Althea Harper on 'Runway'
Mason group celebrates in Israel
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Strickland targets charter schools, vouchers
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland on Wednesday used his first state-of-the-state speech to lay out an agenda that calls for providing health insurance to all Ohio children, expanding state support for primary and secondary schools and providing $250 million a year in property tax relief to senior citizens by taking a $5 billion payout from Ohio's remaining share of the national tobacco settlement.
Strickland, the first Democratic governor in 16 years, also picked a certain fight with the Republicans who control the legislature by calling for a moratorium on new charter schools and for prohibiting for-profit management companies from running charters. His two-year budget, to be unveiled Thursday, also will call for eliminating the statewide school voucher program, except for means-tested vouchers in Cleveland, he said.
Extras
The 50-minute speech, interrupted nearly 50 times by applause, also called for a pact with public universities that would provide 5 percent more state aid in the first year of the two-year budget and 2 percent in the second year in return for universities agreeing to no tuition increase the first year and no more than a 3 percent increase in the second.
Strickland, 65, also struck a Republican-like call for austerity by promising a budget that would grow only 2.2 percent annually, "lower (growth) than any budget in the last 42 years."
His speech also called for a $10 million of public pre-school programs and for adding 5,600 slots to the Passport program that lets seniors stay rather than go to nursing homes.
Also, he proposed targeting $250 million a year in tax exempt bonds for four years to invest in job-creating energy projects.
During last year's campaign Strickland promised to overhaul Ohio's school funding program and the speech made a start.
He said he would increase state support for primary and secondary schools from less than 50 percent to nearly 54 percent by 2009 and increase aid to low property tax wealth districts and also increase poverty-based assistance.
"....where you grow up in Ohio should not determine where you end up in life," he said to applause.
Strickland, a United Methodist minister, used the Bible to call on the House and Senate members and others in the audience in the Ohio House to work together.
"Proverbs tells us, 'Hope deferred maketh the heart sick.' But, my friends, now is the time for hope. A new day is coming. A new Ohio awaits us," he said.
House Minority Leader Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, a Dayton native, praised Strickland.
"Today we heard a message, not a speech. I'm proud because I've waited a long time, 16 years, to hear a message," she said.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Bob Bennett called Strickland's plan "a giant government handout that in many ways discourages personal responsibility and empowers bureaucracy. We heard a mixed message of limited government spending and bloated entitlement programs."
Bennett added: "Gov. Strickland's Robin Hood approach to school funding is merely a shell game that shifts the tax burden among the same taxpayers, and his education policy shamelessly deprives impoverished families of a choice in an effort to reward the political loyalties of the bureaucratic teachers' unions."
Contact this reporter at (614) 224-1608 or whershey@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By John
March 17, 2007 6:49 PM | Link to this
Why can’t we increase money for public transportation?
By James
March 17, 2007 1:38 PM | Link to this
I certainly am no smarter nor dumber than the next Ohioan and do not have all the answers to all of Ohio’s problems. But,one thing is for sure. Ohio must change it’s thinking or continue it’s economic and population decline. If I were Governor I would welcome the Native American vacation resort casinos who plan to put billions of dollars into Ohio through construction and tens of thousands jobs. Let’s give it a chance. It’s a matter of dollars and sense..
By jeff
March 16, 2007 11:52 AM | Link to this
Another thing, if the charter school IS successful and the students ARE performing well, why do we care if a a management company makes a profit? So do the textbook suppliers, the people who make crayons, pencils, glue, paper, books, desks, chairs, blackboards, and on and on. If the management company runs a school, at LESS cost than your average school, producing results, and STILL makes a profit, I say good for them. If the school fails, then yes, maybe its a problem. Think on that.
By jeff
March 16, 2007 11:47 AM | Link to this
Keith, you, as so many others, have a lack of knowledge when it comes to charter schools. A charter school MUST follow all the tenets of No Child Left Behind, including “highly qualified”, i.e. certified, teachers. They do NOT have the ability to pick and choose students. They must accept all who come, limited only by capacity available. True, many charters fail, but many others are very successful, performing better than “the average school in Ohio.” Get the facts before you bash charters.
By Tabitha
March 16, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this
Cont’d Part 3 - And the most important factor is that his charter school provides all these wonderful services and opportunities for my son (and hundreds like him) AT LESS THAN 80% OF THE COST OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS!
Charter schools are a GODSEND to children like mine. DO NOT THROW THE BABY OUT WITH THE BATHWATER!!!! Just becuase SOME schools for NORMAL kids stink, doesn’t mean ALL charter school do. Strickland is WRONG when he thinks in black and white like this. Not everything is clearcut.
By Tabitha
March 16, 2007 11:14 AM | Link to this
Con’td - Now that he attends a charter school for kids like him, he is treated WONDERFULLY, has actually progressed academically (he actually regressed in Ohio public schools), is writing books, making friends, has TWO teachers with Masters degress, his IEP is being followed to the letter and is being voluntarily updated by his school (I had to fight tooth and nail in public schools), he is HAPPY, he actually LIKES SCHOOL again, his teachers LOVE HIM, ……
By Tabitha
March 16, 2007 11:08 AM | Link to this
My son attends a charter schoool for special needs children in Ohio. When he attended public school he was ABUSED, THROWN INTO A SMALL CELL IN THE BASEMENT, HAD THE POLICE CALLED ON HIM FOR HIS DISABILITY, TOLD ME TO PUT HIM IN A INSTITUTION, PLUS the public schools did NOT obey federal laws for children with disabilties, treated my son like he was an evil burden and then at the end of it all, they refused to even school him. Then they had the b*lls to complain when I didn’t re-enroll him…..
By T
March 15, 2007 3:57 PM | Link to this
You get what you pay for huh? DPS is spending $15.5 mill, to replace the underperforming Fairview elementary school < 1 mile from my home. My kids won’t go there. More money is not the problem! Ohio taxpayers pay billions per year on Ohio schools. In 2005, we spent a combined total of $19.2 billion! A 2006 report from the ODE showed that from 1996-2005, spending increased 73%, while inflation only increased 23%. So I’m paying alright. Where’s my attractive town and high property values?
By Randy
March 15, 2007 2:35 PM | Link to this
In the State of the State speech the govenor said “Where you grow up in Ohio should not determine where you end up in life,” Unless public schools can change, Charter schools are the only foreseeable hope that children have at getting an education. I hope Governor Strickland will rethink his policy, and place children first by allowing Ohio’s children every opportunity to receive a quality education because “where a child ends up in life should not depend on who is governor.”
By Been There
March 15, 2007 1:42 PM | Link to this
Eric, I see you write from Wright State. Are you paying every penny of our tuition or are you getting financial aid of any sort? If you’re employed, do you expect your employer to help pay the cost of your health insurance? There are plenty of people who abuse the system, but also plenty that legitimately need it. If we want to solve the “sponging” we need to fix that small percent that’s on the fringe where their family can actually survive on welfare and not if they tried to work.
By DUH DURK
March 15, 2007 12:16 PM | Link to this
while I agree with some of the sentiment please get the facts stop funding schools and municipal services through punitive property taxes (some elders who bought homes at 20-30,000 in the 60s can’t afford to pay on a home now valued above 150,000 (the DPS levy would raise taxes another 300 a year after the one in 1994 that raised it 300 then too
By Left Dayton Public
March 15, 2007 12:08 PM | Link to this
I moved before my kids would be subjected to DPS arbitrary assignment to an elementary school I just read the Great Schools Report, even though Charters are not out-doing the private schools, they are a vast improvement over most of the DPS options, and still have what’s left of the students after private catholic and other parochial schools sift off the cream….. There are great students in all schools, but in DPS, they succeed in spite of their educational opportunity, not because of it…..
By Left Dayton Public
March 15, 2007 12:06 PM | Link to this
I moved before my kids would be subjected to DPS arbitrary assignment to an elementary school I just read the Great Schools Report, even though Charters are not out-doing the private schools, they are a vast improvement over most of the DPS options, and still have what’s left of the students after private catholic and other parochial schools sift off the cream….. There are great students in all schools, but in DPS, they succeed in spite of their educational opportunity, not because of it…..
By Eric
March 15, 2007 10:58 AM | Link to this
ProRights is an idiot. This country donates more money to charity than any other country. The fact is, if we were taxed less, people would be willing to give even more. This idea that people don’t give enough comes from the people that believe in wealth distribution. Again, this country gives a higher percentage of their money to charity than any other country.
By steve
March 15, 2007 10:50 AM | Link to this
It’s about damn time we quit wasting our tax money on these lame school systems….No one has the brass B-LLs to stand up and put these so called educators on the spot…One thing for sure is to stop with the paycheck raises and the wasted spending on the school boards travel to other countries to have a so called conference which Cleveland had found out through their investigations were nothing but a paid vacation on us tax payers.No MORE MONEY FOR SCHOOLS…..
By ProRights
March 15, 2007 10:13 AM | Link to this
If more people would give willingly to local and national charities, we wouldn’t need as many taxes levied and things would improve. Before you criticize, look at your bank accounts and your paycheck. Criticize the Dems if you wish, but also remember that many Republicans are staunch supporters of the Bible and ignore the little “give 10%” part of their income to help others. We can grumble all we want, but there were at least 50% of people in the state that thought Strickland was our future.
By Marie
March 15, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this
Charter schools need to be GONE. The vast majority have deplorable test scores; if they truly were better than public schools, they should have turned things around by now. The experiment did not work, and it’s time to end it. I’m also sick of people voting down school levies to “send a message” to the state. The only ones you are hurting are yourselves, your neighbors, and your children. Pay for good schools, and you get an attractive town and high property values. You get what you pay for.
By Priority Man?
March 15, 2007 9:47 AM | Link to this
Most state budgets over the past 30 years had larger increases for both higher education and primary and secondary education than Governor Strickland’s budget proposal. So this is bold? This is progress for education?
By Alan
March 15, 2007 9:36 AM | Link to this
Surprise, surprise. Ohioans elect a Democrat as governor and guess what? He wants to increse handouts at the expense of the working and middle class. It’s just more of the same liberal “big government” thought that the government should operate as the CEO of a wellfare state. There was a reason why no Democrat had been elected governor for 16 years -maybe now after the new wellfare Czar Strickland increases handouts and raises taxes people will remember why and vote for a Republican next time
By Steve
March 15, 2007 9:11 AM | Link to this
Good call, Comrade Strickland. Comrades Marx and Lenin would so proud of you.
By Larry Huffman
March 15, 2007 9:11 AM | Link to this
Same old, same old. Penalize the productive, reward the unproductive. Pay off the teacher unions. Restrict school choice. More government. More government. More government.
By Durk
March 15, 2007 9:07 AM | Link to this
Government SUCKS!!!!!!! Stop State income Tax and start a sales tax of 10% for everyone this will include non-Ohioans. We still need Property Taxes but Charge $2.00 Per every $100.00 assessed. Stop Wellfare make people work. The state should have a system of checks & Balances in Place. This way State buying would be as needed not because they WANT.The State purchaseing should go through a committee and show just cause for a purchase and be approved by all the committee members not just one.
By ProRights
March 15, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
C’mon people. I am honestly sick of both parties, to be brutally honest. They both have flaws in their logic. Admittedly, I’m not sure how Strickland is going to make the plan work, but I want to see him try. Obviously what we’ve been doing isn’t working, so it’s time to try something different.
As for those of you who support charter schools, get the facts on the Ohio Department of Education website. http://dnet01.ode.state.oh.us/DistrictRatings/Buildings.asp.
The system is not good.
By keith
March 15, 2007 8:49 AM | Link to this
Charter schools aren’t working. They are mostly owned and run by businesses for profit. They do not have certified teachers in many cases unlike public schools; they don’t have “highly qualified teachers” in every classroom as public schools are required to do or they have to notify parents. Let’s get real. The charters have their pick of students to accept and to reject and they still aren’t doing any better than the urban public schools. The average school in Ohio does much better than them.
By keith
March 15, 2007 8:46 AM | Link to this
Now we’re going to hear from all those who want to install taxes who tax the other guy’s money, not their own. We want to do away with property tax and have a sales tax only—15%? Won’t work. Everyone lives in a property; that property is usually commensurate with their worth. Apartments pay property tax out of the rents paid by people, condominiums pay taxes, homes pay taxes, and business properties pay property tax.
By vikki
March 15, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this
I am sick of working to support others who are able bodied but want to have others support them. Then not only do they sit while we support them, but DEMAND how we support them. I don’t want to pay any more taxes. The government needs to quite making it easy for people to sit back and not contribute to our society. Strickland is a socialist…more taxes, less choice, and more government dependency.
By tallsandi
March 15, 2007 8:29 AM | Link to this
Shoot, and I thought we were going to get a better govenor, not a socialist. Robin Hood politics - take from the evil people who actually work for a living - shame on them - and give to the poor who can’t be bothered with the little things like education and job training so they can support themselves. Why the heck should they? If they are fed, housed and treated medically by the government, then why the heck should they get off their dead butts and go to the daily grind like the rest of us?
By Walt
March 15, 2007 8:20 AM | Link to this
Finally! Ohio has a true leader. The Republicans in Ohio have been destroying public education for the gain of special intersts and their money. Now that the Dems control the state offices, voters need to finish the job and get rid of the Republican legislature.
By ron
March 15, 2007 8:01 AM | Link to this
Something has to be doneto stop the ohio flight of jobs and people. Now it costs me $400 amonth just to live in ohio for taxes and insurance!Medical bills are also extremely high and constantly losing our doctors to other states.As for Dems ,check your history,they are the ones that raided social security and made all the changes.
By Howard
March 15, 2007 7:51 AM | Link to this
Taxes are getting out of hand, property taxes keep going up, Local income taxes, Now the school district here in Clark county wants a 1.5% income tax on earned income, If you live in New Carlisle and if this new tax passes you will be paying along with high property taxes a minimum of 2.5% local income tax not to mention that if you work in say Dayton and Pay Dayton 2.25% you will be paying 4.75% in just local income tax as little Cities like New Carlisle and New Lebanondnot credit taxes paid
By W. Chambers
March 15, 2007 7:41 AM | Link to this
I am disheartened by the idea of cessation of new charter schools. Dems should know better than to buy the line of bull that public schools have feeding them. Charter schools don’t steal money. Citizens CHOOSE not to attend the public system. It is a matter of competition. The public system has had a monopoly on education for over 70 years. They have spent almost half of that time failing to consistently provide quality candidates that are competitive on the global stage.
By Kerry
March 15, 2007 6:28 AM | Link to this
Taxes generate the necessary moneys to run the state, repair roads, provide education, and keep prisioners locked away. What we need is a better managed government and Less wasteful spending. Quit giving tax breaks to those that would send jobs to other countries. How are we going to have money to spend on these cheaper goods if there are no jobs to provide money. And how are our children going to get jobs if their education is not up to snuff due to the lack of suffcient funding.
By Abraham Lincoln
March 15, 2007 6:22 AM | Link to this
Ohio is sick. The citizens of the state are also sick. Most of this sickness is related to politicians of both parties who say one thing to get elected and then get in bed with big business and special interest groups. The state of education is sick and the governor is trying to put a bandaid on the problem. Brookville, where I live, wants more money and expects people to increase their house payments to get it, or pay higher property taxes. We are all sick of Property Taxes.
By OhioCentric
March 15, 2007 12:49 AM | Link to this
Strickland’s speech was just what the doctor ordered, determined and detailed, with for everyone. Republicans should be on the defensive now, after their ruinous policies. Low taxes mean low services, and Ronald Reagan, the anti-FDR, should not be the guiding light for Ohio Democrats. Our once great state, sadly, is no longer. Ted is good, but it will still take returning the General Assembly to Democratic control to give Strickland the clout he needs to turnaround Ohio.
By Rob Vance
March 14, 2007 10:28 PM | Link to this
Ronald Reagan said “Government is not the solution to a problem. Government is the problem.” Companies are avoiding Ohio because of the high tax consequences and subsequently, local companies are leaving Ohio because of the same reason. Get rid of the state income tax and all property taxes in the state and replace it with an 8.5% sales tax and businesses will flock to Ohio. Creating more jobs and consequently more tax revenues.