COMMENTARY | Increased awareness of the fiscally responsible attributes in Ohio Senate Bill 5 (Issue 2) is prompting public employees to come out of the closet and share accurate facts with their coworkers and families. The pressure from union leaders on teachers, firefighters and law enforcement officers to follow the rank-and-file mindset must be exhausting. Even if you oppose the fiscal reform, you should credit the bravery of public employees willing to not only form their own opinions but state them publicly.
Today, Building a Better Ohio launched a website section geared just for the state's public teachers. The SB5 support group once again opted for a direct and simple approach when relaying their message. Unlike We Are Ohio, political rhetoric and faux facts were not a part of the published text or videos. Politicians and journalists everywhere should mimic the same approach when seeking to inform the public on any topic. Only the weakest of minds are easily influenced solely by another person's opinion. Most voters would savor a "just the facts" approach, consider the information and then make up their own minds.
The Building a Better Ohio educator page touches upon the top five issues of importance for public school teachers. Website visitors can click on tabs to read Ohio Issue 2 details concerning evaluation standards, teacher tenure, union dues, performance based pay and how the pending law will protect quality educators. The informative text does not boast flowery language, heart-tugging prose or political partisanship.
A five-year Columbus school teacher named Jim is featured in one of the website videos supporting SB5. The high school teacher details why he supports the fiscally responsible measure and believes it will get the best teachers in the classroom and will help both students and Ohio communities. Jim states that teachers do not sit around at school talking about how well the current system is working. The educator urges his peers to take the time to get clear facts on Ohio Senate Bill 5 and see how increased teacher input and the opportunity to change the system will benefit all involved.
Current Ohio Revised Code statutes requires employees who do not wish to become union members to pay a "fair share fee" as a condition of employment. A school teacher who does not agree with union policies or political endorsements are still forced to become defacto members by the assessed monthly fee. This practice only enhances the political nature of public unions and the hold such groups have on elected officials. Ohio Issue 2 does not seek to cripple, destroy or eliminate public unions, it simply would allow employees to make their own decision about membership. In August a group of 15 Ohio public school teachers filed a class-action lawsuit based upon union dues spent improperly to support political campaigns and the refusal of access to independently audited fiscal statements detailing how collected fees are spent.
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