Ohio issue #1
I understand your focus on issues 2,3,4,& 5 - and will vote in the affirmative tommorrow.
But ISSUE #1 is very important. Ohio has a balanced budget amendment. Since the Governor couldn't get his pet projet (the 3rd Frontier) funded in the budget, especially since he's been convicted while in office, the state's republicans created this piece of pork. It authorizes 2 billion in bonds to be sold to pay for this 3rd Frontier project (which voters already voted down when given the chance last time). 3rd frontier sounds good - it's to fund high tech infrstructure, and attract high tech companies to Ohio, hence jobs. Unfortuneately, the project has been spending billions for years without success. But to sell this issue, they added everyones favorite flavor of pork, roads and bridge constuction, to the mix.
When did the republicans become the party of more government spending? Why has no one made a serious issue of this obscene spending spree they've been on nationally since 9/11? They are bankrupting us. Literally.
In reality the bonds will have to be paid back in 20 yrs by our children, and we already received all the raod and bridge money we requested in the most recent House Transportation Bill passed earlier this year.
This is not how you attract creative development to Ohio. Governor Taft is doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results. The money not spent roads will be used for tax breaks to attract business. Of course, they won't tell us how much get's spent for hi tech development, vs highway construction. But I do know this..IT IS SIMPLY A WAY TO GET AROUND THE BALANCED BUDGET REQUIREMENT. It is essentially an illegal tax. Can't fund it in the budget?...sell bonds, hoping we'll have the money in 20 yrs to pay them off. It looks like the folks in Ohio will pass it because they hear highway construction, which creates more valuable real estate for commercial developers, and they get stupid. The people I've spoken to about this think it's a highway bond issue. They've been mislead by the pro issue ads and refuse to actually read the issue for themselves.
The real issue has been muddied by incredibly misleading ads, and a media that is too lazy to read anything but the press releases handed out in time for their deadlines.
If only people could read and think for themselves. What a great country we could be.
Regards,
Ted P.
Cincinnati, OH | 
