Will Ohio GOP stand up to its tax-and-spend governor?

The Ohio Republican Party may be poised to elect a new party leader at its April 26 central committee meeting.

Current party chairman Bob Bennett has promised to leave the post early this year. Bennett has informed state central committee members that he will step down on May 31.

Bennett had chaired the Republican Party for some two decades, before Kevin DeWine took the position four years ago.

So what's next for Ohio's Grand Old Party leadership?

One thing the GOP does not need is a House Man for Gov. Kasich. The governor has enough partisan accomplices in the General Assembly as it is.

What ought to be of real concern for Republican lawmakers – at least those who claim to be among the party of fiscal responsibility – are the significant tax increases in Gov. Kasich’s $64 billion budget – a budget that increases spending by 23 percent over former Gov. Ted Strickland's $52 billion budget just five years ago.

While Kasich was quick to criticize Strickland (and his new best POTUS pal) for their respective tax-and-spend ways, apparently it's OK for this governor to up the taxpayers' ante by some $12 billion. (That's billion, with a B.)

The budget proposed by Gov. Kasich hides tax hikes better than Harry Houdini hides rabbits in his hat. (Or was that Professor Hinkle?)

Ohio's productive citizens already had the unpleasant odor of the CAT (Commercial Activities Tax). With Kasich's taxation expansion, sales taxes will be added to everything from high school basketball game tickets to the county fair.

The governor's plan adds sales tax to attorney fees, cable television, dog grooming and many entertainment venues, from movie theaters to bowling alleys. Steee-rike!

"By broadening this tax, we're actually bringing greater fairness to the system," the governor said.

Did he really say that? Hell, I'd have more respect for him if he said: By taking more of your money and bringing it to Columbus, we're taking more of your money, and well, we're bringing it to Columbus.

Proponents of the Kasich budget remind me of people who wouldn't dare knock on their next-door neighbor's, er, door, and demand a portion of his money. But if someone from Washington or Columbus has their hand in your neighbor's wallet, it's OK.

With all due respect, let's let the rabbit out of the hat and level with Ohio taxpayers. These new taxes do not have one damned thing to do with fairness. They are all about more spending and more control in Columbus and more wealth redistribution of a kind similar to something – if proposed by Ted Strickland – that the John Kasich of 2010 would have opposed with his last partisan campaign breath.

Greater fairness my ass, governor.

Didn't you campaign on a more fiscally conservative approach? If you had announced that you wanted to increase an already-bloated state government by more than 20 percent, I sure as hell wouldn't have voted for you. I feel like I owe Ted Strickland an apology. Two years ago, you campaigned on policies of fiscal conservatism. By comparison, the former governor appears to be at least 23 percent more conservative than you.

As reported by The Highland County Press today, the Ohio Association of Realtors' Legislative Steering and Executive Committees voted unanimously to oppose the expansion of the sales tax base to services, including those involved in a real estate transaction.

The 26,000-member Realtor association will actively advocate the Ohio General Assembly to strongly oppose the imposition of a statewide 5-percent sales tax on real estate services, as it will unduly increase the cost of housing and business throughout the state.

The Realtors are rightfully indignant. Rest assured, many others similarly impacted by these taxes will soon speak out.

As Ron Sylvester writes at http://innovationohio.org: “Kasich’s proposal boils down to this: Cut income taxes across the board, throw a bit of severance tax money into the hole and backfill by ‘broadening’ the state sales tax.

Terms like ‘across the board’ and ‘broadening’ sound fair, but they’re not. Income taxes are based on one’s ability to pay. You do well, you pay more. Sales taxes are the opposite; they are regressive. Sales taxes, fees and the like take a bigger bite out of middle and lower class wallets than the pocketbooks of the wealthy.

“If Gov. Kasich’s latest two-year state budget proposal proves one thing, it is this: Most Ohioans don’t have a friend in Columbus. If you’re a high-income earner, the governor is on your side. If you’re a bigwig at a Big Oil & Gas firm, the governor is your humble servant. If you’re looking for relief or a leveling of the playing field – you’re out of luck.”

The question remains: Will the GOP become the new tax-and-spend party in Ohio, or will someone explain to the Columbus machine what the private sector has known for years, that is, you can’t spend more than you have?

Ohio Republicans have a spending problem.

As I said, it was just five years ago that former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland managed to make do with a $52 billion budget. (Wait. Don’t tell me. Big government is bad in the hands of Democrats, but it’s OK in the hands of Republicans. Right?)

Governor, Highland County just lost 166 good jobs this week. That may not be important to Columbus politicians, but it is important to Highland County.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services' WARN notices on file since Jan. 1, 2013 indicate 1,110 lost jobs in Ohio – just among major employers.

(The Worker Adjustment Retraining Notifications act provides protection to workers, their families and communities by requiring most employers with 100 or more employees to provide notification 60 calendar days in advance of plant closings and mass layoffs.)

These job losses do not take into consideration the small business employers. Here's a quick question: How many times have we all heard that "small business is the backbone of local job creation?"

As a newspaperman, I know I hear these words numerous times during every campaign season.

I recall a few years ago when Republican state representative candidate Cliff Rosenberger and Democrat state representative candidate Bill Horne, both of whom were campaigning for an open seat, said: "This campaign is about Jobs. Jobs. Jobs."

Our reporter actually recorded both candidates saying the exact same thing.

Well, governor, your sales tax increases are about jobs, too. Job losses, that is.

The implementation of these proposed taxes will cost jobs. Let there be no mistake about it.

The businesses and local government offices that will be forced to add these heretofore nonexistent taxes do not grow money trees in their respective backyards. They have budgets. (Budgets much smaller than your $64 billion monstrosity.)

The only hope that these businesses and local government offices have is that the Republican-controlled General Assembly will stand in opposition. Most of us aren't expecting such a miracle.

But all of us will remember how you voted.

It is good to see one southern Ohio lawmaker speak out against the budget proposal.

“I’ve reviewed the proposal,” State Rep. John Becker, a Clermont County Republican, said, “and can sum up my receptivity with three words: Dead on Arrival.”

Most likely, the Ohio GOP will have its new party chairman in place just in time for the sure-to-be heated debates on the $64 billion question. Let's hope he or she doesn't enter into the position with a rubber stamp for the governor.

Rory Ryan is publisher and owner of The Highland County Press. His views do not necessarily reflect those of the Board of Trustees.