Tornado Alley (PROG)

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Ohio GOP lawmakers pushing anti-labor bill collecting perks, benefits they decry in unions

http://www.americanindependent.com/196692/ohio-gop-lawmakers-pushing-anti-labor-bill-collecting-perks-benefits-they-decry-in-unions

According to Innovation Ohio, state legislators have an unlimited amount of paid personal days, sick days and vacation time. Not only do they receive all the time off they want, they barely work. For the remainder of 2011, Republican leaders have just 13 days of in-session work scheduled. Another four days are scheduled on an “if-needed” basis.

“I earn my pay, and I’m not ashamed of what I make,” Rep. Louis Blessing (R) said hours before the vote on SB5.

When they actually do have to drive to work, they are compensated for their commute. Of the 70 lawmakers that voted for SB5, they receive an average of $3,361 per year for travel to the Statehouse. The vast majority of Ohio workers are prohibited from law from seeking mileage reimbursements.

While Ohio Republicans lawmakers may have been on the front lines of the battle over SB5, it has been Gov. Kasich that has led the vocal push in targeting public employees. He said his goal is to “break the back of organized labor in schools.” In addition, earlier this year, he called a police officer that pulled him over for speeding an “idiot.” (Read previous reporting by The American Independent on SB5's potential impact on public safety workers.)

He claimed the union-busting legislation was necessary to get Ohio’s fiscal house in order, but he didn’t bother to look for any savings in his own office.

While other Ohio employees will receive raises based on merit under his legislation, Kasich would continue to receive annual three-percent pay increases on his salary of nearly $150,000.

The governor’s senior staff receives an average salary of over $110,000. His office’s total payroll is $5.4 million, an eight-percent increase over his predecessor.

The 27 members of the governor’s cabinet take home an average of $131,000 annually. They also receive $6,600 taxpayer-funded “car allowances.”

“It is absolutely hypocritical for the politicians who support Issue 2 to call for “shared sacrifices” when they aren’t willing to participate,” said Melissa Fazekas, a spokesperson for We Are Ohio, a citizen-driven, community-based, bipartisan coalition that has come together to repeal SB5. “While they were balancing the budget on the backs of public workers, they were also enjoying their perks and giving pay raises and bonuses to their highest paid staff members. This continued “do as I say, not as I do” attitude is exactly why Ohioans want to stop SB 5 by voting NO on Issue 2 on Nov. 8.”