In Ohio, we’re trying to use a citizen veto to overturn Ohio’s new union-busting law. The first part of the process involved collecting more than a million signatures to put a referendum on November’s ballot. Now that the issue is on the ballot we have to get enough “no” votes to prevent the law from taking effect. The organization leading the effort is called We Are Ohio, and the objective is “Vote No on Issue Two”.
I wrote about how we did a We Are Ohio local event here about a month ago. At last month’s gathering, we compiled a list of attendees. I went to another We Are Ohio event last night in a county east of where I live. I gave the list we had compiled at last month’s local event to the (paid) organizer who is now on the ground. She’ll add our list to the names she’s collected herself in the two weeks she’s been working in this area.
Several firemen spoke to us at last night’s event and explained why they have joined the effort to try a citizen veto of Ohio’s law that strips collective bargaining rights from public employees. I suspect one of the fireman-speakers last night is (or was) a GOP voter. I believe this because the fireman was careful to refer to the folks who passed this law as “politicians”. I’m finding that the Republicans who are active in this thing rarely use the words “Republican” or “Kasich”, although the facts are that the bill was drafted by Republicans, passed by Republicans, and signed by former Fox News personality, John Kasich.
Too, the fireman spoke with what sounded to me like a real sense of betrayal and that’s another common theme I’m hearing. He said he never imagined that teachers, police officers and firefighters would somehow end up as “the problem” because everyone, at one time or another, has relied on a teacher, a police officer or a firefighter. He said “I didn’t know I was next”. At that point, a UAW member in the crowd shouted “I always know I’m next!” and everyone laughed.
DBrown
This is how the NAZI’s did it – first, focus on a group that no one wants to defend and pick on them until everyone is ready for action. Then find another group and repeat. This goes on over time until it is your turn. The Nazi’s didn’t invent it nor are they the only modern example. As we are learning, this thinking works great for any one/group that can be targeted by thugs for low information thinkers – read fox viewers. It works – see current attacks against unions and public workers.
Mino
@DBrown: See upcoming attacks on military retirement and benies.
kay
@DBrown:
Well, I didn’t mean to invoke that. It was actually a fairly lively potluck typa thing. I don’t think it’s all that grave a situation yet, but I appreciate your concern.
Will Reks
I’ve heard some of the sentiment from Republican union members here in WI. There’s anger at Walker from some in that crowd for not going after welfare and those benefiting from BadgerCare. There’s always some group out there who can be demonized and cast as not deserving.
hhex65
Thanks for all your hard work in Ohio. Love the comment by the UAW member. That’s something I repeat to people all the time: “Don’t laugh, you could be next.”
Thoughtcrime
@Will Reks:
As Cole pointed out yesterday, the Badgercare death panels can be pretty brutal.
jenn
Kay, as always, thank you for your posts on this. I don’t usually comment, but I always beeline for your posts — they’re commonsense, informative, and ACTIVE, which I find both useful and inspiring.
DBrown
@kay: Sorry, but except for teabaggers, I never meant to imply that rep-a-thugs in power would do the real final solution against unions – only use the method of turning groups against each other to get rid of unions, not the members!
NonyNony
I thought that was a conscious messaging choice by the union members (I’ve seen the same thing).
If this becomes a Republican vs. Democrat thing then in Ohio the Republicans will win. It becomes another red meat tribal issue for Republican voters, and “independents” can write the whole thing off as partisan politics “as usual” and ignore it. If it is a firefighters, police and teachers vs. politicians thing, it’s more likely that the Republicans will lose because “independents” hate politicians more than they hate anyone in those groups.
If it’s not conscious messaging it probably should be – at least in Ohio that’s the dynamic in play. I wish it weren’t the case, but we have a whole horde of “independent” voters who see one party on one side, one party on the other, and just figure that anything they disagree on must be “partisan politics” that they can ignore.
Linda Featheringill
Betrayal is a very strong emotion and often motivates people into action.
mark
kay, do you have any real contacts in cincy for these groups you always post about? all the ohio activity i can find takes place columbus and north from there.
….i am a couple blocks away from the boehner family bar.
Thoughtcrime
@Linda Featheringill:
And extreme betrayal usually motivates a permanent change of allegiance.
kay
Mark, I live way, way north of there, so no.
I’m now in the car, but email me and I’ll find you someone.
The email is at the top of the page.
Chat Noir
@jenn:
Same for me. Kay rawks!
DonkeyKong
I was having a friendly debate with a glibertarian friend of mine that works in tech. Nice guy, but he believe’s without regulation we can have “the best of all possible worlds” and all that shit.
I told him point blank, “When they’ve gutted out middle class people like me, do you really think you’re not going to be next on the menu?”
He just gave me a nervous smile.
“They came for the linux code writer and I wasn’t a linux code writer”
rikryah
Too, the fireman spoke with what sounded to me like a real sense of betrayal and that’s another common theme I’m hearing. He said he never imagined that teachers, police officers and firefighters would somehow end up as “the problem” because everyone, at one time or another, has relied on a teacher, a police officer or a firefighter.
he always thought they were talking about OTHER people….hint…Black or Brown people…
yet, when it got to HIM, he was all outraged.
shrug.
kay
Rikryah,
Yeah he didn.t get it until it was him, but we have few enough allies, I think.
I say let him in the club :)
If he screws up ONCE we can throw him out
Linda
Well, yeah. Back in the 80s, smiley faced conservatives only singled out welfare mothers, and some union members that were making a lot more than You, like air traffic controllers. But if you want to redistribute income upward, there has to be more bad, undeserving workers getting more than their fair share, and that pool just gets bigger and bigger. And the new Enemies are always suprised to to find themselves smack in the middle of it.
BDeevDad
It’s amazing how in 10 years, the police and firefighters have gone from amazing heroes to overpaid, union thugs.
/sarcasm
Marc
Any feel for the count on the HE 194 repeal petition?
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@mark: A Reading guy ! Howdy neighbor – though I’m in Madville :). Oh, and thanks as always, Kay, for all that you do, and for writing about these issues.
kc
Kay, I appreciate your activism and your writing about it. You are an inspiration!
Nathanael
Smart UAW member.
kay
Marc,
No. I don’t have a feel for the count but these same fireman are doing petitions for 194, and I didn’t think the SB5 folks would help with that, so that’s good.
Kathleen
@mark: Price Hill here. Hamilton County Democratic Party has information: hamiltoncountydems.org/
Ohio Mom
Mark, Blue Ash here.
When I moved to Ohio in ’78, it was a blue state: Democratic governor, and Glenn & Metzenbaum were our senators. Cincinnati regularly sent a Democrat to Congress (okay, he was a little on the conservative side), and the Republicans on Cincinnati City Council were mostly reasonable; even Blackwell and Chabot were better-mannered then (they got their starts on City Council, as did Jerry Springer).
I hardly recognize the place anymore. The momentum of the SB5 fight gives me a little hope the old Ohio may be coming back.
Matt
@NonyNony:
I follow the logic, but at some point all the morons who keep voting GOP despite being on the GOP’s hit list are going to need to put their Buy-bulls down and re-engage the higher functions of their brains.
Branding SB5 as the fault of “politicians” just gets us more people who accept the “everybody does it” nonsense and “wave elections” where the people who blew up the economy get to pretend like it’ll somehow be different this time…
eap
A police officer friend of mine here in Ohio (Republican, Glenn Beck fan) is really shocked/angry about the whole thing and has been a great supporter of the repeal effort. He is definitely not going to support Kasich again and I think he is really starting to question all the r’s. There is hope…