Strickland Accused of Using "Funny Accounting" in State Budget

The Columbus Dispatch reports:

Adding electronic slot machines and cutting services are getting the most attention in Gov. Ted Strickland's budget-balancing proposal, but the plan also relies on accounting maneuvers that are raising red flags.

They include delaying certain payments so the spending isn't counted until future budgets. That would allow officials to declare the budget balanced but create problems later, critics say.

"I've never seen so many attempts to create money out of thin air," said Richard Sheridan, founding director of the state's Legislative Budget Office.