Ohio Needs Conservative Ideas
The ongoing fight over closing the budget deficit in Columbus is about more than money -- it is another skirmish in the larger battle of ideas. This isn't a partisan fight but is instead a fight over how we view government. At the Buckeye Institute, we believe in the idea that animated the founding of our nation, where, as Ronald Reagan put it, "for the first time in history, government, the people said, was not our master, it is our servant."
Unfortunately, our elected officials seem to have forgotten that, not only in Washington, D.C., but in Columbus. The most popular plan to deal with the current year's budget deficit of $850 million is to "delay" a scheduled tax cut. That is merely another name for a tax increase. Of course, this tax increase is only a stop-gap measure, since next year's legislative session will be dealing with a potential budget deficit will be between $5 and $7 billion.
Bumping up taxes and trimming a little spending aren't going to fix Ohio's problems. Legislators need to hear conservative solutions to the challenges facing the state. Liberal political ideas have dominated Columbus for decades, regardless of which party was in power. These ideas are responsible for the poor state of Ohio's budget and the condition of the state's economy.
Some may try and blame Ohio's current economic woes on the national recession. While this recession has certainly hurt, Ohio's economy was performing poorly throughout the past decade. Ohio lagged national averages in job creation and economic growth and saw many young people leaving the state to seek their fortunes elsewhere.
The same tired ideas that are so popular in Columbus have produced little for Ohio's residents. What have they to show for billions of dollars spent in corporate welfare? Politicians fight laws to end mandatory unionization, and yet why are states with right-to-work laws outperforming Ohio?
Conservatives know that something is wrong in this state. The only way to win the battle against the liberal ideas that permeate Capitol Square is to have new ideas of our own. A knight, no matter how gallant his mission, could not win a fight without his armor, shield, and sword. Likewise, conservatives cannot change Ohio without the right ideas.
The Buckeye Institute is the only organization that is committed to providing a conservative roadmap that will lead Ohio to prosperity. We have developed an exciting agenda for next year, with studies looking at how policies like mandatory unionization, prevailing wage, collective bargaining for government employees, excessive public sector compensation, regulatory overreach, and taxation hurt not only taxpayers but our state's ability to compete economically.
We can't do this without your support, though. To fight the battle for limited government, low taxation, and sensible economic policies we rely on contributions from our friends. We appreciate the support you've given us in the past, and as the year ends, we hope we can count on you once again so we can continue to advance sound public policy for Ohio. The Buckeye State faces many challenges, but with the right policies, it has a bright future. We look forward to working with you to make our ideas a reality.
Marc Kilmer is a policy analyst with the Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions, a research and educational institute located in Columbus, Ohio.
