Menu

For years, Ohio Farm Bureau has advocated that the state reign in spending and be fiscally responsible. To give county Farm Bureaus a better understanding of the budget and tax policy of the state, OFBF’s government affairs department has developed an exercise to balance the state budget.

The project, which is being rolled out to county Farm Bureaus this month, asks participants to balance the 2007 budget for the fictitious "Commonwealth of Farmio" which is similar to Ohio. The incoming "Farmio" governor has pledged more money for education and greater economic activity. The project’s goal is to balance the budget – and stimulate a good discussion about Ohio’s budget and taxes, said Keith Stimpert, OFBF’s vice president of government affairs.

"We’ve simplified the state budget down to 24 line items, and participants are asked to develop the revenues and expenditures of Farmio," he said. "We want people to take the time to go through the exercise so they can talk about and become more aware of the challenges of fiscal policy."

Several state Farm Bureau members did a test run of the project last month and made recommendations to improve it.

"It was a good opportunity to look at the budget and see where the money goes and how difficult it is to balance the budget. It should help us see what our members think of areas of the budget," said Marc Armstrong, OFBF’s director of constituent action, who tried out the exercise.

Those who complete the exercise are eligible for a $100 gift card. The forms need to be turned in to the state office before the Oct. 26 drawing.

"This will generate a better understanding of state and budget issues," Stimpert said. "Ohio is going to have a lot of challenges in 2007, and this should help generate more understanding."

Caption: OFBF Vice President of Government Affairs Keith Stimpert, standing, instructs OFBF employees on how to start balancing the "Farmio" budget. Seated counterclockwise are Rachel Rittinger, Sally Fullen, Rocky Black, Joe Cornely and Marc Armstrong.