BY SANDY THEIS
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
![[taft and fisher]](/editions/1998/10/20/taftfisher_180x132.jpg)
Bob Taft and Lee Fisher meet Monday with The Enquirer's editorial board.
(Michael E. Keating photo)
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Bob Taft, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor, said Monday he regretted inaccurate TV commercials run by his campaign, but defended the decision to attack his Democratic opponent, Lee Fisher.
"I regret to say our campaign made some mistakes," Mr. Taft said Monday. "We started this campaign on a positive note. . . . We were up against a candidate, however, who in all his past campaigns is known for negative advertising."
Mr. Fisher called the negative commercials "unprovoked" and "unfortunate given the fact that Mr. Taft is the chief elections official" of Ohio.
He also noted that Mr. Taft announced Friday plans to pull a separate controversial TV ad off the air, yet the ad continued to run on most TV stations throughout the weekend.
The two major-party candidates for governor exchanged insults and ideas Monday before The Cincinnati Enquirer's editorial board.
The joint appearance marked Mr. Taft's first public comments since the Ohio Elections Commission reprimanded his campaign Friday for running a misleading TV commercial.
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ON THE TUBE
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The hour-long session with The Enquirer editorial board can be seen at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday on WCET-TV (Channel 48).
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It also provided a preview of three upcoming gubernatorial debates. The first debate takes place Thursday in Toledo.
The Taft campaign's reprimand has clearly energized Mr. Fisher, who hinted that despite voter weariness over negative ads, his campaign plans to keep them coming.
"It's certainly fair for the candidates to be able to compare each other's records," Mr. Fisher said. "I have no problem with that. I do have a problem when a candidate or his campaign knowingly distorts his opponent's record."
The elections commission, a panel charged with policing political advertising, said the Taft campaign lied when it accused Mr. Fisher of cutting "crime-fighting" during his four years as attorney general.
Mr. Taft continues to hammer away at Mr. Fisher on the issue. He just chooses his words more carefully.
On Monday, he accused him of cutting the number of "special agents" during his time as attorney general. That assertion is true. State records show that the number of special agents went from 67 to 61during Mr. Fisher's tenure.
The same records, however, show that the number of crime-fighting employees rose from 201 to 222 during Mr. Fisher's time as attorney general.
During the appearance Monday, Mr. Fisher touted his record as Ohio's attorney general and promoted his proposed property tax cut.
His tax cut plan calls for the state to increase from 12.5 percent to 25 percent the amount of a homeowners' property taxes paid by the state. The tax cut would be capped at $275 annually.
The two disagreed over whether Ohio could afford the tax cut, which would cost about $530 million the first year.
Mr. Fisher argued that the plan is affordable, and said it is based on conservative economic forecasts from Republican Gov. George Voinovich's administration.
Mr. Taft has called for a series of smaller tax cuts, including a tax deduction for those who upgrade their job skills and property tax cuts for some senior citizens.
He called Mr. Fisher's tax cut plan "risky," and said, "I don't think it can be done."
By the time the state pays for mandated increases in public schools, Medicaid and other necessities, there will be little left over for other areas of the budget, Mr. Taft said.
"That's what they said about Gov. Bush in Texas," Mr. Fisher replied, saying that Gov. George W. Bush cut property taxes earlier this year without harming public schools.
Both candidates identified education as the No. 1 issue facing the voters, and both committed to more state support for school buildings.
They disagree, however, on the matter of school vouchers.
Mr. Taft supports the Cleveland-based vouchers experiment, which gives low-income students up to $2,500 annually to attend private schools.
The voucher program provides much-needed competition for Cleveland's public schools, he said, which have been plagued by financial and managerial problems.
Mr. Fisher would phase out the program and target the state's limited resources for public schools.
They also offered different views on the state's tort reform law, which caps damages in lawsuits.
Mr. Taft supports the law and said it provides a disincentive for frivolous lawsuits. If the courts deem the law unconstitutional, he vowed to work with the General Assembly to pass a new one.
Mr. Fisher called the damage caps "arbitrary" and "inappropriate," and said people who are harmed should be compensated for their losses.
On some issues, the two are in agreement.
Both said they will honor Mr. Voinovich's commitment to continue state support for Cincinnati's sports stadiums. Both said the support would not hinge on where the Cincinnati Reds' stadium is ultimately located, the riverfront or Broadway Commons.
Both men also stressed their experience and ability to lead.
"We must have a leader who is experienced and who cares," Mr. Taft said, pointing out his record as a state legislator, member of the Hamilton County Commission and his previous job, Ohio secretary of state.
"I've learned how to make tough decisions," he said.
Mr. Fisher also emphasized his record. He is a former state legislator and served as Ohio attorney general from January 1991 to January 1995.
"You're not voting for a pile of position papers," Mr. Fisher said. "You're voting for someone who is going to be a leader."
And leaders, he said, "tell the truth."
![[taft and fisher]](/editions/1998/10/20/taftfisher_550x402.jpg)