Kasich = Economic Disaster

This morning I was cleaning out my spam and I found a press release from the John Kasich campaign in my spam filter. That was the appropriate place for it.

Kasich has announced what he calls an economic plan, but it leaves me scratching my head. It sounds more like just moving the pieces around (I know, deck chairs on the Titanic — I was trying to avoid using THAT metaphor) but not moving in any direction. Basically, he's saying he wants to outsource the state's development department, claiming that experts from the private sector would be better at creating jobs. Considering that they haven't created any recently and that they enhance profitability by destroying jobs, this seems like a huge leap.

"As governor, John Kasich will replace Ohio’s government-run economic development functions with JobsOhio, a new not-for-profit corporation which will report to the governor and oversee the state’s efforts to revive the state’s economy and create jobs. A private-sector approach to economic development will be more responsive to the needs of business."

That's debatable, given the track record of the so-called "private sector."

And Kasich is making some utter ludicrous contentions.

For instance, he's claiming

"A board of directors comprised of CEOs will be an important asset for selling the state at the highest levels."

Or would they be out for themselves and the needs and profitability of their own business and their own stockholders. Seems to me that unless these CEOs severed their business interests there is vast room for conflict of interest.

He says that "An expert staff focused solely on economic development will give businesses confidence that their needs will be met and help rebuild Ohio’s reputation as a good place for business."

Private businesses in Ohio have demonstrated that the needs of business don't necessarily dovetail with the needs of workers, and most often don't involve creating jobs but outsourcing them. And who is going to comprise that "expert staff"? Big campaign donors?

And most laughably,

"The increased accountability of a private corporation will produce better results."

Increased accountability of a PRIVATE CORPORATION? I'm surprised Kasich can deliver t hat with a straight face. By definition, "private" corporations are way LESS acountable than any government entity, which is subject to public disclosure rules. OK, so they don't always follow them, but they are there and can be pursued. You don't have a right as a citizen to pursue a private corporation's inside information.

I'll tell you what it sounds like to me. It sounds like Kasich wants to take the tax dollars going into economic development through an accountable public department and redirect them to the pockets of his buddies. Is David Brennan going to be one of these brilliant CEOs? I wouldn't be surprised since he's drenched GOP candidates in donations. A few years ago, it's virtually certain Tom Noe would have been a pick.

Reading over Kasich's plan, there's virtually nothing trustworthy about it. It sounds like a road map to return to the budget-sapping, economy-destroying corruption that put the Republicans out of office to begin with. And it would do it again, should Kasich win — only this time, the state's economy might be too devastated to ever recover.