This pretty scary; John Kasich recruits Mary Taylor to be his Lt. Gov because of her budget expertise, but even she cannot explain how he plans on filling the 40% hole in the state budget that would be there if he gets his way and abolishes our state income tax.
COLUMBUS – Appearing on ONN's Capitol Square this morning, Republican State Auditor Mary Taylor could not explain the specifics of how our state could fill a more than 40 percent hole in the state budget that would be created by eliminating the state income tax, a proposal championed by her running mate John Kasich.
Asked by ONN's Jim Heath for her take on such a proposal, Taylor said, "Well I think you have to, first of all, understand what the proposal is, you know, what is the proposal…"
That's a good question that Congressman Kasich needs to answer. What cuts would he make? What taxes would he raise? When would the cuts begin? And what cuts are on the table? Would Kasich be open to massive cuts in education, Medicaid, or other vital programs he voted to cut during his 18 years in Congress?
Mary Taylor was recruited by John Kasich to join the GOP ticket because of her alleged budget expertise. However, she has thus far been unable to say how Congressman Kasich would balance the state budget under this radical tax plan.
In addition, Mary Taylor has referred to this radical tax plan as "the proposal by John Kasich to eliminate the state's income tax."
BACKGROUND
The Associated Press highlighted a non-partisan Legislative Service Commission analysis that shows Congressman Kasich’s budget plan will cost nearly $900 million in the first year and create a $12 billion budget deficit by 2020.
The commission found that, under this plan, phasing out the income tax would lead to a $285.9 million cut in the local government fund by 2020. This would lead to massive cuts to police and fire departments, parks, and other services. In addition, libraries would lose $172.5 million. Ohio schools would lose over $2 billion, according to the commission.
Since announcing his candidacy for governor in June 2009, Kasich has made a repeal of the state income tax the centerpiece of his campaign platform. His proposal has been criticized widely across the state. The Akron Beacon Journal said that Kasich's proposal would create a "massive hole" in the state budget and that Ohioans deserve a "full explanation" of his plan. Similarly, a columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer called Kasich's plan "reckless" and "draconian," and said that "the sort of gibberish that sounds good on Fox News doesn't necessarily make for good public policy in the heartland."
For more information on the Kasich tax plan and the cuts it will impose on local communities, visit KasichCuts.com.