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John Kasich on Government Reform
Republican Governor; previously Representative (OH-12); 2000 & 2016 candidate for President
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Supreme Court should disallow partisan gerrymandering
When Maryland Democrats redrew the state's congressional maps [after the 2010 census], they shuffled 375,000 in or out of the state's 6th congressional district. Maryland's sixth will be under the national spotlight when the US Supreme Court hears oral
arguments in Benisek v. Lamone, the latest case that aspires to make partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional. Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, joined current Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, both
Republicans, in an amicus brief that essentially pleads with the Supreme Court to take actions because politicians are unable to stop themselves from drawing crooked lines.
The plaintiffs in Benisek are making a First Amendment argument, asking the
justices to find that using past voting data to sort people into districts their side is unlikely to win penalizes them for participation in the political process.
[The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 18 to leave the district lines untouched].
Source: Salon e-zine on 2018 SCOTUS case Benisek v. Lamone
, Mar 26, 2018
Supreme Court should disallow partisan gerrymandering
When Maryland Democrats redrew the state's congressional maps [after the 2010 census], they shuffled 375,000 in or out of the state's 6th congressional district. Maryland's sixth will be under the national spotlight when the US Supreme Court hears oral
arguments in Benisek v. Lamone, the latest case that aspires to make partisan gerrymandering unconstitutional. Maryland's Republican governor, Larry Hogan, joined current Ohio Gov. John Kasich and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, both
Republicans, in an amicus brief that essentially pleads with the Supreme Court to take actions because the politicians are unable to stop themselves from drawing crooked lines.
The plaintiffs in Benisek are making a First Amendment argument, asking the
justices to find that using past voting data to sort people into districts their side is unlikely to win penalizes them for participation in the political process.
[The Supreme Court ruled unanimously on June 18 to leave the district lines untouched].
Source: Salon e-zine on 2018 SCOTUS case Benisek v. Lamone
, Mar 26, 2018
Post-truth environment makes us intolerant of other opinions
Many Americans get their news from [sources that reinforce their opinions]. When we silo ourselves, when we surround ourselves only with affirming views and selective reporting and analysis, we became more and more convinced that our way is the only way.
We become intolerant of other people's opinions or alternative approaches, In a post-truth environment, where utter falsehoods have become the order of the day, we give no quarter to any politician who doesn't line up with us on each and every issue.
Source: Two Paths, by John Kasich, p. 166
, Apr 25, 2017
1979: refused $5,000 raise as State Senator
My own party voted itself a token pay raise and I refused to accept it, at a time in my life when I really could have used the money. A $17,500 state senator's salary didn't stretch very far, even in 1979, and a bump to $22,500 would have made a world
of difference to me, but I sent the money back. (I still had to pay taxes on that extra $5,000). Still I didn't think it was right for the legislature to vote for a pay raise. It was self-serving. Sure, we were underpaid, but a lot of people in
Ohio were hurting. More to the point, many of my colleagues had campaigned on a promise not to raise taxes, so I couldn't even endorse it. Voting against it wasn't enough in my opinion.This got a lot of attention, my returning the money the way
I did. It set me up as a kind of maverick who wasn't afraid to go against his own party, but that wasn't why I did it. No, I did it in principle, because it felt like the right thing to do.
Source: Two Paths, by John Kasich, p. 73
, Apr 25, 2017
Investigate Russian election hacking from within Congress
Q: What should be done about Russian interference in the U.S. election?KASICH: If our intelligence community thinks we need to get to the bottom of this, I believe that perhaps a joint House-Senate Intelligence Committee investigation ought to get to
the bottom of Russian hacking. Were they trying to influence our election? You know, what is it all about? What's the bottom line? Now, I don't favor at this point moving it outside of the Intelligence Committees.
I think that the Intelligence Committees have the capability to conduct a thorough understanding of what happened, so that we can be in a position to prevent it in the future. Many European countries are worried about Russia's hacking their elections,
disrupting their elections. So, I believe that the House and Senate can carry this out. And I think that it has to be done in a bipartisan and thorough way. If that investigation becomes partisan, then we have to look at something more independent.
Source: CNN "State of the Union" 2017 interview by Jim Sciutto
, Feb 19, 2017
My judicial appointments are solid conservatives
I've appointed over a hundred judges as governor. I even appointed a judge to the Ohio Supreme Court. And you know what they are? They're conservatives.
Go check it out. They are conservatives. They don't make the law. They interpret the law. That's all they do. And they stick by the Constitution. So I will do that.
Source: 2016 CNN-Telemundo Republican debate on eve of Texas primary
, Feb 25, 2016
Country too partisan to appoint justice before election
The country is divided right now. I wish the president would think about not nominating somebody. We're going to have an election for President very soon, and the people will understand what is at stake in that election.
I believe the President should not move forward, and I think that we ought to let the next President of the United States decide.
Source: 2016 CBS Republican primary debate in South Carolina
, Feb 13, 2016
Freeze all federal regulations for one year
Q: This stock trading year is the worst start to a new year ever. Many worry that banks and financial stocks are particularly vulnerable. What actions would you take if the Great Recession meltdown happened all over again?
KASICH: [I would do] the same thing that I did in Ohio. It's a simple formula: common sense regulations, which is why I think we should freeze all federal regulations for one year, except for health and safety.
It requires tax cuts, because that sends a message to the job creators that things are headed the right way.
And if you cut taxes for corporations, and you cut taxes for individuals, you're going to make things move, particularly the corporate tax, which is the highest, of course, in the world.
Source: Fox Business 2016 Republican 2-tier debate
, Jan 14, 2016
Let states decide how to govern themselves, not DC
In order to get this economy moving again, I call for freezing regulations for a year except for the problem of public safety.
I believe that we need to cut these taxes down, we need to be on a roadmap to balancing the budget, and we need to send power, money, and influence, the welfare department, the education department, job training, infrastructure,
Medicaid, all of that out of Washington back to the states so we can run these programs from where we live to the top,
not a one size fits all mentality that they have in Washington.
Source: GOP "Your Money/Your Vote" 2015 CNBC 1st-tier debate
, Oct 28, 2015
Move power, money and influence out of Washington
I'm both an inside and an outside player. I can deliver change; and I've done it. You know, it sounds like a cliche. I hate to use cliches. But throughout my career, whether it's balancing the budget, being involved in major defense reform or
turning Ohio around, I hope that gives me credibility so people know when I'm president, I know how to move power, money and influence out of Washington, how to bring about the reforms we need and understand how that system works.
Source: CNN SOTU 2015 interview series: 2016 presidential hopefuls
, Sep 20, 2015
A handful of billionaires should not decide who is president
John Kasich was asked how he planned to curb the influence of money in politics in the wake of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision. "Every time we change the laws, we have laws that we think are worse than laws that we had," Kasich said. "I
don't know what I believe the answer is, but I will tell you if I win I will think the system works pretty well. And if I don't win, I'm going to blame it on the system," he joked.[After that] the closest he came to broaching the subject of campaign
finance reform was when he declared that "sometimes I think these laws can work, but unfortunately I think they work mostly on the margin." Got it? Neither do we.
Kasich took a different tack last month when he said that "a handful of billionaires
should not decide who is president." But, even then, he was unsure of a solution to the problem.
Kasich has an unlimited-money super PAC. Earlier this year, it announced raising more than $11 million from 166 reportable contributions.
Source: Huffington Post on 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial race
, Aug 12, 2015
Deal with fundraising influencing voting decisions
When campaigning in New Hampshire, John Kasich was asked about money in politics and corporate personhood as defined in Citizens United. Kasich agreed that something needs to be done so that billionaires don't get to pick who gets elected:
Q: "What would you do to end corruption of our government by big money, and more specifically, would you support and work for a constitutional amendment clarifying that the constitution applies to natural persons only?"
A: "I'd like to say a couple
things about campaign finance laws. First of all it is a bad system when billionaires can be the ones to pick a president, I don't like that. And here is the beauty of New Hampshire: they could spend all the money in the world but money don't buy you
love in New Hampshire. So I'm concerned about it, and I will have something to say about it at an appropriate time, but I want to think it through. I think there is an element of fundraising influencing decisions. It's an issue & it will be dealt with."
Source: AFSC.org press release on 2018 Ohio Gubernatorial race
, Jul 23, 2015
Require complete & sufficient ID on absentee ballots
SB 205 revises the law regarding the mailing of absent voter's ballots, permitting election boards to discard votes cast where an absentee ballot identification envelope is "incomplete," in addition to the current language of "insufficient."
ACLU-Ohio opinion on this bill: While SB 205 does make some positive improvements for voters with disabilities, it fails on several fronts to make voting easier for Ohioans. One of the most concerning aspects of SB 205 is the addition of the
word "incomplete" in reference to a voter's absentee ballot identification envelope. Giving discretion to a few election officials to define exactly what this word means is likely to result in more ballots not being counted. Additionally, this language
is overly broad and could violate federal law.
Legislative outcome: Passed Senate, 22-10-1, on Nov. 6, 2013; passed House, 60-38-1, on Feb. 19, 2014; signed by Gov. Kasich, Feb. 21, 2014
Source: ACLU commentary on Ohio legislative voting records: SB 205
, Feb 21, 2014
End simultaneous registration and early voting
SB 238 shortens the early, in-person voting period by eliminating the week-long window where voters may simultaneously register to vote and cast an early in-person ballot (otherwise known as "Golden Week")ACLU-Ohio opinion on this bill:
SB 238 moves Ohio election administration in the wrong direction. Eliminating "Golden Week" and shortening the early voting period will needlessly complicate the voting process and place additional burdens on voters. Voters with disabilities, seniors,
the homeless, new residents, people with a lack of transportation, among many others, have utilized Golden Week as a flexible way to register & vote simultaneously. While the bill's sponsors may point to concerns over possible voting irregularities,
there is almost no evidence to justify those fears.
Legislative outcome: Passed Senate, 22-10-1, on Nov. 20, 2013; passed House, 59-37-3, on Feb. 19, 2014; signed by Gov. Kasich, Feb. 21, 2014
Source: ACLU commentary on Ohio legislative voting records: SB 238
, Feb 21, 2014
Skinny-down bureaucracy & kick out special interests
Make Government More Efficient And Effective--Skinny-down state bureaucracy to ensure taxpayers are getting their money's worth, and reform state government into a 21st century partner with Ohio's job creators--not one that punishes
business with outdated or unnecessary regulation;End The Influence Of Special Interests--Build common-sense solutions to our problems and kick out those who, for too long, have kept us from fixing all that is wrong in our state
Source: 2010 Gubernatorial campaign website, kasichforohio.com
, Nov 2, 2010
Bible study group swelled during 1992 House banking scandal
In Bible study, we were all elected officials except for a leader. We met once a week in the chapel of the Capitol. I attended regularly, but I didn't think anything of it if I couldn't make it one week.From time to time, our numbers would swell, such
as when there was a scandal brewing in town and elected officials were scrambling for whatever good-luck charms they could stuff into their pockets. During the 1992 banking scandal, for example, when it was revealed that the
House of Representatives had allowed members to overdraw their House checking accounts without penalty, we had 30 or 40 members trying to join our group, and I had to laugh, because, of course, you can't just go through the motions of reconnecting with
God and expect it to make a whole lot of difference in your life right away. You need to work at it, with a trusting spirit. You need to carve out some time for reflection and prayer.
Source: Every Other Monday, by John Kasich, p. 47-48
, Jun 15, 2010
Separating church and state is goofy misinterpretation
I said, "Karl Marx put it out that God was phony. Anybody in the Soviet Union who practiced religion was subject to arrest and imprisonment."One of my Bible study members wondered if that type of thinking was behind our apparent attempt to separate
matters of church and state. For the longest time, this has been one of my pet peeves, because I've always thought it was one of the goofiest misinterpretations of our founding fathers' intentions. Our founders didn't say that government should be somehow
separate from religion, or that religion was in any way unconstitutional or un-American. In fact, up until the late 19th century, there were state-sponsored churches in this country. The men who drafted the Constitution were in no way frightened or
put off by religion. They were just careful to ensure that our government should not force people to believe a certain way or put any kind of stamp on their faith, so it's funny to me how the impulse behind it has been co-opted over the years.
Source: Every Other Monday, by John Kasich, p.195-196
, Jun 15, 2010
Limited government supported by our Judeo-Christian ethics
American is a special place because of our Founders' vision. They believed that a nation could be built on the back of self-governance, that making laws didn't necessarily give us the solutions that free markets and conscience-driven individuals would
also approve. They believed in the limits of government as much as they did in the power of government. And they believed that a free market economy and a limited government would be supported by our shared Judeo-Christian ethics to provide a fundamental
sense of duty and conscience to all American citizens. Indeed, our moral foundation continues to flow from the shared values that have been passed down for generations, and these values are simple, straightforward, and widely held: honesty, integrity,
personal responsibility, faith, humility, accountability, compassion, forgiveness. They're a part of us, whether or not we want to cop to them. What's wrong with America is that on a societal level we have swung away from these fundamental values.
Source: Stand For Something, by John Kasich, p. 3-4
, May 10, 2006
1970s: No judge pay raise until state employee pay raise
In the State Senate in the 1970s, I found myself in another tense meeting with a group of local judges who were pushing for a pay raise, this at a time when state employees were feeling the economic strain of a decades-old wage scale.
I finally said, "Gentleman, I'm not going to vote for a pay raise for judges until our state employees get a raise."If any one of these guys had a gavel, he would have cited me with contempt of court. As it happened, all I got was their contempt.
These people were just furious with me, and I'm not sure I was right and that the judges weren't entitled to pay raises for all their hard work and good counsel, but I told them what I thought.
It was a priority to these judges, but only on a personal level; in my mind the lower-level state employees had to come first.
Source: Stand For Something, by John Kasich, p. 81
, May 10, 2006
Money affects ability to honestly assess policy situation
A great majority of the people who initially set out for a career in politics do so for reasons that are noble and admirable. It's what happens next that's got me so concerned. You need money to win elections--and yet it's the reliance on money that gets
us into trouble, and it's the insatiable desire for more of it that ultimately limits independence. You get your money from the people who have it, and too much of that money comes from special interest groups. Just because someone or some group gives
money to your campaign, it doesn't mean they own you. Like every other politician, I took money from special interest groups, but it never amounted to much, and these special interest groups became less inclined to contribute to my campaigns because they
could never count on getting anything in return. I worked hard to ensure that money never got in the way of my good judgment, but a lot of folks don't make that effort. It takes the edge off someone's ability to make an honest assessment of a situation.
Source: Stand For Something, by John Kasich, p. 83-84
, May 10, 2006
Allow faith-based institutions to address social ills
The government must stop bearing down on faith-based institutions because these groups are often solving our society’s toughest problems. Take for example, an organization founded by two homeless men to help homeless people get off the streets, introduce
them to Jesus and get them working. [When the program] began accepting government money, a founder said: “Now we can’t have God in it--Now that government is involved, there’s all that paperwork and all the rules.”
Source: Columbus (OH) Urban League Speech, May 17, 1999
, May 17, 1999
Ax Commerce and Energy Depts.
[Kasich, speaking in NH,] reiterated his desire to cut government (he would ax the commerce and energy departments), shore up social security with the budget surplus, and cut taxes. “I want the bureaucrats to realize they work for you,” he said. “You
don’t work for them.”
Source: The Concord (NH) Monitor, “Kasich Taps In”, 3/22/99
, Mar 22, 1999
Voted NO on banning soft money and issue ads.
Campaign Finance Reform Act to ban "soft money" and impose restrictions on issue advocacy campaigning.
Reference: Bill sponsored by Shays, R-CT;
Bill HR 417
; vote number 1999-422
on Sep 14, 1999
Limit punitive damages; term limits on Congress.
Kasich signed the Contract with America:
[As part of the Contract with America, within 100 days we pledge to bring to the House Floor the following bills]:
The Common Sense Legal Reforms Act:
“Loser pays” laws, reasonable limits on punitive damages, and reform of product liability laws to stem the endless tide of litigation.
The Citizen Legislature Act:A first-ever vote on term limits to replace career politicians with citizen legislators.
Source: Contract with America 93-CWA11 on Sep 27, 1994
Government is too big, too intrusive, too easy with money.
Kasich signed the Contract with America:
This year’s election offers the chance, after four decades of one-party control, to bring to the House a new majority that will transform the way Congress works. That historic change would be the end of government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public’s money. It can be the beginning of a Congress that respects the values and shares the faith of the American family.
Like Lincoln, our first Republican president, we intend to act “with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.” To restore accountability to Congress. To end its cycle of scandal and disgrace. To make us all proud again of the way free people govern themselves.
On the first day of the 104th Congress, the new Republican majority will immediately pass the following major reforms, aimed at restoring the faith and trust of the American people in their government:
- Require all laws that apply to the rest of the country also apply equally to the Congress;
- Select a major independent auditing firm to conduct a comprehensive audit of Congress for waste, fraud, and abuse;
- Cut the number of House committees, and cut committee staff by one-third;
- Limit the terms of all committee chairs;
- Ban the casting of proxy votes in committee;
- Require committee meetings to be open to the public;
- Require a three-fifths majority vote to pass a tax increase
- Guarantee an honest accounting of our federal budget by implementing zero baseline budgeting.
Source: Contract with America 93-CWA2 on Sep 27, 1994
Page last updated: Dec 15, 2019