May 25, 2006

EDITORIAL

Flip flopping in Columbus

Over the last couple of years, Ken Blackwell has pummeled legislators in Columbus for what he deemed reckless government spending. As he built a following, he promised to rein in those wasteful, out-of-control fiscal practices. The pledge, which eventually took the form of the Tax and Expenditure Limitation (TEL) Constitutional amendment, became the centerpiece of Mr. Blackwell’s campaign for governor, and he rode that promise all the way to a decisive win in the Republican primary on May 2.

So much for that.

Now Mr. Blackwell, the secretary of state, is backpedaling. After the primary, Ohio Republican lawmakers convinced their gubernatorial candidate to drop his support for the TEL amendment. Instead, Mr. Blackwell agreed to back something akin to TEL Lite, a less restrictive version of the proposal, and work with the TEL issue committee to withdraw the constitutional amendment from the November ballot.

How politically convenient. While Mr. Blackwell crusaded with an agenda of bringing fiscal restraint to Ohio governments during the GOP primary, not all were happy. The TEL amendment has come under intense criticism from local government leaders around the state, including Republicans. Other GOP officials facing election in November were getting nervous, as were the political bosses who want to stay in power.

That’s because the TEL issue would limit increases in spending on both the state and local governments to 3.5 percent or the combined rates of inflation and population growth, whichever is higher. Such restrictions would severely impede local governments’ ability to raise funds to pay for capital projects and pass property tax levies to pay for schools, library and other necessary services. The TEL amendment is a bad proposal that would have disastrous consequences across Ohio. That’s why, ultimately, dumping the ballot issue is a good thing.

On Tuesday, the GOP-controlled Legislature quickly approved a compromise that puts into law, but not in the Ohio Constitution, a limit on annual state spending. The limit would apply to state tax dollars, not fees or capital spending. Most important, the new spending bill would not apply to local governments — which the TEL amendment does.

Mr. Blackwell and his supporters justify his decision to give up on the TEL ballot issue by saying that as a candidate he’s already setting the agenda in Columbus. They also argue that one of his campaign planks, limiting state government spending, is being implemented through the General Assembly.

Mr. Blackwell has used the TEL amendment to enhance his image as a staunch fiscal conservative to win a primary, and then abandoned the proposal when it became clear that it was going to cause trouble in the fall. He had insisted throughout the primary campaign that he would not back away from the TEL ballot proposal, that he was committed to those Ohioans who signed petitions to get the issue on the November ballot. Despite these promises, he still claimed victory after the Legislature approved the compromise spending-cap bill on Tuesday.

It’s simply a remarkable reversal. Come November, voters should let Mr. Blackwell know that he can’t have it both ways.

—Robert Mihalek