing the state’s rainy- day fund, and improving the economic climate in Ohio.
“If I don’t provide the atmosphere for economic growth, then how can I do more to help people?” Kasich said.
He added: “The only thing I want is I want to make the Lord happy. The lessons I get from that is you love your neighbor, you help the poor, you help the downtrodden, you forgive your enemies. Do I do that all the time? Of course not. I’m like everybody else. I’m just trying to make it through. I’m proud of those things that we’ve been able to do.”
Democrat Ed FitzGerald, whose campaign has been plagued by numerous problems, said based on Kasich’s job performance in his first term as governor, the incumbent shouldn’t be re-elected.
“The taxes that were ... cut were extremely one-sided” in favor of the wealthy, FitzGerald said. “We didn’t experience an economic boom.”
Middle-class Ohioans will save about $50 a year in taxes while the wealthy will save thousands, he said.
Kasich’s “talking points” about the economy don’t “withstand scrutiny,” FitzGerald said.
For example, Ohio has been below the national average in job growth for 22- straight months, he said.
Though Kasich said he closed an $8 billion budget hole, FitzGerald said balancing the budget is part of the state constitution.
Increasing the state’s rainy-day fund from 89 cents to $1.5 billion was done by cuts to the Local Government Fund and to education, FitzGerald said.
“The gall of a governor to take away revenue sharing and say that’s being fiscally conservative,” he said.
The LGF reduction makes up only about 3 percent to 5 percent of the budget of local governments, and “by and large, local governments haven’t been raising taxes,” Kasich said.
Mahoning County officials say the cut of about $3 million annually is a main reason they’re seeking an extra 0.25 percent in sales tax on the fall ballot.
While dismissive of the impact the LGF reduction has had, Kasich said, “There’s been suggestions we look at the formula and that is fine.”
During Kasich’s term, the state’s top income tax rate fell from 5.9 percent to about 5.3 percent while the income tax rate on those earning between $41,700 and $83,350 has dropped from 4.1 percent to 3.7 percent.
Kasich said he also included an earned-income tax credit that “helps those at the low end.”
Kasich said, “The income tax is the greatest thing that holds us back,” and “we brought the income tax down to be more competitive.”
FitzGerald said a 0.25-percent increase in the state’s sales tax hurts lower- and middle-income Ohioans.
Kasich said, “That’s what you’d call something that everybody’s been pleading for ... the need for tax reform.”
He said, “The sales tax is consumption. The question is what do you want to encourage? Do you want to encourage investment in risk-taking or do you want to encourage consumption? If you add it up [the income tax cut and the sales tax increase], the people have a $3 billion net tax cut in Ohio.”
Polls show Kasich with a comfortable lead over FitzGerald, Cuyahoga County executive.
FitzGerald says he is frustrated that the focus of the campaign has been on issues such as his driving for about a decade without a permanent driver’s license rather than policy issues.
FitzGerald has struggled financially, leading to the loss of key campaign staff, and the driver’s-license issue resulted in him losing the state troopers association endorsement.
Kasich opted last month not to debate FitzGerald with the incumbent saying, “We sat back and watched an implosion,” adding, “You’ve watched this thing, and I think you know the reason why it doesn’t serve” any purpose to debate.
FitzGerald said Kasich doesn’t want to debate because it would expose his poor record as governor.
“I can give you a long list of things that John Kasich has done in his private affairs and his public affairs that are much more indicative of what kind of governor he’s been and much more indicative of his character, but I can’t control whether or not that’s what’s going to be reported on or focused on,” FitzGerald said.
Also running for governor is Green Party candidate Anita Rios. See the box above for more information on her.