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On his way out, Ted Strickland is trying to hurt Ohio

John Kasich isn’t going to build the 3-C passenger rail project.

He’s going to scrap Strickland’s unfunded “evidence-based” education plan.

Those are facts. Nothing will change that.

But a complication arises from the federal monies attached to the 3-C project and the “Race to the Top” funds out of the U.S. Department of Education.

Each is for $400 million.

John Kasich has asked the federal government to adjust the rules for funding of the 3-C to allow for spending on other transportation infrastructure that Ohio needs. He also says the scrapping of the evidence-based model won’t risk the Race for the Top funds.

Rather than recognizing the fact that the new Governor plans to follow through on his campaign promises, Ted Strickland is doing whatever he can to help Ohio lose those federal dollars.

Rather than lobby for 3-C funds to have alternative uses that can help Ohio, Strickland sides with Washington that the funds must be spent on passenger rail. Rather than agree with Kasich that Ohio can keep the Race to the Top dollars, Strickland goes to the Secretary of Education and lobbies for Race to the Top funds to be pulled if Kasich makes the changes he promised during the campaign.

Now I can understand that the Governor wants to see his initiatives be implemented. But it’s not his decision anymore come January 10th. Just how he went against the will of a previous Administration and scrapped this year’s tax cut, Kasich is allowed to scrap ideas he doesn’t deem good for Ohio. Why? Because Ohioans chose him to make those decisions.

The difference between Kasich’s decisions and what Strickland did with the tax hike is simply that Kasich made his decision known well before he takes office.

So rather than acknowledging the reality that his programs will be scrapped, the Governor is still trying to do the impossible and force Kasich to continue this Administration’s misguided policies.

That doesn’t help Ohio.

It hurts Ohio. It’s also petty and egotistical.

Ted Strickland should be doing whatever he can to work with the incoming Administration to do what’s best for Ohio. Not what’s best for Ted Strickland’s legacy.



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Third Base Politics is an Ohio-centric conservative blog that has been featured at Hot Air, National Review, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and others.

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