State lawmakers inundated with budget requests

The fact that it's 1:30 p.m. on a Thursday, a day when the Senate is not in session, makes no difference inside the office of Sen.

[craig smith]

start taxing imports not me......dont u get it yet....i will stop buying even usa made things....are u that stupid

[Realist]

Advocates are being put in an impossible position because our elected leaders lack the insight or political courage to admit that Ohio needs a tax hike. ( We could close a three billion dollar shortfall for less than 30 dollars per Ohioan per year.) So we get to read stories about whether they'll cut funding for food banks, libraries, and the scenic rivers program -- in addition to the usual cuts in a Medicaid program of last resort. Heaven forbid leaders tell voters anything they don't want to hear.

[Realist]

"We could close a three billion dollar shortfall for less than 30 dollars per Ohioan per year." My error: less than 300 dollars -- still less than a dollar a day.

[Art]

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[Taxme]

I agree with Realist-let us follow suit with the 23 other states that are raising taxes to save jobs. Hmm lets do the math, we raise taxes a slight bit, people keep their jobs, pay into the tax base, create revenue, increases feasibility of more jobs coming to Ohio, and so on OR we do not raise taxes, more people get laid off, start collecting unemployment, more money is needed to support these new arrivals to the government's benefit roll, and we continue spiraling downward creating a bigger deficit, until Ohio no longer will be know as the "heart of it all" but in need of a heart transplant.

[Pension Security]

Sound the Alarm. Public Pensioners and Public Employees alike need to take notice. The budget proposal includes a reduction from 14 percent to 8 percent in the amount of a state worker's wages that the state contributes to the Public Employees Retirement System. The reduction could last two years and would be made up during the next decade. Just how does this not erode the overall solvency of the Public Employees Retirement System? How can the loss of those operating funds and investment potential of these funds be restored without adverse impact? This will place the pension system in jeopardy for all state, county, local (including townships)and university employees in PERS. That's a lot of people ! All of whom pay taxes. Mostly in Ohio for right now...

[davisss13]

As long as they do not touch my salary and benefits I could not care less about any one else. You all are a bunch of whining crybabies. Screech, screech.