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Title: Ohio Voters Look Set To Dump Republicans' Anti-Union Law
Source:
LA TIMES
URL Source: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationw ... -ohio-20111105,0,6039761.story
Published: Nov 6, 2011
Author: By Paul West, Washington Bureau
Post Date: 2011-11-06 01:48:19 by Brian S
Keywords: None
Views: 1672
Comments: 11
November 5, 2011, 9:01 p.m. Reporting from Hanoverton, Ohio— An aggressive Republican drive to weaken the labor rights of government workers appears to have crested, at least in Ohio, where voters are expected to throw out a far-reaching anti-union law this week. The referendum over collective bargaining for public employees, potentially the most important contest in off-year elections around the nation, is being closely watched for clues about shifting voter trends in a state expected to play its usual outsized role in next year's presidential contest. Barely seven months ago, newly elected Gov. John Kasich joined other Republican governors, including Wisconsin's Scott Walker, in defying angry street demonstrations to push through a measure designed to curb the power of public-employee unions. Tuesday's vote "will reverberate in a major way across the country, because Ohio is still Ohio," said Dale Butland of Innovation Ohio, a liberal think tank with ties to organized labor. "We are one of the linchpins of any presidential election." Kasich, the focus of both sides in the referendum fight, touts his blue-collar roots as the son of a postman. But he warns that a victory by organized labor would undercut his efforts to hold the line on government spending and rebuild the state's economy. "Look, I understand that people are nervous about this in the public sector," he told a northeastern Ohio rally in support of the anti-union law he signed in March. But, he added, "if we want to continue on this path of pulling Ohio out of this ditch, the state of Ohio has to be responsible." The arguments by Kasich, whose popularity has fallen sharply since his election a year ago, appear to have swayed few voters. Public and private polling indicates that Ohioans, by a substantial margin, want to overturn the new law. Strategists on both sides say conservative legislators and the new governor, emboldened by a Republican election sweep, overreached when they added curbs on collective bargaining to a measure requiring government workers to pay a larger share of their pension and healthcare costs. Repeal would represent a sorely needed victory for organized labor and its Democratic allies. A related effort fell short last summer in Wisconsin, where Democrats outraged by anti-union efforts tried to change the balance of power by forcing Republican lawmakers into recall elections. The Ohio referendum, placed on the ballot by organized labor in a petition drive that drew more than a million signatures, is focused on the law itself. Under the statute, government officials can effectively impose contract terms on public employees when they can't come to terms over wages, the only issue subject to bargaining under the GOP overhaul. But unlike Wisconsin, where Republicans exempted first responders from a new law stripping public employees of most collective bargaining rights, Ohio's law applies to all government workers, including police and firefighters. That is creating unusual alliances, with law-enforcement groups like the Fraternal Order of Police, which often endorse Republican candidates, siding with Democrats in the repeal push. For months, an expensive TV ad campaign by the union-led coalition We Are Ohio has featured blaring sirens and on-camera testimonials by first responders warning that public safety would be at risk because the law would bar unions from negotiating for adequate staffing levels. Rallies in support of labor's push-back have attracted some of the white working-class voters who had abandoned the Democratic Party over the years, said Chris Redfern, chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party. Next year, when Ohio will be a major presidential election battleground, "they're going to remember this," he said. President Obama's reelection campaign is "strongly supporting" the ballot drive, Redfern said, helping recruit 12,000 volunteers, assisting with voter turnout and enabling Democrats to refurbish their organization far ahead of 2012. But strategists in both parties caution against reading too much into the referendum results. Given the economy, even Democrats say Obama could easily lose Ohio, despite carrying it last time. Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who is advising the business-financed effort to retain the labor law, called it "wishful thinking" for Democrats to project the outcome onto a high-turnout presidential contest. A Democratic advisor to the repeal campaign, speaking anonymously in order to discuss internal strategy, said voters oppose the new law out of a sense of fairness: They believe workers should be able to bargain with their bosses. In their pitch to Ohio voters, the pro-labor campaign took on the issue of restraining the power of government workers by making it about values — "the notion that we don't turn our backs on the people who watch ours" — the advisor said. Supporters of the law argued that government workers had received excessive healthcare and pension benefits at taxpayer expense, and ran ads declaring that "enough is enough." But the closing arguments by both sides converged on a common theme — jobs — rather than labor rights. In that sense, the Ohio campaign is a preview of next year's election, which is expected to turn on a judgment by voters about which presidential candidate is better able to restore prosperity. The labor coalition's ads attacked the unpopular governor and the job losses it said would result from his policies. Kasich, in a commercial filmed at a dining table, said his administration was working to keep young Ohioans from leaving the state to find work and that government workers must make reasonable sacrifices to keep Ohio from losing ground. Last Tuesday, he ventured into the old canal town of Hanoverton for an outdoor rally that generated the biggest clash of the campaign. Standing outside the 19th century Spread Eagle Tavern, its red-brick facade glowing in the golden late-afternoon light, the gruff-talking governor confronted about 20 demonstrators. They shouted "tea bagger," and "traitor" when he mentioned his working-class upbringing. Fighting to be heard over the hecklers, Kasich boasted that, as a result of his economic development efforts, "we're beginning to win." "But," yelled a man at the rear of the throng, "you'll lose on Tuesday!"
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#1. To: Brian S (#0)
The parasites really don't like it, when the hosts start to resist, eh?
DUMMY DwarF: ...I'm eating a meatball... "Whenver the dwarf sees something negative about a Democrat, he tries to change the topic of the thread to something else. Usually a personal attack, followed by mutterings about correct 'grammar' 'spelling' whatever. Anything he can think of to avoid a discussion about a Democrat screwing up or looking bad. It's a decade long pattern." --Badeye observation-- The article doesn't state any poll numbers on how they figure the vote will go.... I wonder why??? A month ago the numbers showed heavily in favor of repeal, now..... the last thing I heard on the radio is it's a tossup!!!!! So if it does get repealed are the teachers ready for the layoffs that are sure to follow???? And/Or maybe the money being given out as vouchers for kids to go to private schools????? So if repeal happens are they going to be happy with their voting to lose their jobs???? I would imagine the teachers will be mad but the Union bosses won't because they will still be in power..... they don't care..... when will people learn????? During the summer the private school in my town recently purchased a building about 10-15 times larger than the old one they used to occupy...... bet they see more business coming their way in the next few years!!!!
Number of shallow, inadequate, hypocritical Leftards who have me on BOZO---3.......... That means I'm doing my job correctly !!!!!!!!! "CHANGE" you can step in..... he's going to be facing recall next year, himself. If Russ Feingold runs against him, he'll be out ass over Tea cups...
I'll believe that a corporation is a person 1 second after Texas executes one...
10-15x's? You taking proportion lessons from Junior? Double maybe...but 10-15x's is going from a single building to an industrial park.
I'll believe that a corporation is a person 1 second after Texas executes one...
Double maybe...but 10-15x's is going from a single building to an industrial park. The old building was an 2 story house with basement and the new building is an old elementary school.....
"CHANGE" you can step in..... "labor rights" = government bureaucrats who are given privilege by law to steal money from hard working tax payers regardless of their performance or value to society...
I wants me sum of them thar 'steel moneys'...
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
Of course I that did not say said. Why are you stereotyping blacks in America??? Sure I made a spelling mistake. I did bear-ly grad-u-ate from the government monopoly schools... They just handed out Sea's regardless of whether I showed up and slept or whether I just didn't show up at all. As a result I am a lousy speller. But I am still so smart and ambitious that I made more money in the last couple of years than you will ever make in your entire life. That's the point...
Okay...so they want from 3000sqft to 15,000 max...
I'll believe that a corporation is a person 1 second after Texas executes one...
I love the smell of elitists fucks in the morning...
I'll believe that a corporation is a person 1 second after Texas executes one...
Looks like the first round of layoffs are about to happen... A school district in Montgomery Cty announced that it will probably have to lay off about 45 teachers and stop some school activities to try to offset a 5 million dollar budget deficit..... The voters in Montgomery Cty voted down Issue 2 but also voted down a levy that would have taken care of that budget deficit..... go figure!!!! Or it makes you wonder about the accuracy of the ballot counts on Issue 2!!!!!
"CHANGE" you can step in..... The referendum over collective bargaining for public employees, potentially the most important contest in off-year elections around the nation, is being closely watched for clues about shifting voter trends in a state expected to play its usual outsized role in next year's presidential contest.
Capitalist Eric: Foreplay before the president's staff? 
#2. To: Brian S (#0)
My dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than the self appointed Messiah!!!
#3. To: Brian S (#0)
Wisconsin's Scott Walker
#4. To: CZ82 (#2)
During the summer the private school in my town recently purchased a building about 10-15 times larger than the old one they used to occupy...... bet they see more business coming their way in the next few years!!!!
#5. To: war (#4)
10-15x's? You taking proportion lessons from Junior?
My dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than the self appointed Messiah!!! Number of shallow, inadequate, hypocritical Leftards who have me on BOZO---3.......... That means I'm doing my job correctly !!!!!!!!!
#6. To: Brian S (#0)
(Edited)
labor rights
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. - Voltaire (1764)
#7. To: jwpegler (#6)
steel money
#8. To: Brian S (#7)
(Edited)
I wants me sum of them thar 'steel moneys'...
In general, the art of government consists of taking as much money as possible from one party of the citizens to give to the other. - Voltaire (1764)
#9. To: CZ82 (#5)
#10. To: jwpegler (#8)
But I am still so smart and ambitious that I made more money in the last couple of years than you will ever make in your entire life.
#11. To: All (#2)
So if it does get repealed are the teachers ready for the layoffs that are sure to follow???? And/Or maybe the money being given out as vouchers for kids to go to private schools?????
My dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than the self appointed Messiah!!! Number of shallow, inadequate, hypocritical Leftards who have me on BOZO---3.......... That means I'm doing my job correctly !!!!!!!!!
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