Republican compassion hits Ohio

The Toledo Blade reports on the new budget, written and supported by Republicans:

A House Finance Committee last night deliberated a $51.3 billion, two-year budget that would cut personal income taxes 21 percent across the board and replace a pair of business taxes with a tax on gross sales over five years.

But consumers would immediately pay higher taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, electricity, and college tuition.

Under the budget proposal, local libraries and governments would see their state aid slashed, and 25,000 working poor parents will lose their Medicaid health coverage.

A full House vote could take place as early as tomorrow. A final budget must be in place by July 1.

So the tax cut is replaced by higher taxes on college students and anyone who uses electricity. And with the middle class already feeling a pinch on gas prices, who is going to suffer more on higher electricity taxes? Yup, the middle class. It's enough to drive one to drink, if they hadn't raised taxes on that, too.

Here's some stuff the GOP rejected:

Democrats offered some 40 amendments to the budget, seeking without success to undo the cuts in Medicaid coverage for the working poor, fully restore dental coverage partially funded in the GOP budget, and restore a program that helps extremely poor, medication-dependent Ohioans who have yet to qualify for another government program.

Compassion at it's finest.