Clean Ohio Fund Act hangs in balance
The Clean Ohio Fund Act is a major piece of legislation to protect the environment in that state. Its funding is now up for ballot and its future uncertain. Wilson Dizard reports.
By Wilson Dizard on Friday, October 17th, 2008 - 626 words.
Ohioans will decide the fate of the Clean Ohio Fund Act in the general election this November, voting on whether the state should continue the $400 million bond program that aims to preserve and improve Ohio’s environment.
The Clean Ohio ballot initiative, which will appear on the ballot as Issue 2, has support from both Republicans and Democrats in the Ohio Statehouse. According to a Columbus Dispatch poll, 56 percent of voters support the ballot initiative, with 22 percent opposed and another 22 percent undecided.
Since its beginning in 2000, Clean Ohio has protected 26 thousand acres of wildlife habitats, 24 thousand acres of family farms, built 216 miles of recreational trails, and cleaned up 173 abandoned and polluted industrial sites. Local governments, public agencies, and non-profit groups are eligible to apply for the funds.
“The remarkable thing about Clean Ohio is how broad the bipartisan support is,” Carey MacDonald, an Ohio Democratic Caucus policy analyst, said. “It was developed by the Taft Administration and now it’s being expanded by the Strickland Administration. It’s very popular because it’s very successful.”
Clean Ohio benefits both urban and agricultural communities, satisfying Republican representatives from rural districts and Democrats from urban areas, MacDonald said.
Ohio voters first approved the 400 million dollar bond in the 2000 general election. Ohio raises money for the program by selling bonds to investors which the state must pay back later with interest. The popular part of the program is that it raises funds without forcing the state to increase taxes.
“We encourage people to vote ‘yes’ on Issue 2 because it does not raise taxes,” Karl Gephardt, a campaign manager for the Clean Ohio ballot initiative.
“It has a proven track record of accomplishments.”
Clean Ohio works to preserve agricultural land, protect ”greenspaces” like forests, build recreational trails, and renew areas with derelict buildings or industrial contamination known as ”brownfields.”
To preserve agricultural land, conservation groups apply for Clean Ohio funds to purchase the rights farmers have to develop their own land, restricting them from converting farmland into businesses, homes, or factories. Of the $400 million bond issue, Clean Ohio devotes $25 million to the preservation of agricultural resources
Clean Ohio also devotes another $150 million to the purchase and conservation of greenspaces, including wetlands, streams, and other sensitive ecological areas. Another $25 million goes to the creation of recreational trails.
For brownfields that need to be cleaned, private developers partner with local governments, using Clean Ohio funds to demolish buildings, remove hazardous waste, and eventually redevelop the land. Half of the bond issue, or $200 million, is available for brownfield revitalization projects.
Clean Ohio has had an impact on Columbus as well. The Time Warner Cable building off Route 315 was a landfill before Clean Ohio funds converted the brownfield site into usable land. Franklin County alone has received $32,789,210 in Clean Ohio funds for seven projects since 2000.
While the Issue 2 ballot initiative has support from voters and both parties in the Ohio House, the issue does not come without some controversy. While the $400 bond issue will not raise taxes immediately, Ohio taxpayers will have to pay the money back. In the absence of a direct submission of opposition to the initiative, the Ohio Ballot Board posted arguments opposing Issue 2 on its website as required by Ohio election law.
The argument against makes the following point: “Issue #2 authorizes $400 Million Dollars in debt to be used for conservation purposes. You and your children will have to pay this money back. This money could be retained by taxpayers for their own purposes or used for other plans and directly helping people in need.”
Karl Gephardt, a campaign manager for the ballot initiative, said he is confident the Issue 2 will pass. But Gephardt said he and his campaign won’t become complacent.
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