COLUMBUS — In an elected career that spans 25 years, 2001 will stand out as one year Gov. Bob Taft might prefer to forget.

        The decline of the national and state economies put an end to a two-year political honeymoon and left Mr. Taft struggling to balance the state's checkbook while searching for hundreds of millions more dollars to try to adequately fund schools.

Gov. Taft

        As the tax dollars dwindled, so did the supply of goodwill between the governor and the General Assembly. Democrats always had a list of complaints, but even GOP leaders at times criticized their governor as a weak leader.

        In a year-end interview Wednesday with The Cincinnati Enquirer at his Columbus residence, Mr. Taft acknowledged the difficulties but said his leadership skills passed a tough test.

        “I think we demonstrated that we could come together and reconcile our differences and govern the state in tough times,” the Hamilton County Republican said. “I think we made the best out of a bad situation.”

        Democrats hope to defeat Mr. Taft in November by persuading voters that the governor could have done much better.

        They point to the state's child-support payment scandal in which state agency officials recently agreed to repay $38 million in illegally withheld support payments, plus interest. They also criticized funding cuts to state universities that spurred steep mid-year tuition increases.

        “Is the Taft re-election slogan going to be "It could have been worse?'” asked Dave Leland, Ohio Democratic Party chairman. “That's the only thing that I can see that they can say.”

        Buoyed by a surging economy, Mr. Taft's first two years in office were comparatively easy. Tax revenues were so plentiful the governor and lawmakers increased government spending and school funding, and still returned $1 billion to taxpayers.

        Faced with an Ohio Supreme Court order to spend millions more on schools and with growing deficits in the budget, Mr. Taft; House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford; and Senate President Richard Finan, R-Evendale, publicly fought over the solution and on other controversial issues.

        Negotiations over the governor's budget and school funding proposals led House Republicans to complain they were inadequate and that the governor was forcing them to do the necessary “dirty work” of diverting needed funds from other government services to schools.

        In the end, the General Assembly passed a $1.4 billion school funding reform plan, spending about $600 million more than Mr. Taft originally proposed. That extra money came largely at the expense of spending increases Mr. Taft promised state agencies and universities.

        This year's economic slowdown and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks sent the state treasury into a tailspin.

        Lawmakers gave the governor most of what he wanted in a recently passed bill that erased a $1.5 billion budget deficit. The plan cut spending by $600 million and increased revenue by accelerating the sales tax on car leases and by allowing Ohio to join a multistate lottery, such as Powerball. It also wiped out a fund that had been cutting state income taxes.

        “I think they (voters) understand why we need the dollars. They understand the economic downturn,” Mr. Taft said. “I think they understand the need for a safety net for people who are laid off and unemployed. They certainly support funding for education.”

        Looking ahead, the governor sees more tough questions and no easy answers.

        Mr. Taft said another budget bill may be needed if there is no economic revival. Mediated talks between the state and a coalition of schools could produce a settlement of the school funding lawsuit that would require millions the state doesn't have.

        Last week, Mr. Householder revived a proposal that would put video slot machines at Ohio's racetracks should the state need more money for schools. Mr. Taft said he remains adamantly opposed to any proposal that would create what he calls racetrack casinos.

        He also is wary of a bill that would let law-abiding Ohioans carry concealed weapons. He repeated a threat to veto any bill that doesn't have the support of Ohio law enforcement agencies.

        Mr. Taft did predict his at-times-rocky relationship with Mr. Finan and Mr. Householder would improve.

        “When you go through something difficult together and you are successful, that strengthens your relationship from that point forward,” the governor said. “I think we will have an even better relationship in the year ahead.”

        Mr. Householder agreed.

        “I think it's good for us to debate issues and I think it's good for us to have friendly arguments,” Mr. Householder said. “I think the governor has done a good job in trying to adjust his administration in order to carry us through a tough economy and hopefully create a better situation very soon in the state of Ohio.”

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