AFP - Ohio budget

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Jededie first forty one to four cast hot day today,
of course ninety three for the high heat index above
one hundred. Opportunity to some pop up afternoon storms. They
see best chances between one pm and eight pm APMs,
when the heat advisor is set to end. We're going
to go overnight low of seventy four, just a slight
chance of storms. Tomorrow's high in ninety two with some
afternoon pop up storms a possibility. Clear of a night

(00:23):
very muggy though, seventy four for the low, and I
have ninety four on Friday again with isolated storms in
the afternoon a possibility. It's seventy seven degrees now. Time
for traffic from.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
The U see tramphing center.

Speaker 3 (00:35):
You see how to go find comprehensive care that's so
personal it makes your best tomorrow possible. That's boundless care
for vetter outcomes, expect more. Do you see how dot
com He spent two seventy five shut down at Hamilton Avenue,
traffic backing up to cold rain because of an accident
near Winton. The weft lanes are blocked near the accident
seen on westbound two seventy five, northbound seventy five. There's

(00:57):
now an accident above Gabert that's banking trapping past the lateral.
Chuck King ram on fifty five krs, the talk station.

Speaker 1 (01:06):
Seven thirty one, I think about KARSD talk station Happy Wednesday,
Don on any Americans for Prosperity returns and the Senate
in a state of Ohio release its budget proposals, So
we're going to dive on into that. Welcome back, Don.
It's always good having you on the show, Brian.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Always a pleasure to be with you. Thanks for having me.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, it's something you and the folks in Americans for
Prosperity were working on is lowering the state income tax.
And I guess you got at least part of what
you're looking for. Anybody making over twenty six fifty one
dollars will pay a flat two point seventy five percent,
which some are calling a discount for those making a
whole lot of money. People used to used to pay

(01:46):
I guess three and a half percent over one hundred
thousand dollars. They've eliminated that to go with the flat tax.
I'm sure you're you're happy about that.

Speaker 4 (01:55):
Well, yeah, getting Ohio to a flat tax is a
critical first step to getting Ohio to a zero percent
income tax, and that's been our long stated goal. Getting
to making this leap happen at this time in this
state budget is critical to that long term objective, and
so we're thrilled that in the conference committee reports, nothing's

(02:18):
grant nothing's taken for granted here, but the Conference Committee
of both the House and the Senate Finance Committee leadership
saul right to keep this in the final conference report
that they'll send to the floor of both chambers today
ultimately go to the governor.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
And this is big for the state of.

Speaker 1 (02:34):
Ohio well, and obviously makes this more competitive. Some states
don't have any income tax, and you know, you look
at I believe of what Texas, Florida, it's a huge
draw for businesses and others who are trying to get
away from heavy taxation. So I understand the point how
much money. I'm sure there are people who were objecting
to this discount, but moving from three point five percent

(02:54):
over one hundred thousand do to two point seventy five percent,
how much money will the state not be taking and
what does that equal to in terms of millions or
billions of dollars? As the case may be in less
generated revenue.

Speaker 2 (03:08):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
I think what we've seen from the Legislative Service analysis
and what our Democrat progressive friends have been yelling out
is one point six billion dollars unless revenue at the
state will collect.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
But here's the interesting thing.

Speaker 4 (03:21):
We've gone over the last decade from nine tax brackets
with the top marginal rate of four point ninety nine
percent down to where we are currently today with two
brackets top rate of three point five percent. In that
same period of time, we've seen our revenues on both
income and sales tax increase to the tune of about

(03:41):
four or five billion dollars. This isn't surprising stuff, Brian, right.
We see this happen on a federal level when the
tax cuts were enacted twenty seventeen, When the Reagan tax
cuts were enacted in the eighties, people had more money.
They put that money into the economy. The government found
its way into our pockets one way or another. But
we do it not by having that money go to

(04:02):
Washington or Columbus and be redistributed by the bureaucrats. We
have that money invested into our communities, our states, our businesses,
our families, our homes, our properties. That then enables right
these low flat, broad based taxes to collect those revenues
and fund the essential services that we need. We're just
letting the people decide where they're going to spend their money,

(04:24):
not the bureaucrats.

Speaker 1 (04:26):
Well, and that's always a good thing from my perspective,
and one point six billion it doesn't.

Speaker 2 (04:33):
I don't look at that.

Speaker 1 (04:34):
As a sizable figure, particularly noting that the budget does
include one point seven billion in unclaimed funds to fund
a sports and cultural and various sports and cultural projects,
so they can throw that money out of the world
give six hundred million dollars to the Browns, which really
just frankly and directly pisses me off. I don't think
one can complain about one point six billion dollars less

(04:55):
going into Columbus.

Speaker 4 (04:58):
Well, no, and I think we're the complaints come from
a one point six billion is they want to find
new and expanded ways to spend money. Here's another thing
that's important what we're doing on this budget. And the
final numbers from the conference report aren't available yet, and
the appropriations we'll see those soon enough. But the Governor,
with the Senate and House ultimately did was trim back

(05:19):
the governor's spending proposals by about five five and a
half billion dollars. We're still growing the state government here
in Ohio by about I think seven or eight billion,
give or take, and we're doing that off of already
what I would say are inflated.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
Numbers coming out of COVID.

Speaker 4 (05:37):
Right, there were large cash infusions from the federal government
that caused our budget to balloon tens of billions of
dollars over the last couple of buyenniums, and we're not
raining some of that in So the key thing here
is we've expanded government over the last couple of buy
aenems due to these cash infusions from the federal government,
and we're continuing to budget in a way that grows

(05:59):
are spending.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Senate trimmed some.

Speaker 4 (06:00):
Of that back, but we really need to be restrained
going forward in our growth in.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
The way we spend money.

Speaker 4 (06:09):
Ultimately, is going to take a governor who says I
want a flat budget or I'm going to really, you know,
take some heavy cuts to what the state government's doing.

Speaker 2 (06:17):
But we'll get to that, you know, in the coming months.
In years, it's.

Speaker 1 (06:21):
Gonna say we don't have one of those right now,
Donald the neil hold On will bring it back and
talking about some other elements involved in the state budget.
More with Americans for Prosperity Dona Anil after I mentioned
affordable imaging services, speaking of money and ways to save
heap loads of money. Exercise your right to choose where
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hospital imaging department. Hospitals own your physicians practice. That's usually

(06:43):
the case these days. They want to keep the money
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you to the hospital imaging department. We're an echo cardiogram,
probably sit around for three weeks to a month waiting
around to get the appointment. Thirty five hundred dollars or
more is what you're going to pay separate bill perhaps
for the board certified radio. I'll just report you need
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(07:04):
an enhancement, eight hundred with an enhancement for an echo
cardiogram at affordable imaging services. I've got my MRI as
well as CT scans done at affordable imaging services. Yeah,
expect low overhead, but see the same equipment that the
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with a board certified radiologist report in the in the
payment structure four ninety five with no enhancement for an

(07:28):
MRI instead of thirty five hundred bucks, talk about huge
savings five grand for a CT scan at the hospital. No.
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it's always worked out great for me. Tell them, I said, hi,
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Speaker 2 (07:52):
Fifty five KRC.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Here we gore channelnine first one of other four k asks.
Gonna be a sunny day until it turns partly cloudy.
They see pop up afternoon storms more likely between one
pm and APM eight pm the end of the heat
advisory justifiable ninety three for the high with a heat
index they say around one hundred and four overnight down
to seventy four. Just a slight chance of storms remaining
tomorrow partly cloudy with pop up afternoon storms kind of

(08:19):
like today ninety two for the high with an overnight
lowes seventy four again and very muggy ninety four the
high on Friday and again afternoon isolated storms could happen
seventy seven degrees. Now, let's see what Chuck's got on
traffic from the.

Speaker 2 (08:33):
U see on Traffic Center.

Speaker 3 (08:34):
You see health. You find comprehensive care that's so personal
and make sure best tomorrow possible. That's boundless care for
better outcomes. Expect more at you seehelp dot com. He
spend two seventy five blocked off at Hamilton Avenue due
to an early morning accident. The left lanes are blocked
westbound two seventy five and Winton for that wreck having

(08:54):
traffic east found on the Reagan Highway between Cold Rain
and seventy five and northbound seventy. I I'm slow out
of Saint Bernard to a wreck near Calbert set King
Bramont fifty five KARCD talk station.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
Seven forty one Here fifty five KRCIT talk station Happy Wednesday.
Judge Anena Paula tann are coming up in eight thirty
and Brandon Nixon we Insidia. He is a Republican. He
also is running for since a city council. The meantime
from Americans for Prosperity Donald and Neil walking through some
of the items in the budget which the Senate released
here in the state of Ohio. Donovan, real quick, I
got to bounce off your head, just get your initial reaction.

(09:31):
We don't need to talk about it at length, but
I had Greg Lasson for the Buck Institute talking about
the proposal to amend the constitution to eliminate the property
tax and the complication, the myriad complications that will arise
if that, in fact happens. Has Americans for Prosperity taken
a position on that particular initiative, just real quick.

Speaker 4 (09:51):
We haven't taken an official position on it, but I
think what the folks who are advocating for that, I
think we were fellow travels with that right.

Speaker 2 (10:00):
We are taxed enough already.

Speaker 4 (10:02):
We need to do something about this, as Greg and
others will point out, and we sort of recognize as well,
it's not as simple as just the limits and property taxes.
But what I think is important in that what that's
doing and the folks who have who're circling with petitions
and doing that work or doing is it's raising the
specter of this in Columbus. It is something that's talked

(10:22):
about in all corners of tap Square, and you know,
folks want to see something happen here or else. I
think there's a very real reality that goes on the
ballot and who knows what happens after that.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
Oh my god, the work that they'll have to do
to unring or to deal with the aftermath of that,
and how things are funded, it's just going to be
a nightmare scenario, that's what might. It makes me laugh
every time I think about it. Those guys haven't done
jack squat to address the problem, and now they're facing
I mean, it's like they're facing the end of a
gun here to their head with this initiative coming up

(10:55):
on the ballot. So anyhow, I'm sure you and I'll
have further discussions about that, but I know funding was
something that's in the state budget. Talk about what you
saw in the Senate bill.

Speaker 4 (11:06):
Well, yeah, And it's interesting Hollywood, Washington, d C. And
state capitals are the only places where you know, fantasy
can become reality, and it's fantasy here really.

Speaker 2 (11:16):
Brand is school districts.

Speaker 4 (11:19):
School boards, the teachers unions in particular complaining about an
increase and their funding. They're arguing, right that they that
what they thought they were going to get was lower
than what they got and hence that's a cut. Really
is state of Ohio spending more and more on education
every by aneum. It's a you know, from both the
state share. And then going back to property taxes. The

(11:41):
reason one of the major reasons our property taxes are
as high as they are is because the various tactics
and tools that the school boards across the state use
to sort of increase unvoted put unvoted tax increases on
property owners in the state. And so we want money
to go to education. We think parents, families should be

(12:01):
able to choose how to spend those dollars. They're the
ones best equipped to keep the system accountable and honest
and get the best outcomes education. Seeing an increase in
this budget, that's a good thing. Some of the proposals
by the Senate to increase performance on that, I think
are what we really need. Right we hear folks like
the vig Ramaswami talk about we need to get better
outcomes in our station. I think We're still a ways

(12:24):
off from that that being done. But you know, to
our friends and family who are in the education space
who are saying that the world is crumbling and education
is underfunded. In the state, education is seeing an increase
in funding in this budget, maybe just not as much
as our friends at the Ohio Education Association the OEA
Teachers Union would like it to be.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
Well, this is something else that Greg Lawston for the
Buck Institute brought up. You know, state dollars, like federal dollars,
come with strings attached. So if you're getting education dollars
from Columbus, they can require performance standards for example.

Speaker 2 (12:58):
Right, that's right, Well, that's right. Well, and that's the other.

Speaker 4 (13:02):
Part of it, right is you talk again, This all
wines back to property taxes and the thirty nine hundred
plus political subdivisions that exist in the state, but specifically
on education. These folks want the money without the strength
right now. They want all the reward without any other
risk or the accountability that comes with it. And that's
a problem we've in. Any time lawmakers begin to kind

(13:24):
of Columbus push on that in a good way, they
get slapped back down because every one of these school boards. Right,
six hundred school boards each with what five to seven members? Right,
that's a couple thousand lobbyists right there. Add in the
teachers' unions and they're paid folks, that's another couple thousand
lobbyists descending on the state House. We need to push

(13:45):
back against these folks harder and harder if we're going
to actually get the accountability and reform we deserve.

Speaker 1 (13:49):
Exactly putting myself in a position of elected capacity, either
as a senator or a representative. You know, my response
to those people knocking on my door demanding more money
and no account on ability. My dad sold phrase, I
got two words for you, and it ain't happy birthday.
How come these people are in capable of just saying no,
get the hell out of my office.

Speaker 4 (14:09):
Well, I think we begin to I think what we're
seeing is a beginning, that beginning in that cultural shift.

Speaker 1 (14:13):
Right.

Speaker 4 (14:13):
You have decades of folks just being told yes that
when you begin to tell them no, it.

Speaker 2 (14:20):
You know, it's it's a shock, it's a it's a
it's a.

Speaker 4 (14:23):
Tectonic plate shift here, right, And I think what we're
beginning to see is that shift. What again, what I
think it ultimately takes. And this is where as an organization,
we have a little bit of a long view on
a lot of this stuff, right, So we look for
these minor these these cultural shifts where the cruise ship
is turning, the big cruise ship is turning. We've got
the right folks in the legislature who are willing to

(14:43):
say those things, to make those to make those reforms,
introduce those reforms, talk about those reforms. I think in
a lot of ways, what we really need is as
an executive who's going to also drive that mandate.

Speaker 1 (14:56):
Right, ramis Slammy Viva Ramaswami looking forward to the days
when we have him in office, when he'll embrace this
stuff all day long. Donovan, I'm going to hold you
over for one more segment because it looks like we
have some really good news on regulatory reform. I like
what I'm reading here and I want you explain it
to my listeners. Seven forty seven. But you have have
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Speaker 2 (16:05):
Org fifty five KRC.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
John and I first one to we whole Cask. Got
a sunny day to day until it gets cloudy. Pop
Up afternoon storms are likely or possible between one and
eight pm ninety three the high with a north of
one hundred heat index. Heat advisory ends at eight pm.
Overnight low is seventy four ninety two to the high tomorrow,
with again pop up storms in the afternoon eight possibility
seventy four and muggy overnight and Friday high in ninety

(16:30):
four and afternoon isolated storms could happen again seventy eight.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Right now, time for traffic.

Speaker 3 (16:36):
From the UC Traffic Center. At you see Health, you'll
find comprehensive care that's so personal it makes your best
tomorrow possible. That's boundless care for better outcomes. Expect more
at you see holp dot com. He spend two seventy
five is shut down at Hamilton Avenue due to an
early morning wreck.

Speaker 2 (16:53):
Traffic pack's the coal ring.

Speaker 3 (16:54):
Left lanes are blocked westbound two seventy five at Went
and for that same wreck, northbound seventy five slow above
seventy four into Lockmann as a wreck above Gabret Chucking, Vermont,
fifty five krs the talk station.

Speaker 1 (17:08):
Seven fifty Coming up in seven fifty one fifty five
KRCD talk station, enjoying our conversation with Donald and Neil,
learning a bit of a little bit about what's in
the Senate proposed budget coming out just came out today.
Moving over to regulatory form, Donovan, this appears like a
good thing to me.

Speaker 4 (17:26):
Yeah, actually really excited to see this included in this
this final Conference Committee report that'll be voted on later today.
With the floor of the House and the Senate. We've
been talking about the Rains Act before. Yeah, they need
to continue to strengthen regulatory reform. It appears got to
have the lawyers and the policy folks take a take
a look at it with the fine Tooth compan It
appears like many of the provisions of the Rains Act,

(17:48):
as well as some strengthening on what we call guidance
I think called guidance documents that agencies put out, has
been included in this budget.

Speaker 2 (17:57):
It's pretty interesting stuff.

Speaker 1 (17:59):
Well, in the proposed rule says that any any proposed rule,
these would be the regulations that come out from some unnamed,
unelected fishial in the back room that cost taxpayers or
businesses over one hundred thousand dollars or have more than
one million dollars in overall economic impact. They got to
do a detailed cost analysis now for every rule and

(18:19):
to the extent it has that economic impact at that
monetary level, it can be paused, it can be rejected,
or it goes to the full General Assembly for approval.
So the General Assembly actually has to vote on something
that's going to have that that that economic impact.

Speaker 4 (18:34):
Yeah, and that's that's incredibly transformational that it is exact
kind of stuff we're talking about right where right now,
jcart does a phenomenal job providing scrutiny to all the
rules and regulations that the executive agencies are putting out.
But what we've asked for right and what the rains
Acts does is it has an extra layer scrutiny to
those things, those items that you just pointed.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Out there by requiring go.

Speaker 4 (18:56):
To the full General Assembly. Now there's a couple of
different pathways there. We want to make sure that you know,
there's not some sort of default if the j car
doesn't sort of keep his hand on the steering wheel here,
that the rule can just go into place. But what
it appears to do is say that if it if
it triggers or goes over that one hundred thousand or
one million dollars on economic drag impact, that it goes

(19:19):
to the General Assembly, and it has to be the
General asembly has to approve that rule. That'd be transformational
for the state of Ohio and really begin to stop
and stem the tide of proliferation we're seeing in new
rules occurring here in the state of Ohio.

Speaker 1 (19:34):
One might argue that's probably the most important provision in
this budget proposal. They're going to vote on it today
you say, yeah, later this afternoon, they'll they'll be voting.
Here's here's another one I want to point out as well,
that's in there. So one of the things we found
and actually you mentioned the VEG Gramaswami he joined us
for a telephone town hall last week talking about these

(19:55):
provisions red Tape Production and Regulatory Reform.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
And RAINS Act. There are these nasty little things that
are beginning to pop up. So as agencies remove rules,
do two or one in two out type provisions cut
by thirty percent, what they do is they'll they'll go
to the agency and say we cut all these rules.
But then what they do are these guidance documents, these
sort of you know, secret not so secret documents that

(20:20):
they'll whip out whenever they choose to sort of enforce
things that that are those rules that they said they
got rid of, but just in a different form that
allows them to sort of circumvent what they're supposed to do.
In this language here, they're going to actually begin to
have a greater scrutiny and make sure that j CAR
will have the ability to make sure that these executive

(20:42):
agencies don't create these rules in other obtuse ways, like
through guidance documents. It's a powerful sort of tool to
reign in these bureaucrafts.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
The guidance document sounds like an advisory opinion kind of thing.

Speaker 4 (20:56):
You know, Yeah, they talked about them. These these things
are just you know, they'll find any way, right, the
bureaucrats will find any way.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
To do what they do best. That doesn't sound like
it has any teeth. I mean, I'm going back to
my dad's comment about I got two words for it
ain't happy birthday. Someone can offer me a guidance opinion,
and I can say, you know what, I'm going to
go a different direction than your guidance suggests I go.
I mean, what ramifications could possibly come about from that?

Speaker 4 (21:23):
Well, so just to be clear, this is what the
bureaucrats are doing. They're doing to get that and what
the language is trying to do is kind of snuff
that out and say no, no, no. When you said
you got rid of the rule or the regulation, you
don't get to bring that rule or regulation back through
some other form or function. Well, and bully businesses in
the state of Ohio. You got rid of that rule.

(21:44):
That rule does not exist. You don't get to do it.
You don't get a bully businesses anymore bureaucrats. If you
want to impose a new rule, you come to us
and say you want to do it in the legislature.
Prove or deny that.

Speaker 1 (21:54):
I was just trying to understand how it practically works.
If the rule has been abolished, then you can offer
a guidance that goes by the way of the rule
that was abolished, and I can feel free to say,
go to hell, I'm not following it because it's no
longer a rule. But practically speaking, I guess you know
it goes on anyhow without a doubt.

Speaker 4 (22:12):
And the problem, as you can imagine, right is it's
the business owner having to push back against you know,
the state EPE and the stated EPA's word, and that's
going to cost you time and money. Even if you're
a business who's in the right, that's time and money.
Let's just knock that stuff out in the first Placemen
don't have to deal with it.

Speaker 1 (22:29):
I understand the practical area implications behind fighting this system.
I'm just appreciative that at least some people are in
a position to fight the system. Donovan and Neil Americans
for prosperity. God bless you and the work that you
and the team do each and every day on behalf
of the Ohio taxpayer. I'll look forward to another conversation
with you and hopefully more good news like this regulatory
form going through seven fifty six fifty five cares of

(22:51):
the talk station. Brandon Nixon, a Republican, another one running
for since City Council, is going to be in studio
for the next segment, followed by Judge Anapolitano, who's defending
Massy and talking about the coming state Police.

Speaker 2 (23:02):
That'll be a thirty stick around you will be called
the twelve Day War. I suppose that's what we were
nicknaming it already. Another update at the top of the hour,
the use of military force. Fifty five peers the talk
station