Many Buckeye State residents no longer feel they can place their full trust in Taft - and trust is something without which no governor can lead. The governor, if he - and his state - are to be successful during the coming year and a quarter, needs to embark upon nothing less than a campaign to rebuild confidence in himself. That should include rooting out and taking action against any other ethics problems in his administration, as well as taking a more active role in rebuilding the Workers' Compensation investment program. Ohio Governor Robert Taft served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania in the 1960's.
Wheeling News Register says Taft Should Go On the Offensive
Taft Should Go On the Offensive
By the NEWS-REGISTER
Gov. Bob Taft has lost the confidence of many of his fellow Ohioans. Clearly, he needs to mount a major campaign to reclaim his leadership role.
Taft has about one and a quarter years to go in his second term as governor. Much good could be accomplished for Ohioans during that period of time - or the state could remain in a holding pattern while progress is stymied by lack of confidence in the governor. The period of time until the next governor takes office in January 2007 is too long for that state of affairs to persist.
A public opinion poll reported a few days ago revealed that Taft's popularity has sunk to incredibly low levels. Respondents to the poll gave Taft an approval rating of just 15 percent. Of Republicans responding to the poll, three-fourths said they disapproved of the GOP governor's performance.
It has been pointed out that Taft hasn't committed what most people would consider to be serious crimes. In August, he pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor charges of violating state ethics laws. The violations involved failure to report gifts, including golf outings. Some of those outings were paid for by coin dealer Tom Noe, who had wide-ranging political connections not just in Ohio but also, reportedly, in Washington. Noe is among those being looked into as investigators try to get to the bottom of $300 million in investment losses involving the state Workers' Compensation program.
Failure to report a few rounds of golf on ethics forms, though clearly a lapse, does not rise to the level of intentional misbehavior. But some Ohioans are troubled by unethical behavior that, while not committed by Taft, is linked to his office. Several of Taft's associates, including some who served under him in the governor's office, also have pleaded guilty to various ethics-related violations.
Then there is the matter of the $300 million in investment losses. When reports on them came out, it became apparent quickly that Taft simply hadn't been kept in the loop on the investment program. It is true that governors often need to rely on others to manage such programs - but the fact that, by his own admission, Taft wasn't even aware of mounting losses is distressing. His first reaction to news of the losses should have been a thorough, swift housecleaning among those responsible. Instead, Taft pursued a more cautious approach that, while it has resulted in many changes in the Workers' Compensation investment program, may not have moved quickly enough to please many Ohioans.
Taft now is burdened by many questions being asked by his constituents. Among them: Can the governor on whose watch $300 million was lost be trusted with any financial matter? What potential conflicts of interest affecting Ohioans haven't yet been uncovered? Will the success of proposals for new business be linked to whether Taft's cronies like - or are involved in - them?
Many Buckeye State residents no longer feel they can place their full trust in Taft - and trust is something without which no governor can lead. The governor, if he - and his state - are to be successful during the coming year and a quarter, needs to embark upon nothing less than a campaign to rebuild confidence in himself. That should include rooting out and taking action against any other ethics problems in his administration, as well as taking a more active role in rebuilding the Workers' Compensation investment program.
Decisive action of the type a political candidate might contemplate if his campaign was in trouble is needed. We urge Taft to drop his passive strategy and go on the offensive. Ohioans deserve nothing less than trustworthy, confident, assertive leadership from their governor.
For the good of the state, then, Taft should do whatever is required to take back his leadership role.
