Ohio Governor Goes Further in Weakening Public Sector Unions

Ohio Governor John Kasich is expected to sign into law a bill which would outlaw strikes by public employees in his state as well as limit their collective bargaining rights. Their proposed bill from his Republican-dominated Legislature goes further than the Wisconsin Legislature's proposals, since it will impact all public sector employees, including police and fire.

These Midwestern governors are taking an impressive stance on behalf of their state and citizens. At last government leaders are advocating for the interests of the entire community, not just for powerful public employee unions. No matter what locality or state, a civil servant (police, fire, public works, library, etc.) serves at the behest of the community, receiving their pay and benefits from the taxes paid by current and future citizens. It is unjust for these works to organize and hold state affairs hostage to get everything they want, including obscene pensions and exorbitant health care benefits, all which come at a insane cost to the taxpayer.

Despite the less aggressive approach of the Wisconsin bill, I still respect Governor Stan Walker's endeavor to bring fiscal stability to his state. Wisconsin's legislature had to take smaller steps compared to Ohio for two reasons: the Buckeye State's industrial sector has been decimated far worse than in the Dairy State. Moreover, Wisconsin has a more progressive history, which has strengthened the public sector unions. Even though Walker did not initially press for stronger measures to return union power to the people, at least he made strides to change state government's relationship with its employees.

Having served as a model for other states to take on their public sector unions, perhaps Walker will follow the example of states like Ohio, which are stripping powers from every public sector union, including those workers dedicated to public safety. Beyond that, as a resident in California, I hope that the electorate in my state will challenge the statist status quo which has crippled Sacramento into a public employee headlock, impoverishing our state, diminishing vital services, and bankrupting future generations with unsustainable entitlement liabilities.