By DEANNE JOHNSON
Staff Writer
In the bed of a classic Ford pickup parked in front of the historic Spread Eagle Tavern, John Kasich talked Wednesday about American values, reducing our debt to protect the future for our children and creating jobs.
The candidate for governor currently enjoys a 12-point lead over Gov. Ted Strickland, according to
a poll by the Columbus Dispatch this week.
Kasich reminded some in the crowd of several hundred people gathered on the brick street of the values of Ronald Reagan, who he said he met at the Republican convention in 1976. While Jimmy Carter told people to cut back and take a bicycle if they could not afford gas, Reagan told them they would cut taxes, shrink government and let Americans prosper. Reagan called it "morning in America."
"It was morning in America," Kasich said of Reagan's success, "It will be morning in Ohio again and our best days are in front of us."
Calling for an end to "sweetheart deals" where lobbyists get control what happens in Ohio, Kasich said jobs and opportunities will come to those who are qualified. He suggests business leaders should be the ones dealing with the budget and there should be an end to the bureaucracy which slows development. He calls for the phasing out of the Ohio Department of Development, replacing it with business leaders who actually have succeeded in business.
"No special deals," Kasich said. "No sweetheart deals, no lobbyists running Ohio, we're going to run Ohio."
On the long-debated school funding issues in the state, Kasich told the crowd Ohio ranks only 47th in the country on the amount that is spent funding schools, but ninth in the country on the amount spent on school bureaucracy. Instead of raising taxes, Kasich said he is in favor of looking at ways to empower teachers in the classroom while cutting the money used to oversee schools.
Kasich has been in politics for a long time. He was elected to the Ohio State Senate at the age of 26 and to the U.S. House of Representatives at age 30. He served for nine terms as a congressman and lists among his accomplishments his work as chairman for the House Budget Committee, which actually balanced the budget.
Kasich never mentioned Strickland during his speech, but did criticize attack politics. "I feel sorry for someone who runs for re-election and all they can do is trash their opponent," said Kasich. "This is not another campaign. This is a mission."
He suggested those interested in learning more about him or helping his campaign can go to www.kasichforohio.com.
When asked after the speech about Strickland's criticism of Kasich's votes backing NAFTA and the business decision of Invacore Corp. on whose board Kasich sits, Kasich pointed out the numbers of jobs lost in the last four years in Ohio.
Although not altogether familiar with the Baard coal-to-liquid energy technology plant, which has been proposed for Wellsville, Kasich said clean coal industries are part of Ohio's future. He said he is in favor of rewarding innovations that can help create jobs in this state.
Kasich was joined in Hanoverton by his running mate, state Auditor Mary Taylor, and Craig Newbold, who is running for the seat held by state Rep. Linda Bolon.
Newbold, who once owned a computer software company on the West Coast, now operates a technology training academy in East Liverpool and Salem.
"I've been blessed," he told the crowd. "I've enjoyed the American dream."
Newbold said it is important to him now to make a difference and believes it is people, not politicians, who do that. He also talked about a belief in hard work and free enterprise.
"We've got to get out there. We've got to fight and we've got to put people in office who will make a difference."
