COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -Gov. Bob Taft -under a cloud from investigations into an investment scandal, gifts to his aides and golf he says he didn't pay for -plans to be active in the bipartisan campaign to pass a $2 billion borrowing plan.
The Senate on Wednesday was expected to approve sending the bond issue to the November ballot, following House approval on Tuesday. The bonds would include money for a technology initiative that's one of Taft's pet projects.
The economy is the number one issue still in this state
Taft said Wednesday at the opening of the Ohio State Fair.
The bonds would provide $1.35 billion for road, bridge, water and sewer projects; $150 million for preparing old industrial sites for new business; and $500 million for Taft's Third Frontier project.
Taft, a Republican, said voters will decide on the merits, not whether he's the public face of the campaign during the ongoing ethics investigations.
I think anything else is going to be extraneous he said. Do they (voters) want to invest in the future job creating potential of Ohio?
Taft also said he was delaying his usual August vacation because of the need to get the campaign organized.
He and legislative leaders have said it would be led by a Republican and a Democrat, but they have not been named. Former House Speaker Jo Ann Davidson, second-in-command for the national GOP, was named as solo campaign head in April, but Democrats needed to get the issue on the ballot protested.
Taft's administration has become embroiled into investigations into losses topping $300 million from the state insurance fund for injured workers.
Last week, Taft's former top aide was convicted of filing a false financial disclosure form related to a vacation stay at the Florida home of Tom Noe, a Republican fundraiser who says $13 million is missing from the $50 million in state money he received to invest in rare coins.
The Ohio Ethics Commission also is looking into Taft's failure to report up to 60 golf outings over several years.
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