John Kasich isn't going to build the 3-C passenger rail project.
He's going to scrap Strickland's unfunded "evidence-based" education plan.
Those are facts. Nothing will change that.
But a complication arises from the federal monies attached to the 3-C project and the "Race to the Top" funds out of the U.S. Department of Education.
Each is for $400 million.
John Kasich has asked the federal government to adjust the rules for funding of the 3-C to allow for spending on other transportation infrastructure that Ohio needs. He also says the scrapping of the evidence-based model won't risk the Race for the Top funds.
Rather than recognizing the fact that the new Governor plans to follow through on his campaign promises, Ted Strickland is doing whatever he can to help Ohio lose those federal dollars.
Rather than lobby for 3-C funds to have alternative uses that can help Ohio, Strickland sides with Washington that the funds must be spent on passenger rail. Rather than agree with Kasich that Ohio can keep the Race to the Top dollars, Strickland goes to the Secretary of Education and lobbies for Race to the Top funds to be pulled if Kasich makes the changes he promised during the campaign.
Now I can understand that the Governor wants to see his initiatives be implemented. But it's not his decision anymore come January 10th. Just how he went against the will of a previous Administration and scrapped this year's tax cut, Kasich is allowed to scrap ideas he doesn't deem good for Ohio. Why? Because Ohioans chose him to make those decisions.
The difference between Kasich's decisions and what Strickland did with the tax hike is simply that Kasich made his decision known well before he takes office.
So rather than acknowledging the reality that his programs will be scrapped, the Governor is still trying to do the impossible and force Kasich to continue this Administration's misguided policies.
That doesn't help Ohio.
It hurts Ohio. It's also petty and egotistical.
Ted Strickland should be doing whatever he can to work with the incoming Administration to do what's best for Ohio. Not what's best for Ted Strickland's legacy.
Kasich requested the rules to be bent at his will and the Feds said, "NO." Now because Strickland isn't groveling to the Feds for money on behalf of Kasich he's hurting Ohio?
ReplyDeleteAnd it's pretty clear that properly funding public education is not a priority of the Ohio Republicans or Mr. Kasich. Our Race to the Top funds are tied to the strides the Strickland (with the Senate Republicans) administration made in the last 4 years in education.
Never mind the fact that Kasich wants Strickland WHO IS STILL THE GOVERNOR to cease and desist the studies that would answer key questions about rail and transportation in Ohio. If those studies are halted and stopped prematurely, how does Kasich think he'll know how to use the funds if he were to get them.
What I don't understand is that all we hear from Republicans and Kasich is "less debt, less government" out of one side of the mouth but then out of the other side it's "but if I get to do it my way, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme." Either the funds are rejected on principle or they're worth having. Which is it?
Dealing with Kasich is like dealing with my 3yo. Do as I say not as I do is not a governing strategy
If anyone knows about "groveling to the Feds for money," it would be Ted.
ReplyDeleteYou missed the point - which is it Scarlet? "Just say NO" to stimulus funds that will create jobs and opportunities for the 21st century in this state or "go get our money?"
ReplyDeleteAdmit it. Kasich is out of ideas already. He's scrubbed his websites of any of his campaign promises, he'll only take ideas and people he agrees with, he's already grown the government when he promised to shrink it and he's already closed doors to meetings when he promised transparency.
A. The Slow Train to nowhere is a net loser for Ohio. Using that $400M on infrastructure that would actually get used by the public AND not require a subsidy into eternity would be a better use of the funds. The other alternative is not to use it. We don't need a $25M to tell us that enough people won't take a slow train to Cleveland for more than it costs to drive.
ReplyDeleteB. Ted's "Evidence-Based" plan is full of unfunded mandates and doesn't solve the problems.
C. Kasich is not "scrubbing" his campaign website...he won the & election is over. He will now have a website that reads "Gov. of Ohio." Does Ted still have his promises from 4 years ago on his website?
Scarlet>Fire
ReplyDeleteI guarantee that Strickland didn't scrub his campaign website of his promises wihin weeks of the election. Yes, eventually the Strickland campaign took their old campaign website down. But that's not what Kasich did.
They deliberately orphaned the pages of their promises, only weeks after the election.
Why would they do that?
No Mod, Ted Strickland didn't "didn't scrub his campaign website of his promises wihin weeks of the election."
ReplyDeleteHe scrubbed it after two itty-bitty bloggers called him out for promising to do something about education funding in the FIRST YEAR after he was elected, and then putting it off for 2-1/2 years and labeling it an "unreasonable" expectation once he was safely in office.
Kasich orphaned his because the campaign's over. The disorganized Strickland team deliberately orphaned their web site when they found that people were actually trying to hold their guy to his word.
Strickland lost and he needs to go away and take his 'shadow government' with him.
ReplyDeleteEnough of the anti-business, big government spending shtick. What we need are leaders who will restore consumer confidence and foster a pro business climate.