Bob Taft is feeling pretty good these days

What with Ted Strickland taking all the heat from left and right while the economy makes Taft’s time in office seem like an oasis of prosperity.

The folks over at the Education Gadfly had the bright idea of talking to him about his new found perspective.  And it produced some interesting quotes.  These two in particular caught my attention:

Is a good education a matter of money?

Overall, funding is not the biggest obstacle to school improvement in Ohio. It’s how we can best use the time and talent of educators to improve education for all kids, particularly for kids in urban areas…. Resources are important but more important is how the dollars are used at the school level to change what is happening in the classrooms.

Is it time for a tax increase?

It’s nice not to be governor right now and worry about those decisions….The temporary one-cent sales tax increase was not popular, but I believed it was necessary after all the cuts we had already made. Today, I’m not close enough to the details of the budget to answer that question…. I do believe, however, that it is important to continue the income-tax reductions underway because Ohio’s rates are too high from a competitive standpoint when you put the state income tax together with our city income taxes. You don’t want to be one of the highest income-tax states…. It’s hard to compete with Texas and Florida [and other states without income taxes] but now we’re not even competing with surrounding states.

More on this below.

That first point can never be said enough.  Money is not the problem with Ohio education.  The left, the unions and their allies in the courts have driven this perspective and it is all too often bought by the public.  But it simply isn’t true. Money plays a role but it doesn’t drive outcomes.  And most of what Strickland is trying to do is spend more money on teachers and districts.

The second point is more complex obviously.  I am never a fan of raising taxes but I think this is a perfect example of center-right being better than left.

The Republican controlled General Assembly and Governor Taft raised the sales tax temporarily.  Yes, I think they should have done a much better job of cutting waste and reorganizing government but passing a temporary tax increase followed up by the lowering of income taxes sure beats a permanent expansion of gambling and likely attempt to repeal those tax cuts after the election.

But look at what Taft empahsized in his last few sentences.  They are worth repeating:

Ohio’s rates are too high from a competitive standpoint when you put the state income tax together with our city income taxes. You don’t want to be one of the highest income-tax states…. It’s hard to compete with Texas and Florida [and other states without income taxes] but now we’re not even competing with surrounding states.

This is what policy makers have to understand.  Reputations matter and Ohio has a reputation and a record as a high tax state.  The GOP has been unable to do anything about the taxes at the local level – thanks again, Columbus – but the state level has finally seen some movement.  Reversing this would be the height of foolishness.

The GOP has been far from perfect in this area.  I realize this.  But at least they have tried to bring some reform to the table.  The Democrats will look to raise taxes the moment they get a chance and they have no interest in smaller government.

This is important to keep in mind.  The lesser of two evils may not be an attractive voting philosophy but it is all too often reality and ignoring can be disastrous.