SB5 Opponents Begin Referendum Effort
Printed From: MiddletownUSA.com
Category: Outside World
Forum Name: News, Info and Happenings outside Middletown
Forum Description: It might be happening outside Middletown, but it affects us here at home.
URL: http://www.middletownusa.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3781
Printed Date: May 27 2024 at 3:21am
Topic: SB5 Opponents Begin Referendum Effort
Posted By: John Beagle
Subject: SB5 Opponents Begin Referendum Effort
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 11:36am
Senate Bill 5 Opponents Begin Signature Drive for Referendum Effort
With the recent passage and signing of Senate bill 5, an effort has been ignited to prevent the measure from taking effect and to place the issue before Ohio voters during the November 2011 election. You may be asked to sign such a petition to help bring this issue to a referendum. In that instance it's very important that you know what you're being asked to sign.
A referendum is the practice of placing a measure that already has been passed by a legislative body before the entire electorate for a vote of acceptance or rejection. Opponents of collective bargaining reform have begun a petition drive in order to trigger a referendum for the Ohio election in November of 2011.
The provisions in Senate bill 5 will take effect 90 days after the governor signs the legislation (which happened last week), although proponents of a referendum can stop the bill from taking effect if they are are able to collect and submit enough valid signatures to the Ohio Secretary of State's office before the bill's effective date.
Proponents will need to submit a signature petition containing valid signatures from Ohio voters representing a number equal to at least 6 percent of the total number of ballots cast in the most recent gubernatorial election. In this case, proponents of a Senate bill 5 referendum expect they'll need to collect at least 231,149 signatures. Ohio law requires that signatures for a referendum must be collected from at least 44 of Ohio's 88 counties with specific minimum numbers of required signatures set for each county based on the number of ballots cast in that county during the most recent gubernatorial election.
Bringing an issue to a referendum vote is a difficult task, but not an impossible one. The framers of Ohio's government meant to make the task difficult in order to prevent an abundance of ballot issues and to prevent the legislative process from losing relevance.
The clock already is ticking on the 90-day waiting period before which Senate bill 5 would take effect, and during which proponents of a referendum must collect and submit their signatures. As this process unfolds, be sure that you understand any petitions you may be asked to sign and continue to check www.NFIB.com/OH - www.NFIB.com/OH for updates.
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http://www.johnbeagle.com/" rel="nofollow - John Beagle
Middletown USA
News of, for and by the people of Middletown, Ohio.
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Replies:
Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 6:55pm
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City council conveniently already passed the contract with the police through 2013. So, the levy needs to fall back to 1.5% after the 5 year run which yielded nothing. Don't think for a second city leaders and council did not know what they were doing. So, when the levy fails (anyone really interested in assuring this is recsined back to 1.5% if so, let the strategy begin now) what does Middletown do with the commitment and contract passed by council. The only hold out---Josh Laubach. SR5 has no affect for at least three years in Middletown thanks to city council. Now to pay for it, lt MUST be defeated at the polls by bringing the 1.75% back to 1.5%.
So, the school system is taken care of, the police, and the fire fighters in Middletown. These council members are really tough negotiators. My house is worth 1/2 of what I paid in Middletown nearly 20 + years ago, and this crap just keeps occurring. No wonder no one can sell a house unless you give it away.
Only city I have lived in my life that the council that votes on these issues are ones that benefitted from them as employees and relatives working at the city.
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Posted By: Neil Barille
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 8:00pm
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I believe the contract was for only the handful of "civilian" police department employees but the precedent has been set -- these folks get 1%, Donham Plaza folks get 1% raise, and pretty soon the FOP will as well.
What about salary rollbacks? What about making these people pay more for their bennies? Hello ...McFly??
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 8:30pm
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Does SB5 give the city the option to abrogate or void their union contracts?What would be worse, would be the precedent of breaking contracts at all. If something that someone agrees to is no longer valid, what's the point of a contract at all? If it's just a piece of paper without meaning, what written agreement is safe?
Here's something, has the city approached any of the union reps in the city and asked them to voluntarily forgo the raises in the rest of the contract? Perhaps, re-negotiate? I don't know the answer to that or if that is even possible. Telling people they have to do something always creates friction. Guess it couldn't hurt to ask?
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 8:38pm
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Wow. The city used the tools Columbus gave them effectively didn't they. Hello city council...hello....hello....anyone home?
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 8:51pm
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acclaro - you just asked if anyone had a strategy that would keep the tax rate at the current 1.75%. I believe I have a really good one and am actually afraid to write it down for fear it might be used!!! Ah, what the h***!
IMO, the only way the city passes a new public safety levy (must be worded this way), is that without it, essential services; police, fire, etc., will suffer devestating cuts to personnel. The progress that we have made in the last few years will be in jeopardy. Property values will continue to plummet. Crime will soar. The city will lose any chance to attract new business development. With the levy, we can keep moving Middletown in a positive direction.
How about that!!!
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 8:53pm
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addendum - I 'm not vouching for the validity of the argument, I'm just saying that if you wanted a strategy to run on, that would be pretty good!
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Posted By: Bill
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 9:08pm
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Bloated Past, More Bloated Future. ™
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 10:03pm
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TonyB, don't think that one would work. They tried that one before and it failed. I am convinced this go around, enough people have gotten it. Middletown;ssurely had its share of entitelemnt, maybe the kingpin of Ohio, but the excuses, the cronyism, the glory of the Atrium move, its all been exposed now. When I saw such few people out with AJ Smith, I finally think people are so on to Middletown, all the mud thrown around, they have had enough.
Pretty good description Bill, and true....bloated!
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 07 2011 at 10:18pm
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acclaro - you really don't think they can get away with the scare tactics? Fear is certainly a powerful motivator and if the contract cost for police and fire are set til 2013, they'll be able to make a case for real personnel cuts as the only way to balance the budget. That may be the only option in any case. I'm actually concerned that they'll get this passed and cut personnel anyway! What's worse, from the revenue projections I saw at the upstairs meeting, that also may be the only answer. It would make a bad situation worse in either respect. Talk about time for some tough decisions! I do agree that unless the apathy monster rears its ugly head and then lays back down and go to sleep, this will be a very tough sell to the electorate. Maybe it's time for the MMFers you guys tell me run this city to find a point man who can sell this.
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Posted By: TANGO
Date Posted: Apr 08 2011 at 6:18am
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Tony B you are right in thinking that the city should be working with the unions , but my experience with unions is they are not going to give up anything, they just want try to blame someone for this situation. Those ever fault it may be that city is over budget they are still broke.
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 08 2011 at 9:48pm
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acclaro - have you read the article in MJ concerning police reaccredidation? Retiring police chief fires first salvo in campaign to renew public safety levy.
Schwarber, who retires in late May, said he hopes voters renew the 0.75 percent public safety levy that will be before voters later this year. If it doesn’t pass, Schwarber said the city will “see some substantial cuts.”
“The levy will be critical success to public safety in the city,” he said.
What did I say about the strategy they were going to use?
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Posted By: acclaro
Date Posted: Apr 08 2011 at 9:54pm
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The cuts need to come. and they haven't improved public saftey a bit with the increase. What burms me up is the nepotism on the force. Former Sgt retires, moves his daughter (I will keep her nameless bu most know who she is), from Oxford to Middletown, in paer under age 30, making in mid $70's. Newlin;s son, former clerk deleiveing summons cutting his teeth in Dad's civil court, now a Sgt, under 30, making about $76,000. This levy will fail, but of course, we know the strategy and the cry wolf. Why do you think city council was praising police and fire for he incident at Frish's/ Its all we will hear until it is defeated.
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Posted By: TonyB
Date Posted: Apr 08 2011 at 10:06pm
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I thought that kind of nepotism had been eliminated. Must have been sleeping again. I think someone was suggesting cleaning house. This is the very reason people are so mistrustful of government. That and the secrecy or "semi secrecy" in which they operate.
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