By Kenny

March 14, 2011 12:54 PM | Link to this

The public unions are not the the cause of the budget mess and should not shoulder the bulk of solution. The budget mess is primiarly the cauce of 2 things 1. the recession and 2. Medicaid. The costs for the Medicaid program has risen $8 billion in 10 years. That’s a familar figure isn’t it. So now Kasich and the Tea Party want to blame the budget problems on the public employees because they no idea how to deal with the Medicaid program. So hard working folks are going to take all the hits while the non-working are taken care of. Doesn’t seem quite right does it? And no, I am not a union employee and have never worked for a union a day in my life. However, I do believe working should rewarded and hand outs should be reduced.

By K-Columbus

March 13, 2011 1:17 PM | Link to this

If Navin Johnson were the governor, he/she would get an “F” for failing to answer the questions that I posed earlier. He/she instead chose to engage in an ad hominem attack, and furthermore, one that is based on assumptions rather than facts. (As a matter of fact, I am not a union member, but that is off-topic.) The venue is not a debate, nor is it a meeting that I am hosting. Instead, it is a meeting that the governor is hosting with the stated objective of taking questions from his constituents. The governor himself says so in the quote from the new story. If the governor doesn’t answer a question that is asked (e.g., “how many jobs?”), the governor will fail in that response.

By Navin Johnson

March 13, 2011 8:51 AM | Link to this

K-Col…The premise of your questioning is false, self serving, hypocritical at best. You acknowledge Government spending must be cut, and you choose to focus on 1 very small item, but without any true facts (you know, how much more money was he given, what does 37% equate to.) You’re talking chump change in comparison, while mysteriously omitting the fact that Obama is spending like a drunken sailor. He has created very few jobs (remember shovel ready?), but keeps claiming he is focused like a laser beam on job creation, with little result, all the while our previous Governor and the rest of the Dems nodding in lockstep agreement, while kicking the can down the road. How many jobs would’ve been created with the millions the unions funneled into political campaigns?, but again you want to focus on one item. Why? Maybe you should start asking the right questions. You’re grading any response? By what standard? Maybe you should do some research beyond your union’s newsletter, and delve into some real facts. But in a nutshell, one could say you are a perfect example why unions are under attack. You like to point out selected facts while hypocritically embracing anything that can help your individual cause. (example: Aligning yourself and taking $$ from Marxists and socialists, check who applied for permits to demonstrate in Wisc, and who your unions align themselves. You are just a pawn, the perfect tool for the unions . You believe your union is there for you. Make no mistake you are there for them. Look into what the unions long term plans are for the world economy. You need to ask and answer a lot of questions of yourself and your union, and how you arrived at the place you now find yourself. Focus on the small and insignificant, that’s what your union wants from you.

By K-Columbus

March 13, 2011 12:56 AM | Link to this

Question 1: During a time in which government spending must be cut back, how will the 38% pay raise received by the governor’s Chief of Staff save or create any jobs in Ohio? Question 2: How many teachers or police officers could be hired with the $4.7 million that the State of Ohio promised to Bob Evans to move its headquarters 20 miles from the south side of Columbus to the north side of Columbus? When you made the decision, did you consider that the company averaged $43 million in annual profits during the last three years? Would you pay me $500 to move to a new home 20 miles from my current home if I can prove that I saved at least $5,000 a year over the past three years? Or would that qualify as having my “snout in the trough”? Compare, contrast, and describe. This question will be graded.

By The Coach

March 12, 2011 4:16 PM | Link to this

He has a Town Meeting on the day he sends his proposal in? Doesn’t sound like there is a need for a meeting. The emperor has a different view of colaboration than I do.

By paul

March 12, 2011 1:16 PM | Link to this

47000 factories closed up and went overseas while the bush admin was in destroying the economy and the nation, not to mention the deficit they created and lied about that we didnt get the truth about until Obama was in office (ie war supplementals). Portman was one of bushs economic advisors while Kasich was at lehman brothers then bush gave wall street 800 billion no strings attached. Now you people want to blame a union worker? NONSENSE. Youve allowed the republicans to hoodwink and fool you and divide working people. During this same time 400 families have accumulated more wealth than the bottom 50% of the nation and they need a tax cut so we can borrow more from China? Now lets also not forget that Lehman brothers lost Ohio literally hundreds of millions of dollars from pensions and savings and then Kasich the first gov in 50 years that wont release his financial records. Kinda figures huhout of a bankster like kasich. Kasich operates in the dark and cant be honest. SO what happens when you cut salaries and benefits of the people that educate your children, medicate your families and incarcerate those that are a danger to us? Whos going to buy pizzas? Whos going to stimulate the economy? You people need to wake up to the lies and spin that comes out of the right wing of this nation and the ulterior motives that they are implementing. This has less than zero to do with a budget and everything in the world to do with a poltical agenda. I work for a corporation that has made record profits during this time, they have done nothing but continue to lay off or surplus workers as work loads sky rocket and the execs walk away with 100 million plus bonuses. And all this as we continue to pay more for health care with no raise vs inflation. And lets also not forget that the republicans used reconcilation a record number of times during the bush admin and have used the filibuster a record number of times since Obama has been in. The republicans filibustered demcratic legislation that would have brought some of those jobs home and rewarded companies who did. So who is trying to help the middle class and whos trying to destroy it? Whos trying to stop the recovery and why? Why are you people so jealous of union workers who make a living wage with some benefits? They arent the ones who cheered on bushs wars, they didnt want banking deregulation that led to the wall street debacle yet you want to fix all that on their backs?I say your wrong and you all need to realize, were going to be here long after Kasich and his cabal of criminals get done, were not going to let this go and we now have not only the numbers but the vast majority of the nation now behind us. If your a republican and your in office you need to be scared and up at night because your not going to be in office any longer than it takes to get your crooked butts out. What a stark difference between a good man like Strickland and a crook like kasich. Makes me sick and ashamed of Ohio and the nation for putting people like kasich, portman and boehner in office but their days are numbered, you can bet on that.

By ruth

March 12, 2011 7:50 AM | Link to this

is there any possible way you can stop printing every little thing that kasich does or says…you would think someone had died and made him king…..

By how come

March 11, 2011 10:40 PM | Link to this

Even tho I am in Dayton,I wonder what caused the Ford transmission plant to close in Batavia Oh. It opened in the early 80’s. I heard that the union workers kept production down with shoddy work breakdowns. Ford gave up there I guess. Of course what I heard is heresay but I heard it from a former union at that plant! Quite a few lost their jobs and Ohio lost income.

By Leslie

March 11, 2011 2:47 PM | Link to this

Big Business caused the Ohio state budget deficit? Which big business in Ohio took all that money and left the state in debt? Here I was the Ohio state and local government promising more to people than the state brings in in tax revenues! I guess it must be because the Big Businesses started leaving the state causing less people to work or even live here to pay taxes so that the Ohio state and local government that promised to much could keep promising more. Of course the unions are totally innocent in this they don’t do things like get in your face or protest your private residence or disrupt meetings and intimidate politicians to get the politicians to give more tax payer money then they receive in tax payer money. The unions certainly never demanded more than a city or the state of Ohio has or had.

By Navin Johnson

March 11, 2011 10:23 AM | Link to this

One of the largest earthquakes in recorded history hit Japan. A Tsunami will hit Calif later today. What will Jesse, the Fat Boy and the Unions do to keep themselves in the news? All of a sudden, they are yesterday’s news, pushed off the front page, no longer the lead news story. Interesting……………

By Perspective

March 11, 2011 9:30 AM | Link to this

@C Darst You say the govt. has to live within their means. That’s what they are trying to do. Our state is $8 billion in the red. Cuts must be made. Where’s the Democrats plan to balance the budget?

By The Pot calling the Kettle black

March 11, 2011 9:01 AM | Link to this

C Darst is correct. A Big Business did get Ohio in this mess. That big business is named Unions! Take a look at the lifestyle of your Union big wigs and high officials compared to yours. It will be a lot easier for you all to see the forest when you clear the trees.

By JonhS.

March 11, 2011 8:49 AM | Link to this

The federal gov should not have bailed out banks or GM. Now the taxpayer cannot keep up without our jobs, What a TAKEDOWN.

By jimbo

March 11, 2011 12:46 AM | Link to this

I have to admit, I’m curious what the budget (or lack thereof) proposal is going to look like. Hopefully the town hall meeting will have some substance and not just lib service.

By C Darst

March 10, 2011 11:02 PM | Link to this

I will say again, it was not the union worker that got Ohio in this mess, it was the greed of big business and banks that caused most of these problems. It shouldn’t be the working man forced to fix the states budget woes.Government needs to live within their means too!Take a vacation and think about it, without pay of course!

By Matt

March 10, 2011 8:50 PM | Link to this

Yes, unions go for that general strike. Why not? You do not care about giving to society, just about money and bennies anyway. Then you can all be fired and replaced by appreciative lower priced workers who actually want and need a job at half your salaries. Like that strike idea.

By Pay to Play

March 10, 2011 5:29 PM | Link to this

Congratulations Wisconsin! You are correct, Americans want the states to ACT! The unions are too stupid to realize that if we don’t save this BILLION dollars now many of the union teachers will become unemployed. We can’t function any longer by overpaying the unions and maintain any budget. So pay now, or pay later unions.

By UnionsMadeThisCountryGreat

March 10, 2011 2:00 PM | Link to this

There is power in a factory, power in the land Power in the hands of a worker But it all amounts to nothing if together we don’t stand There is power in a Union Now the lessons of the past were all learned with workers’ blood The mistakes of the bosses we must pay for From the cities and the farmlands to trenches full of mud War has always been the bosses’ way, sir The Union forever defending our rights Down with the blackleg, all workers unite With our brothers and our sisters from many far off lands There is power in a Union Now I long for the morning that they realise Brutality and unjust laws can not defeat us But who’ll defend the workers who cannot organise When the bosses send their lackies out to cheat us? Money speaks for money, the Devil for his own Who comes to speak for the skin and the bone What a comfort to the widow, a light to the child There is power in a Union The Union forever defending our rights Down with the blackleg, all workers unite With our brothers and our sisters together we will stand There is power in a Union. We need a GEBERAL STRIKE to show these Billionares and thier Teaparty lackies that we won’t give up our rights without a real fight.

By Scott

March 10, 2011 1:44 PM | Link to this

What would happen if the Tea Party broke the law and broke into buildings to obstruct official business? The Democrats, bureaucracy, and unions are attacking America. http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117735163.html

By For Bagwell

March 10, 2011 12:56 PM | Link to this

Move out because of police issues from Dayton? Are you kidding? Only thugs of one type or another live there now. Do you know anything about reality?

By Your administration

March 10, 2011 12:46 PM | Link to this

This is just sour grapes complaining from the libs.The party is over for unions.Get in line and learn to march to the tune of the governor now. But wait, do not blame your president, of all things.

By Bagwell

March 10, 2011 12:45 PM | Link to this

Citizens of Dayton, you are gonna love the new Officers and Firefighters you will be getting. The City just lowered the test scores to allow for dumb a— minorities to get to the next step. If the DOJ is going to keep jerking the City of Dayton around,without collective bargaining, you will never be able to get rid of the new group of loosers. I am embarrassed to even tell anyone I retired from the City. Lets hope the Police Academy doesn’t roll over, or bend over, and they can flunk them all out if they can not pass a test! God help the residents who can move out!

By Let's live in the past

March 10, 2011 11:04 AM | Link to this

I know it’s the unions bankrupting Ohio, because nothing else has happened with the economy and taxes haven’t been lowered in the state to effect revenue. Oh wait, we did just have a “little” recession, and I guess there was a state tax cut, but forget reality, it has a liberal bias. And states that don’t have collective bargaining aren’t having budget problems. Oh wait, I guess they are. Yeah, let’s have Right to Work here so people don’t have to pay union dues while still getting benefits and pay the unions have negotiated for. Wait, that would be freeloading. Stupid unions keeping factories from expanding and holding back investment. As long as the rich have the freedom to do what they want without regard to impact on others, it doesn’t matter what choices, or lack thereof, the rest of us have. People need to learn to live on what they pay in Mexico. I can’t wait until most of us are back to living in company housing(shacks), barely making enough to eat, and having to pay for the equipment we use at work out of our own “earnings”. But doggone it, we won’t be “forced” to pay stupid union dues, or taxes to pay people to educate our next generation, or put out fires, or protect our property because we won’t have any. Long live the 1800s!

By chuckles

March 10, 2011 9:38 AM | Link to this

why does the dictator need a meeting. he is just going to tell you what he is going to do and shut up about it.

By MAC

March 10, 2011 8:30 AM | Link to this

Just an example: Published on 11/23/2010 By The Nerve In South Carolina, retired legislators earn an annual average of $19,605 in gross retirement benefits, based on July figures from the state retirement system. That’s slightly higher than the average pension benefit for retired teachers and police officers. But lawmakers typically don’t work as many hours as most teachers and police officers. How does this happen? It’s relatively easy when you write the laws for the state retirement system. And the 170 members of the General Assembly have written cushy provisions for themselves over the years. The General Assembly’s current longest-serving member, Sen. John Land, D-Clarendon, who has been a senator since 1977, told The Nerve last week that he supports pensions for state lawmakers. “I think a retirement system for legislators is just as appropriate as a retirement system for state employees, because that’s what I am,” the Senate minority leader said, noting he is a member of the S.C. State Employees Association. “I’ve always been their champion, so to speak, for better pay, better benefits.” If Land, who has served 35 years in the General Assembly, including a term in the House before joining the Senate, retired this year, he would be eligible for more than $41,000 annually in gross retirement benefits, according to The Nerve’s calculation of the retirement formula for lawmakers. As of July, a monthly gross total of about $538,000 was paid to 268 retired lawmakers and 80 beneficiaries, according to retirement system records. That works out to about $6.5 million annually.

By Ron

March 10, 2011 7:37 AM | Link to this

Hey union backer, No one has ever stopped you from being in a union,just stopped you from bankrupting our state. Get it now, selfish?

By unionbacker

March 10, 2011 4:15 AM | Link to this

Dont like unions? Dont work for one then,that is your choice. Those of us who choose to work union should be able to do that if we choose.Choice,after all,is the American way and has been for decades.

By One billion dollars saved

March 10, 2011 4:08 AM | Link to this

Right to work laws for Ohio’s survival, now.Follow the state of Wisconsin for survival in Ohio.

By Paul c edwards

March 10, 2011 3:57 AM | Link to this

United we stand to save a billion dollars in the state of Ohio by stopping collective bargaining and the hijacking of this state by unions.

By Robert M. Johnson

March 9, 2011 10:54 PM | Link to this

This fight is not over. Gov. Kasich you can be recalled. I have never seen the government and the people so divided. “united we stand divided we fall”

By Down with unions

March 9, 2011 7:52 PM | Link to this

This is the time for Kasich to stay focused and strong. Do not allow town hall meetings to water down the much needed anti union changes in Ohio.