Later today, Ted Strickland’s budget director, Pari Sabety will testify in front of the Legislative Budget and Planning Management Commission about her hit and run with Ohio’s budget.
What hit and run, you ask?
In order to balance last year’s out of control budget, Sabety had to deplete Ohio’s $1 billion “rainy day fund” and transfer it to the general revenue fund.
Additionally, in order to pay for everything on Ted’s wish list the past two years, Sabety was the main driver behind Strickland’s use of $7 billion in one-time federal stimulus dollars. Rather than developing a way for the state to clean up its own fiscal mess, Sabety and Strickland hit Ohio with a plan that is now the cause for the Legislative Budget and Planning Management Commission’s meetings about developing solutions for the upcoming $7-8 billion deficit.
What’s the Sabety and Strickland plan for this deficit mess? Well, as of yesterday…
Strickland declined to say much about how he would address a projected $8 billion shortfall in the next two-year budget beyond saying both tax increases and cuts would be ill-advised.
In other words, this is Ted’s plan:
(DJ note: For those that don’t get the above reference, click here.)
Once again, Sabety and Strickland are trying to pull a hit and run on the state of Ohio.
But hit and runs are nothing new to Pari Sabety.
Let’s take you back to Ted Strickland’s first year in office.
The scene? The Statehouse parking lot.
The date and time? July 5th, 2007, 12:03pm
Pari Sabety, on her way out of the Statehouse parking lot, strikes an unoccupied vehicle. Rather than get out of her car to inspect the struck vehicle, Sabety continues on. According to the police report, a witness sees the accident take place and chases after Sabety, but fails to reach her before the budget director exits the parking lot. The witness goes to security with the vehicle information and Sabety is identified as the guilty party.
To be clear, Sabety knew there was a collision, and she knew there was a witness.
And she drove away.
The next day Sabety, despite her admitted belief that no damage was done to the unoccupied vehicle, returns and gives her report to the Ohio Highway Patrol. This is the strange part. Did someone contact her and tell her she was under suspicion and should come in and file the report? What motivation would she have to file a report if she thought the other car was undamaged? It’s all pretty unclear.
But one thing is crystal clear. Sabety violated O.R.C. 4549.02 – Failure to stop after an accident on other than public roads or highways. This law states:
If the accident or collision is with an unoccupied or unattended motor vehicle, the operator who collides with the motor vehicle shall securely attach the information required to be given in this section, in writing, to a conspicuous place in or on the unoccupied or unattended motor vehicle.
Yet only after being called out by an eyewitness did Pari Sabety return to the scene of the accident and provide her report.
And later today, Pari Sabety is finally being called out on her latest hit and run. This time with Ohio’s budget.
Let’s hope all Ohioans hold this Administration accountable for their irresponsible indiscretions with Ohio’s budget.
Special thanks to “Burger” for his lawyerly assistance with this post.
A copy of the Sabety Accident Report, along with statements from witnesses, is below:
