• E-Edition
• Home
• News
• Sports
• AP
• Obituaries
• Classifieds
• Jobs
• Autos
• Homes
• Garage Sales
• Coupons
• Subscribe
• Archive
• Services
• Contribute
• Blogs

Goodwin and Buehrer differ on Strickland's education issues

Share Story:     E-mail Story    |    Print Story    |    Comments    |   

By MARC KOVAC and

MICHELE HLADIK

C-N Capital Bureau

COLUMBUS -- Two lawmakers representing residents in the Defiance County area had mixed reactions to Gov. Ted Strickland's State of the State address Wednesday.

Both 1st District Sen. Steve Buehrer, R-Delta, and 74th District Rep. Bruce Goodwin, R-Defiance, have concerns about Strickland's proposal to issue nearly $2 billion in bonds to fund a job stimulus package. Their opinions differed on some education proposals offered by the governor.

Buehrer said he was waiting for more specifics about the governor's plans.

"I didn't hear a lot of details on really anything today," he said.

On using bonds for a $1.7 billion job stimulus package, Buehrer said, "I'm always a little bit concerned when the government borrows money for one-time economic stimulus that, unfortunately, we have to repay over years and years to come."

Though the public and private sectors have roles to play in bolstering the state economy, "I'd hate to commit to 30 years of debt to do that," he said. "I think we're going to have to see what the governor wants to do, and hopefully some of these (incentives and proposals are more than) simple one-time, big-government infusions."

Buehrer voiced concern about the governor's proposal to allow some high school seniors to spend their 12th grade years attending college classes.

"I'm a big proponent of children getting a good education in K-12 and then going to post-secondary," he said. "I think that it's been wonderful that we've allowed some bridging of credits already. Whether we want wholesale abandonment of our senior classes across the state into higher education and how that funding might impact local districts is something that the governor did not lay out today. We're going to want to hear what his thoughts are."

Buehrer also voiced concern about Strickland's proposal to create a cabinet-level director over the Ohio Department of Education.

"I would hate to see the disappearance of an elected school board here in Ohio that represents the views of local people in state education policy."

And on school funding: "It's disappointing, again. This is a governor who said his centerpiece was going to be education funding reform. And he promised to do it, I guess, today next year. Unfortunately, we're only into February of 2008 and apparently he's moving his plan back to 2009. Obviously, he hasn't made this the priority that he maybe did during the political campaign that brought to this office."

"As usual he gives a good presentation," said Goodwin.

He said he is looking forward to seeing how Strickland's proposals for veterans affairs will work as well as efforts to move forward on advanced energy. He said he also liked his ideas for higher education.

However, Goodwin said he is concerned about how bond issues to help with jobs would affect the future.

"I worry about mortgaging our children's future," Goodwin said. "I like to pay as I go. If we can't take care of it now, maybe its not something we should be doing."

Goodwin said he also questioned whether it was necessary for the state to have both a director and a superintendent for the department of education and whether this was fiscally a good time to be creating new positions.