BY MICHAEL HAWTHORNE
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS -- Looking to boost their standing in opinion polls, proponents of state Issue 2 are accusing one of their adversaries of promoting a $4.5 billion alternative.
Every Child Counts, a coalition of groups backing a 1-cent on the dollar sales tax increase on the May 5 ballot, began airing TV commercials Thursday that outline its latest campaign strategy.
"Four billion dollars is what opponents want to spend to fix our schools," a narrator says in the 30-second spot. "That's why we need a responsible plan -- Issues 1 and 2. It spends a fraction of that to create a guaranteed School Trust Fund."
Issue 1 would allow the state to issue bonds to fix school facilities. Issue 2 is the sales tax hike.
The pro-Issue 2 group based the figure on an analysis of a school-funding plan issued last year by the Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding, a group that represents 550 of Ohio's 611 school districts.
William Phillis, the coalition's executive director, said the plan was a list of options, not mandated programs. He accused Issue 2 supporters of resorting to scare tactics to drum up support for the penny tax.
While Mr. Phillis has repeatedly refused to put a price tag on the plan, the costs were estimated by Greg Browning, former director of the state Office of Budget and Management and now a paid consultant for the pro-Issue 2 campaign committee.
Mr. Browning said his estimate included:
- $1.4 billion to raise the number of mills that property tax can increase with inflation to 28.6, from 10.
- $1 billion to boost basic per-pupil aid to $4,600.
- $698 million to replace lottery profits that would be diverted from school operations to repairing school facilities.
- $577 million to extend the school year by 10 days.
- $360 million to allocate $200 per student for textbooks, computer software and other educational materials.
- $253 million to expand all-day kindergarten statewide.
- $225 million to add five days for staff development.
By contrast, the plan advocated by supporters of Issue 2 would cost $1.1 billion annually, half of which would be earmarked for schools and the rest for homeowner property tax credits.
Proponents are asking voters to approve the sales tax increase to finance their plan.
State Rep E.J. Thomas, a Columbus Republican who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, said he fears the Ohio Supreme Court could force legislators to implement the coalition's plan if voters reject Issue 2.
"We're trying to protect the people," he said. "I want every taxpayer out there to be aware that possibility exists."
At the same time, Mr. Thomas acknowledged that passage of such a plan would be politically impossible.
The most recent Ohio Poll shows voters are split evenly on the issue.
The poll, sponsored by the Enquirer and the University of Cincinnati, found that 44 percent of Ohio's likely voters would vote for the one-cent tax increase, while 45 percent would oppose it. Eleven percent were undecided.
The random telephone survey of 614 likely voters from across the state, conducted April 1 through April 8, had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
