And they wonder why their circulation is shrinking.

It's a sad state of affairs when a newspaper serving a town of 13,000 has harder hitting stories than the Cleveland Plain Dealer and Dayton Daily News. Now I'm sure there are a scattered few who for some strange reason have a massive interest in how much time John Kasich spends giving interviews and whether he wears make-up for TV appearances, but I'd like to think those who assume the responsibility of informing the public of vital matters of concern to the state would write about the stories that matter.

Thank God for the Salem News:

Unfortunately, the governor still has not offered a blueprint for how the state will cope with severe budget shortfalls. His speech included no substantive recommendations for balancing the budget in the future.

Later in the week, Strickland did talk about money - by telling reporters Ohio will seek more help from the federal government.

State government seems to be suffering from a form of paralysis, with Strickland and legislators of both parties unable to face the fact that while they have done much to keep the budget in balance, much more needs to be done. Asking Washington for more aid in addition to the $8 billion it has provided for the current two-year budget cycle simply is not realistic.

Strickland is facing a tough year, in part because of a strong bid by Republican John Kasich to unseat him. Unless the governor takes a stronger leadership role on the budget, Ohioans may well decide that one term is enough for him.