'No' vote on Issue 2
By
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To the editor:
We hear a lot from from the supporters of SB5 that one of the reasons for passing this law is to help with state and local budgets, but conveniently it does not apply to Governor Kasich, his administration or the members of the Legislature. Governor Kasich will receive an annual 3% raise on his annual salary of $148,165, which is already $10,000 more than his predecessor received. While calling for cuts in pay and benefits for state and local government workers, he pays his senior staff on average $110,000 and his cabinet members have an average salary of $131,000 and most receive $6,600 in car allowances.
Then we have the Republican controlled state Legislature. For a part-time job they earn a base pay of $60,584. However, of the 70 Legislature members who voted for SB5, 62 members receive bonuses ranging form $10,000 to $5,000. Legislature members are very critical of double dipping, but 12 supporters of SB5 are double dippers and one is a triple dipper. The biggest single double dipper may be House Speaker Bill Batchelder who receives over $100,000 in a public employee pension plus a $94,500 legislative salary.
Under SB5, paid sick leave and vacation days would be reduced for average public workers. However, members of the Legislature enjoy unlimited paid leave for any reason whatsoever.
Besides the huge amount of hypocrisy shown by the politicians and their campaign contributors who support SB5 and Issue 2, there are a number of myths around SB5. One myth is that public employees are overpaid. However, a recent Rutgers University study found that Ohio public employees earn 6% less on a yearly basis than do their peers in the private sector. Another myth is that public employees need to make a sacrifice to reduce the state’s budget shortfall. In fact, state employees have taken a pay freeze five times in nine years. In the last contract their financial sacrifices saved $250 million and an additional $100 million in health care costs. Another myth says all businesses support SB5, when in fact over 700 businesses do not support SB5.
The supporters of SB5 are all for pay and benefit cuts, as long as those cuts apply to police, firefighters and teachers, and not themselves.
I strongly urge voters to vote NO on issue 2.
Sincerely,
John Hiestand
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]
We hear a lot from from the supporters of SB5 that one of the reasons for passing this law is to help with state and local budgets, but conveniently it does not apply to Governor Kasich, his administration or the members of the Legislature. Governor Kasich will receive an annual 3% raise on his annual salary of $148,165, which is already $10,000 more than his predecessor received. While calling for cuts in pay and benefits for state and local government workers, he pays his senior staff on average $110,000 and his cabinet members have an average salary of $131,000 and most receive $6,600 in car allowances.
Then we have the Republican controlled state Legislature. For a part-time job they earn a base pay of $60,584. However, of the 70 Legislature members who voted for SB5, 62 members receive bonuses ranging form $10,000 to $5,000. Legislature members are very critical of double dipping, but 12 supporters of SB5 are double dippers and one is a triple dipper. The biggest single double dipper may be House Speaker Bill Batchelder who receives over $100,000 in a public employee pension plus a $94,500 legislative salary.
Under SB5, paid sick leave and vacation days would be reduced for average public workers. However, members of the Legislature enjoy unlimited paid leave for any reason whatsoever.
Besides the huge amount of hypocrisy shown by the politicians and their campaign contributors who support SB5 and Issue 2, there are a number of myths around SB5. One myth is that public employees are overpaid. However, a recent Rutgers University study found that Ohio public employees earn 6% less on a yearly basis than do their peers in the private sector. Another myth is that public employees need to make a sacrifice to reduce the state’s budget shortfall. In fact, state employees have taken a pay freeze five times in nine years. In the last contract their financial sacrifices saved $250 million and an additional $100 million in health care costs. Another myth says all businesses support SB5, when in fact over 700 businesses do not support SB5.
The supporters of SB5 are all for pay and benefit cuts, as long as those cuts apply to police, firefighters and teachers, and not themselves.
I strongly urge voters to vote NO on issue 2.
Sincerely,
John Hiestand
Hillsboro[[In-content Ad]]