Strickland still the man
Written by Don Burnard | | opinion@toledofreepress.comAccording to the most recent polls, Ted Strickland is in a dead heat with John Kasich for the 2010 governor’s race. Strickland’s numbers are down for his handling of the state’s economy and, even though seven out of 10 voters don’t know who Kasich is, 40 percent claim they would vote for him over Strickland if the election took place today.
We’ll come back to Kasich in a moment. The Republican Party had a virtual stranglehold on Ohio politics for 16 years. During that time, they did all they could for their largest contributors, while virtually ignoring the constituencies they were elected to represent. Corruption and Good Ol’ Boy politics reigned supreme. Costs for services, education, health care and the government in general were cut to bare bones while the major contributors were reaping huge rewards.
A basic nonbelief in government or taxes were the cause du jour, while good-paying jobs, especially in manufacturing, fled the state by the hundreds of thousands. Those who lost their jobs were expected to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and get over it. Social safety nets were underfunded or nonexistent and you could always get a job or two or three in the “service” industry to get by. This was the New Global Economy and you’d better get used to it.
Just to show you its heart was in the right place, in 2005 the Republican-controlled Legislature voted in a 22 percent tax cut, which gave most Ohioans a single-digit amount of dollars extra every month, phased in over a five-year period. This came to approximately $4.4 billion in lost revenue to the state budget, which (surprise!) just about exactly corresponds to the budget deficit Strickland found himself left with when he came into office. For good measure, the Republicans did everything they could to keep Strickland from dealing with the problems created by them and their counterparts on the national stage.
As we entered the most trying economic crisis in most of our lifetimes, it became much more important to try to make political points than to try to solve the problems facing our state on a bipartisan basis. Even though the old Republican mantras of lower taxes and less government and regulation at all costs brought us to the brink of collapse, they still couldn’t see the big picture. Everyone should just accept that this was the new way of things and this is as good as it was going to get.
Strickland was elected to turn Ohio around, but the hand he was dealt was more than anyone could have foreseen. In an effort to deal with the incredible economic storm that struck, he even agreed to things he was morally opposed to in the interest of the greater good. The former Methodist minister held his nose and agreed to slot machines at racetracks to try to raise revenue. He made painful cuts to libraries and education, not because he wanted to, but because he had to. He proposed putting off this year’s phase of the tax cut to try to fill an $851 million hole in the budget. Only two Republican representatives had the cojones to do the right thing and vote for it. He did what he had to do.
Now, we come back to Kasich, the candidate who thinks he can straighten out this mess. Kasich was a nine-term U.S. Congressman from Ohio who, after a short-lived run for the presidency in 1999, became a managing director for Lehman Brothers. You may remember Lehman Brothers. It was the investment bank that filed for bankruptcy Sept. 15, 2008. As USA Today reported, “The collapse of the investment bank was so shocking that it triggered a financial tsunami of such size and scope that it was compared to the Great Depression.”
Do 40 percent of those polled really think this is the guy to get us back on the track? He’s one of the engineers who derailed the economic train to begin with! Let’s pay attention people, and look carefully before we leap. Our future depends on it.
In the interest of disclosure, I was the Lucas County coordinator for the Strickland for Governor campaign in 2006. I thought he was the man for the job then, and still do. I was not compensated in any way other than personal satisfaction.
E-mail columnist Don Burnard at letters@toledofreepress.com.
…hey ! …who cut the cheese ?
This comment was posted on November 20th, 2009 at 11:50 amWho the heck is this guy Don Burnard? Do you beam him down from the mother ship to write?
This comment was posted on November 21st, 2009 at 10:22 amHe just does that to incite the wrath of smart people. Right?
YELLOW JOURNALISM DEFINED: Gov. Strickland, has a subordinate take home a State lap-top computer, which is stolen from his auto, revealing to the perp., 2 MILLION Ohioans S. S.#’s, and other pertinent data. The Yellow Blade devotes one article to this days after the occurrence, on p18. Gov. Taft, has a subordinate fail to document 2 golf outings, resulting in ‘criminal charges’ and the Yellow Blade, devotes front page genetic hatred to the event for WEEKS ! One is a serious consequential breech of security, causing GREAT problems for the citizens whose data has been used criminally. The other, is and always was, an accounting JOKE !! Even though, Taft, took personal responsibility for the aids mistake. Most folks know what news is and which of the above Gov’s., received the Yellow Blade’s, radical leftist bias treatment. Others, are dupes, riding along in a world of power mad imbeciles…mostly in unions and the edukrats-technocogs. Liberals, have a tough time with responsibility, they always have and always will. It’s mostly due to their tremendous lack of honesty and character. Examples above clearly depict one of the Governor’s as a leftist tool, who needs GREAT assistance in protecting his mistakes by lying , non-reporting, and obfuscation. The other Gov., takes responsibility and pays the price. And all along,the Yellow Blade, takes the role of ” Official Character Assaninator”, for the whole State. Is it any wonder that the Yellow Blade’s readership is in free-fall and it’s securities are worth somewhere between a bucket of spit and the promises( lies ) of ObaMao?!
This comment was posted on November 23rd, 2009 at 11:31 amStrickland, former Ohio prison ‘psychologist’, apparently believes all the lies told to him by convicts in their heart to heart talks with him. He just released 68 murderers, rapists, armed felons, etc.! All in an effort to buy the votes of every Demonrat/ ACORN-nut, in prison and , out !! I’m absolutely certain that the many victims of these Demonrat criminals were ecstatic at the news of their release! A more pathetic, pandering politician cannot be found outside the Ohio Demonrat Party…odious as anything ! I can hear it in the half way houses and Demonrat enclaves now…STRICKLAND, you da MAN !!!
This comment was posted on November 24th, 2009 at 1:22 pmStrickland has cut 2 billion out of the state government budget during his time in office. Aren’t you for that, Ty? Look out!!! Facts!!!
This comment was posted on November 29th, 2009 at 5:30 pmHe cut FAT ,something T.F.P., should do to you !
This comment was posted on November 30th, 2009 at 2:38 pmNEWSFLASH : Willie Knighten, recently released murderer, gang member, & etc. by ” Da Man Strickland “, is back in Little Detroit, making neighbors as nervous and anxious as a mouse in a cat house ! Knighten, is desiring earnestly, to apply all that he learned in prison to the outside. Making neighbors doubly nervous and anxious ! No need to worry states a Strickland spokesperson , ” Willie,is a changed man and has learned computer skills from an outfit in Pakistan, Africa, and Dubai, and has designs on becoming wealthy”. Ahh, the AmeriKan dream , isn’t lost…I’m old enough to know the score and , young enough to want… more, more, more…
This comment was posted on December 1st, 2009 at 12:14 pmTy,
I don’t understand anything you’re saying. For someone who looks down at people in college, you could stand a lesson in basic punctuation.
This comment was posted on December 1st, 2009 at 2:01 pmYeah, yeah, yeah, why do you vote for do nothing liars ? Why do you find it necessary to lie yourself ? Have you EVER read the U.S. Constitution? Cousin Owen, often found that teaching me was a great pleasure. As did Uncle Carleton, who was one brilliant prof. , to be sure. Also, he was an intellectual who thought that I was the “Brightest Light around him”, while I attended UP, BABEEE !!! So, take your genetic hatred and dream up some excuse as to why you cannot even attempt to answer simple questions put to you. Your skills at debate, parry, and non-sequitors…is ALWAYS a LOSER !!!Glasscityscum or swampscum, are sites where your “skills”, are in vogue, radicals there will assist you in siting The Nation, Marx, and a true menagerie of AmeriKa hating like minded dupes.
This comment was posted on December 1st, 2009 at 3:58 pmI think I’m going to have to agree with Ty Coon. Don Burnard is a very astute thinker who is able to point out the important streams of thought in our culture today, while helping us see the problem with illogical hate driven diatribes. As Ty points out common sense that works toward the good has become a lost art. We both thank Don for being a beacon of bright light we rally around to guide us forward. As Ty so boldly proclaimed in his last letter: “Yeah, yeah, yeah … BABEE!!!” Keep up the good work, Don!
This comment was posted on December 2nd, 2009 at 1:26 pm