If you’re like me you have been inspired by the young people in Middle Eastern nations like Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen where young people are taking to the streets to overthrow dictatorships and bring about democratic change. We need to let that spirit spread here in the US once again. The Tea Party Republicans have dominated the national narrative and it’s time for us to lift our heads and our voices for change.
We all know that since his election the media has pushed the astroturfed, billionaire funded Tea Party Republican movement to expand corporate power, demonize the poor and to destroy the middle class. They are currently waging a war on working people with their efforts to break the public employee unions that have been key to creating and protecting the middle class.
We need to stand up like the people of Wisconsin to demand that the Republicans stop pretending that teachers and public employees are the reason that we’re having budget problems while they cut taxes on corporations and the wealthiest among us.
There’s a fight for justice, democracy and to protect working people right here in Ohio.
If S.B.5 is passed, our state's basic infrastructure - the most important elements of our safety, education, and advancement - will be left vulnerable. The employment status, pay, and benefits of thousands of state employees will be left in the hands of our state government, giving them no rights in negotiating the terms of their employment.
The exact wording of the legislation could not be more direct in defining its attacks on Ohio's public sector jobs "[S.B. 5 will make] changes to laws concerning state employees, including collective bargaining, salary schedules and compensation, layoff procedures, and leave"
In other words, S.B.5 will push our state 50 years in the past, to a time when workers were given limited rights and standards were set by the government.
Spread the word about these rallies and attend if you can. Please join us today February 21 in the "free speech zone" of McMicken Commons at 3PM, and show your support for the most important part of our states development, our working class.
John McNay, the elected President of UC's faculty/librarian union has an op-ed in the Enquirer, opposing Ohio SB5, opposite the op-ed of the bill's sponsor, Shannon Jones.
If you can only do one thing -- making phone calls is far better than emails, no time perhaps for letters. Here's a link to the phone numbers and emails of all 33 Ohio Senators: http://www.ohiosenate.gov/directory.html
If you go to ohiosenate.gov -- http://www.ohiosenate.gov/ -- bottom left corner, there's an option to enter your zip code with the plus 4, and then it tells you the senator representing that zip code.
If I can add an appeal to everyone -- there's only 33 Ohio senators. If you can, write, fax and email (don't stop at email) the Senator representing you -- but phone them all!
Rally in Columbus Monday, February 21st at 11AM President's Day Rally at the Statehouse in Columbus
Rally to Stop Senate Bill 5 - Defend Ohio Workers' Rights
The Ohio Education Association has a Facebook event page you can share.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Senate-Bill-5-in-Ohio/193510757343441#!/event.php?eid=190282400994663
There’s also a major rally Tuesday, February 22nd 1PM to 4PM (and probably into the evening). Pack the Statehouse in Columbus for more testimony on SB 5.
Tell your friends in Cleveland Tuesday, February 22nd a bus will be coming down to the Columbus rally. Contact Cleveland Jobs With Justice for more info(http://www.clevelandjwj.org/connect.html).
Though many of us were inspired to get involved in 2008 too many of us have become disillusioned because the change we hoped for doesn’t feel like it has been coming fast enough. And not only that, there’s been a huge backlash to the election of our first black President and the modest changes he’s been able to push through. They are trying to roll back the progress that’s been made in the past 50 years.
The Tea Party Republicans are mounting counter protests and this is a fight that the Coffee Party shouldn’t just stand back and watch. This effort has been going on since the Reagan revolution and now they’ve kicked it into over drive. But we know that America’s glory days came about in the 50’s and 60’s when the unions were strong and government made rich people pay their fair share in taxes. Reagan’s own budget director has called the Republican mantra that tax cuts are the solution to all our problems and government is the enemy “demagoguery” that has created the financial mess we find ourselves in.
Democracy doesn’t end after there’s an election, it begins after Election Day. Our public servant’s job is to listen to the people and our job as citizens is to make sure they hear us. Half of democracy is just showing up, not just on Election Day but on a regular basis. Our ancestors have inspired the movements that we’re seeing around the world and it is time for us to get inspired and to get active.
Our civic duties should compel us to get informed, go to rallies, contact our representatives and make our voices heard. President Obama inspired many of you in 2008, but it’s important to remember he said he needed your help and he couldn’t do it alone. Simply voting or even working on politician’s campaigns isn’t enough. We must stand with the public employee unions and fight Gov. Kasich’s radical assault on working people. Thanks for all you do!
We can have democracy in this country, or we can have great wealth concentrated in the hands of a few, but we can't have both. - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis (1856-1941)
"If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich." - John F. Kennedy
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