The current administration in Ohio is looking for a scape-goat for the unbelievably large deficit our state has, and they have found it in our state's unions. They have the audacity to pick on teachers, police officers, firefighters, road workers, even the lottery commission, saying that they are the reason our state has such a high deficit. I find it hard to believe that those that serve our communities everyday are the true root of the problem.

I am a graduate from a public high school. I was taught by teachers in the union, and in spite of myself, I did learn quite a bit. Everyone knows that teachers are underpaid for their service to their communities as well as everyone's future. Who knows- they could have a future President of the United States sitting in their classroom. But let's take away their voice. Kaisch has already shown he is uninterested in education with the financial cuts he's planning to make to our school systems. Why should teachers have any say in how a school is run and by whom? They are just there to try to educate your children and give them a good foundation to grow on.

Our police force struggles to keep up with the times. No one wants to be shot at or hated for their job, but these men and women pull on their uniforms everyday and keep you safe. They put the bad guys in jail. But let's take away from them as well. Even though they are underpaid for their service, we'll not give them their voice to make their job safer or more effective. Let's make a job that very few want and make it even LESS desirable. It makes perfect sense.

Firefighters provide a service that very few want. Personally, I don't want to run into a burning building or face the possibility of dying on the job every single day. No thanks, I'll pass. But these people do it- they love their job, they love serving the communities they live in. And wow, what a service they provided when 9/11 happened, or more recently and close to home, the tornadoes hit here in Southeastern Ohio!

Is this how Ohio shows support for our heroes? We take away their voices? The ability to make their work place safer? Kaisch has tried to scare everyone into thinking that Unions are bad- people belong to the union can strike. They can't. Most state employees already have no-strike clauses in their contracts. If that wasn't enough, the Patriot Act prohibits "any activity that appear to be intended:
(i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population;
(ii) to influence the policy of a government
intimidation or coercion; or
(iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and
(C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States.’’

The Teamsters threatened a strike several years ago and were told that it was an act of terrorism because it would effect the country's economics. The same thought process can be applied to any government worker. Striking is out of the question for anyone who doesn't want to spend the rest of their lives in prison.They are picking on the one group of people who stand to loose a lot by standing up for themselves.

It was the unions that gave us safety in the workplace. It was the unions that demanded men and women be paid equally. OSHA standards were union standards. Stand up and fight for the Ohio Heroes we depend on everyday. Tell Kaisch NO! On Senate Bill 5!