Senate Bill 5 threatens the stranglehold government unions hold on too many state offices, school districts, and local governments. To public employees who accept without blinking the rhetoric their union dues fund – and have no idea where else their money goes – SB 5 is fascism, doom, and an attack on the middle class:
Anita Barton, a high-school guidance counselor from St. Mary’s, said Kasich is making public employees scapegoats for the state’s financial crisis.
“Why is he so afraid of collective bargaining?” Barton asked. “Why is he so afraid that we have representation? If you don’t have representation as a whole, as an individual you don’t have a voice.”
What you might not realize is that SB 5 revokes all Facebook, Twitter, and email privileges from public employees. If the bill passes, teachers and guidance counselors will no longer be permitted to speak with their principals or superintendents. All school board proceedings will henceforth be sealed from the public, and any government employee seen colluding with a local newspaper or television station will be summarily executed.
One quote from an Ohio dentist gets to the heart of the matter:
“We need a strong middle class,” Gregory said. “Workers have to make a decent wage so they can pay their dentist.”
Public employees are nowhere near representative of the middle class. I know I’m repeating myself here, but it’s hardly my fault the opponents of Senate Bill 5 keep making the same awful arguments. Every dollar given to a government employee has to be taken from Ohio taxpayers. Dollars do not become more valuable simply because the government has moved them around. The unions, Democrats, and socialist fellow-travelers want taxes increased... despite Ohio’s unemployed outnumbering public employees, and taxpayer migration looking like this:
No matter how many times Governor Kasich says “I’m not anti-union,” the unions will scream that the GOP is attacking union employees and by extension all workers. Unless you’re in the Communist Party wing of the SB 5 opposition, you can’t openly call for higher taxes – but that’s exactly what SB 5 opponents are demanding. Will government ever be big enough for these people?
Cross-posted at that hero.
"Every dollar given to a government employee has to be taken from Ohio taxpayers."
ReplyDeleteYou might want to give back every dime you have made during your hypocritical career suckling at the government teet.
Now granted, the easiest way to solve a budget crisis is to generate more revenue. The easiest way to generate more revenue is a slight tax increase. Plain and simple. If I am low on funds, I work more, I dont get rid of stuff...
ReplyDeleteNow granted, the easiest way to solve a budget crisis is to generate more revenue. The easiest way to generate more revenue is a slight tax increase. Plain and simple. If I am low on funds, I work more, I dont get rid of stuff...
ReplyDeleteO.K., let's kick the can down the road and not address the mismatch between government's size and Ohio's declining population. Also, let's make it harder for the state to compete and retain businesses.
Any guess how that will work out?
"O.K., let's kick the can down the road and not address the mismatch between government's size and Ohio's declining population. Also, let's make it harder for the state to compete and retain businesses.
ReplyDeleteAny guess how that will work out?"
First off, it isn't the governments job to create jobs. Second of all, the bulk of the jobs that have left the state over the past ten years have left the US all together. Large corporations are going to do everything they can to save a buck. I don't see CEOs taking paycuts while they ship jobs to Mexico and India... Eliminate the tax breaks for outsourcing jobs, and the jobs will come back.
Yes we are in a budget crunch, but NO ONE is asking the top 1% to do ANYTHING to help.
Alright, it's hard to keep the Anonymouses straight here, but in response to the "Tax the rich!" Anonymous who thinks I cannot criticize unions because I work for the government: Thanks. Your sophomoric arguments help reinforce my point.
ReplyDeleteHow is asking someone who has made millions on the backs of the people who do the manual labor a sophmoric argument? Its a valid way to raise money in a hurry. Instead of doing the responsible thing and allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, the GOP did everything in their power to let those cuts be renewed. That isn't fiscally the right thing to do, it is the exact opposite. Hell I got a tax cut, and I don't recall asking for one, as I understand the simple rule of economics. The tax program of the US is a joke, as it only benefits the extremely rich, or the extremely poor. The people in the middle constantly are being screwed by both sides of the aisle...
ReplyDeleteHow is asking someone who has made millions on the backs of the people who do the manual labor a sophmoric argument? Its a valid way to raise money in a hurry. Instead of doing the responsible thing and allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, the GOP did everything in their power to let those cuts be renewed. That isn't fiscally the right thing to do, it is the exact opposite. Hell I got a tax cut, and I don't recall asking for one, as I understand the simple rule of economics. The tax program of the US is a joke, as it only benefits the extremely rich, or the extremely poor. The people in the middle constantly are being screwed by both sides of the aisle..
ReplyDeleteYou might want to check out who pays the taxes in the U.S. The top 10% of earners pay about 80% of the taxes. Higher income earners in Ohio pay over 40% of their income in taxes. So, let me ask: How much do you want to take from high income earners and achievers? Further, I don't see the tax system in the U.S. benefiting the rich -- Would you, if you had to pay 40+% in taxes?
At some point it is counter productive to keep raising taxes and we have reached that point. It is also clear that the problems the states (including Ohio) and the Federal government face are on the spending side.
And, BTW, the Democrats, including Obama, joined Republicans in keeping tax rates the same and not increasing them. Letting the so-called "Bush tax cut" expire would have increased the tax rates on all taxpayers.
"And, BTW, the Democrats, including Obama, joined Republicans in keeping tax rates the same and not increasing them. Letting the so-called "Bush tax cut" expire would have increased the tax rates on all taxpayers."
ReplyDeleteHense why I said screwed by both sides of the aisle...
A simple 1% sales tax increase could solve this problem in an instant...
A simple 1% sales tax increase could solve this problem in an instant...
ReplyDeleteSure, why not raise the sales tax 2% and give everyone a raise while we are at it? BTW, sales taxes are regressive and hurt the poor worse than anyone. Sure you want to go down that path?
A flat sales tax increase is the simplest soloution to all of the tax problems in this country. Youpay by the lifestyle you choose to lead. You make 500k a year and drive a Hyundai, then you pay less, you make 60k and drive a Benz, you pay more...The US tax system is beyond flawed, its the most ass backwards system on the planet...
ReplyDelete