What Democratic lawmakers are saying about the State of the State

Tuesday night, House lawmakers listened to Governor Kasich lay out his priorities and recap some past policies during his State of the State address in Wilmington.Here is what House lawmakers are saying about the Governor’s State of the State address:

"The trickle-down economic policies that the Governor proposes shift the responsibility of paying for schools, roads and bridges and community services to middle-class families and those that can least afford it. This kind of tax shifting does not create economic growth…We need to invest in what matters to every day Ohioans." – Rep. Denise Driehaus (D-Cincinnati)

“What his proposals actually do is shift the costs of running our state to the poor and middle class in order to provide yet another upper class tax cut, which as yet hasn't provided the growth in both jobs and income that we desperately need...” – Rep. Dan Ramos (D-Lorain)

“At this critical juncture, we must invest in Ohio's students and infrastructure in order to fully ramp up our employment capabilities as we prepare for global economic challenges. This budget makes it even more difficult to effectively educate our students.” – Rep. John Patterson (D-Jefferson)

“This [budget] proposal is a continuation of the ever increasing burden being placed on our local communities to provide the services their citizens expect with less and less support from the State, which inevitably leads to rising tax rates at the local level.”   -- Rep. John Rogers (D-Mentor-on-the-Lake)

“The Governor's remarks this evening were out of touch with the realities of everyday Ohioans. With 16 percent of Ohioans living in poverty and middle class families' wages stagnating, Governor Kasich wants to shift the burden of restoring our state's economy on to the shoulders of those struggling to make ends meet by raising the sales tax.” – Rep. Kathleen Clyde (D-Kent)

“Thank goodness Governor Kasich finally has the courage to stand up for Ohio’s wealthy.  These tax shift policies give comfort to the comfortable while adding to the burden of those already struggling.” – Rep. Kent Smith (D-Euclid)

“I traveled to Wilmington hoping to hear sensible proposals to strengthen our public education system and support our middle class; instead, I heard the Governor continue to push tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and continue to favor private charter schools at the expense of our struggling public schools...” – Rep. Michele Leopre-Hagan (D-Youngstown)

“We can’t put politics ahead of making critical investments that improve the quality of our children’s education, expand access to healthcare and rebuild our local communities. There’s still a lot of work to be done.” – Rep. Christie Kuhns (D-Cincinnati)

“I was disappointed to hear Governor Kasich continue to push policies that have failed. Paying for tax cuts for the wealthy few by raising taxes on the rest of us isn't just wrong, it hurts the economy, too. And cutting our schools to pay for failing charter schools doesn't make sense either. I hope we can change this budget so it works for Ohio, and I hope we can get Governor Kasich to pay attention to what Ohio really needs.” – Rep. Debbie Phillips (D-Albany)

“I look forward to working alongside the Governor and the members of the majority in remedying our disagreements, and finding ways to not only move Ohio forward but to strengthen the middle class and return much-needed funding to our local governments.” – Assistant Minority Leader Nick Celebrezze (D-Parma)

“Tonight, I wanted to see the Governor talk to Ohioans who are still struggling to make ends meet.  Instead I felt a disconnect with the fact that we have about 80,000 fewer jobs than we did when the great recession started, and that poverty is up and median income is down.

“More trickle-down economic policies shift the responsibility of paying for schools, tax incentives for businesses, and community services to middle-class families. We’re risking derailing Ohio’s already-sluggish economic recovery in order to provide another break for those who don’t really need it.

“We can’t continue to squeeze working and middle class families to pay for tax cuts that only benefit the wealthy few; we can’t put politics ahead of making the necessary investments for our future in necessities like quality education, healthcare, and thriving communities that attract businesses.

“So, while we were pleased to hear the governor lay out a plan to address the challenges that we face, we're also concerned that the state continues down a road that puts the wealth of the one percent over the strength of our families, the opportunity for a higher quality of life and the prosperity of all Ohioans.” – Democratic Leader Fred Strahorn (D-Dayton)