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Ohio Issue 2 defeated
State Issue 2 spiraled to defeat by a 2-1 margin Tuesday night, but that might not be the last time Republicans try to curb union power. At issue were recently passed changes made in Ohio laws governing unions of public employees: Public employees would have had to pay at least 15 percent of their health-care premiums and 10 percent of their retirement and would be compensated on merit. They would not have been allowed to strike and would have been heavily penalized if they did.

Riding high after the GOP successes of the 2010 election, Republicans might have felt they had a mandate from the voters, analysts said, but they seriously underestimated the counterpunch unions could still deliver. Unions proved they have heft, contributing $30.6 million -- four times the amount of their opponents -- to defeat the issue.
Ohio state media went out of their way to say nothing about what was really at stake in this issue.
Unfortunately, the parties on each side of the issue also went out of their way to say nothing useful. Had I not been reading about it elsewhere I would not have known.
The issue goaded unions to take action like in no other time in recent memory, assembling a fierce team of 35 field offices that claimed 17,000 volunteers amid a sea of 350,000 union members statewide. This year's spade work will help the unions to get out the vote in next year's presidential race, said the president of the Akron Education Association which represents 1,700 teachers.

"Organized labor is not going to forget," said Paul Hlynsky, president of the Akron Fraternal Order of Police.
Whatever you say, Ohio disorganized taxpayers are not going to cough up whatever public unions think they deserve. Unlike the federal government, Ohio is obligated to balance its budget. The gravy train has left the station. Hello, layoffs.
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-11-09
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=333115