Letter: Kasich's new taxes are the largest middle-class tax increase in Ohio's history

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Icon viewers:

Last night, as I sat in Lima and listened to Governor John Kasich during the State of the State speech, I was amazed at how dishonest he was concerning his state budget's impact on working Ohioans.

The entire evening Kasich pitched his scheme to create more than $7.3 billion in new taxes - the largest middle-class tax increases in the history of Ohio - in order to pay for a handout to his political friends and the very wealthy. In fact, a non-partisan study found that Kasich's "big idea" would give those making more than $335,000 a $10,000 handout, while many middle-class families actually will have to pay more than they do today.

How's that fair? Join me today and send a letter to state legislators and Governor Kasich's office, urging them to end their partisan plan to give a handout to the very wealthy while the rest of us are stuck with the bill!

School leaders all around the state are speaking out against Kasich’s state budget and his unfair school-funding plan. Kasich has already cut schools to the bone, driving more than $1.1 billion in local tax ballot issues across Ohio. But rather than fully restore those cuts, Kasich's plan denies additional funding to 60% of school districts. Instead, Kasich funnels middle-class tax dollars to the rich and the Governor's political friends.

And the cuts don't end with schools. Kasich has also put fire, police and crucial local safety services on the block again, cutting the local government fund by $600 million since he took office. In what world is it right to take fire fighters or police off the street to finance a handout for the rich?

We have to stop John Kasich from furthering the painful cuts he’s made to our local communities while he pads his friends' pockets. 

Small business owners are saying that the new taxes imposed by Governor Kasich’s plan will hurt Ohio businesses and make them less competitive, and may even force them to leave our state. Even worse, Kasich’s new taxes may hurt small business owners’ ability to create jobs.

Chris Redfern
Chairman, Ohio Democratic Party