Tea Party and Legislative Day at Ohio Statehouse

Bus information is being updated here (https://www.meetup.com/Ohio-Liberty-Council-Rideshare/messages/boards/thread/10433517/#39762099): https://www.meetup.com/Ohio-Liberty-Council-Rideshare/messages/boards/thread/10433517/#39762099

Members from public employee unions filled the Ohio Statehouse this past Wednesday to oppose Senator Shannon Jones and Kris Jordan's legislation which would be the first step in breaking down public employee unions - a very necessary step in making Ohio a more free and prosperous state once again. Their bill addresses collective bargaining

What does collective bargaining mean? Tax payer funded job holders have the ability to negotiate a contract for their union as an entire entity, rather than individual contracts with their respective departments and municipalities.

Why is this bad? Union contracts produced by collective bargaining are notorious for gold plated everything on the backs of tax payers:

Wages much higher than private sector Guaranteed raises (not merit based) Incredible benefit packages Unbelievable paid time off plans Inconceivable pension and retirement programs And the list goes on and on...

Info and RSVP to rally here (http://survey.constantcontact.com/survey/a07e3e30wepgk18dado/a002gk2p7o8p/questions)!

As the Buckeye Institute puts it - the Grand Bargain is dead!

Government jobs (TAXPAYER FUNDED JOBS) were once thought of as underpaid, but balanced with strong benefits. This is no longer the case. Union strength provided through collective bargaining has run up the bill on tax payers to unimaginable levels and we can no longer sustain this system.

In ultimate irony, money from these unions is then funneled to political advocates and candidates to lobby on their behalf to perpetuate the bureaucracy and system from which they benefit.

Yes, that's correct - your tax dollars are used to lobby against your belief system.

The waste, the excess and the vicious cycle must end. Unions are protecting entitlements, and the last time I checked we are a society driven my merit and achievement, not entitlement and extortion.

In the private sector, we earn wage increases and we adapt to changes in the economy. We cut when needed and adapt as we must. The public sector unions have made these changes impossible for themselves. Tax payers are held hostages by their entitlements. The public employee union approach to collective bargaining is this:

Tax revenue down, tough - I have a guaranteed raise. Budget cuts needed, tough - I'm not willing to pay more of my own healthcare costs. Laying off people all over the state, tough - I'm owed this benefit. That's your problem. The public employee unions are thriving while private industry is dying.

Consider these facts from the Buckeye Institute:

Median state worker in Ohio makes 24.6% more than their private sector counterparts 93,000 new workers just in state government (not counting county and municipal employees) in last 20 years A sample from just Butler County with local school district (Lakota):

Private Sector Employee - $39,231 State and Local Government Employee - $42,026 Federal Government Employee - $53,641 Average Teacher salary: $62,331

Does this sound like a free market of labor?

Does this sound like a fiscally responsible use of tax payer dollars?

Does this sound like a limited form of government?

No!!

These unions are breaking the state because they have made entitlement a way of life.

So, we are asking for two things:

Join us at the Statehouse for a rally and hearings to show good, hard working Ohioans oppose this abuse of their tax dollars. Info and RSVP to rally and hearings here! Call your Senator and explain your position on collective bargaining. Senate contact here (http://www.ohiosenate.gov/)!

This is just the beginning of the battle with public employee unions, and those elected officials willing to make big moves to make Ohio a prosperous state once again deserve our support.

Join us in Columbus!!

Tuesday, February 15

Hearing 1: 2:30pm, South Hearing Room

Thursday, February 17

Rally: 9:00am on West Statehouse Lawn Hearing: 10:00am, South Hearing Room