Ohio Party Chairmen Square Off At City Club

Friday, February 5, 2010 Download  RSS  Short URL  Share

Democrat Chris Redfern and Republican Kevin Dewine fielded questions from Plain Dealer political writer Mark Namik, and from the audience. ideastream®’s Bill Rice reports.

The heads of the two major Ohio political parties squared off at a forum in downtown Cleveland today.  Democrat Chris Redfern and Republican Kevin Dewine answered questions from Plain Dealer political writer Mark Namik, and from the audience at the City Club of Cleveland.  ideastream’s Bill Rice reports

The two party chiefs’ arguments on a range of issues fell predictably along party lines, with each claiming a favorable climate for his party’s candidates heading into the November elections.  Dewine suggested a continually flagging economy would make incumbents vulnerable – noting that democrats hold three of four executive offices and a majority in the house. 

Dewine:  “There’s a lot of people whoe are concerned about the future of Ohio and our country.  They’re concerned about… will find a home in the Republican party.”

Redfern said many Ohioans are impatient for change, and that Republicans will try to fan those flames to gain more traction.  But he said expects Ohioan to be cooler-headed when they judge democratic Governor Strickland’s leadership. 

Redfern:  “As we go toward the November election and there’s fewer people in the back of te room shouting down those in the front of the room, and we have a conversation based on the truth and fact, that democrats and independents and like minded republicans will come to the conclusion that we’re on right track coming through this great recession not of our making, not of our choosing but the solutions certainly are.”

One topic that we’ll likely hear a lot about during the coming campaign is the state income tax, which republican gubernatorial challenger John Kasich has proposed phasing out.  Moderator Mark namik pointed out that the income tax comprises about 45 percent of state revenues and challenged Dewine to defend the proposal, which he did – denying the idea that it would inflict a sudden shock on government programs and funding. 

Dewine:  “John isn’t saying eliminate it on day 1.  John is saying let’s get our budget under control and then begin the process of phasing it out, because it is one of the things that makes it hard for us to keep, hard for us to keep entrepreneurs, wealthy individuals who are philanthropic and own businesses and the like.  It’s hard for us to keep folks here with the income tax that we have here. 

Mr. Redfern countered that the money generated by the state income tax is needed to fund programs Ohioans want, and called attention to other states that have eliminated or curtailed their income tax. 

Redfern:  If you live in Florida and you don’t have an income tax… If you live in Texas or Delaware what you see and what has been reported widely is that your property tax and sales tax and other user taxes go up dramatically to help make up the difference.  And please, introduce me to the business leader in this community who is going to tell all of us together today that he is going to leave the state based solely on the income tax on the state level.  It is factually void. 

The two party heads did agree on one thing.  The extreme wings of the party won’t decide the election Mr: Redfern: 

Refern:  “Kevin and are going to spend the next several months speaking to independents, and those in the middle on both sides of the isle.”

And Mr. Dewine:

Dewine:  “We both have to appeal to that 60 percent of the electorate who really doesn’t identify with either party.  And so our job is: go get our base, and then go get 60 percent of the independent voters, and that’s how you win elections.”

It’s what makes Ohio a state the nation watches every four years.