In many ways, Issue 2 is the same as other state and national arguments over government spending. Leftists work furiously to remind voters they’re saving us from the misery of smaller government, with the assumption we’re too stupid to realize their demands mean higher taxes.
The We Are Ohio campaign is not about “middle class jobs,” but about an unsustainable status quo that’s made the unions rich. In a word, union bosses are charitable with taxpayer money. The graphic at left from The Buckeye Institute shows where this leads; orange indicates severe deficits, and red indicates worse.
Stripped of debates over economic forecasting and falling property values, is there any sense in We Are Ohio’s position? Imagine living in a city – let’s call it Ohiopolis – with two churches running soup kitchens on opposite sides of town. Both churches have noble goals and similar financial resources.
West Church keeps things simple, providing basic lunches three days a week. The menu is soup, bread, coffee, and water, served in adequate portions. West Church has little trouble funding their soup kitchen. The congregation is happy to help the community but always mindful of their limited time and money.
East Church is more generous. Each day, the needy of eastern Ohiopolis are treated to a breakfast of organic fruit, fresh pastries, and free-range bacon. Lunch and dinner menus feature elaborate fish, chicken, and vegan dishes. Every month, East Church shifts more of its donations to the soup kitchen. The most well-off congregants are pressured to keep operations afloat.
How many hungry will East Church feed when they run out of money? Could you blame members for balking at unsustainable spending, or for leaving East Church to attend West Church instead? Promising the impossible doesn’t show you care – it proves you’re careless.
Though it takes some serious faith to believe union talking points, We Are Ohio is not a church. Government unions get rich by forcibly taking dues from members, and get away with it by demanding benefits taxpayers are forced to pay.
We Are Ohio acts appalled that taxpayers expect government employees to pay small portions of their health insurance & retirement costs. We Are Ohio claims it’s “unfair” and “dangerous” to consider merit when distributing raises or making cuts. Is it fair or safe to drive Ohio’s businesses and citizens away with smothering taxes to fund unsustainable government?
Follow me on Twitter: @jasonahart
Cross-posted at that hero.
