Governor blasts Taylor's tax counseling comments

Gov. Ted Strickland is blasting comments made yesterday by Republican challenger John Kasich's running mate, a former accountant who said she counseled clients to move to Florida or other states to avoid paying taxes.

Strickland, campaigning in northeast Ohio today, told The Dispatch in a telephone interview that the remarks from Auditor Mary Taylor are "appalling" and "unseemly."

"What kind of loyalty is that to our state?" Strickland asked. "She wants to be the lieutenant governor and she wants to help lead this state? I mean, she and John Kasich talk as is they don't really like Ohio. . . . I think she's got some explaining to do."

Taylor, who worked as a certified public accountant before being elected state auditor in 2006, made the comments yesterday during an appearance in Cleveland with Kasich.

"As a CPA, obviously I spent 16 years working with businesses, entrepreneurs that were successful, created a great deal of wealth for themselves and their families, and you know, we counseled those individuals to consider, you know, moving to Florida or other states that don't have high income taxes and an onerous stand-alone death tax," she said.

Strickland said he found that comment revealing and disturbing, noting that Ohioans who grow up in the state and start successful businesses here benefit from the state's advantages.

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"I just find that so distasteful. And to have those attitudes and ideas expressed by the two people who want to provide the top leadership to our state, it's disappointing and troubling to me."

Strickland included Kasich in his criticism, noting that Kasich often talks about how successful Ohioans move to Florida to escape high taxes because Florida doesn't have a state income tax or an estate tax.

But Strickland noted that Florida has a higher unemployment rate than Ohio, and he thinks Ohio's education system is better, too.

"I guess I kind of wonder why Mr. Kasich doesn't move to Florida and run for governor in Florida if he wants to make Ohio like Florida," Strickland said.

The governor even suggested the comment fits with a theme of his campaign: that he espouses "Main Street values," while Kasich, a former managing director at the failed Wall Street firm Lehman Brothers, supports "Wall Street values."

"I think this is something that's very revealing about the values that the Kasich-Taylor ticket holds, and I think it says a lot about the kind of attitude toward Ohio that they would have if they were in power," he added.

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