I think I Now Get David Goodman's Higher Education Position

One of the points that baffled me amongst the Dispatch's stated reasons for their endorsement of Goodman over Democratic Challenger Emily Kreider in the 3rd District Senate race was their repetition of the Goodman talking point that reform was needed to reduce wasteful duplication and competition in Ohio colleges.

What in the heck does that mean? I complained that the lack of specifics made it difficult to argue against, although I could make up some ridiculous, but consistent proposals, and argue against them.

It turns out my hyperbolic imaginations are closer to the truth than any such things should ever be. I know this because a post on Plunderbund jogged my memory and sent me off to re-read the following:

Efficiency


There is a need to devote new attention
to the efficiency of back office operations.
One way to cut costs and streamline functions
is by consolidating common university
functions such as housing, admissions and
food services. This allows more in-classroom
and innovation spending. Another avenue
deserving of exploration is lifting the ban on
one prime contractor for construction projects.
Finally, it is time for an expansion in the
flexibility of prevailing wages.

There is a redundancy in the services offered
by two- and four-year institutions.Currently,
there are not enough positions available for
Ohioans who graduate from specialized fields
such as law, medicine and education. Not only
does this cause a loss in these individuals’
investments through financing their education,
it causes a decline in population growth as well
as in the tax base. In order to stymie this
problem, a results-driven approach to identify
redundancies and unproductive programs will
produce solutions to maximize efficiency.

In case you didn't recognize it, it's from the Blackwell Plan for Transforming Education in Ohio. David Goodman doesn't need to name specifics. He just has to wait for Ken Blackwell to come up with a specific plan to eliminate Medical Schools, etc. and then work with Ken Blackwell to implement it.


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Race Update: Today's Dispatch has an article on state legislature races, and how the Dems are doing well despite the over whelming edge the Republicans have in buying TV ads. The article gives a nice shout out to our House candidate Bev Campbell, but spends more time talking with Emily:

No Democrat in central Ohio has been more swamped by ads than Emily Kreider, a business consultant who is challenging Sen. David Goodman, R-New Albany, in the 3 rd District, covering eastern and northern Franklin County.

"It’s pretty much David and Goliath, although this time the Goliath is David," Kreider said.

While she spent $15,000 on a cable television ad a few weeks ago, the Ohio Republican Senate Campaign Committee is expected to spend more than $1 million on Goodman’s ads.

Those recent spots have focused on Kreider’s failure to vote at the polls. Kreider said the ads leave viewers with the impression that she held elected office and didn’t vote for school issues.

Kreider countered Tuesday with 50,000 automated calls to voters, but she knows she can’t reach everyone. While some early polls had the race at a dead heat, GOP officials are now talking more confidently that Goodman will be re-elected.

"The Democratic caucus and the Ohio party never expected me to be doing as well as I am," Kreider said. "So I don’t know that there was ever any intention to buy television time."

You can donate money to Emily Kreider through my ActBlue link, or volunteer by contacting her campaign.