The hits keep coming in the dishonest campaign against government union reform. This week Jack Reall, President of International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 67 in Columbus, sent the following in an email:
Is there anyone union bosses won’t hide behind to shield the huge salaries they take from government workers? Does IAFF not realize this sort of transparent cynicism will only drive voters away? I’m no expert on the subject, but treating military uniforms as costumes for the purpose of silencing opposition strikes me as a low point among low points.
Also worth noting: members of the armed forces have no collective bargaining privileges. Really, aside from a tasteless attempt to frame Issue 2 supporters as unpatriotic I don’t see what message IAFF could be trying to send. Which would be consistent with everything We Are Ohio does, in a way!
When not outright false – refer to the alleged health insurance contributions of a We Are Ohio spokesman – union rhetoric is heavy on drama and light on details. D.C. unions are funneling millions into Ohio to flood the airwaves with pro-union public workers – whose dues fund uninterrupted union propaganda against the voters who pay their salaries. And, while union apologists smear anyone interested in fixing the broken status quo as a villain who is “attacking workers,” We Are Ohio is happy to attack public workers who step out of line.
Don’t blame government union members who buy We Are Ohio’s partisan theatrics; unions are pros at building a front of selflessness and credibility, so many teachers, police, and firefighters don’t have a reason to seek alternate news sources. Get the facts, let people know where those dues are being spent, and encourage your neighbors to support commonsense reforms that will save government jobs without raising taxes.
Vote Yes on Issue 2!
Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted at that hero and RedState.
