Governor’s Debate Fact Check: Taxes, State Employees
COLUMBUS, Ohio—The first debate of the governor’s race ended without a clear cut victor or an embarrassing mistake Tuesday night in downtown Columbus.
Neither candidate made an embarrassing mistake or emerged from the debate with a clear victory, but both were effective at making their case to voters.
NBC 4 fact-checked two issues in dispute during the debate: the size of state government and the state income tax.
Kasich, the Republican challenger, has made shrinking state government one of the foundations of his economic recovery plan, but Strickland, the incumbent Democrat, argues he already has done what Kasich recommends.
“I’ve reduced state employment by about 5,000 employees, about 7 percent of our state workforce has been reduced,“ Strickland said during the debate.
In August 2006, Ohio had 58,629 state employees. As of last month, Ohio had 53,362 state employees.
Kasich dismissed the state job cuts as the result of retirements and natural attrition, not increased efficiencies. Kasich campaign spokesperson Rob Nichols said Strickland could have reduced more jobs at the state level and vowed that Kasich would bring the number of state employees down further if elected. But Kasich’s logic does not credit Strickland for making cuts that his predecessor, Republican Bob Taft, did not make.
“We have slimmed down government,“ Strickland said. “Congressman, I’ve done what you and your party only talk about doing. I’ve actually made government more efficient.“
Kasich accused Strickland of raising taxes, which Strickland denied.
“I don’t know where my opponent comes off saying we’ve raised taxes. The income tax in Ohio has been cut 17 percent since 2005,“ Strickland said.
Kasich was referring to the 2009 decision by the state legislature and Governor Strickland to delay a 4.2 percent income tax cut in order to balance the state budget, part of a five-year, 21 percent planned reduction.
“We did have a tax increase,“ Kasich said in the debate. “I was promised, along with all other ohioans that are taxes would come down. That was cancelled.“
Republicans began blasting Strickland one year ago, arguing that taking away a planned income tax cut was the same as keeping the income tax cut, and raising sales taxes instead.
A tax cut was planned and the governor altered that plan to delay the tax cut until 2011, but taxes did not increase. A more accurate statement would be that Governor Strickland did not lower taxes as planned.
“The income tax in Ohio has been cut by 17 percent since 2005, most of that while I’ve been governor,“ Strickland added.
That is true, state income tax rates have dropped by 16.8 percent since 2005, but Strickland was not in office when Republicans passed the gradual income tax cuts without the support of Democrats.
