Cast your votes in the Tuesday primary

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Cast your votes in the Tuesday primary

Besides Issue 7, the Sin Tax, there’s another issue on the May 6 ballot, ISSUE 1, to amend the Ohio Constitution. It is analyzed by the 1851 Center for Constitutional Law :

State legislators voted, at the end of 2013, to place State Issue 1 on the May 6, 2014 ballot through passing Joint Resolution 6 ("SJR 6").  

State Issue 1 proposes to amend the Ohio Constitution "to fund public infrastructure capital improvements by permitting the issuance of general obligation bonds." Essentially, the state seeks to borrow and spend money it does not currently have to build roads, bridges, wastewater treatment systems, water supply systems, etc.

On its face, this sounds complex. And indeed, the Joint Resolution placing the issue on the ballot, is no pleasure to read. However a careful reading of the measure, placed in proper context, reveals that the proposed Constitutional Amendment that Issue 1 would usher in is inordinately poor public policy.

Bullet points are below. Click here for all the details.

1. State Issue 1 would mandate an additional $1.875 Billion in spending at a time when Ohio has just implemented a state budget that is the largest in its history, and growing significantly larger each year.

2. State Issue 1 undermines Ohio's constitutional Balanced Budget requirement by unbalancing the Budget.

3. Passage of State Issue 1 is likely to create perverse political incentives that further escalate state spending in the future.

4. Passage of State Issue 1 would almost necessarily result in a tax increase.

5. Passage of Issue 1 will not "create jobs" because government spending does not create jobs.

6. State spending associated with State Issue 1 could be susceptible to improper political considerations.

7. The Passage of State Issue 1 is likely to require middle-class Ohioans to subsidize wealthy investors.

8. The Ohio General Assembly has already considerably cluttered the Ohio Constitution through spending earmarks.

There has been next to no public debate on this amendment, and WHY is it an amendment to the Ohio Constitution instead of a proposed law? Read the chapter and verse on Bullet point #8 for more on this.

Most importantly, VOTE!