Take a stand on principle

Take a stand on principle

There is an old saying that goes something like this: “In matters of taste, swim with the tide; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.” I am a retired teacher and I am voting no on Issue 2 to repeal Senate Bill 5 on Nov. 8. For me, it is a matter of principle.

SB 5, rammed through the Republican-controlled Ohio Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Kasich last spring, virtually eliminates one of the most basic rights Ohio’s public employees have enjoyed since 1983 — the right to bargain collectively. Some 1.3 million Ohio voters signed a petition to place the recall of this partisan piece of legislation on the November ballot.

Gov. Kasich and his party’s legislative leaders now recognize that they have overreached. Their offer to negotiate with opponents to remove the more extreme provisions of the law smacks of insincerity and is fueled by political self-interest. It is too little and too late.

Where was their willingness to listen to the thousands of teachers, fire fighters, nurses and police officers who descended on the Statehouse five months ago to voice their objections? Where was their concern for the adverse economic and social impact SB 5 could unleash on local communities and local economies?

To those of your readers who say the law does not affect them, think again. If you have children in public schools, rely on public employees in case of fire, crime or medical emergencies, you are not immune. Good schools and safe communities keep property values up and insurance rates down.

A large coalition of groups, known as We Are Ohio, seeks to overturn SB 5 at the ballot box on Nov. 8. I am proud to be included among the countless volunteers across our state contacting friends and making phone calls in support of this effort.

As I said, for me it is a matter of principle.

Stephen Hanzely, Youngstown