BY HOWARD WILKINSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ohio's two U.S. Senate candidates blamed each other for Ohio's education woes in separate interviews Tuesday with the Cincinnati Enquirer editorial board.
Throughout the campaign, Mary Boyle, a former Cuyahoga County commissioner, has accused her opponent, two-term Gov. George Voinovich, of failing on his promise to be "the education governor."
"The record he takes out of the governor's office belies his promise to be the education governor," Ms. Boyle said Tuesday. Ms. Boyle said Mr. Voinovich had 7 1/2 years to solve the inequities in the state's school funding system but did not act until the courts found the system to be unconstitutional and ordered it changed. A Voinovich-backed plan to raise the state sales tax for schools was voted down by 80 percent of Ohio voters this year.
"Now he will leave office with (an Ohio) Supreme Court case hanging over the head of the next governor," Ms. Boyle said.
"The issue was not just about to fund schools but how to assure that 1.8 million Ohio schoolchildren are getting a first-class education," Ms. Boyle said.
Later in the day, Mr. Voinovich, who cannot run for a third term, told the editorial board it was the Democratic-controlled legislature of the 1970s and 1980s -- of which Ms. Boyle, as a state representative, was a part -- that created the school funding crisis.
"With all the criticism she has leveled at me, she should look in the mirror," Mr. Voinovich said. "It was the formula that (the Democrats) put in place that was found unconstitutional, and she was part of that crowd."
As a state representative in the early 1980s, Ms. Boyle "voted against increasing funding for education and, at the same time, voted for the largest tax increase in Ohio history," Mr. Voinovich said.
The two are running for the Senate seat being left vacant by the retirement of U.S. Sen. John Glenn, a Democrat.
Independent statewide polls have shown that Mr. Voinovich, with more money and name recognition, has a substantial lead over Ms. Boyle, who has never been on the statewide general election ballot.
Mr. Voinovich and Ms. Boyle have debated issues together in front of other editorial boards around the state, but Mr. Voinovich declined to meet jointly with his opponent when contacted by the Enquirer.
Their only public debate is scheduled for Oct. 15 in Dayton.
