Kasich is supposed to work for us

Kasich is supposed to work for us

As we wade our way through this soggy and dreary spring, my mood was brightened and I even got a few chuckles from the recent letters by the political director and chairman of the Mahoning County Republican Party. Thank you, gentlemen.

The topics of the letters mainly encompassed Senate Bill 5, the local Chamber of Commerce and Gov. Kasich. A portion of the letter from the political director chastised the Austintown trustees for opposing SB 5. They don’t deserve criticism but accolades. The last time I checked, Austintown was mainly inhabited by hard working, middle-class workers, not wealthy Republican aristocrats. Since SB 5 is a clear and concise attack on the middle class, the trustees are correct in their criticism. More township trustees and city councils should join them.

Both letters put forth more than a few false theories. One is that SB 5 is about the budget. It’s about union busting. It’s the first step in fulfilling the campaign promise of Gov. Kasich to break the back of organized labor. Another ridiculous premise in the letters is that all of us in this area need to bow down to Kasich and accept all his policies or the Mahoning Valley will suffer the consequences. The governor works for us, not the other way around. Whether we agree with him or like him should be irrelevant. Former Gov. Strickland didn’t ignore those counties dominated by the Tea Party when he was in office.

Don’t allow the local Republican leaders to hoodwink you about what SB 5 is about. If you’re a middle-class worker, union or non-union, public or private sector, then you are in the crosshairs of Gov. Kasich and his allies in the Ohio Legislature.

Tim O’Hara, Austintown