Notes: We need to rethink the 2005 tax changes and evaluate what is working and what is not. Income tax cuts have not created the promised jobs or increased resources for low and middle income Ohioans. Ohio has fewer resources to invest in our communities and many Ohioans are actually paying more in taxes. It is time to get Ohio back on track. #News

News: Tilt of the Governor, Akron Beacon Journal  Notes: The Governor signed another tax cut last week costing the state over $400 million. 50% of the cut will go to the wealthiest 5% of Ohioans. News: Ohio’s Economic Recovery, Not a Simple Tale, Columbus Dispatch Notes: The national recession and recovery have more to do with Ohio’s economy than state level decisions. Tax cuts simply have not worked in improving Ohio’s economy. In fact, Ohio is lagging much of the nation. Th

News: More Millions, Akron Beacon Journal Notes: A summary of continuing a failed tax cut strategy. Simply put, tax cuts just haven’t worked in Ohio.  Government investments are investments in our priorities as the people of the state. News: To Help Poor Neighbors, Ohio needs to rebuild the Safety Net, Toledo Blade Notes: The federal government cuts programs, the state cuts programs. Fiscal responsibility does not mean forcing the ones with the fewest resources to suffer in d

News: Expert: Doubling Ohio’s EITC a good move but its still not enough, Public News Service Notes: The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a tax credit that is targeted at low and middle income families. A refundable tax credit will provide people that qualify a refund. For example, if a working single mom for tax year 2014 has a tax liability for $100 but qualifies for a $200 EITC, they would have their tax liability reduced to $0 and then receive $100 back. Without a refund

News: Ohio Senate Approves bill to expand business, income tax cuts, Plain Dealer Notes: This bill will now go to the House for an up or down vote or to conference committee. The different components interact with each other – making the total cost of the bill $402 million. With that money, we could have restored the cuts to our K-12 schools, fund a massive expansion of Pre-K, fund all the social service funding requests, or adequately fund the third grade reading guarantee.

News: Raise taxes or cut services in Chagrin Falls, Plain Dealer Notes: Often, the Ohio budget looks like a collection of random letters and accounts. The PLF and LGF don’t really have much meaning to most of us – but our county, city and township leaders know what these letters mean. The elimination of the estate tax and a 50% cut to the Local Government Fund (LGF) have left communities across the state trying to fill major budget holes. Chagrin Falls needs to replace $1 mil

News: Cuts Coming To Mansfield City Schools, NorthcentralOhio.com Notes: Mansfield schools will likely cut 148 positions as a result of needed budget cuts. the Shrinking economy continues to hurt local government and schools. News: Opinion- Ohio Needs a pre-school guarantee, Cincinnati Enquirer News: A growing chorus around Ohio is echoing a similar tune – pre-school is needed for our students, families, and the health of our economy. If we want every third grader to read at

TAKE ACTION TODAY, AND WRITE YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE! Notes: Local Government officials testified on Tuesday asking the state legislator to restore drastic cuts made during the recession. Governor Kasich continues to think the choice is between funding police, fire, and community services or cutting state mental health services. The reality is the choice is not between which services, because Ohio has plenty of resources. The choice remains between investing in public servi

News: How Ohio fails community college students, Akron Beacon Journal  Notes: The Governor’s top priority continues to focus on the income tax rates for the richest .4% of Ohioans. Maybe it is time that we focus our attention on the thousands of college students that need an affordable education. News: Aliens or Tolls are Necessary to fund new Brent Spence Bridge, Channel 9 WCPO Cincinnati Notes: The Governor unveiled a $2.4 capital budget earlier this week, however he did no

News: Expanded Medicaid won’t save Ohio promised $400 million, Columbus Dispatch Notes: Fiscal responsibility requires legislators to be responsible and not count their chickens before they hatch. SB 210 wanted to push through an income tax cut based on this additional funding that is not going to materialize. Ohio policymakers need to be cautious and not rush to tax cuts without considering the long-term fiscal detriment they will have on our communities. #News

News: Tax cut defines Kasich’s budget review, but other ideas matter more, Cleveland Plain Dealer: Notes: The Editorial Board highlights that their is ‘scant evidence’ that income tax rate cuts will help Ohio’s economy and address the totality of the MBR. News: With Higher Taxes, How Many Smokers Would Quit, Cincinnati Enquirer Notes: A 60 cent increase will have a minimal public health benefit. Many public health advocates argue for a larger increase to promote cessation eff

News: Governor calls for $53.5 million in new prison spending as inmate population grows, Plain Dealer Notes: The MBR will invest new money into our corrections – primarily to for ‘institutional operations’. This will mean the creation of about 87 new jobs as prison guards. OCSEA estimates that the need is much larger, and Ohio actually needs about 400 new prison guards to address the current incarceration levels. Instead of another income tax cut, we could hire the professio

Cutting Words, Akron Beacon Journal Highlights the need for public investments over more failed tax cuts. Serving a Bigger Vision, Columbus Dispatch Editorial Board Ignores the critiques of tax cuts and continues to believe that they will bring more jobs. Oil and Gas Drillers once Again Protest Kasich Tax Hike, WKSU Drillers don’t approve of the Governor’s 2.75% proposal for a severance tax – especially alongside the CAT increase. It is important to remember that 80% of this

The Governor and legislature are clearly able to come up with large amounts of new revenue for top priorities.  However, we believe more revenue is needed to restore the Local Government Fund, invest from pre-K to higher ed, and take on poverty and the opiate epidemic at the scale of our state’s needs.  Instead, we’re troubled by an ongoing and unfounded focus on more income tax cuts that have already cost the state billions without leading to promised jobs and growth. Overal

The Governor will attempt to raise revenue in order to pay for a tax cut. While this plan may raise revenue in some good ways, it does so for the wrong reasons. If the newspapers are correct, this is a tax shift that will benefit the wealthy. News: Kasich must sell his new tax cut plan to GOP, Columbus Dispatch News: Ill-advised tax cuts aside, Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s mid-budget correctives offer a useful chance to fix policy: editorial, Cleveland Plain Dealer News: Smokers

News: Legislature won’t go crazy on severance tax rate, Hannah News Notes: Representative David Hall discusses the proposed severance tax bill (HB 375) with the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. The bill proposes a rate of 2.25% with many exemptions and credits. According to Hall, the Governor might propose a rate of 2.75% to finance another income tax cut. We have the need for many investments in Ohio, and do not need further income tax cuts. Many groups have advocated for the s

In his State of the State speech last week, Gov. John Kasich made this year’s first big promise – the same one we’ve heard since Gov. Bob Taft: Tax cuts will lead to prosperity. Because they haven’t, Ohioans and the newspapers that serve us should examine this path more closely. Over the years, both parties have reinforced the idea that cutting taxes will bring jobs and economic growth to make up for lost revenue. It’s intoxicating because it would be so great if it worked. W

The chorus against income tax cuts continue to grow within the media as well. Editorial boards continue to identify areas that Ohio should invest in lieu of another income tax cut. Investments in infrastructure and increased vocational training will better serve businesses in Ohio. The Plain Dealer also calls for smart public investments – specifically to treat opiate addiction. There continues to be bi-partisan support to treat addiction as the mental health issue that it is

Notes: Editorial boards and reporters across Ohio call into question the wisdom of another income tax cut. The Columbus Dispatch points out that 99.6% of Ohioans already pay an effective income tax rate less than 5%. It continues to highlight that people move to North Carolina and South Carolina from Ohio – two states with higher income tax rates than Ohio. The Governor highlighted many areas that need additional public investment and we cannot allow a desire for more tax cut

News: Cutting Words, Akron Beacon Journal  Notes: Ohio’s income tax represent 32% of Ohio’s General Revenue Funds. Nine years of tax cuts have not generated the promised jobs.  Ohio needs to invest in public services like education, drug treatment, public safety, and our community parks to build stronger communities for all of us. News: Guarantee on the Fly, Akron Beacon Journal Notes: Are you “For” or “Against” third graders reading? I think everyone is ‘for’.  However, the