Voters in Hamilton County might soon be shocked to see a plethora of voting options on their ballots.
A proposal, which would go into effect in 2008, would put all tax levy issues on the same ballot. Voters would see all the requested levies for the year on one ballot, instead of spread throughout the year. Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich and Auditor Dusty Wells introduced the idea on Monday with the support of several conservative and consumer groups, most notably Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors and the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes.
The proposal needs the approval of at least two of the three county commissioners to put it into action, and the other two commissioners currently are not taking a stand either way on the issue. The issue is now a major campaign platform for the commissioner elections in November. Heimlich said the one-ballot proposal would be the first of its kind in the United States.
This proposal is flawed on many levels. As it stands, when single levies are presented to the public, it is difficult to ensure that the public knows what it is exactly that they are voting for or against. With so many issues on the same ballot, it would be almost impossible to guarantee an informed populace. And, if the voters are not properly educated on the various levies, it is unlikely any of them will get passed because voters will have no incentive to vote for tax increases they do not understand. This proposal demands a highly informed populace, and it is foolish to think that all of a sudden voters will spend that much more time to figure out the issues. It is practical for a voter to understand two or three levies; 10 to 15 are too many.
Also, if all the tax levies are presented together some worthwhile levies may slip through the cracks. The multitude of levies would inevitably force some proposals into the background. In other words, the sheer shock value of seeing so many potential tax hikes could scare some voters away who, if they saw the proposed levies on separate ballots, would be more willing to approve them.
With Ohio public education and social services floundering and levy money critical to their survival, voters must understand the issues. The ability to present the voter with his or her options is paramount to any election or vote, and this proposal would only serve to confuse.
Slot Money should go to education
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder should drop his opposition to the Senate's plan to put video slot machines at Ohio's racetracks.
Householder, R-Glenford, is in favor of the slot machines as a tool to increase Ohio's revenue. However, he said he feels that the revenue should be used to reduce the 1-cent sales tax hike approved in June to help balance the budget. The legislation as currently written would use $500 million of the expected revenue to create college scholarship programs and fund vocational school building construction. The scholarships would award the top 10 percent, or 12,500 high school seniors, annual grants of $5,900, and would also provide aid to 12,000 low-income but high-achieving students. The scholarships would also serve to keep Ohio's best and brightest at universities in Ohio, as there would be an incentive for these students to stay at home.
The legislation must pass through the Senate before it can be presented to voters, who would decide on it in March 2004.
Householder and other opponents to the legislation should see this as an opportunity to support higher education in Ohio. With tuition skyrocketing and state support for education dwindling at all levels, this additional revenue needs to be used to help college students and their parents keep up with the costs of higher education. For the best students, the scholarships would be a reward for a good job in high school, and for the low-income students, such a scholarship could be the difference between them attending college or not.
The Senate needs to go through with this plan as is and let the voters decide on it in March. The scholarships created would ease a huge financial burden on many struggling students. And, while Householder's planned repeal of the 1-cent sales tax would affect everyone, it would certainly not provide a financial boon to consumers. On the contrary, repealing it would put the state even further in debt. By keeping the tax and using slot machine dollars for scholarships, the government could balance the budget while helping students.
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