General
It’s Almost Official: Kasich for Guv
The first good news for the ORP in a long, long time.
Former U.S. Rep. John R. Kasich says he’s prepared to leave a lucrative private-sector career and run for the Republican nomination for governor in 2010.
Kasich, 55, said yesterday he will make a final decision early in 2009, but he is paving the way now for a gubernatorial bid.
“The important thing for people to know is that the success I’ve had in the private sector is not going to keep me from doing this,” said the former congressman from Westerville.
That’s not the exciting part, the exciting part is what he plans to do as Guv:
“Every economic factor you look at, we’re in the bottom of the barrel,” he said. “The only reason I’m interested in this is because I think our state is in a death spiral.”
Kasich said sweeping changes are needed in Ohio’s tax and regulatory systems and in workforce development to attract businesses.
“Frankly, I believe the (state) income tax has to be phased out,” Kasich said, promising to detail in the future how he would make up for a tax that provides the state with more than $9 billion a year, or 34 percent of its operating money.
What Blackwell should have done, but didn’t. This is an excellent platform to run on and Ohio certainly should join the handful of high growth states (Texas, Florida, Tennesseee) that don’t have an income tax. Heck, maybe T-shirt Ted won’t have to move to Key West after all!
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Ohio Dreaming:
2008 McCain-Portman elected
2008 Stivers, Dailey elected
2009 Boehner elected Speaker
2009 Fed spending cuts pass; tax rates lowered permanently
2010 Kasich Elected
2010 Husted Elected Secy State
2010 Boehner beats Voinovich; beats Fisher
2011 Ohio taxes and spending cut
2012 Portman-Patraeus elected
2012 Husted beats Brown
2013 Ohio, US growth rates increase
2014 Kasich re-elected
2016 Kasich-Jindal elected
2017 Portman nominated SCt
2017 Patraeus Secy State
2019 Ohio leaves bottom states for top 20 states in all metrics
2020 Census shows Ohio gains back 2 congressional seats lost in 2010 after Strickland
That is quite a dream.
I think Kasich is our best statewide candidate and I hope he avoids a primary if he does run.
I personally would have liked to see him take on Sherrod Brown, but oh well.
Replace Husted with Mary Taylor.
Mary Taylor should run against Sherrod Brown in 2012. She will be well into her second term as Auditor.