Kasich’s income tax repeal is now the defining issue of the 2010 elections.

John Kasich’s pledge to repeal the income tax, whether he intended it or not, is now the CENTRAL issue in the 2010 elections.  And it may just cost the GOP their shot to recapture the Ohio House of Representatives next year.

Shortly before the Do-Nothing House GOP left town for Christmas, thirty-one House Republicans co-sponsored House Bill 400 which would repeal Ohio’s income tax in ten years.

That’s thirty-three members out of forty-six, and it includes the entire current House GOP leadership.  So not only is this a debate for the gubernatorial race, but the entire legislative race as it appears that the GOP legislative caucuses have nearly uniformly signed onto Kasich’s signature issue.  Not only that, but it’ll be a major issue in the State Treasurer’s race as Treasurer Kevin Boyce’s likely GOP opponent, State Rep. Josh Mandel, has co-sponsored the repeal legislation.

Pretty much the only races next year not facing this issue is the Senate and some congressional races.

This is about as detailed, in fact more so, than the vague income tax repeal John Kasich has been talking about for a year.

Of course, State Represenative John Adams has no plan on how this repeal would be paid except by the “magic revenue fairy”

How would he replace the money the tax generates, which makes up a big part of the state budget?

?When the people we chase out of the state decide to stay, they will create jobs. The tax base will expand. That?s the way it works in every scenario,? said Adams.

Actually, what tends to happen in States with no income taxes is that property, sales, and other taxes are higher.  All a repeal would like do, at best, is shift the tax burden around.

In completely “unrelated news,” the Washington Post reported that latest census survey showed the Florida and Nevada– two States with no income tax and higher unemployment than Ohio had more people move out than in. 

I believe Kasich’s unofficial Virginia-based astroturfing campaign blogger called that voting with their feet.