To the editor:
I have been following the progress of House Bill 400 introduced by Representative John Adams (R-Sidney), now pending in the Ohio House Ways and Means Committee. This bill would eliminate the state income tax over the next 10 years. The bill is co-sponsored by 30 of the 46 Republicans in the House.
The idea may be appealing to some folks, but I urge caution. I did some checking and if this bill would become law it would have a devastating impact on our local school systems.
Brown Local School District would lose $813,699 in fiscal year 2011. Carrollton Exempted School District would lose $3,649,368 in fiscal year 2011. Minerva Local School District would lose $2,930,251 in fiscal year 2011. These projections are chilling.
One of the co-sponsors on House Bill 400 had previously introduced a bill that would have dedicated 80 percent of the income-tax revenue to our schools. Now he urges repeal of the income tax altogether. Our tax policies must make sense.
Therefore, this week I introduced House Bill 456 which would repeal the estate tax effective Jan. 1, 2011. We can eliminate this tax because our state and local governments can't factor this revenue into their budgets. You can't predict deaths or how much will be paid in estate taxes in any period of time.
Voters recently approved casino gambling and, once operational, those facilities will generate new revenue for our local governments, so the time to eliminate the estate tax is now.
When we talk about tax reform let's make sure the benefit outweighs the harm.
Respectfully yours,
Mark D. Okey
State Representative
House District 61
This is an open letter to Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, from Congressman Zack Space (Dover-18).
Dear Mr. Pacelle,
I was disappointed and troubled to hear of the recent decision by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to move forward with attempts to further its political agenda and force it on the people of Ohio. This news proves that clearly you and your organization have not been listening.
HSUS was obviously not listening when residents across the state of Ohio spoke in one voice - overwhelmingly supporting Issue 2 and ensuring that Ohioans regulate our own standards for animal care. HSUS was obviously not listening when a majority of Ohio's federal and state delegation endorsed the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board (OLCSB) - overwhelmingly denouncing the HSUS' efforts to undermine it. And HSUS was obviously not listening when farmers across the state of Ohio weighed in on this disastrous policy - overwhelmingly opposing it.
In addition to a majority of Ohioans, Issue 2 also had great support among Ohio's legislators, Governor Strickland, and groups representing animal interests, including the American Humane Association, and the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association. It is unconscionable to me that an outside group would come into our state and claim that they know better.
The OLCSB was created just four months ago with a strong mandate by the people of Ohio, and it would be wrong for it to be hijacked by overzealous special interests based out of Washington, D.C. Our board will ensure that livestock and animals in Ohio are treated humanely and that our agricultural producers - a major sector of Ohio's economy - are not unfairly penalized with unacceptable regulations.
The experts that will make up the OLCSB are the best sources for determining Ohio's minimum standards of care for our animals, and not a liberal group whose real intentions are less about animal care and more about control over what we in Ohio eat.
Your attempts to dictate our state policies regarding animal care are misguided, and I will not stand for them. Ohio's standards of animal care should be determined by those who know the issue best and have a vested interest in the outcome - Ohioans.
I joined the farmers of my district to support the passage of Issue 2, which passed with almost 64 percent of the vote on Nov. 3. Ohioans statewide have spoken. It is clear exactly where they stand on this issue.
Mr. Pacelle, Ohio has spoken. Why haven't you been listening?
Sincerely,
Congressman Zack Space
Dover
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