Since returning to the Ohio House of Representatives, I have enjoyed company with so many constituents. The hospitality shown to me and the time I have been able to spend in each community of the 77th House District is much appreciated. Since late February much of my time has been spent with constituents talking about the balanced budget passed in Ohio and collective bargaining reform.Government must live within its means and we need a smaller government that stays out of our lives. For that reason it was without hesitation that I supported legislation that would give our local governments and citizens control over their own budgets. Ohio is out of money and the public in many cases is not supporting tax hikes to fund the exploding size and cost of government. I stand behind my vote in favor of Senate Bill 5.
Senate Bill 5 was part of the five part plan to turn this state around. In particular, Senate Bill 5 amended collective bargaining laws for the first time in 28 years. This is necessary reform that I believe would have kept young people in this state and would have primed the pumps for Ohio’s comeback. Throughout the process I communicated with my constituents and your concerns were brought back to my colleagues who made changes in the bill as a result. One of those changes was allowing citizens to have the final say on a controversial contract by an up or down vote of the community.
Once SB 5 became law, my efforts were you united with other state leaders to bring the facts of the law around the state. I met many of you at community meetings, in service clubs, and at public events. I had visits with local police chiefs, fire chiefs, sheriffs, mayors, city administrators, teachers and school superintendents. I urged support for Senate Bill 5 because these reforms would allow public employees to remain on the job even when budget times are tough.
On Tuesday, the voters in Ohio rejected Issue 2 overwhelmingly. Interestingly, the entire 77th House District turned it down by only 573 votes out of over 46,000 votes cast. The people spoke and I accept their decision.
My plans are to remain in communication with constituents as we work in Columbus to solve our budget problems and promote job growth in Ohio. We will work on many topics over the coming months that must be addressed. I will personally be promoting changes to agricultural law that would promote cleaner water in our farmland without increased regulation. We will likely tackle pension reform, capital improvements, continued job creation, and changes at the local government level to reduce high operation costs.
Ohio is too great of a state to sit back and let her fail. Tuesday night presented more challenges in fixing this State but I look forward to many opportunities to take new steps to turn Ohio around. We are lucky to live in a state with a great history. As your State Representative I will work to find ways to keep young people in Ohio and get the economy pumping once again.
Jim, I urge the legislature to re-visit and pass the 10% retirement and 15% health insurance contributions by all public employees. This was touted by proponents as the main goal of SB 5 in the commercials and the majority of Ohioans agree that they are fitting and proper. What the majority of Ohioans do not agree with is the partisan overreach which was well-demonstrated in the election. Right-wing overreach was soundly rejected in Issue 2 and left-wing overreach was soundly rejected in Issue 3.
ReplyDeleteWhat real choice do you have but to stand by your vote?
ReplyDeleteWhere did you find the figures you stated on the results.(by only 573 votes out of over 46,000 votes cast) I tried to tally them myself, but I am not sure of the entire scope of your district.
Time to start pressing the local Republican party to get some new blood in Buchy and Fabers seats, someone who has some sense and will listen to the majority.
ReplyDeleteJim, I too encourage our elected officials to go back to the bargaining table to find common ground on this important issue. We, as a people must assure that we can offer needed services as a state while staying within a realistic budget. As always, many thanks for all that you do for the citizens of the 77th district. You are one of our heros.
ReplyDeleteMost assuredly there are needs for reform in the bargaining process. Since the process is already in place,perhaps it would be good to include everyone involved in the process. The problems the state has with money are much deeper than collective bargaining. Before anything else is done this governor and legislature have a mandate from the Supreme Court to resolve the funding mechanism for our schools. If they don't, they should be held in contempt. It has gone on long enough. Get your priorities straight at Broad and High and the rest of the state will probably fall in line.
ReplyDeleteHero is sometimes thrown around rather easily these days. I watched some today at the Veteren's Day parade and earlier saw Mr. Buchy's defense of SB5---not apples to apples
ReplyDeleteKasich and the Republicans worked their butts off on five huge bills designed to fix Ohio. Four of those bills are already law and improving the economic environment of Ohio. One of those bills - the budget - fixed a ridiculous $8 billion hole left by the prior administration.
ReplyDeleteFor all of their work and progress, Republicans have been villified for months over SB5. Kasich has been called a bully, a thug, and worse.
For months, all the opposition did was criticize, engage in name-calling, and scare citizens with ridiculous arguments that SB5 would literally kill people.
The opposition has offered no solutions of its own. No democrat ever offered an amendment to SB5. The unions didn't show up when Kasich offered to meet and compromise. And despite all the claims that "we like parts of the bill," no democrat legislator ever committed to which parts were acceptable.
Kasich and the Republicans gave their proposal - and it was villified and defeated. If the Republicans offer a new proposal, they will be villified again. So why do it?
It is time for the democrats and the unions to tell us what their solutions are. They're obviously very smart and tuned into what the public wants. So they can offer the next legislative solution. Let's see if any of them have the courage (as the Republicans did) to put forth a written proposal and put their names on it. If they want the 10/15 they can put it forth in a bill, because after all legislators in the minority can still offer bills, right? Let the democrats make the next offer, and the GOP can react to that.
I think the GOP should just sit back and wait.
If you want to 10% retirement and 15% health care does that mean I will bring more home each payday? Find out what the public emloyees make and pay in Your Area Mr Buchy before you vote.
ReplyDeleteTo 3:24
ReplyDeleteKasich and the GOP's Senate Bill 5 was defeated on Tuesday by the votes that really count which included many Republicans. It doesn't matter what you or Kasich think because the majority of people think it was bad. You want to forget that this sneaky, hateful law was crafted by Kasich's toadies who neither wanted or asked for any input. Stop crying because your black eye is no larger than the one Democrats were given on Issue 3 with the people's backlash on what you call Obamacare. I hope the so-called leaders of Ohio do a lot more than you want, which is to sit back and pout.
Here's a thought...why don't they go after welfare and the people that don't work and drain the economy. If you've been on welfare, haven't had a job in the last 2 yrs, and keep having kids so you can stay on welfare, take it away. Take 15% of their support away every yr until they get a job, easy enough. Money problems solved, don't go after the people that actually work and support the community.
ReplyDeleteIsn't is pretty plain that he does not care?
ReplyDeleteWhat are your solutions 3:49 ?
ReplyDeletePass the reasonable parts of SB 5 which are all those that were not put in to essentially eliminate collective bargaining and bust unions.
ReplyDelete...because you are an idiot...
ReplyDeleteWant to save some money?
ReplyDeleteAverage the hourly rate for union workers statewide and pay public defenders that rate.
They would never stand for it, but if you expect a teacher with a Masters to work for that rate then so can attorneys, but since a lot of our legislators are attorneys it won't ever happen, they were exempted from losing a State professional license if they got behind on child support, no one else was however.
Buchy wrote: "Government must live within its means and we need a smaller government that stays out of our lives."
ReplyDeleteThen why support the most invasive intrusion into a woman's life by supporting 'personhood for fertilized eggs'. That is not small government.
Government should live within its means, we all agree there, but the US has had debt since its founding. Budgetary wisdom comes from creative thinking and real knowledge, not ideologies forced on us by people who are not even aware of the true basis of their ideological thinking like Buchy and Kasich. Such thinking is founded in 'neoliberalism' which holds that the market is everything and the individual's primary duty is to prep themselves for the market. It is obvious that unregulated freedoms and unregulated feee markets eventually make drones of all but the super elite. Yet, such mad reasoning is encouraged.
And Honest Abe, be honest, please. Do you honestly believe that 4000 people are hard working and deserving 'job creators' and 4 million are lazy dogs?
5:49 .... "Pass the reasonable parts" ????
ReplyDeleteIf Republicans go forward with any part of SB5, we will see many more months of controversy and attacks on Republican legislators, name calling, pickets, etc.
During the SB5 fight, the unions and democrat legislators said over and over again that they liked parts of SB5, but they would never say what those parts were.
In any negotiation, you have some communication and some give-and-take.
How about: instead of having the GOP guessing which parts of SB5 are acceptable to the unions and democrats, wouldn't it be much simpler if the unions and democrats declared up front which parts they feel are reasonable? They said they liked parts of the bill ... which parts?
We're waiting for their answer.
Mr. (or Ms.) 5:45
ReplyDeleteCan't you see that SB 5 was crafted with reasonable parts to cloak the main purpose which was to bust unions? Kasich was bolder that Walker, his counterpart in Wisconsin, who exempted police and fire from his bill in a divide and conquer strategy. The reasonable parts are still reasonable and will not be a lightning rod without the partisan, union-killing measures. I would very much like the Democrats to introduce these parts, but they are very much the minority and Republicans would not want them taking credit for good legislation. I certainly do not speak for unions or Democrats, but I can start out with the two main points Kasich and his allies SAID were the most important; the 10% of retirement and 15% of health insurance contributions. They should be introduced and passed.
It's sad the people couldn't see the whole picture. They looked at one little corner. The only part of issue 2 that needed to be changed is this, it needs to apply to the politicians as well. you can't keep paying out what you don't have. As far as the welfare people. Make them pee before getting money, not just one of them but all of them in the households. We'd be surprised at how much money we'd all save.
ReplyDeleteHow ever it shakes out for us should also shake the state in the same manner.
ReplyDelete11:31 ... Here's how I diagnose the problem.
ReplyDeleteThe democrats and unions probably WANT the GOP to introduce the 10%/15%, because they know it is needed to help out local legislators to fix their budgets. BUT the democrats and unions don't want their fingerprints on it because their followers will go nuts after all the ridiculous things that were said during the SB5 vote. Therefore, their secret wish is for the GOP to introduce "the reasonable parts" at which point they will completely flip out again -- call the GOP a bunch of names, that they don't like working people, etc. -- but they won't do a referendum or anything else to kill it. They want to have it both ways -- villify Kasich and the GOP, while letting it go through. I think it's inconceivable these people would have the courage to do the right thing and offer it on their own. I think it's possible if pushed hard they might agree to sign on to a bipartisan bill, but should be forced to commit before the GOP goes forward with anything.
The GOP should not have to do the right thing AND suffer a bunch more ridicule. All I am asking is that the SB5 opponents to be grown-ups and identify those parts that they will sign on to (people on a chat don't count, it has to be the legislators and unions) . The resistance to this idea only convinces me more that the dems/unions will forcefully oppose any change.
If they love the 10%/15% they should say so in a public manner.
Greedy unions and petty state employees just set the state of Ohio back many years with the defeat of Issue 2. Ohio voters just announced to the nation that they are CLOSED for jobs. It is embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteAnd riddle me this, all you idiot, selfish voters - how can you in one vote find reason to vote AGAINST children in a school levy that will benefit the future of the children and the community and bring positive results to all, yet in the same vote find reason to vote IN FAVOR of giving LESS MONEY to schools to use to hire new teachers and spend on students and rid them of teachers who simply don't care and are just wanting to get their years in to retire with a hefty retirement package? You voted IN FAVOR of the short term in order to benefit your own greedy and selfish desires, yet voted against the long-term to benefit not only children, but teachers, admins, the community, and EVERYONE INVOLVED.
Just shows how hypocritical and pathetic some teachers can be - preaching to vote to give THEM the benefits under Issue 2 and to ensure THEY can slack off at their job and cry to a union, while at the same time essentially saying "Screw students! We're more important!"
No wonder the education system is fatally broken!
Regrading the 10%/15%, Buchy's words not mine, would only amount to less than 6% of all public employees. The other 94% already pay that or more.
ReplyDeleteHe stated that most of the 6% are administrators who are not union.
It will not create a windfall one way or the other!
Unions will be happy to see bosses pay what they do!
Will it help, yes, but very slight. Political disaster due to overreach.
9:35 Here is how I diagnose the problem: First of all, Kasich and his allies promoted SB5 and Issue 2 in campaign ads by stressing the 10% and 15%, even though it was certainly not their primary goal. The voters saw through the ruse, not because of opposition to the two parts, but because of the attempt to strip basic workers' rights and enhance the power of bureaucrats. A side issue was that nothing in the legislation applied to politicians or elected people.
ReplyDeleteBy your reasoning, you appear to admit that this was, in fact, all a ruse or that the 10% and 15% would not be significant if they became law. All of the name-calling and ridicule you describe was over the union-busting provisions. I strongly sense that you do not wish to recognize this fact, and if many think as you do, it appears that there will be little done. But we both know that is not true since the GOP and their Teaparty cohorts are circulating a petition to call for a statewide vote for "right to work" in Ohio. The upshot is that there will be many future upcoming battles to try to prevent a return to the 19th century. Maybe there will also be an attempt to take the right to vote away from women. It would at least be consistent.
To 3:59 Sorry Charlie, that vote against Issue 2 was much more that Democrats and union members. It was by Independents and Republicans who are not simply tools of Fox News. Even Bill Cunningham used WLW to urge NO votes. Look at the vote by the same people on Issue 3 and you will see what I mean. You may be making a false connection between NO votes on Issue 2 and the school levy as being for teachers and against kids. If you listen to people you might find they voted against those in charge, not students. It is obvious that Greenville needs a new Elem. School; it is not so obvious that a lot of people want to give those in charge $millions of their tax money to make it happen.
ReplyDeleteHay! we just voted the school levy down.
ReplyDeleteCan't you school levy gu ru freaks give it a break!
8:36PM - you are very much on target about why many of the 'no' votes for the GCS levy. $63 million is too many dollars to entrust to the current district leadership. In fact it just seems like too many dollars. However that is tainted by having little to not faith that the current leadership has the ability to make good decisions.
ReplyDeleteAs relates to issue 2, I was a yes vote. The status quo not working. I have more faith that the elected officials will address what needed fixed. It was close in Darke county with losing only by approximately 60 votes.
Right on, 3:59 p.m.! It is baffling that Issue 2 goes down, yet so many districts in the state can't pass a levy. It is 100% proof-positive of the hypocritical teachers in this state. Talking to a few Greenville teachers before the last election, they were all more concerned with Issue 2 than the new building. Just pathetic that we let these greedy fools teach our children...
ReplyDelete7:38 --could your hate be any stronger. You should just complain and do nothing. You are a behind the scene know it all.
ReplyDelete7:38---what are hypocritical teachers? I talked to a couple of citizens who thought that Issue 2 was more important than the levy. Most teachers know that you and those like you wont vote for a levy and find any ridiculous reasons not to. I have 100% proof based upon one example that any one who disagrees with you must be very intelligent.
ReplyDeleteBarney:
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your observation but must disagree that elected officials will fix it. After all, all of the perks, pickups, etc. that you and many others abhor were all granted by the same elected officials.
Look at the smile on Bucky's face...
ReplyDeleteThouse at the state house have some thing else up their sleave.
Wow, so many mean comments. Elections don't always turn out as you would like, however a person should remember that not all people are the same and have their own reasons for voting the way they do... Disrespect normally will not alter ones opinion, just make it stronger.
ReplyDelete