Strickland Accused of "Intransigence" on State Budget

The Plain Dealer editors write:

The purported "solution" to Ohio's budget problems -- Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland's slot machine plan -- is turning into a serial fiasco because of the governor's apparent unwillingness to listen to what he doesn't want to hear.

To the surprise of few, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled, 6-1, on Monday that voters opposed to Strickland's plan to install slot machines at Ohio's seven racetracks have a constitutional right to petition for a statewide referendum. Now, the earliest Strickland's slots plan could be on the ballot is November 2010, almost 14 months away.

Senate Republicans told Strickland last summer that they would put a slots plan on this year's ballot -- six weeks from now. But he said having a statewide vote would create budget uncertainties. Now, thanks to his intransigence, he has budget uncertainties and will have to wait 10 times as long to resolve them.