To Republicans wary about Senate Bill 5 and hesitant to offend unions crying over “payback” for years of campaign spending, let me offer the following: Senate Bill 5 is payback.
SB 5 pays back the Ohioans who voted for a fiscally-responsible Senate. It’s payback to the hypocrites at the AFSCME and OEA who pay themselves millions of dollars every year to fight Ohio’s local governments, school districts, and state agencies. It’s payback for parents, teachers, and taxpayers whose voices are muted by the bullhorns of national organizations dedicated to failed Progressive policies.
GOP Senators, please review Matt Mayer’s testimony from the Feb. 15th SB 5 hearing and consider my humble suggestions:
- Remove any impact on police, highway patrolmen, and firefighters
- Revoke collective bargaining rights from all other state and local government employees
These changes would leave room to debate pay, insurance, and pension policies, undermining union rhetoric by creating a distinction between unionization and other rights. The 1983 law allowing government employees to unionize was a mistake, and only by removing the largest unions from the equation can Ohio hope to find a fair, sustainable middle ground. As I said last fall:
All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service. It has its distinct and insurmountable limitations when applied to public personnel management. The very nature and purposes of Government make it impossible for administrative officials to represent fully or to bind the employer in mutual discussions with Government employee organizations. The employer is the whole people, who speak by means of laws enacted by their representatives in Congress.
Wait, that was another detestable small-government conservative – Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Academics hot for unionization should be challenged to list the protections a union offers which couldn’t be extended through legislative means. Leftists quick to foist higher taxes on “the rich” should be asked to explain why union bosses – whose businesses chiefly produce lobbying, higher labor costs, and their own salaries – deserve taxpayer support. Government employees should explain why their benefits should remain insulated amid $8 billion in deficits and an unemployment rate above 9%.
If they’re demanding even more of our tax dollars, shouldn’t government unions be able to justify why they exist in the first place?
Cross-posted at that hero and Third Base Politics.
February 24th, 2011 at 12:39 pm
I am very disappointed in Kasich and his republican RINO buddies that have
buckled in to the BIG UNION demands. He has not created a single
job in Ohio but instead raises taxes on us with a license tag
increase I knew that voting for him was a big mistake he lied
back in the 80′s and voted for the assault weapons ban. He will
never balance the budget now that he is beholden to the corrupt
unions. Public employees bargaining for wages with other public
employees is CORRUPT and I will not pay for it anymore. Don’t you
dare governor ask the Tea Party to support you anymore. You have no respect
for entrepreneurs and small business people and farmers that are
struggling instead you and your buddies kowtow to the unions and
their handlers, except when you want our vote, that is shameless.
We will start a partition for all citizens to withhold property tax
and other funds because of the CORRUPT and ILLEGAL practice of
collective bargaining for PUBLIC employees. I am predicting that
you will be a big failure and out of office in 4 years . GOOD LUCK
John
February 24th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Hello I have been a Tea Party participant from the beginning I was at the state
house 2 days ago along with 7 other folks who represented our views against
army of Socialist, Communist and malcontents. I am sick of Kacish already. I
knew that voting for him was a mistake he lied back in the 80″s and voted for
the assault weapons ban. He is not to be trusted. He has not created a single
job but instead taxes us with more license fees so he can give more to his
Highway Patrol buddies. I am sick to death of all of our republican reps and
senators in Delaware County. Kasich will be a failure and out in 4 years. I
want to start a patrician and movement to withhold property tax money and other
fees until the CORRUPT and ILLEGAL practice of collective bargaining for public
employees is stopped. Please contact I want to run as a Tea Party candidate. I
did run for the Big Walnut school board 3 years ago and barley lost. The papers
and local commie party leaders up here in Delaware County crucified me but
many folks agreed with me. Thanks for your help my kids and I will be at the
Tea rally in April Steve K
March 3rd, 2011 at 9:20 pm
Passage of this bill is partially due from people chiming in on things they know nothing about.