Strickland Playing Politics with Tax Dollars

COLUMBUS - Democrat Governor Ted Strickland continues to reap criticism for playing politics with Ohio's valuable state tax dollars.

Politicizing State Incentives:

The Plain Dealer today published an editorial warning Strickland to "back off" attempts to politicize the state's high-tech Third Frontier investment program:

This program has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in high-tech research in Ohio and has helped to create thousands of jobs. It needs to be re-approved in a few years. Politicizing it is a huge - perhaps fatal - mistake. Fisher and Strickland need to back off.  (Plain Dealer editorial, 8/4/08)

Politicizing State Jobs:

The criticism of Strickland's political games comes just days after the governor's administration created a $115,000-a-year government job to make a state house race more competitive:

Last week, Strickland did his party a favor. The Development Department, headed by Lt. Gov. Lee I. Fisher, created a $115,000 job for Rep. James T. "Jim" Raussen, a suburban Cincinnati Republican.  Why is Democrat Fisher handing out choice patronage to Republican Raussen? Because if Raussen doesn't run for the House, his district may be winnable for a Democrat.  (Tom Suddes column, The Plain Dealer, 7/27/08)

Politicizing the Governor's Office:

In addition to growing scrutiny over Strickland's use of state tax dollars, new questions are also being raised about the governor's obsession with political campaigning at the expense of his job priorities:
 
In a state that has suffered its highest number of private-sector job losses since the Great Depression, one might think our governor would have higher priorities.  Instead, Gov. Ted Strickland spent Wednesday engaged in a little name-calling and political activism much like a geriatric college student who can't seem to move on. ... It seems to us, at a time when Ohio is hemorrhaging jobs, its governor ought to be working more for all Ohioans rather than wasting precious time protesting Sen. McCain's visits.  (Hillsboro Times-Gazette, 7/11/08)

Gov. Ted Strickland spent four days in sunny Florida leading up to the July Fourth holiday, but not just for rest and relaxation. The governor also was there for "party-building." Translation: private meetings with Democratic activists to raise money for both his re-election campaign in 2010 and the Ohio Democratic Party.  The Florida trip was one of at least 18 such out-of-state trips since Strickland took office in January 2007. (The Columbus Dispatch, 8/3/08)

"Ohioans are probably starting to wonder whether they elected a governor or a political party boss," said Ohio Republican Party Deputy Chairman Kevin DeWine.  "Last time I checked Ohio's unemployment rate was at its highest level in 15 years, but Ted Strickland apparently can't be bothered with that right now because he's too busy managing the Obama campaign and running the Ohio Democratic Party.  He's certainly not turning around Ohio."