Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Consequences of SB 5

Gov. John Kasich and Ohio Republicans are pushing for the passage of SB 5, a bill that ends collective bargaining, and strips workers of protections that they've enjoyed for years.  One of the areas that has been getting a lot of attention is the plan to eliminate seniority for all public employees.  This particular item could mean that workers close to retirement (30 years), could be fired in order to save on the budget of the school district, safety force, county, city, or state government.  A public employee who would be fired would lose their retirement and not be eligible for Social Security because they've not paid into it.  

Despite Kasich's claim that he is not targeting unions, all evidence shows that he is.  Polls show that the people of Ohio do not like the vindictive manner in which Kasich and the Ohio GOP have blamed unions and fire fighters, police officers, teachers, and public employees for the financial mess that Ohio is experiencing.  People have quit the Republican Party and vowed to never vote for another Republican ever again. If Lehman Brothers, investment firms, and banks had not risked our money and caused the near financial collapse of the country, Ohio and corporations would not be in such a mess.

Kasich and his Republican sheeple need to find another way to fix the state without doing it on the backs of the workers who give their lives, time, and dedication to their communities and state.