The Buckeye Institute

The Buckeye Institute
Formation 1994
Headquarters Columbus, OH
Website
http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/

The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative research organization. Its stated mission is to promote individual liberty, economic freedom, personal responsibility and limited government in Ohio.

Contents

Leadership

Matt Mayer was appointed President of the Buckeye Institute in September 2009. In November 2011, Mayer announced that he was leaving his position at the Buckeye Institute to accept a position at the Heritage Foundation. [1]. In December 2009, former Columbus Mayor Greg Lashutka was elected Chairman of the Board. Other Board members include former Federal Election Commission Chairman Bradley A. Smith, former Ohio State School Board member Debbie Owens, Dan Peters, and Ron McMaster.

Organizational structure

The Buckeye Institute has several research fellows and scholars responsible for conducting the group's research into various public policy debates, including health care, education and education funding, and economic development.

It is home to The 1851 Center for Constitutional Law, which provides legal support in cases that have a bearing on the institute's mission. It has taken on cases to represent voters who wanted to shut down ACORN,[2] a charitable organization whose meeting place was demolished by the City of Cincinnati without notice, and a couple whose organic food cooperative was raided by state and local agents.[3]

The institute also launched the Center for Transparent and Accountable Government to promote open government issues as a means to prevent the waste of government and taxpayer resources. The center's first two projects were the launch of OhioSunshine.org, a wiki designed to monitor compliance with public records laws, and the distribution of an openness pledge to candidates for elected office at all levels.[4]. The institute also maintains OhioVotes.org, a database of the legislative activity of the Ohio General Assembly.

Issues

The bulk of the Buckeye Institute's research focuses on taxes and education, with additional studies addressing health care, technology and economic development. The institute's approaches to these topics feature a unifying theme that promotes market-based approaches, lower taxes and reduced government involvement.[5]

Taxes and government spending

Generally, the Buckeye Institute can be expected to oppose new or increased taxes and to criticize existing ones.[6][7] Papers from the institute have called for the state to repeal its income tax[8] or make it less progressive,[9] and singled out estate taxes, intangible property taxes, tobacco taxes, and certain taxes on horse racing as "dumb taxes."[10] The institute has also called for the Ohio General Assembly to reduce the rate of the state sales tax and broaden its base.[11]

The institute is also critical of much government spending. It has twice published "The Piglet Book,"[12][13] an account of government spending that it sees as wasteful[14] and gave positive reviews of a proposed constitutional amendment that would have placed annual limits on the growth of tax revenue and government spending,[15] similar to other states' Taxpayer Bills of Rights.

Education

The institute's Center for Education Excellence produces reports and research that promote a market-based approach to education, including vouchers and charter schools,[16] and a resolution to the state's years-old education funding debate.

The institute's legal center has also injected itself into a debate in Toledo over the city's efforts to impose a uniform set of minimum facilities on schools, which the institute claims is a veiled attempt to limit the availability of charter schools in the city. The center sent a letter to the city opposing the proposed ordinance and threatening to take legal action if the ordinance is approved.[17]

The institute has often found itself at odds with teachers' unions, who view it as "anti-union."[18][19] The unions were critical of the institute when it posted a searchable database of salaries for teachers and administrators online, while omitting the same information for teachers at charter schools.[20]

External links

References

  1. ^ "Mayer leaving Buckeye Institute". Cincinatti.com. http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/07/mayer-leaving-buckeye-institute-2/. Retrieved 22 November 2011. 
  2. ^ "Buckeye Institute sues ACORN under racketeering law". The Columbus Dispatch. The Associated Press. 2008-10-14. http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/10/14/buckeye_acorn.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  3. ^ Fogarty, Steve (2008-12-18). "Couple sue over raid on organic food co-op". The Chronicle-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio). http://www.chroniclet.com/2008/12/18/couple-sue-over-raid-on-organic-food-co-op_122/. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  4. ^ Thurber, Maggie (2008-08-15). "A few random thoughts ...". Toledo Free Press (Toledo, Ohio). http://www.toledofreepress.com/2008/08/15/a-few-random-thoughts/. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  5. ^ O'Donnell, Patrick (2008-12-18). "Manna Storehouse asks court to rule sheriff's search illegal". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio). http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/12296045988350.xml&coll=2. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  6. ^ "Wastebusters: Anti-Tax Group Targets Government Spending". WHIO-TV. Dayton, Ohio. 2006-07-18. http://www.whiotv.com/news/9536580/detail.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  7. ^ Otte, Jim (2008-02-05). "Ohio Attorney General Named ‘Porker Of The Month’". WHIO-TV. Dayton, Ohio. http://www.whiotv.com/news/15222549/detail.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  8. ^ Eric N. Fisher (2008-08-25), A Proposal to Eliminate Ohio’s Personal Income Tax: A Ten Year Plan to Grow Economic Freedom in the State, The Buckeye Institute, pp. 12, http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/incometax.pdf, retrieved 2009-01-30 
  9. ^ Russell S. Sobel; Robert A. Lawson (2003-08-22), Income Tax Progressivity in Ohio, The Buckeye Institute, pp. 18, http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/ITP.pdf, retrieved 2009-01-30 
  10. ^ Mark Kilmer (2007-04-27), Some Taxes in Ohio Are Just Dumb, The Buckeye Institute, pp. 2, http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/Viewpoint_2007_04_27_00069_Kilmer_Some_Taxes_in_Ohio_Are_Just_Dumb.pdf, retrieved 2009-01-30 
  11. ^ Samuel R. Staley, Ph.D.; Joshua C. Hall (2004-02-01), Five Steps to Fundamental Tax Reform: A Pro-Growth Blueprint, The Buckeye Institute, pp. 7, http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/fivesteps.pdf, retrieved 2009-01-30 
  12. ^ Horne, Bill (2006-06-05). "Put our interests before special interests". The Times-Gazette (Hillsboro, Ohio). http://www.timesgazette.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=139011. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  13. ^ "Government Pork: Your Tax Dollars at Waste". La Prensa Toledo (Toledo, Ohio). 2005. http://www.laprensatoledo.com/Stories/2006/April%2019,%202006/Government%20Pork.htm. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  14. ^ 2006 Ohio Piglet Book, The Buckeye Institute, 2006-09-21, pp. 50, http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/docs/Policy_Report_2_2006_09_21_Piglet_Book_2006.pdf, retrieved 2009-01-30 
  15. ^ "Blackwell joins think tank as public-policy scholar". The Toledo Blade (Toledo, Ohio). 2007-02-16. http://toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070216/NEWS09/702160391. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  16. ^ Hawthorne, Michael (1998-04-30). "Issue 2 vote won't settle education debate". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio). http://www.enquirer.com/editions/1998/04/30/skultax30.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  17. ^ "Proposed Toledo Community Schools Regulation Violates Ohio Constitution" (Press release). The Buckeye Institute. 2009-01-12. http://www.buckeyeinstitute.org/article/1305. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  18. ^ Sebastian, Simone (2007-10-17). "Bloggers battle over candidate". The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio). http://blog.dispatch.com/edblog/k12/columbus_public_schools/. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  19. ^ Smith Amos, Denise (2008-12-21). "Teacher salaries to be published online". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio). http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20081221/NEWS0102/812210370/-1/today. Retrieved 2009-01-30. 
  20. ^ McRae, Sarena (2008-12-11). "Ohio teacher salaries available through Buckeye Institute database". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio). http://www.cleveland.com/education/index.ssf/2008/12/ohio_teachers_salaries_availab.html. Retrieved 2009-01-30.