Commish slams plan to erase tax

Athens County Commissioner Lenny Eliason gave a speech in front of the Athens County Courthouse Tuesday afternoon slamming Republican gubernatorial candidate John Kasich for a proposal to eliminate the Ohio income tax.

Kasich, a former U.S. congressman and former Fox News host, is challenging incumbent Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat.

"I am here today to support the re-election of Gov. Ted Strickland," Eliason said. "It's important that we elect leaders who will make decisions after considering the alternatives, and not people who are running on dogma or promising to cut taxes without asking the questions of why we do what we do, or what's in the best interest of the people of the state of Ohio."

Eliason said Kasich doesn't deserve the support of voters when he says he wants to eliminate the state income tax without first having a discussion on the impact that would have on local government and the people of Ohio.

"Kasich's plan to cut the state income tax will take $11.5 billion from the state's general revenue," Eliason said. "That helps pay for social programs, health care, public schools, higher education, public safety and prisons."

Eliason cited a recent non-partisan Legislative Services Commission analysis, which he said showed that here in Athens County Kasich's plan would cut monies in the local government fund by 45 percent. This would take the county's funding from $1.98 million to $1.08 million a year, and cut funding for libraries from $1.8 million to $979,000 per year, Eliason said.

"The general fund office holders in Athens County have avoided large layoffs and cuts because of their efforts of good planning, good sacrifices and proper use of taxpayer dollars," he said. "To take another $450,000 out of our general fund would negate all of those efforts."

Eliason said that the state can't continue to cut its revenue stream and expect local officials to absorb the costs.

"Let's have a debate as to which services are important to the people of Ohio, and how to pay for them," he said. "Let's not just say, 'Let's eliminate the income tax, no matter what the implications are.'"

Programs should be evaluated for effectiveness and necessity, not continued just because they're in place, Eliason said.

"We need leadership like has been provided by Ted Strickland in his first term, and I support his re-election as governor for a second term," Eliason said.

Kasich's campaign did not respond to an e-mail seeking comment by press time.

Eliason's speech was part of an organized effort by the Ohio Democratic Party where Democratic officials made similar remarks across the state.

The Canton Repository reported that similar events have taken place in Zanesville, Toledo, Sandusky, Akron, Cleveland, Columbus and Youngstown, according to Seth Bringman, communications director for the Ohio Democratic Party.

The Repository reported that Kasich spokesperson Rob Nichols said Kasich's plan to eliminate the state income tax is "one leg of a much broader comprehensive plan to make Ohio competitive again with job creation." Other parts of Kasich's campaign platform are modernizing and reforming state government, Nichols told the Repository.

Nichols told the Repository that Kasich will not decide the length of the phase-out and the annual percentage until the full extent of the state's budget crisis and deficit are known. "We're talking about a phase-out over time done responsibly," Nichols said.

"We're too highly taxed," Nichols said of Ohio. "We have a series of policies and laws and tax policies in place that just make us hostile to job creation."

In the Democratic primary in May, Eliason so far has two potential challengers, Charlie Adkins and Miki Brooks. Deadline for filing petitions is Feb. 19.