By Gene Krebs. It is really fantastic that the Columbus Dispatch is following the story Greater Ohio has been advocating for the past several years; that of governance reform.  The state’s budget problem is huge and local governance reform is an important piece of the solution.  The frame we often use for local government reform is that if Ohio were a house, we have built the house so that every bedroom has its own fully equipped and stocked private kitchen.  In addition, we do not even shop for food at Costco or Sam’s; we instead shop at the local convenience store and buy our milk in half pints, twenty at a time.  This grand expenditure of taxpayer money is perhaps one of the reasons why Ohio is struggling to compete.

“Plugging the hole” – four of Ohio’s best budget brains discuss the state’s next two-year budget

“Candidates agree: too much government” – 20^th House District candidates consider local government changes

“Ohioans need to hear the truth about cost of their government” – Joe Hallett’s editorial about consolidating local government

The Dispatch has been taking a lead on this policy story, and we hope that other papers around Ohio start covering this topic.  Please contact your paper and urge them to explore how their tax dollars are being wasted.  Flushed.  Gone down the tubes.  Up in smoke.  You pick a cliché.  Heavens knows there are more.