The Buckeye Institute

The Buckeye Institute
Formation 1994[1]
Location
Budget
 Revenue: $294,115
Expenses: $465,262
(FYE December 2012)[2]
Website

The Buckeye Institute for Public Policy Solutions is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit conservative public policy think tank. The organization, based in Columbus, Ohio, has a stated mission of promoting individual liberty, economic freedom, personal responsibility and limited government in Ohio.[3]

Leadership

Robert Alt took over as President of The Buckeye Institute in October 2012[4] 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 Jerry Jordan, 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.

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 has often found itself at odds with teachers' unions, who view it as "anti-union".[17][18] 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.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "William and Helen Diehl Fellowship Program" (PDF). Buckeye Institute. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  2. ↑ "Quickview data". GuideStar. See also "Charity Rating". Charity Navigator.
  3. ↑ Weiser, Carl (2/6/2012). "Former Portman aide selected to lead Buckeye Institute". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved 22 August 2014. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ↑ "Buckeye Institute names new president from Heritage Foundation". Columbus Business First. 2012-10-01. Retrieved 2014-02-14.
  5. ↑ O'Donnell, Patrick (2008-12-18). "Manna Storehouse asks court to rule sheriff's search illegal". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  6. ↑ "Wastebusters: Anti-Tax Group Targets Government Spending". Dayton, Ohio. WHIO-TV. 2006-07-18. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  7. ↑ Otte, Jim (2008-02-05). "Ohio Attorney General Named ‘Porker Of The Month’". Dayton, Ohio. WHIO-TV. 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 (PDF), The Buckeye Institute, p. 12, retrieved 2009-01-30
  9. ↑ Russell S. Sobel; Robert A. Lawson (2003-08-22), Income Tax Progressivity in Ohio (PDF), The Buckeye Institute, p. 18, retrieved 2009-01-30
  10. ↑ Mark Kilmer (2007-04-27), Some Taxes in Ohio Are Just Dumb (PDF), The Buckeye Institute, p. 2, 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 (PDF), The Buckeye Institute, p. 7, retrieved 2009-01-30
  12. ↑ Horne, Bill (2006-06-05). "Put our interests before special interests". The Times-Gazette (Hillsboro, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  13. ↑ "Government Pork: Your Tax Dollars at Waste". La Prensa Toledo (Toledo, Ohio). 2005. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  14. ↑ 2006 Ohio Piglet Book (PDF), The Buckeye Institute, 2006-09-21, p. 50, retrieved 2009-01-30
  15. ↑ "Blackwell joins think tank as public-policy scholar". The Toledo Blade (Toledo, Ohio). 2007-02-16. Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  16. ↑ Hawthorne, Michael (1998-04-30). "Issue 2 vote won't settle education debate". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  17. ↑ Sebastian, Simone (2007-10-17). "Bloggers battle over candidate". The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  18. ↑ Smith Amos, Denise (2008-12-21). "Teacher salaries to be published online". The Cincinnati Enquirer (Cincinnati, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.
  19. ↑ McRae, Sarena (2008-12-11). "Ohio teacher salaries available through Buckeye Institute database". The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio). Retrieved 2009-01-30.

External links

Coordinates: 39°57′47″N 82°59′54″W / 39.9630°N 82.9984°W