As the conservative blogsphere ignores disastrous Kasich-Taylor rollout, legislative hearings on Kasich’s tax plan are scheduled

I feel I must point out that not a single conservative blogger, Jon Keeling included, wrote about the Kasich-Taylor press conference today.? Not one person wrote, in excitement, how they’ll remember where they were when Kasich tweeted them.? After four days of public teeth gnashing over the disaster Kasich-Taylor leaves in its wake for the GOP, the entire conservative blogsphere decided to find something else to talk about instead.? That’s hardly evidence of the “unbeatable” powerhouse ticket GOP Chairman Kevin DeWine tried to declare while choking back the urge to uncontrollably sob.

The entire GOP ticket, from the top to bottom of the state legislative races, has signed onto a plan to repeal Ohio’s income tax.? Almost the entire House Republican caucus has signed on as cosponsors of legislation already pending.? I believe there is a sizeable number of Senate Republicans have endorsed a Senate version of the same bill.

One house is controlled by the Republicans.? The other is controlled by the Democrats.? Guess which one the Columbus Dispatch has reported will begin hearings on Kasich’s tax plan?

Rep. John Adams, R-Sidney, will provide sponsor testimony on House Bill 400 on Tuesday before the House Ways and Means Committee. The committee chairman, Rep. Tom Letson, D-Warren, all but guaranteed it will not be the only hearing.

?I believe this discussion needs to be had and this is the time to have it,? Letson said of the bill, which would phase out Ohio?s income tax over 10 years. ?This is an idea that can only be called dangerous. I think it is basically a fiscal disaster.?

An analysis completed this week by the nonpartisan Legislative Service Commission said the bill would reduce general revenue fund totals by $814 million in fiscal year 2011, rising to a cut of more than $12 billion by 2020. It also would mean the loss of $79 million in 2011 for local governments and libraries, a figure that also would rise each year.

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The bill is co-sponsored by 30 House Republicans, including Rep. Josh Mandel of Lyndhurst, the likely GOP candidate for state treasurer, and Rep. Seth Morgan of Huber Heights, who has announced he is running for state auditor.

?If this is one of the cornerstones of the punitive (GOP) gubernatorial platform, this is something the public and legislature need to understand, so we?re going to give it the hearings,? Letson said. ?Let?s give it an airing. If it is as irresponsible as I think it is, then the Republicans may have to revise some of there thinking about this sort of thing.?

The Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee is calling Kasich’s tax plan out.? He’s going to do that which Kasich and his supporters have actively sought to avoid doing.? He’s going to tell the people of Ohio what a Kasich-Taylor Administration would mean: what cuts it would involve,what it would do to tuition, education, and other societal priorities, and yes, how it would lead to higher taxes elsewhere.

And who’s there to defend Kasich’s signature issue?? State Rep. John Adams, a guy who didn’t even complete a two-year degree from a California community college that doesn’t even offer a degree in economics.?

John Kasich can try to walk away from his tax platform.? But we won’t let him.? He formed a PAC on this issue.? He’s campaigned for over a year on this issue.? He WILL own this issue.? And it will be his campaign’s entire undoing.