Last week, there was a letter submitted to our twice-weekly local newspaper, The Athens News. I was enraged by the accusations the writer threw out there. Here is what he wrote:

Unions stacked the deck against S.B. 5 at opposing rally in Athens

To the Editor:

There was no one who agreed with S.B. 5 at the Feb. 25 rally at the Athens Community Center because those present belonged to a union! I refused to go to this meeting, as did many of those I talked to for only one reason. As a conservative who stands for constitutional freedoms and not handouts from the government or a union, I refused to again be shouted at and threatened by union organizers. What ever happened to, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country.” The unions will not negotiate, but only shout about their demands.

It seems it’s the educators who are making the most noise. Our education system has been failing since the ’60s, with more money constantly being thrown into it, yet it has become one of the worst in the world. Communist Russia said in the ’50s that they would take over our country through the educational system, and that mentality is apparently succeeding from other agents.

It is the unions that have forced our manufacturers out of this country. With their negotiations (actually threats), they have raised salaries and benefits so much that the price of products is more than the public can stand if produced in this country. Manufacturers are not in business to give you a job; they are in business to make a profit. They can only pay according to the profits they are making. Government should only pay what they can afford, not what a union demands. I would think you would feel very fortunate to live in the richest and most free society in the history of the world and stop trying to change everything. How’s all this hope and change working out for you? The minimum wage has increased the cost of everything, and the unions are trying to increase the cost more.

If folks would work as hard at their jobs as they are at trying to get something for nothing, I don’t think we would be having this discussion. Sure, we have problems, but let’s try to help, instead of hurting by our selfishness! Unions are not the answer anymore; they are the problem! Teachers – do away with tenure. That would be a step in the right direction and show that you are trying to do things the American way.

Dave Warner
Warner Road
Rutland

After reading this, I became so upset I had to retort. The following is my letter to the editor addressing the inaccuracies in Mr. Warner's letter:

To the Editor:

I have to address some misinformation presented in Mr. Dave Warner's letter. First, there were non-union members present at the February 25th Rally at the Athens Community Center- I was one of them. I came to listen to the union's side of the story, which is something I would advise to everyone, so as to clear up any misconceptions. There is some very important information being left out by the GOP and Teapartiers trying to cram SB5 through the legislative process that will ultimately cost Ohio more than it will save.

I know for a fact that the state never even approached AFSME to see if the Union workers would be willing to work with the state. For the past five years, state workers have forgone raises and even have offered to pay more into their benefits. Cost-savings days (another means of saving the state money) cost the union worker around 4% of their hourly wage. Not to mention that these same state workers also pay taxes (which their federal taxes increase 3% this year), a fact that people seem to forget.

Mr. Warner, you were complaining about the teachers being the loudest against SB5, and they have no real reason to yell. “Our education system has been failing since the ’60s, with more money constantly being thrown into it, yet it has become one of the worst in the world.” With that in mind, you do realize that the states with strong teacher's unions have higher test scores than those with weak or no teacher's unions? Taking that away from our teachers would put us further behind- not ahead.

Perhaps if parents would step up, you'd see an improvement in academics. Teachers can only do so much. And before you start telling me that parents aren't the problem, I have two kids already in school, a third starting preschool next year; every night, my kids come home with homework to do. We sit and read and work on math problems. I take a very active interest in what my children are doing. I don't see that in my peers as often as I should.

The Unions didn't force companies out of America. Greed did. Why pay workers in Ohio $7.35 an hour when you can pay $0.50 a day to some kid overseas to do the same work? Sure, businesses are trying to turn a profit. Anyone can understand that- what we can't understand is why CEO's are bringing in MILLIONS of dollars a year while their companies suffer and have to be bailed out by tax payers. Minimum wage isn't what caused the rates on your gasoline to rise. Minimum wage, equality in the workplace, safety procedures, your five-day work week, lunch breaks, ALL OF IT came about because of the unions. Remove them, and you are throwing away 80 years worth of progression in the United States.

Kasich said the reason he is pushing this bill through is because God told him to. I only have one thing to say to him on that: "Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24 Words that all of our elected officials should remember...

Amanda McKnight