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Redfern: Middle-class Ohioans Will Pay More Under Taft Plan

For Immediate Release Thursday, Feb. 10, 2005 Columbus - House Democratic Leader Chris Redfern said today there is little Democratic support right now for Gov. Bob Taft's budget, unveiled this morning. "We need to have a targeted middle-class tax cut, not breaks for millionaires that leave middle-class families behind," said Redfern, D-Catawba Island. "And we certainly shouldn't be talking about tax cuts for Ohio's most wealthy when it means laying off cops or firefighters." Democratic concerns include: - Proposed cuts to the local government fund, on which cities, counties, townships and libraries now depend to make ends meet. Aid to counties and cities could be cut by 20 percent or more, with townships facing 10% cuts and libraries receiving 5% cuts. - A proposed tax hike on electricity. Redfern said this will make Ohio's job climate even more uncompetitive, especially for manufacturers, which could face millions in new taxes. "This not only hurts consumers by shifting more of Ohio's tax burden to the middle-class - it's a job killer." -A proposal to expand Ohio's school voucher program. "We share Gov. Taft's concerns about poor-performing schools," Redfern said, "But you don't siphon money away from them to correct them problem. You do it, among other things, through smaller class sizes and research-based intervention." Redfern also emphasized that Gov. Taft's budget does not really include a tax cut at all. "By proposing to renew half of the 2003 "temporary" sales tax hike, he is in fact proposing a net tax hike - shifting even more of the burden onto middle-class families," Redfern said. "How can this be considered a tax cut when your tax bills actually are going to go up?" Redfern asked. "It's a little difficult to say that when this plan could be considered the second largest tax increase in Ohio history."