The Columbus Dispatch has a page where you can attempt to balance the state budget.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/insight/budget/index.html

Interesting site--thanks for posting.


Governor's budget plan more than erases deficit
Taxpayers howl as governor suggests big state surplus
The governor today gave the General Assembly a proposed state budget with a surplus of $7.439 billion.
The plan brought immediate objections from lawmakers and a host of interest groups, especially those representing taxpayers, who excoriated the governor for seeking to raise a surplus 'during the worst recession in two generations.'


Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:

• Governor's income-tax cut popular, early polls show
• Plan to sell lottery faces long odds in legislature
• Governor preserves aid to higher education
• Tobacco retailers launch assault on tax-hike plan
• Gain now, but pain later seen in plan to sell state buildings
• Drilling plan blasted as 'sellout to Big Oil'
• Protest brands governor as 'heartless' toward mentally ill
• Hospitals, faith groups join to fight Medicaid cuts

Your choices

• Taxes
• State income tax: Cut income taxes by 5% to help Ohioans (costs $800 million)
• Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $2.50 a pack (raises $700 million)
• 'Pop' tax: One cent per ounce (raises $800 million)

• Spending
• Aid to cities & towns: Cut aid by 50% (saves $650 million)
• Aid to libraries: Cut aid by 50% (saves $380 million)
• Spending on adult and youth prisons: Cut spending by 50% (saves $1.8 billion)
• Medicaid: Cut spending for nursing-home care by 5% (saves $260 million)
• Medicaid: Cut spending for hospital care by 5% (saves $110 million)
• State employees: Cut pay by 10% (saves $650 million)
• Department of Mental Health: Cut by 20% (saves $180 million)
• Close other state departments: Developmental Disabilities (saves $634 million)

• Sell or lease state assets
• Sell state lottery to private operator (raises $5 billion, but ends lottery revenue)
• Sell some state buildings, then lease them back (raises $800 million, but requires future rent payments)
• Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)
• Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)

• Your budget results
• You have a budget surplus of $7.439 billion.

Governor's budget plan more than erases deficit
Governor's surplus called 'painful, needless burden'
The governor today gave the General Assembly a proposed state budget with a surplus of $0.545 billion.
The plan brought immediate objections from lawmakers and a host of interest groups, especially those representing taxpayers, who excoriated the governor for seeking to raise a surplus 'during the worst recession in two generations.'


Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:

• Sales-tax hike seen as barrier to hiring
• Outrage greets governor's income-tax plan
• Smokers vow they won't cough up one penny more
• School leaders hail governor for sparing basic education
• Ohio's libraries greet budget plan with relief
• Mental-health advocates praise governor for deflecting budget ax
• Governor blasted as 'anti-marriage, anti-children'
• Tax would boost electricity rates for all, economists warn
• Business tax hike will 'strangle' growth, critics claim

Your choices

• Taxes
• State sales tax: Increase sales tax rate to 6% (raises $1.3 billion)
• State income tax: Increase taxes on top earners (making at least $202,000) by 10% (raises $320 million)
• Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $2.50 a pack (raises $700 million)
• 'Pop' tax: One cent per ounce (raises $800 million)
• Commercial activities tax: End exemption for first $1 million in sales (raises $250 million)
• Exemptions: End sales-tax exemption for equipment sold to electricity providers (raises $650 million)
• Exemptions: Cut income-tax deductions for spouse and children by half (raises $500 million)

• Spending
• No spending cuts were made.

• Sell or lease state assets
• Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)
• Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)

• Your budget results
• You have a budget surplus of $0.545 billion.

Looking back maybe I should not increase taxes on top earners (making at least $202,000) by 10% (raises $320 million) and still balance the budget.

All those general numbers are nice. But,until you start looking inside state agencies at SPECIFIC positions the numbers are just numbers. For example, as a fomer parole officer the agency I worked in has plenty of positions that are completely unnecessary. Many of those are unclassifeid and exempt and administartive positions. I would first possibly look at eliminating some regional administrator positions. Then you could eliminate their administrative assitants. You could also eliminate positions in what is called the offender services network. Those employees tend to duplicate services already available in communities. With fewer field employees you can eliminate Central Office administrative assistant and analyst positions. The problem is that unless you know the organization from the inside these cuts which could literally save hundreds of thousands of dollars never get done. The administrators in charge don't often actually eliminate unnecessary administrative positions.

Governor's budget plan more than erases deficit
Governor's surplus called 'painful, needless burden'
The governor today gave the General Assembly a proposed state budget with a surplus of $0.09 billion.
The plan brought immediate objections from lawmakers and a host of interest groups, especially those representing taxpayers, who excoriated the governor for seeking to raise a surplus 'during the worst recession in two generations.'
TOMORROW'S HEADLINES IF YOU WERE GOVERNOR:

Retailers vow: We'll stop 'job killer' sales-tax increase
Income-tax plan stirs widespread protests
Mental-health advocates praise governor for deflecting budget ax
'Pop tax' battle begins at Statehouse
Tobacco retailers launch assault on tax-hike plan
Tax would boost electricity rates for all, economists warn
Mayors' group praises governor for sparing 'vital aid' to cities
Enviros vow they'll block drilling idea
Governor's college cuts 'cripple state's future'
Universities likely to ask more in tuition, fees
YOUR CHOICES

TAXES
State sales tax: Increase sales tax rate to 6% (raises $1.3 billion)
State income tax: Increase taxes on top earners (making at least $202,000) by 10% (raises $320 million)
Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $2 a pack (raises $400 million)
'Pop' tax: One cent per ounce (raises $800 million)
Exemptions: End sales-tax exemption for equipment sold to electricity providers (raises $650 million)

SPENDING
Aid to colleges & universities: Cut aid by 10% (saves $340 million)
Aid to libraries: Cut aid by 10% (saves $75 million)
State employees: Cut pay by 3% (saves $200 million)

SELL OR LEASE STATE ASSETS
Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)
Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)

YOUR BUDGET RESULTS
You have a budget surplus of $0.09 billion.

Governor's budget plan more than erases deficit
Governor's plan 'far too severe,' critics assert

The governor today gave the General Assembly a proposed state budget with a surplus of $0.615 billion.

The plan brought immediate objections from lawmakers and a host of interest groups, especially those representing taxpayers, who excoriated the governor for seeking to raise a surplus 'during the worst recession in two generations.'

Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:

* Retailers vow: We'll stop 'job killer' sales-tax increase
* Governor's income-tax cut popular, early polls show
* Poor would suffer most under power-tax plan, analysis finds
* Police unions oppose governor's prison cutbacks
* Library lovers rally to protect funding
If cuts pass, local taxes certain to be on ballots
* Medicaid cuts called 'brutal' to Ohio's poor
* School leaders hail governor for sparing basic education
* Governor preserves aid to higher education
* Mayors' group praises governor for sparing 'vital aid' to cities

Your choices

Taxes
* State sales tax: Increase sales tax rate to 6% (raises $1.3 billion)
* State income tax: Cut income taxes by 5% to help Ohioans (costs $800 million)
* Property tax subsidy: Reduce subsidy by 10% (raises $330 million)
* Exemptions: End sales-tax exemption for equipment sold to electricity providers (raises $650 million)


Spending
* Aid to libraries: Cut aid by 25% (saves $190 million)
* Spending on adult and youth prisons: Cut spending by 25% (saves $900 million)
* Medicaid: End optional coverage for dental, vision, podiatry and hospice (saves $1 billion)
* State employees: Cut pay by 5% (saves $330 million)
* Close other state departments: Natural Resources (saves $210 million)


Sell or lease state assets
* Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)
* Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)


Your budget results
* You have a budget surplus of $0.615 billion.

Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:

* Outrage greets governor's income-tax plan
* Mental-health advocates praise governor for deflecting budget ax
* Tobacco retailers launch assault on tax-hike plan
* Mining industry foresees loss of work and jobs
* Stung by cuts, big-city mayors unite to denounce governor
Police and fire departments face 'devastation,' they say
* Freed criminal 'predators' will prowl Ohio, budget critics claim
* Soft-drink bottlers vow to 'jam a cork' into tax proposal

Your choices

Taxes
* State income tax: Increase taxes on top earners by 20% (raises $640 million)
* Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $1.50 a pack (raises $150 million)
* 'Pop' tax: One-half cent per ounce (raises $400 million)
* Property tax subsidy: Reduce subsidy by 5% (raises $170 million)
* Commercial activities tax: Raise the tax rate to 0.3% (raises $400 million)
* Exemptions: Make churches pay sales tax (raises $700 million)
* Exemptions: End sales-tax break for packaging and packaging equipment (raises $460 million)
* Exemptions: End sales-tax exemption for mining and farming equipment (raises $300 million)


Spending
* Aid to K-12 education: Cut aid by 10% (saves $1.3 billion)
* Aid to colleges & universities: Cut aid by 10% (saves $340 million)
* Aid to cities & towns: Cut aid by 25% (saves $325 million)
* Aid to libraries: Eliminate aid (saves $750 million)
* Spending on adult and youth prisons: Cut spending by 10% (saves $360 million)
* State employees: Cut pay by 10% (saves $650 million)


Sell or lease state assets
* Sell some state buildings, then lease them back (raises $800 million, but requires future rent payments)
* Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)


Your budget results
* You have a budget surplus of $0.02 billion.

Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:
Governor's income-tax cut popular, early polls show
Teachers flunk governor for 'gutting' education
School districts warn of new local taxes
Truckers rally to 'save' Ohio Turnpike
Foster mom of cancer kids says drug tax would 'crush our family'
Governor's college cuts 'cripple state's future'
Universities likely to ask more in tuition, fees
'Pop tax' battle begins at Statehouse
Faith groups hold Statehouse 'pray-in' against tax hike
Mental-health advocates praise governor for deflecting budget ax
Your choices
Taxes
State income tax: Cut income taxes by 5% to help Ohioans (costs $800 million)
Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $1.50 a pack (raises $150 million)
'Pop' tax: One cent per ounce (raises $800 million)
Exemptions: Make churches pay sales tax (raises $700 million)
Exemptions: Apply sales tax to prescription drugs (raises $1.3 billion)


Spending
Aid to K-12 education: Cut aid by 5% (saves $670 million)
Aid to colleges & universities: Cut aid by 10% (saves $340 million)
Aid to cities & towns: Cut aid by 10% (saves $130 million)
Aid to libraries: Cut aid by 10% (saves $75 million)
Spending on adult and youth prisons: Cut spending by 5% (saves $180 million)
Medicaid: End optional coverage for dental, vision, podiatry and hospice (saves $1 billion)
State employees: Cut pay by 3% (saves $200 million)


Sell or lease state assets
Sell some state buildings, then lease them back (raises $800 million, but requires future rent payments)
Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)
Allow oil and gas drilling on state land (raises $25 million)


Your budget results
You have a budget surplus of $1.55 billion.

Taxpayers howl as governor suggests big state surplus

The governor today gave the General Assembly a proposed state budget with a surplus of $3.71 billion.

The plan brought immediate objections from lawmakers and a host of interest groups, especially those representing taxpayers, who excoriated the governor for seeking to raise a surplus 'during the worst recession in two generations.'

Tomorrow's headlines if you were governor:

* Sales-tax boost would hit poor hardest, economists say
* Governor's income-tax cut popular, early polls show
* Tobacco retailers launch assault on tax-hike plan
* Governor's building sales would hurt state in long run, experts say
* Spare 'essential' state workers by taxing rich, union leaders say
* Northern Ohio lawmakers pledge to stall governor's sale of Turnpike
* Stung by cuts, big-city mayors unite to denounce governor
Police and fire departments face 'devastation,' they say
* Mental-health advocates praise governor for deflecting budget ax
* Governor preserves aid to higher education

Your choices

Taxes
* State sales tax: Increase sales tax rate to 7.5% (raises $5.2 billion)
* State income tax: Cut income taxes by 5% to help Ohioans (costs $800 million)
* Cigarette tax: Increase cigarette tax to $1.50 a pack (raises $150 million)


Spending
* Aid to cities & towns: Halve aid that makes up for elimination of tangible personal property tax (saves $380 million)
* Spending on adult and youth prisons: Cut spending by 50% (saves $1.8 billion)
* State employees: Cut pay by 3% (saves $200 million)


Sell or lease state assets
* Sell some state buildings, then lease them back (raises $800 million, but requires future rent payments)
* Lease Ohio Turnpike to private operator (raises $4 billion, but tolls would rise and nearby roads would get more traffic)


Your budget results
* You have a budget surplus of $3.71 billion.

Here is something I have an issue with...

Why should a government have a $xxx Billion surplus? That right there shows that perhaps taxes are too much, no? I might just be stupid. Been called that before. Should the goal of any public organization be to meet budget, and not go into deficit?

ernest_t_bass;690808 wrote:Here is something I have an issue with...

Why should a government have a $xxx Billion surplus? That right there shows that perhaps taxes are too much, no? I might just be stupid. Been called that before. Should the goal of any public organization be to meet budget, and not go into deficit?

1. If a state has a true and legitimate surplus of monies, it would be less dependent upon the federal government. It also would be able to provide a more efficient and fast response to disaster relief. A state could also use surplus to appropriate towards other things like in-state charities.

2. The state should have the goal of being able to balance their checkbook. Anything left over can be dispersed as how the state sees fit.

There are two rest areas outside of Van Wert (off Route 30) that are being renovated right now, and have been for a while. Is this being done with tax money? If so, WHY? Why do we need extravagant rest areas? Honest question. One thing I've never understood. All you need is a toilet that works, no?