The real scandal in Ohio--get educated

I am enjoying all of the attention that is being paid recently to the corrupt Republican leadership in my state.  

But the real legacy of the last 15 or so years of unchallenged Republican dominance in Ohio has a lot more to do with the damage they have done to our standard of living and educational system.

We need to get the word out: it's not just the corruption, it's the bad administration of the state!

Some background: Ohio has an excessive reliance on local property taxes as a means of funding schools.  Several years ago, the State Supreme Court, in a decision known as the DeRolph case, found our system of funding schools unconstitutional.  After stalling repeatedly and failing to make systematic changes, the Republicans finally succeeded in unseating the judges who had attempted to enforce the decision and now the new court has declined to enforce the decision.  

School funding is extraordinarily complicated, but to simplify, schools are funded with a combination of state aid and local property taxes.  Now with declining state revenues, cuts are being passed on to the schools, creating an even greater reliance on local property taxes to keep up with inflation.  Problem: those taxes have to be approved repeatedly by voters, who are increasing rebelling at new taxes, or even renewing the old ones.  This is creating a real crisis around the state and legislators are responding to it by-what else?-cutting taxes.  As part of the budget process, the legislature has pared down the state sales tax and--yippee!--cut corporate taxes.  

In the midst of this crisis, with school officials all over the state wrestling with budget cuts, comes this lovely quote from Jeff Jacobson, one of the leadership of the State Senate:

"The bottom line is all school districts want every dollar that is printable in the history of the state of Ohio.  What we are doing for the first time is trying to write a formula based on what people need and not what people think they are entitled to." (Columbus Dispatch, May 27)

Because I want this to be a diary that people actually read, I am not going to say what I really think of this jerk.  Trust me, schools have been getting by on less FOR YEARS.  After 15 years of belt tightening, we have to keep punching new holes in our belt.  

And don't get me started on higher education.  The picture there is equally bleak, as illustrated below.

I am going to end with some facts and figures:

1.  Ohio ranks 38th in the country in per capita corporate tax revenue.  So it's safe to say that corporations in Ohio are hardly "overtaxed" and in need of a tax break.  But they get one, while schools go begging.  (Source: Ohio Dept. of Development)

2.  Ohio is 6th in the country in % tuition increases 01-03.  (Nat. Ctr. for Public Policy and Higher Ed.)

3.  Tuition at public colleges/universities has increased a staggering 52% over the last 10 years. (Nat. Ctr. for Public Policy and Higher Ed.)

4.  Back to corporate taxes: Ohio is second in the country in losses to corporate tax shelters.  We lost 56% of corporate tax revenue to shelters. (Multistate Tax Commission, mtc.gov)

5. According to "Measuring Up 2002"  Ohio received an F in college affordability and ranks 41 in state support per pupil.  (Nat. Center for Public Policy & Higher Ed)

6. Economic growth?  Tax cuts haven't brought it.  Ohio ranks 44th--44th--in gross state product growth from 1992-2001.  

Ohio is headed in the wrong direction... Don't let this happen to your state!!!

•  Please recommend

  People need to know what happens when Republicans run everything in your state for 15 years.  

  by daveriegel on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 05:44:19 AM PDT

  •  I hear ya

    We just moved back to my hometown after 25 years out in the world.  First thing we did was get behind the school levy which was one of a very few in this area that passed last month.

    Every county office is Republican run except our Coroner.  Guess it's safe for D's to govern the dearly departed.  Maybe that's why they do vote for us sometimes. : )

    Watch for small town rebellion.  Peaceful, of course.

    by LatidaSothere on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 06:00:15 AM PDT

    •  Ashtabula

      Is the opposite.  All Dem and as far as I recall, only the coronor is an R.  But the percentages keep goign down and Boggs won his county comissioner seat (Boggs is like a Kenedy in my county) only after the absentee ballots were counted.

      Rural areas can be Dem strong holds.  So what's different about Ashtabula county from other Ohio Counties?  Actually, it's likely that it's the immigrants.  Mostly Finns and Italians.  Lutheran and Catholic Churches everywhere.  I still believe it's the Scandanavian influences, but I could be biased...it's the Finnish blood in me.

      by Bendygirl on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 07:11:44 AM PDT

•  What is the state personal income tax system like?

  Supposedly anti-tax Republican governors pare the income tax and shifting the cost burden to local property homeowners.

  I am curious which are the states that were put thru this cycle of cutting reliance on statewide income taxes, and creating spiraling increases in property taxes for the substitute dollars.

  by joan reports on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 06:02:18 AM PDT

  •  income tax

    We are average nationally in terms of income tax burden, but we are above average in terms of local property tax burden.

    by daveriegel on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 10:22:11 AM PDT

•  Of course the habit

  that the feds have of shifting responsibility (but no $) for stuff (like enforcing various laws, NCLB, Homeland Security, etc., etc.) to the states doesn't help.  When the local Rs further cut taxes in a vain attempt to bring in 'jobs' (in quotes because usually either ephemeral or mythical) the result is, well, Ohio.

  by ohiolibrarian on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 06:09:22 AM PDT

•  thanks

  It takes work to gather this information.

  by shirah on Tue Jun 07, 2005 at 06:39:51 AM PDT