Gov. Kasich Should Visit Burbmerger Communities, Spend $2 mil "off-the-cuff" Toward Their Collaboration Efforts

I am not being sarcastic.

From the Plain Dealer:

While touring a research laboratory at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus the governor asked the hospital's CEO Dr. Steve Allen what it would take for all six Ohio children's hospitals to work more collaboratively on medical research projects.

"Does $1 million get your attention?" the straight-faced Republican governor asked Allen. "If I commit $1 million, can that get you all to work together?"

His offer then went up to $2 million and he got one of his staffers, there with him at the tour, to call his budget director, Tom Keen, while they stood there.

The mayors of Moreland Hills, Orange Village, Pepper Pike and Woodmere, plus the County Executive Ed Fitzgerald absolutely should get Ohio Governor John Kasich to tour the four communities - ASAP.  (And don't forget to include State Rep. Marlene Anielski and State Senator Tom Patton.)  With estate tax revenue and local government funds being eliminated, while the governor's approved budget has $45 million going toward a Local Government Innovation Fund which doesn't actually get funded until 2013, who wouldn't love to read a Plain Dealer headline about some advance seed money toward collaboration-oriented goals that reads:

"Gov. John Kasich spends $2 million off-the-cuff; unexpected cash is for Moreland Hills, Orange Village, Pepper Pike and Woodmere to collaborate"

Read more about the Local Government Innovation Fund here.

Ohio Chambers of Commerce Release Redesigning Ohio Report on State Government (WCPN broadcasts on it tomorrow)

Just as scrutiny of public employees and their wages and benefits hits a fever pitch and Ohio Governor-elect John Kasich is about to take office, several chambers of commerce have released their report on how state government should be redesigned. The stated goal is to make state government, "become more flexible, adaptable and innovative -- searching constantly for new ways to improve services and heighten productivity."  

Redesigning Ohio - Executive Summary

Redesigning Ohio - Full Report

Redesigning Ohio - Press Release

Sections 6 (Civil Service), 7 (Pension Benefits), 8 (Health Care) and 10 (Local Government) in the executive summary are worth noting (I've not read the full report or press releases yet but you can read the Crain's Cleveland Business article about it, out today, here).

Section 10 gives a hint at where the Kasich administration and/or the Ohio General Assembly will go with the Local Government Fund:

Strategically redirect the state’s Local Government Fund toward buying better results by earmarking 15 percent of the fund in FY 2012 and 20 percent of the fund in FY2013 for local government reform demonstration projects.

As a reminder, Pepper Pike has received about $125,000 from this fund each year.  I'm not of the total amount of the fund available for statewide distribution but this section's recommendation is to reduce that by 15% and then 20% and redistribute it for "local government reform demonstration projects."

I've not looked but the full report may have examples of what is meant by "local government reform demonstration projects" - I'm assuming joint districts and other forms of regionalism, perhaps technology-oriented as well.

Read more and listen to the WCPN/Ideastream Sound of Ideas show on this topic tomorrow, from 9-10am here.

VIDEO, Meeting Announcement re: Gas and Oil Drilling

The Ohio House schedule indicates that the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee (see members here) will be taking opponent and interested party testimony regarding the issue of oil and gas drilling regulation, and specifically SB 165, on this Wednesday, January 26, starting at 9:30am in Room 018 in the basement of the Statehouse.  For those interested, the suggested way to prepare testimony is to describe your story, keep it to a very few minutes and review the testimony given last week by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (which you can see in the Scribd document below) in addition to SB 165 itself.

If you don't feel familiar enough with the issue, I suggest listening to this WCPN Sound of Ideas show with pro and con representatives here.  I also suggest watching this short trailer video about the pervasive expansion of drilling throughout the country as covered in the documentary, Split Estate, which will be screened this Friday, January 29, 6:30 p.m., at Lakeland Community College, 7700 Clocktower Dr., Room T129, Kirtland. Hattip Cleveland Scene.