Gov. Kasich was the headliner at a luncheon for state lawmakers, and spent half his time at the podium talking about his history in state and national politics. The newly installed Republican governor told a series of anecdotes featuring former President John Kennedy, former vice president Dick Cheney, U2 lead singer Bono, former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senator Barbara Boxer, former Senator Jesse Helms, and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger….among others…
“At the end of the meeting, there’s Pat Robertson and Bill Clinton with their arms around each other, and I remember saying to the Democrat staff there in the White House, ‘You know, you want to believe in miracles – look at that sight.’”
But then Kasich’s tone turned serious.
“I have found over the course of my career, and let’s just be honest. Many of you are not to go for this budget we’re going to do. OK? I got that. That’s cool. I mean, I ran the budget committee for six years or whatever. Republicans are probably going to carry most of the load. I hope I’m going to be wrong.”
Kasich promised when he launched his campaign for governor that he would eliminate the state income tax. He says now that he’s pleased where the state’s income tax is after the Taft tax cuts over the last five years – cuts that have been criticized by some researchers and activists as a participating cause in the current budget crisis. But he says his job is to keep those cuts, and to curtail the influence of special interests on the budget.
“They’re going to come here and they’re going to fight. And if they win the fight, we are going to balance this budget. It’s going to be more on people who have less.”
Kasich reiterated some points from his inaugural speech – about his support for mental health programs and drug addiction services, and about his concerns for people who are leaning on the state’s safety net. And he once again called for unity and teamwork.
“I want us to be one family. That’s what I really want. I just want us to be successful. Then I can go away.”
And though Republicans control the House and Senate, Kasich closed with another plea to work together, and a promise that the time for partisan politics will come soon.
“Let’s get this going, huh? Let’s get this going and pull ourselves out of this muck and mire and get out of the ditch and start, uh, and then we can fight. Once times are good, then we can have a good old fashioned fistfight, how would that be?”
But when I asked him to specifically cite cuts or changes that he thinks will be a problem for some lawmakers, Kasich was evasive.
“Oh, you know that I could never bring myself to answer that question. We’ll see when it comes out. It’s going to be, it’ll be a big, uh, comprehensive…there will be something in it for everyone.”
And lawmakers say they’re ready to see it. Rep. Jay Hottinger is a longtime Republican legislator from Newark.
“I think he has a very solid grasp of what he wants to do. But we’re not going to get through this – we didn’t get into this overnight, we’re not going to get out of it overnight. And so I think he’s going to be very inclusive with the legislature. He needs us to move forward with whatever he wants to do. And so, yeah – I’m anxious, as everyone is, as all Ohioans are.”
Rep. Bob Hagan is a Democrat from Youngstown.
“I want to know what he wants to do. If he is saying in a campaign speech, and he’s saying the same thing now, then we’re looking for big cuts. We’re looking for privatization of the turnpike, we’re looking for privatization of the prison system. I don’t know what else he wants to do. If he thinks he’s going to balance the budget on the backs of 40,000 state workers, he’s wrong.”
Kasich’s budget must be presented to lawmakers by mid March – it must pass the legislature and be signed by the governor by the end of June
