COLUMBUS, Ohio - Tom Walsh, a senior staffer from the Ohio General Assembly, has joined the Ohio Department of Taxation as Administrator of the Legislation Division.

Walsh, 30, brings a strong background in tax policy and budgetary issues to the department. He previously was deputy finance director for the Ohio Senate, where he assisted senators in crafting state budget legislation, including the significant tax reforms in the latest budget bill (House Bill 66) that were enacted in the summer of 2005.

During his seven years with the Senate, Walsh also had experience staffing the Ways and Means Committee, the Finance Committee and the Controlling Board.

“We are pleased to have someone of Tom’s caliber in our top legislative post,” said Deputy Tax Commissioner Fred Church. “His extensive experience in working with state lawmakers on tax and budget issues will be an asset to both the department and the State of Ohio.”

Walsh is a native Ohioan. He grew up in the city of Mentor in Lake County and graduated from Riverside High School in Painesville. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Ohio State University.

Tom most recently served as the Deputy Director of Finance for the powerful Ohio Senate Finance Committee.  He had previously served as a longtime top aide to current GOP State Senate President Bill Harris.

Now why would a former top GOP staffer go to work for as the top tax lobbyist for Democratic Governor Ted Strickland?  Is it to give Strickland better access to Republicans in the Ohio General Assembly?  Well perhaps.

But more likely, the views of Tom Walsh and his old boss Bill Harris on tax issues, are a lot closer to Ted Strickland than to those of Ken Blackwell.  Like Strickland, Harris first ran for office as a conservative opposed to higher taxes.  Like Strickland, Harris pledged never to raise taxes.  Strickland was thrown out of office, albeit temporarily, in 1994 for breaking that pledge.

Harris, however, serving in the House and Senate districts once represented by arch Ohio conservative Tom VanMeter, has been safely re-elected time and again after voting for tax increases almost every year since 1997.