Protect Corporations?

While visiting the Ohio State campus, Republican Rep. Steve Stivers (OH-15), a former bank lobbyist, indicated some budget cuts that he'd like to see made.

The Lantern:


...Stivers, who received his MBA from OSU in 1996, said funding for state colleges comes mostly from the state, tuition and private endowments. But reapportioning money from other sources, such as the Workforce Development Training Fund, can overcome effects of the cuts....

....Stivers said the uncertain economic climate resulting from the 2008 recession has led businesses to save revenues instead of using them to expand operations and create more jobs. Lowering corporate tax rates and easing government regulations, he said, will embolden businesses to withdraw some of those funds.....

I have a few problems with what Stivers said.  The Workforce Development Training Fund is an important program because it helps minorities and the unemployed get help with education and job training.  Going after this program, is wrong.

The other problem I have with the remarks by Stivers has to do with what he said that is part of the Republican mantra -- "....lowering corporate taxes and easing government regulations..."  Businesses and corporations, especially banks, are sitting on huge, obscene profits which they are then turning into bonuses for their executives, instead of creating jobs. Why should we give more tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy?  Stivers said we should cut government regulations?  Someone needs to ask Stivers to get more specific. Safety, security, salary protections, sexual harassment laws, child labor laws, and other laws/rules provide the necessary foundation against job dangers, inequality and unscrupulous companies/business owners.

When you examine the priorities pushed by Steve Stivers you might wonder why he thinks tax cuts for corporations and the elimination of regulations are more important than creating jobs, helping the unemployed, protecting workers, and providing health insurance for the uninsured.

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Gov. John Kasich, Republican governor of Ohio, had his plan to privatize job development pass the Ohio House.  Kasich, who spent nearly a decade as a Vice President at Lehman Brothers and talk show host at Fox News, continues to degrade and attack his opponents and those calling for government transparency.

Bizjournals:

...Kasich and his point-man on efforts to improve the state's economy, Department of Development Director Mark Kvamme, met with about 60 executives at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, the paper reports. There, he took on detractors of his development privatization plan, saying they “don't know squat about business.”

 Really?  Does Kasich know that much about business?  Didn't he work for a company that went bankrupt and lost nearly $400 million from the Ohio public pensions?  Didn't Lehman Brothers also lose hundreds of millions of dollars from other retirement/pension plans around the country?  Didn't Lehman Brothers begin the collapse of Wall Street?  Why should anyone have any confidence in the business acumen of John Kasich?

* Last night at 5:45 pm, Gov. Kasich wasted our time with an unorganized televised statement/news conference concerning the upcoming winter storm.  Instead of having a news bulletin/release sent to television and radio stations, Kasich showed up announcing a big storm was coming and the public should be prepared.  Luckily, most news stations in central Ohio cut out on the live broadcast after three minutes.