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| You Are Here: Home > Press Kit > News Releases > March 26, 1998 |
March
26, 1998 "The Ohio legislature pulled off another magic trick yesterday," David Zanotti, president of the Ohio Roundtable, said. "In a single day, without sufficient hearings, research, or public input, the General Assembly passed a property tax relief measure that effectively amends the language of HB697 and changes the meaning of Issue 2." The Roundtable is leading the legal challenges against HB697/Issue 2 by filing suit to keep the measure from reaching the ballot. Zanotti is issuing this statement, citing several objections to the recent action of the Legislature. "The hypocrisy of this action is overwhelming. Last week the political leadership in Columbus did not plan to deal with the property tax issue. They claimed there was not time to get into such a detailed matter. Suddenly, one week later, a bill is introduced and passed in one day. The reason is simple and clear. House and Senate leaders are attempting to cover up the flaws in Issue 2. They think Ohio voters can be bribed by a promised $275 property-tax break. "Furthermore the tax relief promised is still not fully developed in law. We still don’t know how the tax relief will be given. Will it be a rollback or a tax credit? No one knows. This means there will be another railroaded vote somewhere down the line. There are still no guarantees here--absolutely none. "Why didn’t the Legislature put the tax relief up to a vote of the people? It is a part of the same bill (HB697) that includes the tax increase? If the voters have the right to decide on a tax increase, shouldn’t they be allowed to vote on the property tax relief as well? "This action proves our case that Issue 2 is a trap that voters should avoid," Zanotti explained. "The language of Issue 2 can be changed anytime the Legislature desires. They can do it in a day, just like they did yesterday. They can change the deal anyway they please. More taxes, less money for the schools--whatever the leadership dictates. The vote being requested on May 5 this nothing more than an expensive public opinion poll being paid for by the taxpayers. It is not binding in any way. "What we saw yesterday was a shameless attempt by legislative leaders to deceive Ohio voters. Legislative leaders are desperate to pass this tax increase. It appears they will do anything to pass Issue 2--including magic tricks." The Roundtable case, Zanotti v. Taft, is currently before the Ohio Supreme Court. The Ohio Roundtable, founded in 1980, is a citizen-based public policy organization. # # # # Related alerts: |
