Locals Call on Kasich

One local group is calling on gubernatorial candidate John Kasich to release his tax returns.

Retired members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Subchapter 150 are asking for Kasich to release 10 years worth of tax returns and to disclose the details of his employment with wall street investment firm Lehman Brothers.

President Lee Martin says the collapse of Lehman Brothers led to $480 million in losses in five state pension funds including Ohio’s.

"Filling the hole in Ohio’s Retirement Fund would likely mean one of two things," said Martin. "Failure to meet obligations to retirees or an increased burden to Ohio tax payers. Ohioans shouldn’t have to face that, especially in this time of economic uncertainty."

Martin says it is cruel that ohio’s worker’s retirement security should be threatened by Wall Street.

"This puts the pension of state employees, firefighters and highway patrollers at risk and weakens the long-term financial solvency of a critical safety net of Ohio workers," he said.

Governor Ted Strickland released his income tax returns Wednesday and asked Kasich to do the same. Earlier this month, Kasich made his 2008 tax filing available showing he made nearly $590,000 as a Lehman Brothers managing editor, before it collapsed later that year.

We were unable to reach Kasich’s office for a comment.