GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY WOULD BRING GREAT BENEFITS TO OHIO

As we enter the final months of the 128th General Assembly, I hope that the Ohio House will take action to make state government work in the best interest of Ohio’s citizens. With 10.5 percent of Ohioans unemployed, it is clear that current laws and tax rates restrict the growth of small businesses and propel them to relocate to other states, taking thousands of jobs with them. This trend has become a status quo in Ohio, with many lawmakers still wondering why we can’t hold on to jobs and economic opportunity. However, if we don’t significantly change the way Ohio does business, can we really be surprised when we continue to hemorrhage jobs?




When my colleagues and I reconvene in the fall, I will continue to urge the passage of legislation that makes government more efficient and decreases the cost to taxpayers. My fellow Republican representatives and I have introduced numerous cost-saving proposals to address the issue of out-of-control spending and government bloat.



House Bill 25, for example, would consolidate state agencies and fix the business climate through a leaner, more responsive government. Currently, Ohio has 24 cabinet level departments and more than 300 boards and commissions, many of which operate inefficiently and needlessly drain state funding. HB 25 would reorganize the cabinet level departments into 11 core missions, eliminating excess payroll, overlapping services and bureaucratic red tape. It is projected that the consolidation would save Ohio taxpayers $1 billion annually.



With Ohio facing a projected $8 billion budget deficit, cost-saving initiatives such as HB 25 would minimize the tax burden on Ohio’s citizens and ensure that vital areas of the budget are funded. Being among the highest taxed people in the nation, Ohioans have less discretionary income to put into local businesses, which directly affects the state’s ability to create jobs. The current biennial budget needlessly increases spending and the need to tax Ohioans at a time when accountable spending and job creation should be the priority.



When my colleagues and I reconvene in November, I would also like to see the consideration of HB 302, legislation I introduced in October 2009. HB 302 is another cost-saving measure that can help put Ohio on the road to economic recovery. When enacted, HB 302 will prohibit using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 2009 funds on signs that indicate a project was funded with ARRA dollars. These signs, which you may have seen on local construction projects, cost $1,300 apiece. For these signs, Ohio has forfeited $1 million in stimulus funding that could have been directed toward job creation.



Both of these proposals are examples of the action we can take to reduce wasteful spending and get Ohioans back to work. As your neighbor and a father, I think there is nothing more important than getting Ohio’s economy back on track so there will be more employment opportunities for our citizens and children. If we continue to run our finances into the ground, our economy will continue to falter. My fellow state legislators and I should use the sessions in the fall to protect our economic future.