I absolutely love this quote from John Kasich’s recent appearance on Fox to discuss budget issues.
“I got elected to be a servant. I did not get elected to get re-elected. I told everyone what I was going to do. I’m going to balance the budget. I’m going to reduce taxes. And I’m going to make Ohio business friendly and competitive with states around the country. Period. Exclamation point.”
Awesome.
Now, I know what our friends on the left would say in response.
“Strickland balanced the budget.” …by using billions in one-time federal funding and raising taxes.
“Strickland cut taxes.” Actually, only once did Strickland get in the way of the tax cuts that were passed and signed by a previous Administration.
“Strickland made Ohio business friendly.” LOLOLOLOL!
The fact is, John Kasich stands in direct contrast from Governor Strickland.
- He’s not going to use a federal bailout to kick the can down the road.
- Despite the massive hole left him by Strickland, he’s not going to break on the principles of the NTU No New Taxes pledge he signed during the campaign.
- He won’t embrace the status quo.
Now compare that style of leadership with the absolutely devastating editorial hitting Strickland in today’s Plain Dealer:
…voters here were also put off by Strickland’s failure to anticipate the recession and begin retooling state spending in the way that Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson did before the deluge hit. Had he taken similar steps, Strickland might not have to be so worried about what Gov.-elect John Kasich will do to escape the fiscal crater he inherits. Some real salesmanship might also have built public support for the 3C rail project that Kasich has killed and Strickland now mourns.
What do every one of these failures have in common? Timid leadership. That’s what drove Strickland out of office. Maybe some day, he’ll look in a mirror and understand.
Ka-blammo.
A New Day can’t get here soon enough.
