Why I’m For Senate Bill 5

I’ve been thinking quite a bit about both sides of the SB 5 debate, and here are my reasons why I’ll be voting “yes.”

1. Ohio is Constitutionally bound to have a balanced budget. If SB5 isn’t passed, the worst case scenario cuts to police and firefighters we hear about on the radio WILL happen. Worse than that, there won’t be a damn thing an union or group can do to stop it.

2. Those cuts to police, fire, nurses and teachers won’t happen. To begin with, it’s political suicide, and no one with any hopes of reelection will allow a lapse in those services. Secondly, the CPD and CFD have already renegotiated their contracts to avoid layoffs. 

3. The Public Sector is funded by tax dollars from the Private Sector. Since the private sector in Ohio has suffered a tremendous reduction in revenue, the public sector has to follow suit. It’s simple math. Sorry the numbers don’t add up in a way we all like.

4. This is one of the first bills, in recent memory, that targets the bloated, inefficient bureaucracy that currently is government. It’s slow, stifles creativity, wastes money, and needs to be whipped back into shape. The only people who will get laid off, are people that should have been fired years ago for gross incompetence and ineptitude. Had the mid-levels of government actually been policing themselves, and taking the idea of civil service seriously: SB5 wouldn’t be necessary. 

5. If we don’t pass SB5, our options are cuts like the one’s we’re all afraid of, or a raise in taxes. I can’t afford to pay more taxes into a mediocre and bloated system that doesn’t make my life any better. I’d rather go to the dentist than the BMV, I’d rather pour salt into an open wound then go to the BMV. Sorry, but any chance to reform that part of our government (the one we all hate, the one that hasn’t had a new idea in 50 years) no matter how slim: I’m all over that!

6. Lastly, we need to do SOMETHING!!! We can’t all keep our heads in the sand, but if we all make a little sacrifice, endure a little more hardship, then we can all make it through this, and Ohio will be in a better position to avoid these kinds of situations in the future. It sucks that we were all screwed over by a select few individuals greed (it should be noted that they played both sides of the political aisle), but right now is not the time to defend the status quo. We’ve entered into 7 lean years, and we weren’t prepared.

The bottom line is this: 10 people keeping all their benefits at the expense of 90? or 100 people staying employed?

Presenting a bill you wrote, telling everyone to sign it, and then backing them into a corner if they don’t; isn’t bipartisanship. It’s bullying.