Ohio Governor Ted Strickland is Winning Me Over

I know, I know, I have already written two other pieces about how I wasn't a supporter of Ohio Governor Ted Strickland's campaign in 2006, but if you recall from the previous articles it was largely due to the fact that he was just too "vague" while campaigning, and that worried me.

However, I have to admit, for a man widely criticized for being evasive on actual substance while promising quite a bit during the campaign, Governor Strickland continues to be a very pleasant surprise to Ohioans, at least in my opinion anyhow, and a breath of fresh air that it most definitely will not be "business as usual" in Columbus.

The latest initiative that I am writing about is a recent mandate that Strickland has put out capping the amount of taxpayer money that can spent on food by state employees for agency meetings and gatherings after a recent study showed that about $4 million dollars was spent in less than two years.

Even Strickland's comments about this perceived wasting of taxpayer dollars was not a scolding, but more of an emphasis on the fact that elected officials have a responsibility to ensure that wasted resources take much need dollars away from critical needs such as education improvements, attracting jobs and providing for those among us that have the least. This to me is true leadership at the highest level, and who could not be impressed with a governor who leads by example by acknowledging that he carries his own lunch to work almost every day because in his own words, "I have a pretty tight schedule, and it's so much easier to be able to run back and grab a sandwich and "wolf" it down." If that isn't impressive enough, how about the fact that most days first lady Frances Strickland actually packs the lunch for him. I am betting that when she does she puts one of those great notes in there as well that says something like "have a great day!" In my opinion he certainly would deserve it.

Strickland is being "mean" or targeting any one department specifically, he is just asking staffers to be more resourceful in how they use their available funds, which he has set caps of $12 per person for dinner, $9 for for lunch and $6 for breakfast. When I say resourceful I mean that staffers are not prevented from exceeding these limits as long as overages are recovered either through registration fees or even additional funding through federal dollars specifically allocated for spending on food. Meals will continue to be provided at training events for law enforcement, emergency and National Guard personnel as they should be, but only if there is no option of leaving a training site for meals.

Another impressive item that shows Strickland's compassion for those truly in need is the fact that an agency still will be allowed to provide meals for those that are solicited for for input that would not be able to provide a meal for themselves. What is being said here in my opinion is that Strickland's administration values everyone's input or opinion, despite their current economic status, another reinforcement of how he seems to view public service.

I'll leave you with what impressed me most about the governor's new policy, and that is when he said in his statement that "Please note that eating meals and snacks is not considered part of the conduct of agency, board or commission business. In other words, Strickland is saying that the days of somewhat expensive "box lunches" being provided for every meeting, or even coffee and donuts being made available are a luxury that the state of Ohio simply cannot afford, and that they shouldn't be "expected" as part of the execution of duties in service to all people of the state of Ohio.

I will continue to report on these kinds of efforts as I see them as positive steps in the right direction, and most importantly shining examples of a politician that "gets it." I hope all Ohioans see it the way I do, because if they do, Ohio can make its way back sooner than later.