To the editor:
The recently passed Ohio budget is the latest artifact of the U.S. oligarchy. The income tax cut for Ohioans earning over $100,000 from 3.15 to 2.75% was a smaller version of the billionaire tax cut in the Big Beautiful Bill (also known as the Oligarch’s Bill).
So, how will these bills help southeast Ohioans? Not very much. According to Ohio House Minority Leader, Dani Isaacsohn, Ohioans will need an income of at least $250,000 to receive a significant benefit, and 40% of the benefit will go to the top 1% of income earners.
Nationally, the tax cut was funded by Medicaid cuts, which threatens both the quality of health care and the existence of rural hospitals throughout SE Ohio. At the state level, the Ohio legislature has abandoned the Fair School Funding Plan and fallen far short of their constitutional duty to fund public schools. Instead, two billion dollars are being spent on charter schools and school vouchers, opportunities that, for the most part, are not available for SE Ohio students.
One consolation for SE Ohioans: when visiting Cleveland you can stop by the Browns new football stadium, funded with 600 million dollars awarded to billionaire Jimmy Haslam by the Ohio legislature (rather than funding schools or health care).
No, these bills will not help SE Ohioans. The odd thing is that SE Ohio representatives in the Ohio House and Senate and the U.S .House and Senate all voted for them. Who are they working for?
John Henning
Athens, Ohio
