Events Calendar
In This Section
Community campaign collecting donations for Haiti victims
Winter storm warning downgraded to advisory
Killer talks of Kansas abortion doc's death on YouTube
Obama meets with GOP, says can spur job growth
3 acquitted in Ohio teen's restraint death
Ohio man, 63, found dead in snow with shovel nearby
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Police: Man tries to buy crack with credit card
Cleveland named worst U.S. city for winter weather; Columbus is No. 8
Man admits stealing TV from Akron home
Woman rescued after falling through rotting floor in house
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
By Stephen Majors
Associated Press
POSTED: 12:58 p.m. EST, Dec 11, 2008
COLUMBUS: Ohio would close state parks and prisons, raise tuition at public colleges by $2,000 and leave local school districts without money to meet payroll under the governor's worst-case budget scenario released today.
In a plea for federal aid, Gov. Ted Strickland said he created the scenario to show how bad things could be without help from Washington. Governors from around the U.S. are seeking tens of billions of dollars to help with day-to-day operating costs, in addition to requests for Medicaid and infrastructure projects.
Ohio faces a $7.3 billion deficit in the next two years based on current tax revenue projections, which are heading downward as all major economics indicators have plummeted.
Without Washington's help, state agencies would need to cut 25 percent off their current funding levels if the state wants to preserve Medicaid, a tax reduction and continue making debt payments, Strickland said.
The dire picture foreshadows what is sure to be one of the most challenging budget-crafting environments lawmakers have faced in recent Ohio history.
A Republican-controlled Senate, a Democratic-controlled House and a Democratic governor will have to decide what to cut, what to spare and whether they need to do anything to increase revenue.
Policy debates are likely to ensue, especially in the area of how the state handles its inmate population, which increasingly consists of offenders only in prison for a brief time.
Strickland has said a tax increase would further harm an already damaged economic environment, but has stopped short of completely ruling out the option.
Some Republicans say it's unrealistic to maintain Medicaid funding levels when the state-federal health care program for low-income individuals makes up about 40 percent of the state budget.
Strickland's worst-case budget projections would:
• Reduce the amount the state spends per student on college education by $1,987 to its lowest level in recent history. Ohio already ranks poorly among states in affordable cost to attend state colleges and universities.
• Eliminate 5,237 positions at the state prisons department, including corrections and parole officers. Ohio also would close six institutions at a time when prisons are already crowded.
• Cut job creating programs at the Department of Development just when the state needs it the most. The department might also close a number of its foreign trade offices, which help open countries to exports from Ohio companies. Exports are the one bright spot for the hard-hit manufacturing industry, which has been able to take advantage of the weak U.S. dollar.
COLUMBUS: Ohio would close state parks and prisons, raise tuition at public colleges by $2,000 and leave local school districts without money to meet payroll under the governor's worst-case budget scenario released today.
In a plea for federal aid, Gov. Ted Strickland said he created the scenario to show how bad things could be without help from Washington. Governors from around the U.S. are seeking tens of billions of dollars to help with day-to-day operating costs, in addition to requests for Medicaid and infrastructure projects.
Ohio faces a $7.3 billion deficit in the next two years based on current tax revenue projections, which are heading downward as all major economics indicators have plummeted.
Without Washington's help, state agencies would need to cut 25 percent off their current funding levels if the state wants to preserve Medicaid, a tax reduction and continue making debt payments, Strickland said.
The dire picture foreshadows what is sure to be one of the most challenging budget-crafting environments lawmakers have faced in recent Ohio history.
A Republican-controlled Senate, a Democratic-controlled House and a Democratic governor will have to decide what to cut, what to spare and whether they need to do anything to increase revenue.
Policy debates are likely to ensue, especially in the area of how the state handles its inmate population, which increasingly consists of offenders only in prison for a brief time.
Strickland has said a tax increase would further harm an already damaged economic environment, but has stopped short of completely ruling out the option.
Some Republicans say it's unrealistic to maintain Medicaid funding levels when the state-federal health care program for low-income individuals makes up about 40 percent of the state budget.
Strickland's worst-case budget projections would:
• Reduce the amount the state spends per student on college education by $1,987 to its lowest level in recent history. Ohio already ranks poorly among states in affordable cost to attend state colleges and universities.
• Eliminate 5,237 positions at the state prisons department, including corrections and parole officers. Ohio also would close six institutions at a time when prisons are already crowded.
• Cut job creating programs at the Department of Development just when the state needs it the most. The department might also close a number of its foreign trade offices, which help open countries to exports from Ohio companies. Exports are the one bright spot for the hard-hit manufacturing industry, which has been able to take advantage of the weak U.S. dollar.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
akron, oh
Posted 01:27 PM, 12/11/2008
Why no discussion of cutting the bloated State government?
Posted 01:54 PM, 12/11/2008
How can you eliminate prisons when history proves that crime increases dramatically when unemployment rates are high?
Posted 02:22 PM, 12/11/2008
Perhaps Strickland needs to take a good hard look at the budget again, and reduce the amount of state waste.
Posted 05:01 PM, 12/11/2008
The problem with the prisons is they are filled with prisoners for white collar crimes and minor drug offenses. The violent criminals should be targeted ... Akron and Summit County Sheriff's love the media blitz though ... i.e. Tallmadge rec center. More and more efforts are put towards getting good headlines so the Prosecutor's, APD and Sheriff's get patted on the the back ... i.e. Evergreen.
All the while two murderers walk out of court free as birds just a few weeks ago.
Thanks guys!
Akron, OH
Posted 05:18 PM, 12/11/2008
Much like today's report that consumers are finally paying down household debt, it's time for the State to get its affairs in order and make permanent cuts. They need to look at the spending side, not the revenue side. An example idea, why can't the state collaborate with private development organizations (ex: Team NEO) and speak with one voice? The bottom line is I bet the State could be creative and find solutions if they had to. Some of the fat might not like losing their jobs, but at least then they'd have more time to investigate private citizens for political purposes.
