Former Lehman Brothers executive John Kasich likes to get things done in a hurry and he says businesses do to. The governor says his administration has been making big gains keeping businesses here. He said Green-based Diebold, for instance, was on its way out of the Ohio…
"Kasich we went up there. We kept them and it also revived CAK."
Kasich says eliminating the estate tax in Ohio will keep rich people here. And eliminating red tape will keep businesses. He says Regulation kills. "In Indiana they had a slogan ‘if you want to open a business, open it up and we’ll get to the paperwork later. I want to steal that. I’m now gonna say ‘if you have business, open it up and we’ll get to the paperwork later.’”
The Governor also touted drilling for gas under the Utica shale in Ohio, which he called a gold rush. He also said leasing the Ohio turnpike – or borrowing against it- could bring in billions of dollars for other projects.
“We begin the process of dredging our harbors. We can begin the process of fixing our arteries, of developing the kind of infrastructure in Ohio that, number 1, create jobs up front because they will be shovel ready. And number 2, they will be designed to put roads where we can improve productivity.”
Kasich is also stumping for State Issue Two, the proposal that would restrict collective bargaining for public employees. Opponents have complained that Kasich and its supporters are implying that most public workers don’t already pay a share. A study by the State Employee Relations Board found more than 93 percent of public employees in Ohio pay towards their pensions and they pay an average 10 percent of their health care costs. But Kasich said the Pro-Issue Two commercials are true.
“You can’t have people pay for somebody else who doesn’t pay. When people realize we’re asking for 10% pension and 15% health care. Most Ohioans would say ‘Well why aren’t they?’”
Urycki says, “What public employees are not paying that?”
To that, Kasich says, “A lot of employees are paying none of it or they’re paying little of it.“
Urycki says,"But they say that’s what they negotiate for. Instead of higher incomes, they ask for better benefits.”
Kasich responds, “Well the problem is The American Enterprise Institute did a study on public employees vs private and when you calculate everything in from pay and benefits and job security they’ve got about a 31% advantage to public employees.”
Early voting on Issue Two, and every other state and local race, began Tuesday.