Education leaders slam Kasich's/Adams' radical tax plan

House Democrats put Ohio schools on display yesterday in their continuing effort to show the consequences of eliminating the state income tax, an idea favored by some legislative Republicans and GOP gubernatorial hopeful John Kasich.

Pointing to a new report from the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission, Democrats say schools stand to lose more then $200 million in fiscal year 2011 under a GOP plan to eliminate the state income tax over 10 years. The figure would grow each year, the report said.

"We already have to go to voters every three to four years to offset the impact of inflation," Kevin Bright, superintendent of Mason City Schools, told a House committee. "We don't believe our voters would support the millage amount needed to make up the kind of loss we believe would occur to Mason if the income tax is eliminated."

In a no-income-tax world, the reports estimated 3.2percent funding cuts for each district, totaling $7 million for Columbus, $2.9 million for South-Western and $1 million for Westerville.

Republicans criticized the analysis because it assumes lawmakers would not try to protect schools from cuts. Rep. Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, accused Democrats of turning House Bill 400 into a heartstring issue and "using children as political pawns."

Rep. Kathleen Chandler, D-Kent, responded that the bill "is a real concern about real issues and the support we can give to our schools."

Ohio's income tax brings in a little more than $7 billion to Ohio's general revenue fund, about 44 percent of all tax revenue. Kasich has said he favors its elimination, but he has not set a timetable.

Bill sponsor Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, continued to insist that an income-tax phaseout would require reduced growth in government, not cuts.

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With...future deficits looming, Adams said, districts should be looking at their personnel costs, particularly the automatic raises built into teacher contracts.

"Everybody knows that the only people who are not suffering in this economic downturn are citizens who are receiving a taxpayer-funded paycheck," Adams said.

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