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Issue 2 debate on NBC 4- NOW


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Government unions have a straightforward business model: using money from members’ paychecks, lobby for endless tax increases and convince workers that only the union cares. From a taxpayer’s perspective this is bad enough, but OEA takes it one step further. The union pays itself big bucks to demonize Ohio’s elected officials and job creators.
Larry Wicks,

Executive Director $210,858

Patricia Frost-Brooks,

President $190,000

Doug Crawford,

Labor Relations Consultant $189,832

Cecilia Weldon,

Labor Relations Consultant $187,405

Bill Leibensperger,

Vice President $186,471

James Martin,

Assistant Executive Director, Business Services $171,528

Kevin Flanagan,

Assistant Executive Director, Member Services – Field $169,761

Michael McEachern,

Labor Relations Consultant $169,298

Susan Babcock,

Assistant Executive Director, Strategic/Workforce $169,148

Rachelle Johnson,

Assistant Executive Director, Member Services-Programming $164,525

Mark Linder,

Labor Relations Consultant $161,756

Venita Shoulders,

Labor Relations Consultant $158,432

William Otten,

Labor Relations Consultant $155,873

Patricia Collins,

Director, Region 1 $155,551

Fritz Fekete,

Director I/S & Research $154,635

Mary Suchy,

Director of Membership $152,636

Randall Flora,

Director, EI&I $152,114

Rodney Bird,

Labor Relations Consultant $152,058

Jeffrey Kestner,

Labor Relations Consultant $150,739

These are just the OEA staff & officers paid more than $150,000. In 2010, more than 100 OEA employees were paid six figures! Strange that folks who make a living defending poor, unappreciated educators do so by shaking them down for triple the average Ohio teacher’s salary.

http://biggovernment.com/jhart/2011/10/31/ohios-union-fat-cats-try-to-fool-voters-on-issue-2-public-sector-reform/

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I do pay into my retirement/health insurance and I am a public employee...Respiratory Therapist at a county hospital to be exact. Politicians are NOT going to be hurt by this bill, it is going after the middle class public workers. Quite honestly the benefits are the main reason to stay in a public sector job. I would make a lot more if I worked for a private hospital...just wouldn't have as good of retirement/benefits.

How much do you pay into it? 10%-15% like SB5 would do across the board?

Not saying benefits aren't a reason to get into the public sector, but obviously our budget can't handle what we have been trying to do. How many public workers have been laid off because we have no money?

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Let’s keep the facts straight, only public hospital employees will be affected. The vast majority of medical professionals will not be affected.

I DO work for a public hospital and pay into OPERS. Keep in mind that OSU and most of it's ancillary hospital's employees are public employees as well. That is a BIG piece of the medical employee pie in and around central Ohio. So don't talk to me like I don't know wtf I am saying here. I also work for a private hospital per diem (one of the best trauma centers in central Ohio) so I do know both sides of the issue. :rolleyes:

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How much do you pay into it? 10%-15% like SB5 would do across the board?

Not saying benefits aren't a reason to get into the public sector, but obviously our budget can't handle what we have been trying to do. How many public workers have been laid off because we have no money?

Yes that's what I put in, I believe it is 12% now.

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Quite honestly the benefits are the main reason to stay in a public sector job. I would make a lot more if I worked for a private hospital...just wouldn't have as good of retirement/benefits.

Good point for voting YES on issue 2, thanks for showing the truth about how public employees are compensated unfairly above what most people are and they are being asked to pay for the public employee benefits. I don't think I could have come up with as good of an argument on my own.

See folks even the public employees know they are getting compensated better than the people who are paying them.

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You put in 12% into both healthcare and retirement? Now what about the rest of the public sector? I know a lot that pay 0%.

When you figure out my retirement and health insurance, it is about 15% of my gross combined. Most of that is my retirement because my company negotiated a good price for our insurance coverage. The other reason my health insurance premium is so low is because my wife carries the kiddos on hers and she works for the same hospital. I don't pay in to retirement (well except SS if you can count that) with my other job at the private hospital because it is just part time work I do for some extra cash.

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Good point for voting YES on issue 2, thanks for showing the truth about how public employees are compensated unfairly above what most people are and they are being asked to pay for the public employee benefits. I don't think I could have come up with as good of an argument on my own.

See folks even the public employees know they are getting compensated better than the people who are paying them.

No not really...I said clearly that I make LESS money than I would at a private hospital. Benefits don't put food on the table...they just make it so i don't have to work until I am 80 freaking years old. I want to enjoy my golden years thank you very much, it's give and take. All I was saying is that without the benefit package the public hospitals lose a lot of their competitiveness with private ones. Either way, this bill is aimed at the WRONG people. All of these people that are complaining about what I make, how much I put into retirement, how long I have to work, etc...etc...etc.. ALWAYS have the option to quit their day jobs and come work in the public sector if they think the grass is so green on this side.

Edited by drew95gt
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How much do you pay into it? 10%-15% like SB5 would do across the board?

Not saying benefits aren't a reason to get into the public sector, but obviously our budget can't handle what we have been trying to do. How many public workers have been laid off because we have no money?

Public safety employees pay 17% for healthcare and 71% for retirement.

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No not really...I said clearly that I make LESS money than I would at a private hospital. Benefits don't put food on the table...they just make it so i don't have to work until I am 80 freaking years old. I want to enjoy my golden years thank you very much, it's give and take. All I was saying is that without the benefit package the public hospitals lose a lot of their competitiveness with private ones. Either way, this bill is aimed at the WRONG people. All of these people that are complaining about what I make, how much I put into retirement, how long I have to work, etc...etc...etc.. ALWAYS have the option to quit their day jobs and come work in the public sector if they think the grass is so green on this side.

Drew...you're wasting you're time trying to reason with people with petty jealousies that want to drag people down to their level instead of going out and getting what they want.That's the vote yes people's stratagy...play to people's jealousy.They are counting on the fact that they'll just listen to the sound bites and not seek the truth which is what you stated..."this bill is aimed at the wrong people."It takes two to sign a contract,the union represents it's members and elected officials and appointed officials represent the tax payers.These officials that represent the tax payers are not doing their jobs!I don't think I have read one post in all of theses SB5/Issue2 threads that has mentioned any accountability by these managers.They have repeatedly dropped the ball for thirty years and still have wages and benifit packages that far outweight public union workers.It's way past time to reign them in and cut their golden parachutes and perks.No office worker needs a tax payer payed for car and gas card,that alone would save tens of millions.If Kasich and his supporters were truely concerned with the state's finances they could plug a large portion of the hole by just inforcing existing laws and collecting back taxes.The Columbus Dispatch had an EIGHTEEN page section in this weeks paper of people and companies that owe taxes.There was one over a million dollars and about 12 that were over $100,000.Another article this week stated that there is a total of over $190 million dollars owed in back taxes in Franklin county.That's just one county!I'm working with a local school board member here in Muskingum county and he said that if owed taxes were collected they'd easily be in the black,as it is they have a two million dollar shortage and have layed off 12 teachers.No adminisraters of course.

Top heavy schools and top heavy government agencies should be a target in any equitable funding bill.From what I was able to gleen from the 58 pages of legalese that is Issue 2,this bill does not address these disparities and lack of managerial accountability.

It is one sided and deserves a NO vote until these flaws are adressed.

I guess we'll find out Tuesday if reason or petty jealousy wins the day.I'll be voting NO,I can't see how dragging the tax base down even farther is going to fix anything.

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It doesn't matter now. Issue 2 was defeated. Local government will have to make cut backs or raise taxes on an already strapped citizenry. So now we are left with a choice between laying off low seniority public workers or taking money from the private sector workers to fund the already higher wage and benefit packages of public workers. I wonder which way it will go?

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One side was right but the voters were schizophrenic. We had seventeen issues in our county for tax increases to help pay for public workers and services, thirteen failed. Yet they voted to continue to allow the cost of the workers to remain the same. I guess they are going to get paid with magic fairy dust. Something has to give, if the people don't want to vote in tax increases for themselves then people and services will have to be cut if costs remain under the current structure. Unintended consequences are a bitch.

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It was a feel good vote. No one I know hates Police officers, firefighters, teachers, etc.

To the Victors (with senority) go the spoils! To those junior employees go the pink slips.

Similar results down here on most all the local tax levys and income taxes. That pay the above folks...Sad.

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I laughed when I saw a "Vote NO on Olentangy Levy! Stop Wasteful Spending!" yard sign this morning.

This person claims to be so in tune with Olentangy politics that he knows what the money is being spent on and that it is being spent in a wasteful manner - but is too out of touch to realize there was NO LEVY on the ballot for Olentangy. Moron.

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Pretty much all our tax levy's failed also except the one that claimed it was "Not a Tax increase" Gullible people voted for it thinking it didnt cost them anything. It cost $130 a year on my taxes. Deceptive advertising sucks.........

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Was it renewing an existing levy? Therefore not an "increase"?

Yes, had it been left alone or voted down my taxes would have gone back down to the original level. But like many levies, when they use it to buy or build stuff, then they need more to pay people to run it or maintain it. It seems to never end.......... At some point people are going to have to learn its ok to say no........ somebody always spins it so its for the kids..... its for our heroes, its for the disabled........ everyone wants to be kind to those that we care about but building an empire by throwing money at it is rarely a good answer.

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One side was right but the voters were schizophrenic. We had seventeen issues in our county for tax increases to help pay for public workers and services, thirteen failed. Yet they voted to continue to allow the cost of the workers to remain the same. I guess they are going to get paid with magic fairy dust. Something has to give, if the people don't want to vote in tax increases for themselves then people and services will have to be cut if costs remain under the current structure. Unintended consequences are a bitch.

This is it in a nutshell.

I also hope people who voted for this don't bitch when they get laid off for the simple fact they don't have seniority.

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